An Appliance for Teaching Arithmetic.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Appliance for Teaching Arithmetic.
I, JAMES RENNIE of Blacklands, Maryhill, Glasgow in the County of Lanark
North Britain Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an appliance for teaching arithmetic.
It consists of a dial or face with two concentric arrangements of holes which
holes are covered up at one time and opened at another time by which means any
number of additions, subtractions and the like can be shown to the pupil. The
appliance can be hung on the wall and operated before the children's class.
In accordance with one method by which my said invention may be carried out,
the face of the appliance is constructed of a square piece of tin with two concentric
arrangements of holes. Behind the face is a disc painted black and behind that
again is another disc painted red both discs being capable of being rotated upon a
spindle upon which spindle, at the outside of the face of the apparatus, are two
pointers; by manipulating the one pointer the black disc is rotated and by
operating the other pointer the red disc is rotated, the arrangement being similar
to that of the hands of a clock. In order that each of the discs may be made to
appear through the holes as required, they are made in the form of flat screws so
that they can pass each other. Supposing it is desired to shew the addition
of 4 and 4 the red disc can be made to appear through four of the holes; these four
holes can then be covered by the black disc and another four red holes made to
appear and so on. When it is desired to illustrate numbers past ten, the outer
concentric arrangement of openings through the face is used; behind the said holes
is a fixed ring containing the numbers 1 to 10; when the pointer pass the 10 a bell
is struck and the number of bells struck represent the number of tens; the other
numbers are used for the purpose of demonstrating the number of red holes that
have been made to appear that is to say the numeral holes are placed diametrically
outside of the colour holes. The numeral holes are all covered up by the outer
edge of the black disc except with regard to one aperture which is left in said disc;
for example if 5 red holes have been exposed; the hole in the black disc can be
brought round to exhibit the number 5.
Dated this 9th day of November 1892.
J. Y. JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Appliance for Teaching Arithmetic.
I, JAMES RENNIE, of Blacklands, Maryhill, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Teacher, 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 :-
This invention relates to an appliance for teaching arithmetic, and has for its
object to produce an appliance to take the place of the ordinary ball-frame
appliance at present used in infant schools. My appliance may be used as far as
standard I so as to more effectually prevent the habit of "fingering."
appliance is also applicable for the use of pupil teachers to enable them to teach
arithmetic in its preliminary stages nearly as well as an experienced teacher.
The
In carrying out my said invention as illustrated in front elevation Figure 1. side

page_text: elevation Figure 2 and part sectional plan Figure 3. I employ a wooden or other
case A the front of which is provided with a tin or other sheet metal, though
preferably a wooden, dial or face B having two concentric arrangements of holes
or openings C, and D. Behind the said face B I mount a black painted disc E and
a red painted disc F, said discs being mounted on and carried by a spindle G and
provided at their front ends with pointers or operating handles E' and F¹, as here-
after more particularly described, so as to enable the one being revolved in front
of or behind the other. The black disc E is formed with a rim e having an
opening e; said rim covering up all the holes D, with the exception of the one at
which the opening stands so as to show a figure, (H Figure 1.) a circle
representing ten of which are arranged around a wooden or other partition J
mounted within the case A as shown in Figure 3. The central part of the said
disc E, as well as the red disc F, have a radial opening and are so formed as to
take the shape of a circle of a spiral, so as to permit of them being revolved in front
of or behind each other by means of the pointers and handles E' and F'; said
pointers and handles being connected to their respective discs as follows:-The
black disc E is provided with a long sleeve e³ which revolves around the central
spindle G; said spindle being secured to the back of the case A as shown in
Figure 3 and having its front end extending through the dial or face B, through
which also extends the front end of the sleeve e, and the front end of the sleeve f
of the red disc F which is so formed as to revolve around the outside of the sleeve e
of the black disc. The front ends of the sleeves e and f. are connected to their
respective operating handles E' and F¹ by any suitable means, and the front end of
the spindle G is provided with a binding washer and screw g.
In some cases if desired I may provide each of the said discs E and F with brakes
preferably similar to those shown, that is to say I provide each of sleeves and f
with metal or other discs K, each of which are acted upon by a pusher k, which is
provided at its inner end with a disc k¹ having a longitudinal slot k and rim or
flange extending half around the circumference so that on the pusher k. being
pressed inwards the rim presses upon the edges of the disc K and so forms a brake
which acts on the main disc.
The whole arrangement thus forms an efficient appliance for teaching arithmetic
to infants and others, and which may be used as far as standard I. By means of
the appliance, the children follow the circle of figures with their eyes keeping count
of the tens. They are not required, for example to remember that 8 and 7 are 15
but to first see the result upon the appliance and afterwards to remember it. To
make the above plain, put both the handles to 8, then bring out the red disc so
that 7 of the circle of holes C show red while the remainder show black; all
the children see at once how far round the reds travel and call out 15 because when
the teacher adds these 7 discs, that is to say covers them up by the black disc, the
bell L mounted within the case is rung by the depending arm / for ten and the
handle E will point to and show 5. By the reverse motion a class can see that 7
from 15 leaves 8.
To use my appliance, the handles E and F are brought round so as point to the
top of the dial A and so the circle of holes C will all be black and are supposed to
be empty. Press the black pusher k gently in and then turn the handle F¹ round
till it reaches the position shown in Figure I and it will be seen that three of the
holes show red discs; now on the red pusher being pressed in and the handle E¹
turned round to position shown in dotted lines, that is pointing to same opening, the
Figure 3 will appear through one of the outer circle of holes D and the three red
discs will have been covered up or run in.
In subtraction the motions are simply reversed and the number to be
substracted is shown by red discs and the remainder is shown in the outer circle of
holes D.
Children can thus be taught to count by 1, 2, 3 or other number at a time up to
a 100, or they may be taught to count by 5 or other number at a time
introducing 2, 3 or other number occasionally.

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Some of the advantages of my appliance are that it arrests and sustains the
attention of little children and makes their lessons in arithmetic a pleasure; it also
secures good progress whether the child be dull or not; it also teaches them to
count rapidly as well as prevents the formation of habits such as fingering and
even tends to cure such habits should they exist; also pupil-teachers easily learn
its use and then have all the influence in teaching arithmetic of an experienced
teacher.
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 ;-
1st. The appliance for teaching arithmetic, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The dial having two concentric circles of holes or openings in combination
with two coloured discs capable of being revolved in front of or behind each other,
and a circle of numerals, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described,
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th of August 1893
J. Y. JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agent.
J. Y. JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agent.