Dual mode vacuum cleaner

Claim 1

A vacuum cleaner apparatus comprising (a) an elongated canister which confines an electric motor, air-moving means driven by said motor, and filtration means adapted to remove particulate material from air moved through said canister by said air-moving means, (b) front and rear closure means associated with each end of said canister, (c) a vacuum port positioned within said front closure means, (d) an exhaust port positioned within said rear closure means, (e) said vacuum and exhaust ports communicating with the interior of said canister and adapted to permit facile connection thereto of conduits, (f) means associated with the underside of said canister to facilitate movement over a horizontal surface, (g) means associated with the upper side of said canister for releasable attachment to a tubular member, (h) a rigid tubular member having first and second extremities, (i) a first flexible conduit adapted to communicate between said vacuum port and the first extremity of said tubular member, (j) a floor-cleaning device comprised of a housing which encloses a second electric motor and rotary brushes driven by said motor, means associated with the lowermost surface of said housing to facilitate movement over a horizontal surface, an inlet port positioned in the uppermost surface of said housing and communicating with a conduit which extends to an opening adjacent the lowermost surface of said housing, and an exit port positioned in a side surface of said housing, said exit port serving to engage the second extremity of said tubular member, (k) and a second flexible conduit, shorter than said first flexible conduit, adapted to attach at one end to said exhaust port and at its opposite end to said inlet port when said canister is attached to said rigid tubular member in a manner such that said front closure means is upwardly directed.