Abstract: An agitator assembly for a vacuum cleaner comprises a dowel assembly with recesses at its opposite ends defined by outwardly inclined walls. Each recess has inwardly facing radial vanes, and a shaft end for holding the inner ring of a bearing assembly. End caps extend over the ends of the dowel, and each has a collar for holding the outer ring of the bearing assembly and an outer longitudinal wall for providing a dust shield. The rotating vanes create an air barrier to preclude dust from moving towards each bearing assembly, and the inclined walls of each recess direct dust tossed outwardly by centrifugal force out of the agitator assembly. The end caps and the walls defining each recess further define a labyrinth seal to keep dust from traveling to each bearing assembly.

Abstract: A rotary brush assembly, suitable for use in a vacuum cleaner, is disclosed. The assembly includes a generally cylindrical brush roller body carrying an array of helical rows of bristle tufts. In one embodiment, bristle tufts near a midplane normal to the roller body axis and equidistant between its ends are substantially normal to the roller body axis. Other bristle tufts are angled away from the midplane in an amount which is an increasing function of their distance from the midplane. Bristle stiffness is an increasing function of the degree of tuft angulation.In another embodiment, the roller body defines helical grooves in its outer surface, and two brush strip substrate portions bearing the bristle tufts are inserted end to end in each groove. Adjacent brush strip ends define structure for interlocking the brush strips for inhibiting longitudinal separation of the brush strips, which would otherwise tend to result from brush rotation.