Chapter I: History of Mechanical Cleaning

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Early Attempts 3
Limitations of the Carpet Sweeper 4
Compressed Air Cleaners 5
Vacuum Produced by Compressed Air 7
Compressed Air Supplemented by Vacuum 7
Piston Pump the First Satisfactory Vacuum Producer 9
Systems Using Vacuum Only 11
Renovator with Inrush Slot 13
Steam Aspirators Used as Vacuum Producers 14
Piston Pump Used Without Separators 15
First Portable Vacuum Cleaner 15
First Use of Stationary Multi-Stage Turbine Blowers 16
Separators Emptying to Sewer by Air Pressure 18
Machines Using Root Blowers as Vacuum Producers 18

CHAPTER II.

REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEM.

Necessity and Proper Location of Stationary Parts 24

CHAPTER III.

THE CARPET RENOVATOR.

Four Important Parts of Vacuum Cleaning System 25
The Straight Vacuum Tool 26
Renovator with Auxiliary Slot Open to Atmosphere 27
Renovator with Two Cleaning Slots 30
Renovator with Inrush Slots on Each Side 30
Tests on Dirty Carpets 30
Type A Renovator Most Efficient on Dirty Carpets 36
Tests of Carpets “Artificially” Soiled 36
Effort Necessary to Operate Various Type of Renovators 51
Relative Damage to Carpets with Various Type of Renovators 52

CHAPTER IV.

OTHER RENOVATORS.

Different Form of Renovator Necessary to Clean Walls, Ceilings
and Similar Flat Surfaces 60
Upholstery Renovators Disastrous to Surfaces Cleaned 64
Attempts to Overcome Destructive Tendency of Straight-Slot
Upholstery Renovator 64
Upholstery Renovators Most Serviceable Clothing Cleaners 65
Special Renovators for Cleaning Stairs 66
Renovation of Furs 66
Renovation of Pillows 66

CHAPTER V.

STEMS AND HANDLES.

Use of Drawn Steel Tubing for Stems of Cleaning Tools 70
Drawn Aluminum Tubing for Long Stems 71
Swivel Joints Between Renovator and Stem 72
Wear on Hose Near Stem 74
Methods of Overcoming Wear of Hose 74
Valves to Cut Off Suction 78

CHAPTER VI.

HOSE.

Early Types Made of Canvas-Wound Rubber Tubing 80
Standard Weight Adopted 80
First Type Produced Especially for Use in Vacuum Cleaning Work 81
First Attempt to Produce Light-Weight Hose 81
Other Types 82
Hose Couplings 82
Hose Friction 84
Effect of Hose Friction 88
Most Economical Hose Size for Carpet and Floor Renovators 93
Conditions for Plant of Small Power 97
Limit of Length for Hose 99

CHAPTER VII.

PIPE AND FITTINGS.

Hose Inlets 100
Pipe Friction 107
Determination of Proper Size Pipe 107
Determination of Number of Sweepers to be Operated 113
Determination of Number of Risers to be Installed 115
Size of Risers 115
Illustration of Effect of Long Lines of Piping 120

CHAPTER VIII.

SEPARATORS.

Classification of Separators 127
Primary Separators 127
Secondary Separators 130
Complete Separators 134
Total Wet Separator 138

CHAPTER IX.

VACUUM PRODUCERS.

Types of Vacuum Producers 142
Displacement Type 142
Centrifugal Type 142
Power Required to Produce Vacuum 142
Reciprocating Pumps 143
Rotary Pumps 148
Centrifugal Exhausters 156
Steam Aspirators 162

CHAPTER X.

CONTROL.

First Type of Controller 166
Second Form of Control 168
Appliances for Varying Speed of Motor-Driven Vacuum Pump 171

CHAPTER XI.

SCRUBBING SYSTEMS.

First Real Mechanical Scrubbing Device 176
Combining Scrubbing with Dry Cleaning 177
Ideal Separator for Use with a Combined Cleaning and Scrubbing
System 178