Improvements in Educational Appliances for Facilitating the Teaching of Arithmetic, Reading, and Writing.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 29th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
Improvements in Educational Appliances for Facilitating the
Teaching of Arithmetic, Reading, and Writing.
RALPH CROSS, Schoolhouse, Betley near Crewe Staffordshire Schoolmaster do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It consists of frame or board on which to hang Cards of Cardboard or Tablets of
any thin metal or other material, which may be moved, and arranged into any com-
bination for the teaching calculation in Addition Subtraction, Multiplication &
Division. Each card contains one or more of the following figures:-1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 0 and on each card is placed close to the figure or figures the corresponding
concrete value of the figure or figures in marks or perforations of any such shapes as
diamonds hearts, circles or otherwise in a colour contrasting strongly with that in
which the figure or figures are printed or written. The said marks or perforations
.3. : 4 :: 5:
being arranged in the same relative positions as follows:-
. 1 .2.
6 7 8 9 0. The reverse side to have the figure only. For Reading
& Writing-cach card or tablet to have written or printed upon it any Capital letter
or letters of the Alphabet with its small letter or letters in any type and the corre-
sponding letters in any other type on the reverse side.
... L

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Educational Appliances for Facilitating the
Teaching of Arithmetic, Reading, and Writing.
RALPH CROSS Schoolmaster Betley near Crewe Staffordshire do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Consists of frame or Board on which to hang or place Cards of Cardboard or Tablets
of any thin metal or other material which may be moved and arranged into any com-
bination for the teaching of calculation in Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and
Division to children. Each card contains one or more of the following figures,
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 0. and on each card close to the figure is placed the corre
sponding concrete value of the figure or figures in marks or perforations of any such
shapes as diamonds, hearts circles or otherwise in a colour contrasting strongly with
that in which the figure or figures are printed or written. The said marks or per-
forations being arranged in the same relative positions or otherwise as is shown in the
following ⚫ 1 .2. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0. The reverse side
•
of the Card to have the figure only. For Reading and Writing-Each Card or
Tablet to have written or printed upon it any Capital letter or letters of the Alphabet
with its small letter or letters in any type and the corresponding letter or letters in
any other type on the reverse side.
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. That the shape and value of figures are simultaneously conveyed to the mind and
become at once inseparable.
2. That it insures Rapid and Accurate calculation.
3. That this result is secured with the least possible strain upon the mind.
4. That the youngest and least experienced teachers can use it effectively.