Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26
far the Sight,
less Remuyk-
able Machines
,fWZH0seWH0
lire GulIed
Through Life
by Their Fin
TIPS:
3 - .r- ,
By FRANCIS DICKIE.

TN Paris. at the headquarters of the Amer
lean Braille Press for the War and Civilian
Blind. vast old mansion that for half a
century was the ancestral home of the Due
de CIermont Tonnerre, there has been brought
10 Completion within the last two months three
new inventions, new wonders to aid the blind
that are both simple, inexpensive and at the
same time highly effective. In addition, Inn
provements have been made upon typewriter
for the blind and a method Of printing the
reading matter for them that are of great mn
portance. The first story and pictures OF these
aids are here set forth for the first TINS
To the general reader probably the most In
terasting of these new inventions win be trs
cross word puzzle for the sightless, because
eross- word puzzles have proved so fascinating
70 so many people who have the good fortune
Of normal vision. Naturally a method of cross
word puzzles for people who read only with
their fingert1ps presented great difficulties.
,Yet, strangely enough, the man who conquered
the problem was blind. His name is Morris
Anceaux. q young Frenchman Of so years or
nge, residing near Paris. Anceaux is pro-
lesser of music, and from reading music with
his fingertips came the initial idea which
Started him upon the work Of making cross
word puzzles for his fellow sufferers
His first invention consisted OF frame or
IL squares of brass trimmed with wood. The
brass was perforated and took the place of the
ordinary diagram used by q person who can
bee. Little round-headed nails served to form
the letters, for these could be easily felt by
the sensitive fingers Of the blind. The cross
word problem to be solved was read out to the
blind person by some one who could see from
he ordinary newspapers and magazines at first.
But as soon as the invention seen to be
Of the organization, had crossword puzzles in
corporated into the eight regular magazines,
which are published In six languages
THE evolution of this new invention is par
u ticularIy interesting. The first board was
In two sections, with correct answer on one
section. This, however, it was found cost 1920
10 manufacture. All the publications Of the
american Braille Press are supplied free, and
Though the main distributing center is Paris,
the entire work is financed by contributions
principally from the United States. In the
ease of the crossword puzzle board the society
wished to put this cut at a very low cost. So
began series of experiments, and in two weeks
the problem OF very low price production was
solved. These were going ON while the writer
was engaged in gathering the material for this
article, and the evolution is completely Illus
Grated in the accompanying photograph.
The second board was put out in brass and
wood, but smaller, at cost lowered to 81 40.
This was largely due to the fact that the
brass had to be hand drilled at the workshop
of the BrailIe Press. All the Brajlle printing
Us done by the use of zinc plates. SO the next
step that tried using plate of zinc
of thickness to hold the pins solidly. This
lowered the cost to 81 go per board. Then the
Workman in charge of the machine shop had a
bright idea. He took an ordinary thin sheet OF
zinc, the same as that used on which the
Brale printing machines mark the dots which
ARE later transferred to paper, BY lengthening
the points on printing machine they
perforated the zinc, instead of merely raising
1t, AZ IN ordinary printing he made it possible
70 make the holes in the crossword puzzle
;rapii.z. thus doing away with the expensive
hand drilling. s..- ~.
The thin she2t Of zinc thus turned into
crossword puzzle could be put out at so cents,
'one-seventh Of the cost of the FIRST invention
aid extremely light Furthermore by leaving