Apparatus for use in Teaching Arithmetic.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug. 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for use in Teaching Arithmetic.
JOHN HENRY TOWERS Beaconsfield House King Street Southsea Hants,.
Schoolmaster do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
Parallel rows of wooden cubes, supported in a framework; the faces of which
cubes carry figures.
The cubes are severally rotated so as to form a variety of addition, and
subtraction sums, to be copied down and worked out by scholars in primary
schools..
Dated this 24th day of April 1894
JOHN HENRY TOWERS..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for use in Teaching Arithmetic.
JOHN HENRY TOWERS Beaconsfield House King Street, Southsea, Hants,.
Schoolmaster, 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:-
Regular geometrical solids, preferably rectangular or hexagonal prisms, herein--
after termed "blocks," composed of wood or other suitable material, carrying digits
and the like painted or otherwise affixed upon certain; of their faces, are arranged.
in the following manner :-
Into each end of a block B a spindle S is fixed, by which means the block.
may be rotated so as to expose the faces of the block in turn; one face of the
block is blank or unfigured.
The ends of the spindle are carried in a box-like framework F through the.
sides of which the said ends project to form handles for the purpose of rotation.
Any suitable number of similar blocks, are, in like manner to the foregoing, fixed'
in the framework in horizontal and parallel order, vertically below each other.
The blocks are, each, in length, less than the inside measurement of the width of
the framework, so as to allow of a suitable horizontal sliding movement, by pushing
or pulling the projecting handles.
I also place vertical movable shutters V. of sheet iron, or the like, so as to hang
flat in front of the said blocks, these shutters being supported from the top of the
framework and reaching to the bottom thereof. Upon these shutters are painted.
or otherwise affixed arithmetical devices; and thereto may be similarly affixed,.
devices for the teaching of form, colour, and the like.
The methods of using this invention are as follow:-
Addition and subtraction sums are formed by rotation of the spindles so as to.
expose to view as many lines of digits as may be required. These are copied down.
by the scholars or worked orally: By rotating or sliding any block new combinations.
may be instantaneously produced.
The vertical movable shutters are used thus :-By affixing or removing the said
shutters, a vertical column of figures is, respectively, shut off or exposed, the
exercise being thus graded according to the capacity of the scholars.
Notation and numeration are taught by shutting off or exposing, by means of the
shutters, the digits in any line, as required.

page_text: Multiplication and division sums are set by arrangements similar to those for
addition and subtraction.
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. The application of geometrical, solids figured on their faces, arranged in rows
upon spindles and carried in a framework to the purposes of teaching arithmetic
by means of suitable rotation or sliding of the said solids as heretofore described.
And I also claim for :-
2. The application, in connection with the aforesaid solids, of movable shutters,
whereby the utility of the above-described machine is increased, to the like purpose
of teaching arithmetic.
Dated this 10th day of July 1894
JOHN HENRY TOWERS.