IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL SLATES
Year: 1885

page_text: JOHN MANGER 26 & 27 Bartletts Buildings Holborn London Watch Manufac-
turer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL
SLATES to be as follows:-
The top & bottom parts of frame are made to overlap a slide forming a ruler
with an inch rule attached so that lines can be made horizontally as well as
perpendicularly.
This ruler slides up & down at pleasure and on this slide are 2 clips so that a
copy can be set as often as required and this rule or slide covers over the last
written line so that a child copies every time the perfect copy instead of its own as
is usual.
The top & bottom part of frame keep the ruler from being detached & strengthens
the slate. The ruler is attached to each side of the slate.

page_text: I JOHN MANGER of 26 and 27 Bartlett's Buildings, Holborn 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:-
My Invention relates to slates for educational purposes; and it consists chiefly
in providing such slates with rulers adapted to slide thereon, whereby lines may
be readily drawn in one or the other direction as desired. In the accompanying
drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of an educational slate provided with
improvements according to this Invention. Figure 2 is an edge view of the same,
and Figure 3 is a section on the line xx Figure 1. Similar letters of reference
indicate the same parts in all the figures. a indicates a slate, the frame of which
is composed of two side strips b b, and two end strips cc in a well known manner.
d indicates the ruler which slides upon the side strips b b. This ruler is composed
of two bars e e one upon each side of the slate and two connecting pieces fƒ to
which the bars e e are attached, so as to slide freely upon the frame. The two
pieces ff are made considerably longer than the width of the bars e e as shown in
Figure 1. in order to prevent the ruler from getting out of a horizontal position,
and so sliding stiffly, or becoming immovable. 9 g are pieces which are attached
to the end strips c c of the frame at either side. These end pieces serve to prevent
the ruler from being slipped off the slate frame, and also serve to protect the ruler
when not in use. The extended ends of the connecting pieces ff are adapted to
enter between the projecting ends of the pieces 9 g, so that the ruler can be moved
close to the top and bottom of the slate. Instead of attaching strips g as described,
the parts oc of the frame may be made of sufficient thickness to render this
unnecessary.
With the ruler arranged as described, it will be seen that horizontal parallel lines
can be ruled upon both sides of the slate.
In order to enable lines to be drawn at right angles to the horizontal lines-for
instance for money columns-holes h h h are formed in one or both bars of the
ruler as shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2 so that by placing a pencil in one
of these holes and drawing the ruler in a downward direction the desired lines can
be drawn. Any desired number of these holes can be formed in one or both sides
of the ruler. Slots are sometimes formed in the said strips in lieu of holes, the
said slots extending the whole width of the slate, and being provided with notches
upon their edges, to prevent the pencil from slipping.
In some instances the edge of the slate, and the ruler are graduated to a scale of
measurement as shown in Figure 1. so as to enable lines to be drawn at regular or
other desirable distances apart. This is very useful for drawing maps, as the lines
of latitude and longitude can be quickly drawn.
The sliding ruler is of special advantage in teaching children to write, as the
copy may be placed upon the ruler and the latter moved downward one line each
time a line of writing is completed, so that the child sees the copy which he has to
imitate just above the line upon which he is writing and therefore is not so liable

page_text: to make mistakes and such imperfect copies (by copying the line immediately above
which he has written himself) as is the case when the copy is fixed at the top of
the slate. In order to enable the copy to be held to the ruler the latter is provided
upon one or both sides with metal clips i i between which and the ruler the copy
is slipped. These clips are preferably secured by rivets or screws jj which also
serve to connect the bars e e and pieces f.
For
I sometimes provide for ruling lines at any angle to the horizontal lines.
this purpose, one or both of the strips e may have a second strip k of the same
size as itself, pivoted thereto at one end, which strip is adapted to be placed at a
greater or less angle to the ruler, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.
It is obvious that I may modify the construction hereinbefore described without
departing from the nature of my Invention;-for instance, instead of making the
ruler in four pieces, as described it may be made in one piece, a slot being formed
of sufficient size to enable the said ruler to slide upon the frame; also instead of
the ends ff of the ruler sliding upon the edges of the side pieces b b they might
be arranged to slide in longitudinal slots formed therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention; and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what
I claim is;-
1. The combination, with a slate, of a ruler mounted upon slides which move
upon the parallel sides of said slate, and spring clips mounted upon both ends of
said ruler and substantially in the central longitudinal line thereof, and bearing
upon the flat surface thereof, whereby a copy may be held flat upon and moved
with said ruler, substantially as described.
2. The combination, with a slate having a scale of measurement marked upon
one of its parallel sides, of a ruler consisting of a double strip united at both ends
and sliding upon the parallel sides of the slate and clips mounted upon each end
of the ruler to receive and hold a copy substantially as described.
3. The combination, with a slate having a ruler d sliding upon its parallel sides,
of a strip k pivoted upon said ruler near one end, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the slate a having a scale of measurement marked upon
the frame thereof, the strips g, with the ruler d having a scale of measurement
marked thereon, and the clips i, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th
of 1000
JOHN MANGER.
By A. M. & W™ Clark, Agents.