A New or Improved Apparatus for Teaching.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Teaching.
ELLEN MARY BELL Modena College Peckham Rye London S.E. do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A tablet which may be of various dimensions constructed of wood, paper, metal,
composition or any suitable material, square, round, oval oblong or other shape;
divided into square, round diamond, oval, or other partitions or spaces; with holes
bored, drilled, punched or otherwise made partially or completely through the
tablet, at equal or unequal distances from each other, and varying in number
according to the size of the tablet. The holes to receive spigots, pegs, counters, or
markers in shape square, round, triangular, oblong or any other form and having
surfaces either spherical or flat, to be lettered, coloured, numbered or illustrated.
The tablets with the spigots are designed to teach numbers, form, colour, figures,
numeration, the letters of the alphabet, their combinations in forming words, the
simpler rules in arithmetic, and other primary educational purposes.
Dated this 11th day of June 1894.
ELLEN MARY BELL.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Teaching.
I, ELLEN MARY BELL, of Modena College, Peckham Rye, in the County of
London, 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 :--
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This invention refers to the use and construction of appliances as hereafter
described to be employed as aids in imparting education on, the so-called
Kindergarten" system of instruction. Heretofore in the course of such kinder-
garten instruction, for example in teaching form or color, it has been common to
employ strips of variously colored paper and to practice therewith what is called
mat-plaiting," to employ pieces of paper to be folded into shapes, or to use loose
tablets of card or the like either variously shaped, colored, or marked with letters,
signs, or figures, and such tablets the pupils have been instructed to place in
certain required orders, or combinations. Now this mode of instruction with the
appliances ordinarily employed has not hitherto attained the end in view in such
an efficient manner as might be, the lesson, design, or combination, when eventually
formed by the pupils, not having sufficient permanency to be handled and commented
on by the instructor as may be required, or retained for future reference in the
form given by the pupils without fear of disarrangement. As it is necessary and
desirable that the teacher should inspect each pupil's work both during the course
of progress and at the completion of same, the teacher (with the kindergarten
appliances as ordinarily employed) must generally pass along the class and inspect
each pupil's work singly, occasioning thereby considerable loss of time. Moreover,
it is not possible for a single teacher to superintend the instruction of a large
number of pupils when teaching with the aid of the ordinary kindergarten
appliances..
Now the object of my invention is to overcome these objections as well as to
improve and increase the facilities and possibilities of this system of education by

page_text: rendering the objects employed not readily liable of becoming accidentally dis-
arranged as well as to increase the facility with which the mechanical arrangement
of the objects may be effected. The lesson, design, or combination, when arranged,
is enabled to be readily lifted up by the pupils and exhibited to the teacher for
inspection, obviating separate special inspection of each pupil's work. The teacher
is hereby enabled to produce an illustrative specimen by which he or she may
show any desired arrangement or lesson in a manner visible to the whole class, and
thereby still further lessen the necessity for individual inspection and teaching, and
enabling the teacher to instruct a larger class and impart a more perfect knowledge
than heretofore.
With these objects in, view I provide what I may call a Kindergarten tablet
composed of what I term for the purposes of this Specification a work "board"
divided into spaces and pierced_with_holes, and also a number of spigots, pegs,
counters, or markers, hereinafter called "blocks," adapted to be placed and fixed
in position on such "board" and representing the objects employed in kindergarten
teaching, the board and objects being so constructed that the latter (represented
by the "blocks" aforesaid) may be arranged on the "board" and retained in
position for the purposes aforesaid.
In order that my invention may be more easily understood and readily carried
into practice, I will further describe same by reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan view of a kindergarten tablet constructed according to my
invention showing some of the "blocks" arranged thereon.
Figure 2 is a vertical section on line X Y of Figure 1.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are perspective views of blocks detached,
Figures 6 and 7 are vertical sections of blocks,
"
Figures 8 and 9 are respectively a vertical section of a "block and a similar
section of a portion of a board showing a modified construction, and
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a teacher's kindergarten tablet hereafter
referred to.
A is the "board" which may be divided upon its surface by lines, grooves, or
the like A', into suitably shaped spaces. B are the holes in the "board" A, either
extending entirely or only partially through same.
Such a "board" may be of
"
any desired dimensions and may be composed of wood, paper, metal, composition,
or the like; Figure 1 of the drawings shows the board of square shape but
obviously it may be circular, oval, oblong or other shape and may be divided into
any number of spaces and any number of holes. C are the "blocks" some of
which are shown mounted on the "board" A, Figures 1 and 2, these being circular
in form as illustrated separately at Figure 3, but other shapes may be employed
according to circumstances, as hexagonal, Figure 4, or square, Figure 5, spherical,
or other shape; each block is formed or provided with or terminates in a peg or
projection C' generally of somewhat conical or "spigot" shape, and adapted to
take into any of the holes B formed in the board A, Figure 6 being a vertical
section showing the peg C formed in a piece with the body of the "block" and
Figure 7 shows the peg C' formed separately and fitted thereto. Although I have
found this construction convenient yet in some cases the board A, as shown by the
vertical section at Figures 8 and 9, may be provided with the pegs C¹ and the
"blocks" C formed with holes as there shown.
"
Such "blocks are, upon their upper surfaces, either colored, marked, or
stamped, with any required design or figure, or are both colored and so marked,
thus for example the blocks may be marked with the names of towns, or countries,
Arabic and Roman figures, and serve for teaching primary arithmetic, small words,
coins, geometrical figures, design and the like, and may be used with advantage,
if the marks or designs on the blocks" are raised or in relief, for teaching the
blind.
"
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The "blocks are conveniently provided in selected sets, each set being packed
in a box and are so provided, together with a board to each pupil.

page_text: The teacher or instructor is provided with a similar board generally of larger
dimensions which may be conveniently placed upon a stand say as shown at
Figure 10 and such a board should be provided with a tray D to contain "blocks"
for the teacher's use.
Kindergarten apparatus constructed according to my invention may be used to
supplement other kindergarten occupations, thus for example the pupils having
been instructed by the teacher to illustrate or select certain letters by placing the
respective "blocks" in a required order on the "board," may upon completion lift
up the board for exhibition and obviate the necessity of personal inspection, and
the teacher may then illustrate on the "teacher's tablet," Figure 10, any correction
or further example or developement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A new or improved tablet or device and parts connected therewith for
teaching under the so-called kindergarten system, whereby the designs or com-
binations employed are rendered less liable of derangement and more permanent
than heretofore.
2. The kindergarten tablets composed of a "board" and "blocks" substantially
as described whereby a fixture of position is temporarily given to the several parts
forming the designs and combinations in the manner herein set forth or any more
modification thereof.
3. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts composing
my improved kindergarten apparatus all substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
DL: h
*Contambon 1201
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.