An Improvement in Lap Boards.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application; 16th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Lap Boards.
I, SOPHIA MAGDALENA RIVERS, Dressmaker, of 111, and 113, East 59th Street,
New York City, in the County and State of New York, United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to lap boards especially adapted for basting purposes and it
has for its object to provide a board having a curved, round, or substantially
cylindrical outer face and fitted to the lap of a person, the board being either lined
upon the inside or provided with a frictional surface at that point and the outer
surface of the board being so prepared that a pattern, for example, or the material from
which the waist or similar garment is to be inade may be attached to the said outer
face of the lap board in a convenient manner facilitating the fitting of the lining to
the outside portion of the garment. Another object of the invention is to construct
a board of the character above set forth in an exceedingly simple, durable, and
economic manner.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming
a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved lap board applied;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the board viewed from the bottom and illustrating
the inner surface thereof as lined; and
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, the inner face of the board, however, being
provided with projections for frictional engagement with the lap of the user of the
board.
All such garments as waists require the outside material from which the garment
is to be made to be stretched and pinned or otherwise secured to a table or board. The
boards heretofore employed have been made flat, and when the lining is laid on the
outside material loosely, as is required, and is to be basted in that position, it is
almost impossible to take up the stitches from the flat surface without rendering the
work exceedingly slow and tedious. The main object of my invention is to overcome
the aforesaid difficulties by constructing a lap board with a curved, rounded, arched
or cylindrical face for the reception of the goods.
The board A may be of any suitable material, as for example wood of a light
weight, stout pasteboard, papier maché, or their equivalents; and when the material
of which the board is constructed is so hard as not to admit of the reception of
a pin or like fastening device, the upper face of the board may be covered with
a smooth material, such as oil cloth or the like, adapted to readily receive a pin.
The board is arched, curved or made substantially circular in cross section, and
preferably the said board forms practically a circle at its outer end, but it may
be segmental, or semi-circular if in practice it is found desirable.
When the board is made circular or fully rounded, it is provided in its bottom
surface with an opening B cut from the inner or rear edge and extending a
predetermined distance in direction of the outer or front edge; the board being
of such size and the opening B so formed, as to admit of the board being nicely
adjusted to the lap of the user. When the board is constructed of a material presenting

page_text: a smooth inner face, the said inner face is provided with a covering C of fabric
or a like material, so as to obtain a sufficient frictional engagement between the
lap of the person and the inner face of the board, to insure the board remaining
in position on the lap without particular attention on the part of the user; or, as
illustrated in Figure 3, the lining may be omitted and ribs D, corrugations, or
their equivalents, may be produced either diametrically or circumferentially on the
inner surface of the board to obtain a suitable frictional contact with the lap, or
the inner surface of the board may be otherwise roughened.
Under this construction of lap board, when the outside material of the garment
is secured to the outer face of the board and a lining is laid loosely thereon, the
two parts may be expeditiously and conveniently basted together, since there will
be no difficulty in taking the proper stitches on the rounded surface, and furthermore
the lining may be more advantageously and correctly fitted to the outside material
of the garment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. A lap board constructed substantially as described.
2. A lap board having an arched or rounded outer face, substantially as described.
3. A lap board having its outer face curved and its bottom surface adapted to fit
over the lap of the user, as and for the purpose specified.
4. A lap board of substantially circular formation having a recess in its bottom
portion whereby the lap of the operator may enter the said board, as and for the
purpose specified.
5. A lap board of substantially circular or rounded construction, having its under
portion adapted to the lap of the user, its inner surface being provided with a
frictional face to prevent the board from slipping from the lap, as and for the
purpose specified.
6. An arched lap board having its exterior surface adapted to receive fastening
devices and its lower portion shaped to fit over the lap of the user of the board,
as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 16th day of June 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.