David T. Kenney facts for kids
David T. Kenney was a clever inventor who lived from 1866 to 1922. He created many important things, especially for vacuum cleaners. His inventions were so good that they shaped the vacuum cleaner industry in the United States for many years. He received nine patents between 1903 and 1913 for his ideas. These patents covered both machine-powered and hand-powered vacuum cleaners.
Early Life and First Inventions
David Kenney was born in 1866 to parents who had moved from Ireland. When he was 15, he started training to become a plumber. In 1891, he opened his own plumbing business in Plainfield, New Jersey. He even received patents for new designs of flush toilets.
From 1896 until he passed away, Kenney had offices in New York City. His companies were known as Kenney Manufacturing Company and later the Vacuum Cleaner Company. He also had the Jersey Vacuum Cleaner Company in Newark.
Kenney's very first vacuum cleaner system was installed in 1902. It was in the building of a famous businessman named Henry Clay Frick in Pittsburgh. This system was huge! It used a 4,000-pound steam engine to power pipes and hoses that reached every part of the building. By 1906, his company proudly announced that they had installed electric vacuum cleaning systems in important places. These included the White House and the Times building.
How Kenney Changed Vacuum Cleaners
David Kenney's most important patent was given to him in March 1907. He had first applied for this patent way back in 1901. At that time, the idea of an electric vacuum cleaner was just starting to seem possible.
Kenney bought one of the vacuum cleaners made by an English inventor named H. Cecil Booth. After Kenney received his 1907 patent, Booth decided to withdraw his own application for a US patent.
Because Kenney's inventions were so important, his company, the Vacuum Cleaner Company, was involved in many lawsuits over the years. These lawsuits were about who had the right to use certain vacuum cleaner ideas.
In 1919, the Vacuum Cleaner Manufacturers' Association was formed. All the companies in this group had licenses to use Kenney's patents. His patents were called "the basic vacuum cleaner patents." This means his ideas were the foundation for how most vacuum cleaners worked. Even though most cleaners by then were electric, they still used his main idea. This idea was about how the nozzle sealed against the carpet using suction.
Kenney's Lasting Impact
David Kenney became very wealthy from his patents. He used some of his money to help Catholic schools and organizations. He was especially generous to Mount St. Mary Academy in North Plainfield, New Jersey. In 1906, he was even given the special title of Papal Chamberlain.
He was a well-known person in his community and served on different boards in New Jersey. His last invention was patented in 1920. It was a heating system designed to make wood-burning fireplaces heat rooms better.
While H. Cecil Booth's name is well-known in British history books for his vacuum cleaners, David Kenney's name is not as famous in American books. His machines are also not found in major collections like the Smithsonian Institution. David Kenney passed away in 1922 after a period of poor health.
