US452884A

US452884A - Wash-board

Info

Publication number: US452884A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1908-05-26

Description

(No Model.) H. LAPHAM.

WASH BOARD.

No. 452,884. Patented May 26,1891.

* Wade flJM A TTORNEY.

INITE STATES rant Fr es.

JOSEPH II. LAPHAM, OF CLEVELAND, OIIIO.

WASH-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,884, dated May 26, 1891.

Application filed December 19, 1890. Serial No. 375276. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I-I. LAPHAM, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wash Boards; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wash-boardsg and the invention consists in a wash-board provided with a ribbed base, preferably of wood, and having separate strips of metal secured upon the top exposed port-ion of the ribs, substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of my improved form of washboard with a portion broken away at the right to disclose the relation of the parts in the rabbet formed in the side of the frame. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the wash-board. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a rib, showing the slots therein for the metal strip.

A represents the sides of the frame formed with rabbets a on their inner opposed sides, in which is secured the ribbed base B, made preferably in a single piece, although it may be made in two or more pieces. This piece or part B has the usual transverse ribs b, common in wash-boards, and of about the usual size and depth. The present invention consists in providing these ribs with metallic rubbing-surfaces along their top edges,while over the remainder of the rib the wooden surface is exposed, as before. To this end I out two parallel slots or grooves b in each rib longitudinally from end to end at either side of its cent-er and down to about the base of the rib, or to sufficient depth to properly secure the strips. These slots or grooves are made very narrow, so that they will be completely filled by the metal which occupies them and,when made as shown, leave a tongue 6 between them, which serves as a central support for the metal and assists in keeping it in position, as Well as the possible passage of moisture from one slot to the other. This being done, I fashion strips of sheet-zinc into substantially U form, as shown at c, or into the other form, (shown at c,) in which the sides of the strip 0 are spread or flared somewhat at the bottoms, the slots in this instance, of course, diverging correspondingly from top to bottom. Either form or its equivalent may be used, and in any case the said strips are firmly fastened down in position attheircnds in the rabbets a in the sides of the frame, the over projecting portions a of the said side pieces bearing upon the strips 0. The ends of the strip 0 furthermore fit tightly in the sides of the side pieces A,so that no moisture can get within or beneath the said strips at this point, while along their opposite sides they fit snugly in the grooves or slots, so that water is wholly excluded from the inside of the strips. This is important, as otherwise there would be an accumulation of moisture within which would corrode the metal and rot the wood, as well as an accumulation of dirt, which would in time give an offensive odor to the board. By this construction I am enabled to use a board of comparatively cheap wood, because it is not subjected to any use or wear in rubbing, and can also greatly economize in metal by protecting only the exposed part of the board exposed to rubbing, and leaving the balance uncovered. It will be seen that the strips 0 are made of sheet metal, say of the usual zinc plate, bent into the desired shape.

I am aware that it. is not broadly new to provide wooden ribs of wash-boards with metallic facing on their top rubbing-surfacesuch, for example, as pieces or sections of wire laid in grooves in the ribs; but this construction was found objectionable because the Wire worked loose and allowed Water and dirt to settle in the space about its sides and beneath in the groove, where the moisture was slow to dry and comparatively soon rendered the board unserviceable. By my construction no moisture can work in beneath the metal strip.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In awash-board, the rubbing-board B, having a series of transverse ribs, each having two longitudinal slots therein forming in \Vitness my hand to the foregoing speeifitongue along the center thereof, and a metal cation this 11th day of December, 1890. strip '0, covering said tongue, but leaving the i sides of the rib exposed, in combination with JOSEPH H. LAPHAM. the side pieces A A,overlapping the edges of \Vitnesses:

the rubbing-board to hold the metal strip U. L. MCLANE,

down in position, substantially as described. R. B. MOSER.