Vacuum cleaner

Claim 1

A VACUUM CLEANER COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A SUCTION NOZZLE HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ALONG ITS LOWER FRONT EDGE; A POWER DRIVEN ROTARY BRUSH IN SAID SUCTION NOZZLE; MEANS FORMING A SUCTION INLET IN SAID CASING APART FROM SAID SUCTION NOZZLE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A FLEXIBLE HOSE SUITABLE FOR USE WITH OFF-THE-FLOOR CLEANING ATTACHMENTS; AN ELECTRICALLY POWERED MOTOR-FAN UNIT ARRANGED TO CREATE SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN A PORTION OF SAID CASING AND TO DRIVE SAID BRUSH; ELECTRICAL MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING SAID MOTOR-FAN UNIT AT EITHER A FIRST SPEED OR A SECOND HIGHER SPEED; SHUTTER MEANS IN SAID CASING SELECTIVELY OPERABLE TO PLACE ONLY SAID SUCTION NOZZLE OR ONLY SAID SUCTION INLET IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE PORTION OF SAID CASING; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CASING FOR MOVEMENT ON A FLOOR SURFACE INCLUDING FRONT WHEEL MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CASING ADJACENT THE REAR OF SAID SUCTION NOZZLE FOR ROTATION ABOUT A FIXED AXIS AND REAR WHEEL MEANS CARRIED BY AXLE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CASING ADJACENT THE REAR EDGE THEREOF, SAID AXLE MEANS BEING VERTICALLY MOVABLE BETWEEN A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDED POSITION AND A RETRACTED POSITION, THE EXTENT OF SAID VERTICAL MOVEMENT BEING SUCH THAT SAID SUCTION NOZZLE AND SAID ROTARY BRUSH ARE IN CONTACT WITH TH FLOOR SURFACE WHEN SAID AXLE MEANS ARE EXTENDED AND ARE LIFTED AWAY FROM THE FLOOR SURFACE WHEN SAID AXLE MEANS ARE RETRACTED; POSITIONING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID AXLE IN EITHER SAID EXTENDED POSITION OR SAID RETRACTED POSITION; AND MANUALLY OPERABLE LEVER MEANS ON SAID CASING FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTUATING SAID ELECTRICAL MEANS, SAID SHUTTER, MEANS AND SAID POSITIONING MEANS TO ADAPT TO ONE OF TWO OPERATING MODES, THE FIRST OPERATING MODE HAVING SAID SUCTION NOZZLE IN CONTACT WITH THE FLOOR SURFACE AND SAID MOTOR-FAN UNIT OPERATING AT SAID FIRST SPEED TO PRODUCE SUCTION IN SAID SUCTION NOZZLE, AND THE SECOND OPERATING MODE HAVING SAID SUCTION NOZZLE SUPPORTED ABOVE THE FLOOR SURFACE AND SAID MOTOR-FAN UNIT OPERATING AT SAID SECOND SPEED TO PRODUCE SUCTION IN SAID SUCTION INLET.