Carpet sweeper

Carpet sweeper

A carpet sweeper is a mechanical device for the cleaning of carpets in place. They were popular before the vacuum cleaner and have been largely superseded by them.

However, some restaurant chains continue to use them (e.g. Perkins) as they are lightweight and very quiet, enabling the waitstaff to quickly clean crumbs up from the floor without disturbing other diners. Carpet Sweepers are still available from major chains like www.carpetsweepersonline.com Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

A carpet sweeper typically consists of a small box. The base of the box has rollers and brushes, connected by a belt or gears. There is also a container for dirt. The arrangement is such that when pushed along a floor the rollers turn and force the brushes to rotate. The brushes sweep dirt and dust from the floor into the container. Carpets sweepers would frequently have a height adjustment that enabled them to work on different lengths of carpet, or carpetless floors. The sweeper would usually have a long handle so that it could be pushed without bending over.

The carpet sweeper was reinvented at the beginning of the 21st century, and fitted with an electric motor to spin the rollers and brushes. The device was rechargeable.

Patented by Melville R. Bissell of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, in 1876. Manufactured & sold starting in 1883.

In some areas of the U.S., carpet sweepers are colloquially known as a "hoky" after the HOKY brand sweeper; the reference is used in either noun form ("Where is the hoky?") or in verb form ("Are you going to hoky the floor?").


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Carpet sweeper — Carpet Car pet (k[aum]r p[e^]t), n. [OF. carpite rug, soft of cloth, F. carpette coarse packing cloth, rug (cf. It. carpita rug, blanket), LL. carpeta, carpita, woolly cloths, fr. L. carpere to pluck, to card (wool); cf. Gr. karpo s fruit, E.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • carpet sweeper — carpet ,sweeper noun count a piece of equipment that you use for cleaning a carpet, consisting of a box with a brush inside and a long handle …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • carpet sweeper — carpet .sweeper n a simple machine for sweeping carpets, which does not use electricity …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • carpet sweeper — ☆ carpet sweeper n. a hand operated device with a revolving brush to sweep up dirt from carpets and rugs …   English World dictionary

  • carpet sweeper — noun a cleaning implement with revolving brushes that pick up dirt as the implement is pushed over a carpet • Syn: ↑sweeper • Derivationally related forms: ↑sweep (for: ↑sweeper) • Hypernyms: ↑cleaning implement, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • carpet sweeper — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms carpet sweeper : singular carpet sweeper plural carpet sweepers a piece of equipment that you use for cleaning a carpet, consisting of a box with a brush inside and a long handle …   English dictionary

  • carpet-sweeper — carˈpet sweeper noun An apparatus with a revolving brush and a dustpan, for sweeping carpets • • • Main Entry: ↑carpet …   Useful english dictionary

  • carpet sweeper — a pushable, long handled implement for removing dirt, lint, etc., from rugs and carpets, consisting of a metal case enclosing one or more brushes that rotate. [1855 60, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • carpet sweeper — hand operated rug cleaner (non electric) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • carpet sweeper — noun a manual household implement with revolving brushes for sweeping carpets …   English new terms dictionary

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