Editing Street sweeper (section)

===Mechanical sweepers in the United States===
The very first street sweeping machine was patented in 1849 by its inventor, C.S. Bishop. For a long time, street sweepers were just rotating disks covered with wire bristles. These rotating disks served as mechanical brooms that swept the dirt on the streets.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.articlesinsight.com/Art/5752/191/The-many-Different-Sweepers-And-Machines-Used-In-Street-Sweeping.html |title=Articles Insight &#124; the many Different Sweepers and Machines Used in Street Sweeping |access-date=2011-07-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230092649/http://www.articlesinsight.com/Art/5752/191/The-many-Different-Sweepers-And-Machines-Used-In-Street-Sweeping.html |archive-date=2011-12-30 }}</ref>

The first self-propelled sweeper vehicle patented in the US, driven by a steam engine and intended for cleaning railroad tracks, was patented in 1868, patent No. 79606. Eureka C. Bowne was the first known woman to get a patent for a street sweeper, in 1879, patent No. 222447. "Her success was great", wrote Matilda Joslyn Gage in The North American Review, volume 136, issue 318, May 1883.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldsweeper.com/History/ElevatorSweeperHistory.html|title=An Overview of Elevator-belt Street Sweepers}}</ref>

In 1896, African-American inventor Charles Brooks improved on then-conventional street sweeping inventions by making the front brushes of different lengths, and by including a mechanism for collection and disposal of debris. The revolving front brushes could also be replaced with a scraper to remove snow or ice. Brooks was granted a U.S. patent for the invention in 1896.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brooks-charles-b-1865/ | title=Charles B. Brooks (1865-?)| date=25 March 2018 }}</ref> Most of the more than 300 street sweeper patents issued in the United States before 1900, including the one in Brooks' patent, had no engine on board. The wheels on the cart turned gears or chains which drove the brush and belt.

[[File:ElginSweeperBluePrint.jpg|thumb|Elgin Sweeper blueprint]]
John M. Murphy called at the offices of American Tower and Tank Company in [[Elgin, Illinois]], in the fall of 1911. He had a plan of a motor-driven pickup street sweeper. The American Tower and Tank Company had been formed in 1903 by Charles A. Whiting and James Todd. They called in a recently acquired silent partner, Daniel M. Todd, and it was decided to hire  Murphy and begin the development of his idea. That started what has become the Elgin Sweeper Company.<ref name="elgin">(Source of Historic Information, ''The Sweep of Time'' by William A. Richman, 1962) (Information taken from published book) {{full citation needed|date=October 2017}}</ref>

After two years of trial, development, experimentation, and research, a sweeper was achieved which Murphy was satisfied performed all of the sweeping functions in the manner he had envisioned – one which partners James and Daniel M. Todd and Charles A. Whiting were willing to risk a reputation gained from 30 years' manufacturing experience.<ref name = "elgin" />

In the fall of 1913, the city of [[Boise, Idaho]], purchased the first Elgin Sweeper, following a demonstration. Boise Street Commissioner, Thomas Finegan, made a comparison showing a savings of $2,716.77 from the Elgin motorized sweeper when used rather than a horse-drawn sweeper.<ref name = "elgin" />

Following its introduction and initial sales,  Murphy continued improving his sweeper. In 1917, US patents were filed and issues for J. M. Murphy, Street Sweeping machine No. 1,239,293.<ref name = "elgin" />