According to biography.com, she said in her patent application that the goal of her invention was "to make a cheap, simple, convenient, and highly effective apparatus, particularly designed to be employed in ironing the sleeves and body of women' apparel." Boone's invention was an improvement upon other devices used at the time to smooth out wrinkles in clothing. It consisted of two barrels connected by a rod, with one end of the rod attached to each barrel. As you moved the rod back and forth, it would push the barrels together, causing the surface underneath to compress. In use, Boone's machine was placed between the bed and the body of a steam-driven iron. When you pressed the handle of the iron down, the rod inside the machine went up, turning a wheel which in turn turned the rod outside the machine, thus moving it back and forth. This action was supposed to squeeze some soap into a container below the machine for use with hot water when you needed to wash clothes that had been ironed using it. People had already invented several machines before Boone came along that were meant to do the same thing as her device but they were all too complicated and expensive to be sold under $100. Her idea was not only easy to use but it worked well too. Her machine was popular among middle-class Americans who could afford it.