VDTA/SDTA logo

The next VDTA/SDTA Convention & Show will be in
New Orleans, LA
February 27 - 29, 2012
at the Ernest Morial Convention Center

Vacuum & Sewing Hall of Fame

The Vacuum & Sewing Hall of Fame was created in 1994 to honor the men and women of the past and present that have made significant contributions to our industry.

Do you know someone involved in manufacturing, distributing or retail that should be in the Hall of Fame?
Click HERE for a nomination form. (Adobe Acrobat file)

The list below combines floor care & sewing
inductees in alphabetical order. The year
column indicates when they were inducted.

LAST FIRST YR

 

Archer Cecil W.  96

NEWS:
VDTA hall of fame member Maurine Smith, age 92, passed away peacefully at home Monday, December 19, 2011


2011 Hall of Fame Inductees
The following professionals were inducted into the Vacuum & Sewing Hall of Fame during the VDTA/SDTA Convention & Show, Las Vegas NV, February 22, 2011.

Cliff Brady photo Donald and Audrey photo Larry Overson photo Ret Sobelman photo

Cliff Brady III

Donald &
Audrey LaValley

Larry Overson

Ret Sobelman


Contributors to the invention of the sewing machine

The sewing machine was actually invented several times, although Elias Howe eventually won the rights in court to collect the royalties.

Charles Weisenthal, German inventor, patented the first machine identifiable as a sewing machine in 1755. It was designed for embroidery and introduced the first pointed needle with an eye in both ends and the middle.

Thomas Saint, English cabinet maker, patented the first English sewing machine in 1790. The patent however, was so busy describing what the machine would accomplish that it failed to describe the machine, and the patent never held.

Barthelemy Thimonnier, French journeyman tailor, in 1830 patented the first machine that actually performed. Thimonnier’s machine was the first used commercially. However, like all of the predecessors, the machine formed a chain stitch, which easily became unraveled.

Walter Hunt, American mechanic, got away from the principle of hand sewing and invented the first sewing method designed specifically for a machine. Hunt designed the first lock stitch using a top and bottom thread. There is no record of this machine being patented, although it was used by many.

John J. Greenough first American sewing machine patent, February 21, 1842.

Benjamin W Bean second American sewing machine patent, March 4, 1843.

George H Corliss third American sewing machine patent, December 1843.

Elias Howe fourth American sewing machine patent, September 10th, 1846.


Contributors to the invention of the vacuum cleaner

The actual inventor of the first vacuum is hard to determine. Four names come up, and the credit differs depending on to whom you are talking.

Corrine Dufour, Savannah, Ga., “Electric Sweeper and Dust Gatherer.”
John S. Thurman, St. Louis, Mo., motor driven vacuum cleaner patent # 634,042 issued October 3, 1899, on a “pneumatic carpet renovator.”

Ives W. McGaffey, Chicago, Ill., patent # 91,145 issued June 8, 1869, on a “sweeping machine.” The machine contained a hand operated fan. It was manufactured by American Carpet Cleaning Co., Boston, under the trade name Whirlwind. The unit contained all elements of modern electric cleaners except the electric motor.

David E. Kenney, New Jersey, patent applied for in 1901, and issued in 1907, on a “renovator,” patented so well that until the patents ran out in 1923, every vacuum manufactured in America was under his license, for which he received a royalty. Had someone done a better and more thorough search of patent records prior to his patent being issued, his claim probably would not have held. He formed a company in New York, Suction Cleaner Company

Ash Can vacuum was introduced somewhere between 1905 - 1907. Used to clean offices, it weighed 60 - 70 pounds

The first self-contained vacuum was introduced in 1905 by a man named Chapman. It contained a mechanically driven rotary brush. The dust was sucked up by a two-stage 24-inch turbine fan and discharged into a tin can mounted on the handle. The machine was mounted on wheels and contained a direct connected motor.

The first horizontal tank type of cleaner was introduced by a man named Sturtevant between 1910 - 1912.

