Charles B. Brooks Patented One of the First Self-Propelled Street Sweepers
A black man, Charles B. Brooks, invented a street sweeper truck and patented it on March 17, 1896. Historically, prior to Brooks' truck, streets were commonly cleaned by walking workers, picking up by hand or broom, or by horse-drawn machines. Brooks' truck had brushes attached to the front fender that pushed trash to the curb.
Brooks also patented the first paper punch with a receptacle for holding the 'chad pieces' -- long before they were called that! If you know of a website where we can find a picture of Charles Brooks, please let us know.
Also, we're always on the lookout for more sweeper-oriented information we can add to the website, so keep us in mind if you find interesting information about sweeping.
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