Improvements in the Construction of Tablets, Blocks, and Characters for Announcements, Games, and Educational Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Tablets, Blocks, and Characters
for Announcements, Games, and Educational Purposes.
HENRY PATTMAN TRUEMAN, Engineer, of 51. Havelock Road, Handsworth,
in the County of Stafford, and JAMES WILLIAM GILL, Manufacturing Stationer,
of Empire Works, Hull Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
Our invention relates to that class of tablets which are adapted for use with
changeable letters or blocks, so that the subject matter appearing on the face of the
tablets can be changed at will. Our invention consists of an improved method of
holding the changeable blocks on the tablet, which method also permits a con-
siderable range of variation in position, and at the same time the blocks are
removed and replaced with facility. In carrying our invention into effect the
tablet is provided with narrow grooves on its surface, adapted to hold a tongue-
piece, and the block is also provided with a similar groove on the side which is
intended to be placed next the tablet, a separate tongue-piece inserted in the groove
of the tablet will also be adapted to engage with the groove in the backside of the
block. A tongue-piece being fitted into any required groove in the tablet, the
blocks can be readily placed in a line on the tongue by pressing the blocks so that
the tongue-piece enters the groove of the block. Any particular block can thus
be readily placed or removed without disturbing the others, and the blocks can also
be moved end ways along the tongue-piece without lifting them from the face of the
tablet. The tongue-piece may be a fixture in one of the grooves, but in this case
we consider it preferable to form the tongue at the back of the block, leaving the
grooves in the tablet clear. When constructing our improved tablets for announce-
ments or sign boards we prefer making the blocks which are to exhibit the letters,
figures or other characters by cutting, stamping or casting the said blocks in the form
of the characters themselves. The tongue-piece would, in this case, be preferably
formed integral with the letter or block, but it may also be fixed to it by any well-
known process, such as glueing nailing or screwing. In the case of metal
characters, solders, screws or rivets would be used. The tongue-piece may also
be made of a peg or a séries of pegs at the back of the block or character. As a
modification of the grooves on the tablet with the tongue-piece fixed in the said
grooves, a plain tablet can be used. Over this tablet at suitable distance from its
face are fixed wires or cords. These wires or cords are of a diameter to enter
and press gently the sides of the grooves, which, in this case would be formed in the
back of the blocks. The grooves or the wires of the tablet are made at regular
distances from each other, so that they form guides for the ranging of the blocks or
characters. It will now be seen that these our improved tablets are adapted for
signs, advertisement notices, price tickets and other announcements.
Used as a
game, several tablets and a quantity of characters can be distributed among the
players, and sentences or arithmetical problems can be arranged on the tablets as a
test of rapidity or accuracy. Instead of letters or figures, the faces of the blocks
may represent portions of pictures, elementary curves, lines and the like.
such characters studies can be arranged so as to teach geometry or design. The
faces of the blocks can also be made to exhibit comical subjects and be used as
a game. In arranging our improved tablets for teaching geography maps are
represented on the blocks and the wires or grooves on the tablet can be made to
represent the latitude and longitude of the places. By this means a person could
be guided as to the exact position any tract of country exhibited on the face of the
block should occupy on the tablet. Our improved tablet and blocks would enable
With

page_text: a person to dissect a country correctly, according to its proper boundary lines into
districts and counties, the grooves and tongues or grooves and wires allowing the
whole to be held in their relative positions. For elementary studies in geography
the outline of the country to be formed by the blocks may be placed on the tablet
itself, so às to indicate more or less' the position of the blocks. Grammar may be
taught by our improved tablets, using the letters to exhibit the parts of speech in a
sentence, the scholars standing out and in line, agreeing with the order of the verbs,
adjectives, nouns and the like, composing any given sentence. When any set form
of characters is intended to be exposed in places where they would be liable to
injury, a frame and groove can be constructed round the tablet, adapted to receive
a glass or other transparent cover. This said transparent cover could be fixed in
its position by any well-known means, a convenient inode is to cause the pins or
screws used to fix the tablet to hold in position the transparent cover. The tablet
may be covered with ornamental fabrics or materials as a background to the
characters displayed upon it.
Dated this 11th day of September 1891.
HENRY PATTMAN TRUEMAN.
JAMES WILLIAM GILL.
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Tablets, Blocks, and Characters
for Announcements, Games, and Educational Purposes.