By 1945, 48.2%, or 13,700,000 homes had a vacuum

The number of vacuum cleaners introduced from 1900 to 1930 is unknown, but there were hundreds of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arvidson Curt E.  95
Axline Dave 95
Bank Kenneth  06
Barhite David O. 95
Battisto Sam 09
Beall Dick  97
Beitscher Jack  94
Beitscher Melvin  01
Berman Nate  95
Biddy Fred  01
Bissell Melville R.  94
Bissell Anna  94
Boffoli Robert  01
Bonner Floyd T.  95
Booth Robert B. 07
Boozer Thomas  98
Brady Clifford Jr 06
Brady Cliff III 11
Breslin John J.  01
Brewer A. G.  94
Bridges Thomas L.  95
Brown Ronald 05
Burritt Henry W.  94
Butters Bill  96
Cadelo Leo  95
Callahan Martin  94
Cheerman Aaron 04
Clark Louis  94
Cleary Paul “Bud” E.  03
Clounch James  00
Coghlan John 06
Cohrs Ewald 03
Cole James  95
Cutter Robert  00
Davis Job A.  94
Dick Jack 09
Dick Oscar  94
Eldredge Franklin  94
Emdy Charles  95
Emdy Edmond Wayne  95
Epstein Bernie  96
Fetzer Carl  94
Forrest John  00
Frantz Clarence G.  94
Frantz Joseph C.  94
Geier Phillip A.  94
Gerborg Bengt 06
Gibbs James E. A.  94
Gittleman Lawrence  95
Glass H. A.  94
Godwin Tom  04
Grady Dennis J.  96
Green Alvin E.  96
Gregg Guy G.  96
Gresham Ray  01
Gresham Kenneth 03
Hall Robert  96
Hannover Ardell R. “Handy”  95
Hanson Russell 10
Hartmann Richard  00
Hayden Ted R.  95
Hayes Bill  04
Heidt Charles G.  96
Hibbert Jim  04
Hockenberry Bert  95
Holguin Bob  99
Hoover W.H. “Boss”  94
Hoover Sr. Herbert W.  94
Howard Sol  94
Howe Elias  94
Ingraham Stan 09
Johnson Samual A.  95
Johnston John C.  98
Jolson Leon  94
Kennedy Harry E.  95
Kenney David T.  95
Kimbrell Roger 04
Kirby Jim  94
Knight William  00
Knoblauch David  95
Kornstien H.V.  94
Krawll Stuart 07
Kroll Larry  99
Kurant Irwin  00
Lappin Robert  94
LeFevre William D.  96
LaValley Donald & Audrey 11
Lemmon Jim  00
Lewyt Alex  94
Light Ronald  95
Lindsay Edward  02
Loomis Joe  94
Lovely George  03
Martucci Frank 04
Merckle Robert 05
Merritt Donald L.  02
Moye Wallace D.  95
Mueller Earle A.  94
Mullis Lester S.  99
Murphy Mort  95
Nuffer Joseph H.  94
Nuttall Norman  D.  95
Oreck David  95
Ortega John  96
Osborne James F.  95
Overson Larry 11
Parsons J. T.  “Pappy”  94
Petrosewicz Tom  02
Phillips Gary 08
Price Edwin 08
Regan Edward  05
Reiser Mary A.  95
Richards Diana 08
Ridderhoff Robert  95
Ripple Melvin H.  95
Ristenbatt David  95
Ritthaler Art J.  95
Rose Albert  94
Rough Mike & June 07
Rowe Kenneth  95
Russell Donald, V 07
Sahlin Gustaf  94
Sampson Robert L.  95
Saper Harold E.  94
Scherzer Harry  98
Scott George  94
Sebok Albert L.  94
Seitz Earl W.  95
Singer Isaac M.  94
Smeltzer Ronald E.  95
Smith Maurine 10
Smith O.K.  94
Sobelman Walter W.  98
Sobelman Ret 11
Spangler Murray  94
Spencer Ira Hobart  94
Stegens Alfred 06
Stern Israel  94
Strauss Kenard G.  99
Strauss Samuel S.  95
Swanson Fred E.  95
Tabacchi Fred L.  98
Tacony N. J. “Nick”  94
Tacony Ken 06
Taylor Wesley G.  98
Thomi Keith 04
Thompson K. C.  94
Thueson Ford  96
Valerio Martin R.  95
Wallace Patricia, L 01
Wardell Fred  94
Weaver Delbert  95
Weinstein A. J.  94
Wernsman Ed  95
Wheeler John Wilson  94
Wheeler Nathaniel  94
White Thomas Howard  94
Willcox Charles Henry  94
Wilson Allen Benjamin  94