Year: 1885

page_text: I, EDWARD BAINES STRINGER of 449 Strand in the County of Middlesex
Optician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in writing frames intended
especially for the use of the blind.
I construct such frames more simply and cheaper than heretofore and so also to
be more portable and more conveniently used.
The apparatus as I construct it consists of a board or tablet to support the paper
to be written upon, and at the upper end of the board or tablet a spring clip is
provided to hold the paper in position. On either side of the board or tablet and
near to the edges of the paper are two ribs projecting upwards and preferably of
wood, in which notches are cut. These notches receive between then a metallic
rod which serves as a guide for the hand in writing. The rod rests upon the
paper, and as the writing proceeds it is shifted from notch to notch; the distance
between the notches corresponding to that between the lines of the writing.
The rod is held in place in the notches by two elastic bands, which are strained
over the board or tablet in a longitudinal direction immediately outside the notched
ribs. The ends of the rod are suitably formed to serve as handles and project
beyond the edges of the board or tablet; by these the rod is lifted when it is
desired to shift it from one position to another. There are collars on the rod which
prevent it moving endwise. These collars rest in contact with the inner sides of
the notched ribs, and the face of the board or tablet is grooved to receive them.
In place of the arrangement above described in which there is a moveable rod to
guide the hand when writing, I sometimes employ a fixed hand guide and provido
for the movement of the paper onwards between line and line of the writing. The
board or tablet in this case has a transverse groove near its upper end to serve as
the guide in writing. Beyond this guide groove at the upper end of the board or
tablet there is a pair of small rollers covered with cloth or rubber. These are held
together by two elastic bands which are crossed and which serve also as driving
bands, causing the rollers to rotate together. By their rotation the rollers carry
forward the paper, the end of which is entered between them. On the axis of the
lower roller a bandle or head is provided which can conveniently be grasped in
the hand and turned for the purpose of giving movement to the rollers. There are
гр

page_text: notches in the periphery of this head, and a spring clicks into the notches and
indicates when the rollers have been moved a sufficient distance and also holds
them securely whilst the writing is in progress.
Instead of elastic bands I sometimes use cog wheels or friction rollers to feed the
paper through.
There is a slit or opening in the board or tablet between the guide groove and
the rollers mentioned above, and in preparing the apparatus for use the sheet of
paper to be written on is passed down into this slit to the under side of the board
or tablet.
The upper or leading edge of the paper is then pushed forward until it enters
between the rollers. When the first line of the writing is completed the rollers are
turned to draw the paper upwards a suitable distance and the hand is then carried
back along the guide groove. During writing the little finger of the hand is passed
from end to end of the guide groove, and stops may be provided in this groove to
indicate the proper position in which to commence and terminate the line.
The board or tablet may, if desired be jointed in the middle so that the apparatus
may be folded, whereby it is rendered more portable. If desired also the board or
tablet may be formed with a cavity within it, in which paper ready for writing
may be contained.
The apparatus above described though especially useful to the blind is at times
conveniently used by others; for example when the eyes of the writer are required
to be otherwise occupied it can also be advantageously used when writing in
railway carriages and other conveyances where the movement of the vehicle
renders writing without mechanical aid difficult.

page_text: Use of the Bina.
I EDWARD BAINES STRINGER of 449 Strand in the County of Middlesex Optician
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
1
This invention has for its object improvements in writing frames intended
especially for the use of the blind.
I construct such frames more simply and cheaper than heretofore and so also as
to be more portable and more conveniently used.
The apparatus as I construct it consists of a board or tablet to support the
paper to be written upon, and at the upper end of the board or tablet a spring clip
is provided to hold the paper in position. On either side of the board or tablet
and near to the edges of the paper are two ribs projecting upwards and preferably
of wood, in which notches are cut. These notches receive between them a metallic
rod which serves as a guide for the hand in writing. The rod rests upon the
paper, and as the writing proceeds it is shifted from notch to notch, the distance
between the notches corresponding to that between the lines of the writing. The
rod is held in place in the notches by two elastic bands, which are strained over
the board or tablet in a longitudinal direction immediately outside the notched
ribs. The ends of the rod are suitably formed to serve as handles and project
beyond the edges of the board or tablet; by these the rod is lifted when it is
desired to shift it from one position to another. There are collars on the rod
which prevent it moving end wise. These collars rest in contact with the inner
sides of the notched ribs, and the face of the board or tablet is grooved to receive
them.
In place of the arrangement above described in which there is a moveable rod
to guide the hand when writing I sometimes employ a fixed hand guide and
provide for the movement of the paper onwards between line and line of the
writing. The board or tablet in this case has a transverse groove near its upper
end to serve as the guide in writing. Beyond this guide groove at the upper end
of the board or tablet there is a pair of small rollers covered with cloth or rubber.
These are held together by two elastic bands which are crossed and which serve
also as driving bands, causing the rollers to rotate together. By their rotation the
rollers carry forward the paper, the end of which is entered between them. On
the axis of the lower roller a handle or head is provided, which can conveniently
be grasped in the hand and turned for the purpose of giving movement to the
rollers. There are notches in the periphery of this head, and a spring clicks into
the notches and indicates when the rollers have been moved a sufficient distance
and also holds them securely whilst the writing is in progress. Instead of elastic
bands I sometimes use cog wheels or friction rollers to feed the paper through.
There is a slit or opening in the board or tablet between the guide groove and the
rollers mentioned above, and in preparing the apparatus for use the sheet of paper
to be written on is passed down into this slit to the under side of the board
or tablet.

page_text: to the board or tablet-they carry the necks of a pair of rollers h h which are
preferably covered with cloth. The rollers h h are held together by a pair of
elastic bands h¹ h¹ which are passed around them in the form of a figure of 8.
Upon the neck of the lower roller there is fixed a disc h' in the periphery of which
teeth are cut. i is a spring pawl engaging with these teeth. This spring pawl
serves to prevent any accidental movement of the rollers, but they are nevertheless
free to be turned by the handle h³ with which the neck of the lower roller is
provided. When sufficient movement has been given to bring the next tooth of
the ratchet round to the end of the spring pawl it drops in and indicates that the
rollers have been moved a sufficient distance. The upper end of the paper is
inserted between the rollers h h and these hold the paper still whilst the writing is
being performed as well as advance it between line and line Whilst writing the
hand of the writer is guided by the groove f* across the face of the board or
tablet, the little finger of the hand traversing along this groove. When the
end of the line is reached the rollers h h are turned the distance between one tooth
of the disc and the next, and so the paper is moved forward as far as is required
for the separation of the lines. So line after line is written until the sheet is
filled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A writing frame adapted for the use of the blind and consisting of a board or
tablet provided with a clip to retain the paper, ribs and notches at the sides, and a
transverse guide bar retained by these notches and by elastic bands substantially
as described.
2. A writing frame adapted for the use of the blind and consisting of a board
or tablet with a slit or opening through it for the passage of the paper from
beneath to the upper side, also with a pair of rollers in front of the slit for holding
the paper between them and capable of being rotated step by step to move the
paper forward and also with a transverse guide for the hand in writing substantially
as described.
3. Writing frames substantially as hereinbefore described and represented by
the annexed drawings.
נ[195 .:LL…..
J
1980