HENRY PATTMAN TRUEMAN of 51 Havelock Road, Handsworth, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer and JAMES WILLIAM GILL of Empire Works
Hall Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Manufacturing Stationer,
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:-
Our invention relates to that class of tablets which are adapted for use with
changeable letters or blocks so that the subject matter appearing on the face of the
tablets can be changed at will. Our invention consists of an improved method of
holding the changeable blocks on the tablet, which method also permits a con-
siderable range of variation in position, and at the same time the blocks are
removed and replaced with facility. In carrying our invention into effect.the
tablet is provided with narrow grooves on its surface, adapted to hold a tongue
piece. and the block is also provided with a similar groove-on the side which is
intended to be placed next the tablet. A separate tongue-piece inserted in the
groove of the tablet will also be adapted to engage with the groove in the back side
of the block. A tongue piece being fitted into any required groove in the tablet, the
blocks can be readily placed in a line on the tongue, by pressing the block, so that
the tongue piece enters the groove of the block; any particular. block can thus be
readily placed or removed without disturbing the others, and the blocks can also be
moved endways along the tongue piece without lifting them from the face of the
tablet. The tongue piece may be a fixture in one of the grooves, but in this case, we
consider it preferable to form the tongue at the back of the block, leaving the
grooves in the tablet clear. When constructing our improved tablets for
announcements or sign-boards, we prefer making the blocks which are to exhibit the
letters, figures, or other characters, by cutting, casting, or stamping the said blocks
in the form of the characters themselves the tongue piece would, in this case, be
preferably formed integral with the letter or block, but it may also be fixed to it
by any well known process, such as glueing, nailing, and screwing. In the case of
metal characters solders, screws or rivets would be used. The tongue-piece may
also be made of a peg, or series of pegs, at the back of a block or character. As a
modification of the grooves on the tablet, with a tongue piece fixed in the said
grooves, a plain tablet can be used; over this tablet, at a suitable distance from its'

page_text: face, are fixed wires or cords. These wires or cords are of a diameter to enter and
press gently the sides of the grooves, which in this case would be formed in the
back of the blocks. The grooves or the wires of the tablet are made at regular-
distances from each other, so that they form guides for the ranging of the blocks
or the characters. It will now be seen that these, our improved tablets, are
adapted for signs, advertisement notices, price tickets, and other announcements.
Used as a game, several tablets and a quantity of characters can be distributed
among the players, and sentences, or arithmetical problems, can be arranged on the
tablets as a test of rapidity or accuracy. Instead of letters or figures, the faces.
of the blocks may represent portions of pictures, elementary curves, lines and the
like. With such characters studies can be arranged so as to teach geometry, or
design. The faces of the blocks can also exhibit comical subjects, and be used as a
game.
In arranging our improved tablets for teaching geography, maps are repre-.
sented on the blocks, and the wires or the grooves on the tablet can be made to
represent the latitude and longitude of places by this means a person could be
guided as to the exact position any tract of country exhibited on the face of a block
should occupy on the tablet. Our improved tablet and blocks would allow a
country to be dissected correctly, according to its proper boundary lines, into
districts and counties, the grooves and tongues, or grooves and wires, allowing the
whole to be held in their relative positions. For elementary studies in geography,
the outline of the country to be formed by the blocks may be placed on the tablet.
itself, so as to indicate more or less the positions of the blocks. Grammar may be
taught by our improved tablets, using the letters to exhibit the parts of speech in
a sentence, the scholars standing out in line, agreeing with the order of the verbs,
adjectives, nouns, and the like, composing any given sentence. When any set form.
of characters is intended to be exposed in places where they would be liable to injury,.
a frame and groove can be constructed round the tablet, adapted to receive a glass.
or other transparent cover. This said transparent cover, could be fixed in its
position by any well known means. A convenient mode is to cause the screws or
pins used to fix the tablet to hold in position the transparent cover. The tablet
inay be covered with ornamental fabrics or materials as a back ground to the.
characters displayed upon it.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section A and a front elevation B of a tablet with
grooves formed in its surface as herein described. C shows a block having-
a groove formed in its back-side, D is the separate tongue adapted to enter the
grooves of the block C.
E shows a block having a tongue integral with the block
itself. E shows a character with a tongue or pin on its back entered into the
groove of the tablet A.
g is a perspective view of a character, with the tongues or
pins on its back, adapted to enter and hold in the grooves.
Fig. 2 represents a vertical section A of a tablet, with wires stretched across its
face, and B. represents a front elevation of the same, with four grooved blocks,.
fixed in position, exhibiting the word "WIRE."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-.
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. The combination of a tablet having grooves on its face, with characters or
blocks having tongue-pieces adapted to engage with the said blocks, as herein.
described.
2nd. The combination of a tablet, having wires, or their equivalent, stretched
across its face, with blocks having grooves adapted to engage with the said wires,.
as herein described.
Dated this Eleventh day of June 1909
HENRY PATTMAN TRUEMAN.
JAMES WILLIAM GILL.