US635182A - Educational appliance. - Google Patents

Description

No. s3'5,|s2. Patented not. |7, |399.

. l A. PERRY.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANGE.

r. s, 189s.)

(Application led Ap (No Model.)

NiTn STATES Trios.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE;I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,182, dated October 17, 1899.

Application filed April 5, 1899. Serial No. 711,843. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALICE PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cherokee, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Educational Appliances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to devise an educational appliance for the young which will be portable7 contain within itself all the means necessary to form words and sentences, and illustrate primary number work, the combining elements being normally held separated in individual compartments and readily accessible for selection when it is required to display certain matter or illustrate an arithmetical problem.

The device consists of a cabinet comprising a cellular body and a longitudinally grooved or stripped cover, the ledges formed by the grooves or strips supporting the blocks when grouped to display the required matter.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of the appli ance, showing it in operative relation. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the device folded. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View of the case and cover, the full lines showing the normal position of the blocks and the dotted lines their projected position after the case has been tilted and again brought to a normal or upright position.

The same reference characters indicate like and corresponding parts in each of the views of the drawings and are employed in the following` description to designate identical parts.

The cabinet is composed of the body l and the cover 2, hinged together at one side, fastenings holding them together at the opposite side. The cabinet is portable and is supplied with a handle 3 for convenience of carrying.

The body l is cellular, being subdivided by longitudinal and transverse partitions into a plurality of compartments or cells 4 of desired length, depth, and breadth. The blocks 5, bearing the characters,-letters, numerals, punctuation-marks, arithmetical signs, and the like, are placed within the-compartments, the several characters being separated and stored in individual cells to facilitate their selection. Some ofthe blocks are blanks and are used to space the words, numerals, and other signs and characters. The cover 2 has longitudinal spaces G formed by grooves or afliXing-strips 7 to the inner side thereof. The strips 7 constitute shelves or ledges upon which the blocks are supported when collated. These supports 7 are narrow, being of suff1- cient depth to afford a safe purchase for the blocks 5, which are comparatively thin.

The boX and cover are light and strong, be-

well-seasoned wood being preferred. The size of the cabinet will depend upon the number of the compartments and the dimensions thereof. For carrying or storing the device appears as shown in Fig. 2 and occupies a small space and when in use the cover is turned down into an approximately Vertical position, as shown in Fig. l. In this position the body is supported upon a shelf, bracket, table, or projecting ledge, or it may be snspended from a nail or peg by means of a cord, wire, or chain applied toeyelets 8, affixed to the ends of the cabinet. A shoulder-strap (not shown) may be applied to the eyelets 8 and may serve as the suspending means. When positioned, as shown in Fig. l, the blocks containing the letters to form the words and sentences are selected and collated upon the ledges 7. If it be required to demonstrate primary-number work, the blocks bearing the numerals and the signs are selected from the compartments 4 and are properly assembled upon the supports 7.

It will be observed that the ledges 7 correspond in number and position with the longitudinal partitions of the body l. rlhis arrangement brings the two sets of longitudinal partitions into coincident relation when the cover is closed and the cells 4. directly oppo-Y site the spaces 6. This is of special advantage, as it enables the ends of the blocks to be lng constructed of thin and stiff material, f

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projected from the compartments a sufficient distance to be readily grasped when selecting them to display a lesson. Before the cover is opened the cabinet is tilted toward the side closed by the cover. This causes the blocks contained in the compartments 4C to enter the spaces 6 and project from the compartments a distance corresponding to the depth of the ledges 7, so that upon rigl1t ing the cabinet and opening the cover tbc blocks can be easily grasped.

The device admits of a variety of instructive lessons being demonstrated, and its range of usefulness in other directions may be extended. Hence it is obvious that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- The herein-described portable educational appliance consisting of a cabinet subdivided by intersecting vertical and longitudinal partitions into compartments to receive blocks bearing letters, numerals and like characters, and provided with a handle, a cover hinged at its lower longitudinal edge to the cabinet and adapted to swing outward and downward and secured at its free edge when closed by fastenings applied thereto and to the cabinet, and longitudinal strips applied to the inner side of the cover and provided in number and position to register with the longitudinal partitions of the cabinet when the cover is closed to permit the ends of the blocks to be projected beyond the walls of their compartments into the spaces formed between the said longitudinal strips upon tilting the cabinet, whereby the blocks can be conveniently and readily grasped when required, said longitudinal strips also forming supports for the blocks when selected and collated to demonstrate a lesson, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALICE PERRY. [L s.]

fitnessesz CLYDE S. HOFFMAN, E. A. PERRY.

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