An Improved Apparatus and Means for Enabling the Blind to Write, for Writing in the Dark, or for Assisting Any Learning to Write.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 27th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus and Means for Enabling the Blind to Write,
for Writing in the Dark, or for Assisting Any Learning to Write.
I EDWARD EDWARDS MONTFORD of Swanton Abbot Rectory, Norwich,
Clerk in Holy Orders do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The object of my invention is to form such guiding channels or grooves upon
paper or other writing material that the blind may be able to write upon it, or it
may be used for writing in the dark or assisting any learning to write.
To effect my object I form upon a writing board or other surface a series of
straight, parallel and flat bottomed grooves slightly wider than it is desired to
make the size of the letters that have no heads or tails as m, o, s, &c. and so far
apart as to leave the usual space for the heads and tails of such letters as p, t, q &c.
above and below the grooves. And I form such grooves either by ploughing them
into or impressing them upon the writing surface or by attaching to it thin
strips of metal or other suitable material.
I then place a sheet of paper on the writing board or surface, thus furnished
with grooves and keep it in position by any suitable means.
By passing the finger nail or other instrument with due pressure on the paper
along the sides of the grooves their form is impressed upon the paper, and I make
the grooves so shallow that, though their sides may be felt with the point of a
pencil or suitable pen and thus will limit the size of such letters as m, o, s &c.,
yet such pencil or pen being held more vertically than is usual in ordinary writing
may be readily passed over the edges to form the heads and tails of such letters
as p, t, q &c. By preference I use a lead or indelible pencil or writing instrument
not requiring ink so that the course of the writing point may be followed by a
finger of the left hand to facilitate the spacing of the words.
In another form I dispense with the grooved writing board or surface and make
paper with such grooves as described formed upon it so that it may be used for
this method of writing.
In another form 1 attach to ordinary paper strips of paper of suitable thickness
and width parallel to each other and so far apart as to form the required grooves
between them.
In another form I make the grooves upon ordinary slates which may then be
written upon with slate pencils.
By the use of this invention those blind from their birth may be taught to write
by imitating the forms of raised letters they have felt, the educated who have
become blind may continue to write, the sleepless may commit their thoughts to
paper in the dark, and any learning to write may improve their hand.
Dated this Eighteenth day of May 1894.

page_text: An Improved Apparatus and Means for Enabling the Blind to Write,.
for Writing in the Dark, or for Assisting Any Learning to Write.
I EDWARD EDWARDS MONTFORD Clerk in Holy Orders of Swanton Abbot
Rectory near Norwich do hereby declare the nature of this invention and it
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to form such guiding channels or grooves upon
paper or other writing material that the blind may be able to write upon it, or it
may be used for writing in the dark or assisting any learning to write.
To effect my object I form upon a board of woed or other material a series of
straight parallel and flat bottomed grooves wider by two thicknesses of the paper
to be used than it is desired to make the size of the letters that have no heads nor
tails as m, o, s &c. and so far apart as to leave the usual space for the heads and
tails of such letters as p, t, q &c. above and below the grooves. And I form such
grooves either by ploughing them into or impressing them upon the surface, or by
attaching to it thin strips of metal or other suitable material. I then place a sheet
of paper on the board or surface thus furnished with grooves or over the strips of
metal or other material attached to the writing board and clamp it in position by
any suitable means. By passing the finger nail or other instrument with due
pressure on the paper along the sides of the grooves their form is impressed upon
the paper, which may then be written upon, and I make the grooves so shallow
that, though their sides may be felt with the point of a pencil or suitable pen, and
thus will limit the size of such letters as m, o, s &c. yet. such pencil or pen being
held more vertically than is usual in ordinary writing may be readily passed over
the edges to form the heads and tails of such letters as p, t, q &c.
By preference I use a lead or indelible pencil or writing instrument not requiring
ink, so that the course of the writing point may be followed by a finger of the left
hand by the blind to facilitate the spacing of the words.
In another form I dispense with the grooved writing board or surface and form
grooves on one or both sides of paper or cardboard by suitable stamps or rollers,
so that it may be used for this method of writing without the necessity of making
the grooves as the writing proceeds.
In another form I attach to paper or other writing material strips of the same
of suitable thickness and width parallel to each other and so far apart as to form
the required grooves for writing between the strips, the heads and tails of letters
being written upon the strips.
In another form I cut the grooves upon ordinary writing slates which
may then
be written upon with slate pencil by children or others who can see but are
learning to write. By the use of this invention those blind from their birth may
be taught to write by imitating the forms of raised letters they have felt; the
educated who have become blind may continue to write; the sleepless may commit
their thoughts to paper in the dark; and any who can see and are learning to
write may improve their hand.
In order that my invention and the mode of carrying the same into effect may
be fully understood, I will now describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 an end elevation of part of a board having parallel
grooves B formed on it. C is a clamping piece hinged to the board at D and
pressed down by the springs E. It is recessed at F for a finger hold that it may
be lifted up while the edge of the sheet of paper to be written upon is passed under
it, that it may be held in position by the action of the springs E.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a plan and Fig. 4 an end elevation of part of a board on which the
grooves B are formed by attaching to it thin strips C, over which a portion of a
sheet of writing paper É is shown in the plan Fig. 3 fastened to the board by
drawing pins D and the words "Writing for the blind" show how the letters are
written on the paper after a groove has been impressed upon it as described. For
clearness the paper is not shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 is a section of a piece of paper to show the writing grooves B that have
been impressed upon it, which may be written upon when it is laid upon a flat
surface if the paper used is sufficiently thick to bear the pressure of the writing
point upon the parts C. And if thin paper is used it may be laid upon the equally
spaced grooves on the boards Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 to be written upon.
When cardboard is used the under side may be left flat as shown in Fig. 6 or if
preferred both sides may be impressed with writing grooves B as shown in plan
in Fig. 7 and in section in Fig. 8. The grooves in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are impressed
by suitable stamps or rollers.
Fig. 9 is a plan and Fig. 10 a section of a piece of paper or other writing
material on which the grooves B are formed by fastening to it with paste or other
adhesive, thin strips C.of the same writing material.
Fig. 11 is a plan and Fig. 12 a section of a portion of a writing slate having
grooves B cut in it; and in this form I slightly bevel off the top angle of the sides
of the grooves that too much resistance may not be felt by the point of the slate
pencil when children or others use this form as described for learing to write.
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. The combination of a writing board or surface having grooves formed in it as
illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; or by having flat strips attached as in Figs. 3 and 4;
with paper in each form overlaid and fastened to such writing board and impressed
with the grooves beneath it substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
2. A writing surface of paper, slate or other material furnished with shallow
grooves the sides of which may be felt with a writing point without impeding it,
to limit the size of letters that have no heads nor tails, and so aid writers
substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12.
3. The combination of paper or other writing material with parallel strips of
the same attached to it, as and for the purpose substantially described and illustrated
in Figs. 9 and 10.
Dated this 16th day of February 1895,
EDWARD EDWARDS MONTFORD,
Applicant.