Yes, some older vacuum cleaners used to have a reverse button or a reverse feature. This feature was mainly found in older canister-style vacuum cleaners. The reverse button allowed the user to change the direction of the airflow, essentially reversing the suction, and blowing air out of the vacuum instead of sucking it in.
The reverse feature served a few purposes:
Unclogging: If the vacuum hose or attachments got clogged with debris, users could switch to reverse mode to blow the clog out and clear the blockage.
Inflating: Some vacuum models came with accessories for inflating air mattresses, balloons, or other inflatable items. The reverse mode would be used to blow air into these items.
Blowing Away Debris: In certain situations, users might need to blow debris away from an area, such as clearing leaves from a porch or dirt from a garage.
However, the reverse feature was not widely used, and as vacuum cleaner technology evolved, it became less common in modern vacuum models. The reverse function is now rarely found in most contemporary vacuum cleaners, as manufacturers focus more on optimizing suction power and filtration efficiency rather than including additional features like reverse airflow.