Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-07-06
A Mo del Writing.Table for the Blind.

Brevet Major General James B. Fry,
formerly Provost Marshal General of
the United States, has invented for the
use of his father, the venerable Jacob
Fry of Illinois, who has recently be-
come blind, a writing table, which, in
conveniece and simplicity, seems calcu-
lated to supersede all others in use for
the blind. Gen. Fry, with liberality
deserving of a wide imitation, declines
to patent his invention, and publishes
in the Army and Navy Journal full
description of it, that all the afflicted
NAV avail themselves of It's advantages.
It consists of a board of suitable d.
mansions, desk lid or tabletop, with
channel way about 10 inches wide and
about half an inch in depth,
let into its superior surface. Along the
center of this channel way, or depres-
sion, is let in cogged strip of metal,
the teeth of which are at distance
from each other equal to the width de-
sired for lines to be written upon, and
their edges flush with the surface OF
the channel way. Into this channel is
fixed a sliding tray with raised borders
or plain molding on each side, grooyed
along inside edges, of size suitable for
holding paper of the largest size usual
ly required. At the top of this tray is
spring clamp for holding the paper
more securely in position upon the
tray. This clamp renders practicable
the use Of paper OF smaller size than
that for which the maximum area of
the tray is designed. Into the bottom
of this tray, and at its upper edge, IS
let a spring or pawl, arranged to slip
over the cogs or ratchets along the
channel way, when the tray is pushed
from the writer, out to resist
the habitual pressure toward that
person This spring Is connected
with button or knob, rising sufficient
ly above and from the upper edge Of
the tray to be readily accessible to the
writer and by it, when so desired, he
can raise the spring tooth clear of the
cogs, and slide the tray back to the
lower end of the channel. At suita-
bic distance from the edge of the board
or other surface to which this arrange
ment is adapted, and across the chan
mel, is affixed strip of metal or other
suitable UldltIldi. otINlilS do Il = ilIiO va
governor to the hand i'll writing, the
characters being formed against and
along its upper edge. The natural
pressure of the hand upon the paper
causes the tray spring to bind against
the ratchet teeth, and when one line
has been written slight pressure
moves the tray to a suitable distance
for commencing the next The attlln-
ment of this distance IS Indicated by
the click of the spring.
Gen. Fry claims that this table IS an
original invention OF his own, in so far
as the adaptation of a channel way,
line of ratchet teeth. the sliding tray
with its spring clamp grooved border,
and spring catch or pawl and cross bar
or roller may be applied to any suitable
surface. either OF board expressly
prepared for the purpose, or by adap-
tation to desks or tables. He claims,
also that this arrangement, as sub
stantiallv described, will enable the
manipulation to move and fix the paper,
with reference to his hand, SO that he
can with certainty begin and write the
lines in proper sequence and at uniform
distances apart.