AN INSTRUCTIVE TOY
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY DANIEL CHILD of 30 King Street Twickenham in the county of
Middlesex Shorthand-Writer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
AN INSTRUCTIVE TOY to be as follows:-
I construct a box of wood or of any suitable material about sixteen inches long,
twelve inches wide and about eight inches deep..
In the centre of this box I place a small lamp or night light first making a
suitable opening in the lid or cover of the box for the hot air of the flame to
escape.
.
0
One side or one end of this box I make of glass and over this glass on the inside
I paste or fasten a piece of cardboard of the same dimensions as the glass having
previously cut in the cardboard the letters of the alphabet, the numerals, and any
other device or figure that may be desired.. At the other end or at the other side
of this box and opposite to the end or side where the glass is fixed I place some
movable keys like the keys of a concertina or accordion each key representing a
letter or numeral or any desired device or figure. When any one of these keys is
depressed a lever is moved which acts upon a slide covering a similar letter,
numeral, device or figure cut in the cardboard as aforesaid, and causing such slide
to move either up or down and thus permitting the light to shine through and
render luminous such letter, numeral, device or figure.
'
Thus If the key A is depressed a lever in connection therewith raises or
depresses a slide which allows the light to shine through the letter A cut in the
cardboard and the letter A is thus seen through the glass by any one watching the.
glass face of the toy. In this manner in a room. partially darkened words and
'sentences may be spelt out in a rapid manner.
Every one of the above mentioned slides has painted on its face a letter corre-
-sponding with the letter it covers :-thus the letter A is painted on the slide which
covers the letter A. When the slide is moved so that the light can shine through
the letter A as above described, the other letter A painted on the slide can also be
seen and is brought into view at the same time through another part of the glass
face which is left uncovered for that purpose.
Every time a slide is moved two letters, numerals, figures, or devices, are thus
brought into view, namely, the letter, numeral, device, or figure, which is produced
by the light shining through the glass as above described, and the letter numeral
TD.

page_text: device or figure which is painted on the face of the slide and which is seen through
a part of the glass left uncovered as aforesaid.
If the toy is used at night time that part of the glass face through which the
painted letters, numerals, devices or figures are seen is covered in the manner
bereinafter described, and if the toy is used by daylight that part of the glass face
is covered, through which the letters, numerals, devices, or figures are seen by
means of a light burning inside.
A shield or cover of wood, or of any opaque substance, is fitted outside the glass
face of the toy, and is made to work in grooves in such a manner that it can be
moved so as to shut out from view either set of letters, numerals, devices, and
figures.
87
:
When the toy is used by daylight it is of course unnecessary to place any light
'inside.
The letters, numerals, devices, or figures may be painted on the slides or fixed
thereon in any convenient manner.
The keys and levers when at rest and untouched remain with each slide over
each letter, numeral, device or 'figure, and thus no letter, numeral, device or figure
can be seen until a key is touched or depressed.
I do not bind myself to any of the above measurements. The box and all the
parts above described may be made of any size and dimensions, and of any suitable
material,
The glass may be white or offany colour.
The above mentioned slides covering each letter, numeral, device or figure may
be made to move upwards, downwards, or sideways upon or behind the aforesaid
glass, and may be moved by levers or 'cords or wires, and may be fixed with springs,
or made to move in any 'convenient manner to allow each letter, numeral, device or
figure to be seen whenever the keys are touched or depressed as aforesaid.
Dated this tenth day of October 1884.

page_text: I HENRY DANIEL CHILD of 30 King Street Twickenham in the county of
Middlesex Shorthandwriter do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
AN INSTRUCTIVE TOY and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
I construct a box about thirty inches long, twelve inches broad and about three
or six inches deep. On one side of this box I place several keys like the keys of
a piano or a concertina. Each one of these keys is connected with a lever.
On the opposite side of the box I place a sheet of glass which is covered or
rendered opaque in every part except one long opening or space about an inch wide
and this opening or space runs from one end of the box to the other.
Behind this glass I place several upright slides. On each of these slides a letter
of the alphabet, numeral, figure, or device is stamped, fixed, or painted.
When any one of the aforesaid keys is depressed a lever is moved and one of the
aforesaid upright slides is made to rise so as to bring the letter, numeral, figure or
device upon it into view through the transparent part of the glass:-thus when
the key representing the letter A is depressed the slide with the letter A upon it
is raised in such a manner that the letter A is brought into view through the
transparent part of the glass before mentioned.
When the aforesaid keys are at rest no letter, numeral, figure or device is seen.
When any key is depressed the letter numeral figure or device which that key
represents is brought into view so that it can be seen through the aforesaid
transparent part of the glass.
•
In this manner words and sentences can be spelt out with ease and rapidity.
It will be seen that this toy may be constructed in various ways-for-instance
the letters, numerals, figures or devices may be made to appear in the front as
above described, or at the side, or on the top of the box, and the glass may if
desired be dispensed with, so that the letters, numerals, figures, or devices. may,
on touching the keys, be made to appear at openings or slits in the wood work
of the box, or the slides may be made to rise up bodily through the upper wood-
work or lid of the box, or the letters may be made to appear in two or even three
places at the same time. It is however unnecessary to describe in how many
different ways these letters, numerals, figures, or devices may be made to appear.
The above mentioned slides may be made to move upwards or downwards or in
any direction by levers as above described or by springs wires or by any convenient.
method, and the slides may be so constructed as to fall or slide back from the face.
of the glass when the letter is not seen and to approach or touch the face of the
glass when the letter is desired to be brought into view..
I do not bind myself to any of the above measurements. The box and all the
parts above described may be of any size and may be made of wood or of any
suitable material.
The box if desired may be dispensed with and a stand or frame-work may be
constructed showing a face or front to the spectator, and on this face the letters,

page_text: numerals, figures, or devices may be made to appear by touching any of the keys
as before described.
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
That by touching a key as above described a letter, numeral, figure, or device, is
made to appear either in the front, top, or sides, of a box, or in the front or face of
a stand or framework constructed for that purpose as above described.
Dotel L