IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO AID IN THE TEACHING OF ARITHMETIC
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Grosvenor, of Princethorpe Priory, Rugby,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS TO AID IN THE TEACHING OF ARITHMETIC."
Sealed the 1st June 1866, and dated the 7th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Grosvenor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
December 1865.
I, WILLIAM GROSVENOR, of Princethorpe Priory, Rugby, in the County of
Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO AID IN THE TEACHING OF ARITHMETIC," to
be as follows:-
In carrying out my improvements in means or apparatus for the purpose
of facilitating the teaching of arithmetic, I form the apparatus to contain by
preference a pair of endless bands or aprons, though other numbers of such
aprons may be employed. Each of these aprons is kept distended between a
pair of rollers, and each apron has applied across it figures which are to form
the sums or parts of sums to be exhibited by the instructor for the instruction
of his or her pupil or pupils. Each apron has by preference two sets or

page_text: columns of these figures, together with index numbers or other signs, but this
number may be varied. The aprons with these figures and index numbers
or other signs are enclosed in a case provided with openings having slides
capable of being removed so as to expose one or more of the lines of figures
of a column, or of two or more columns, as the case may be, and there are
also other openings with covers, which when removed expose the index figure
or sign or index figures or signs. One of each pair of rollers is formed to
receive a key or handle, by which a fresh row or fresh rows of figures and a
fresh index figure or sign or index figures or signs are brought opposite the
respective openings as desired. A table or tables of answers is employed with
this arrangement, having to each answer an index figure or sign or index
figures or signs corresponding with the index figure or sign or index figures
or signs, and with the row or rows of figures determining the number of
them to be exposed, according to whether the arithmetical proposition for the
time to be executed is one of addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division,
and is simple or compound.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Grosvenor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GROSVENOR, of Princethorpe Priory, Rugby, in the County of Warwick, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give. and grant unto
me,
the said William Grosvenor, Her special licence that I, the said. William
Grosvenor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Grosvenor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United. Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
* IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO AID IN THE TEACHING OF
ARITHMETIC," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Grosvenor, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing

page_text: under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Grosvenor, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
.
.
My improvements relate to means or apparatus for the purpose of
facilitating the teaching of arithmetic. I form the apparatus to contain by
preference a pair of endless bands or aprons, though other numbers of such
aprons may be employed. Each of these aprons is kept distended between
a pair of rollers, and each apron has applied across it figures which are to
form the sums or parts of sums to be exhibited by the instructor for the
instruction of the pupil or pupils. Each apron has by preference two sets or
columns of these figures, together with index numbers or other signs, but
this number may be varied. The aprons with these figures and index
numbers or other signs are enclosed in a case provided with openings
having slides' capable of being removed so as to expose one or more of the
lines of figures of a column, or of two or more columns, as the case may be,
and there are also other openings with covers, which when removed expose
the index figure or sign or index figures or signs. One of each pair of
rollers is formed to receive a key or handle, by which a fresh row or fresh
rows of figures and a fresh index figure or. sign or index figures or signs
are brought opposite the respective openings as desired. A table or tables of
answers is employed with this arrangement, having to each answer an index
figure or sign or index figures or signs corresponding with the index figure or
sign or index figures or signs, and with the row or rows of figures determining
the number of them to be exposed, according to whether the arithmetical
proposition for the time to be executed is one of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, or division, and is simple or compound.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by me in

page_text: Figure 5 shows a vertical section of the same, and Figure 6-shows side
view with the cover or part of the case removed in order that the action of
one of the bands. (indicated by red lines) may more fully appear. In each
of the Figures the same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they
occur.
•
a, a, is the main frame; 6, 6, and c, c', are two pairs of rollers, around
each pair of which is passed an endless band or apron,d; these aprons d may
be formed of canvas or linen cloth or other suitable material adapted to
receive the figures to be presented in the orders desired. According to the
arrangement shown there are on each apron two columns or series of figures,
and, a column for the index letter or sign, and a column for the common
multiplier or divisor. The rollers b and c are formed with spindles which
revolve in bearings b, c, provided for them, and which are fixed to the side
framing. The rollers 6' and c¹ have similar spindles, which are supported to
revolve in bearings f, f, with screw stems adapted to receive the nuts 9,.9,
by which to adjust the tension on the apron d, d. The outer end of the
spindle of the right-hand end of each roller b', c¹, is formed square to receive
a key, or it may be a handle by which to turn these rollers and move the
aprons carried by them in the order desired. Each apron d is enclosed by a
cover e, e, which is held in position by sliding in grooves provided for it in the
şide frame a, a, and each of these covers e is also provided with other similar
covers or doors h, i, j, k, and l, each of which is capable of sliding freely in
grooves e provided for it in order to expose to view the figures for the time
desired to be shown, and to facilitate the sliding of these doors each has a
knob or handle h¹, j, k, and . n, n, are springs to retain the sliding doors
by friction in any desired position.
The method of using such apparatus will be readily understood by a few
illustrations, always bearing in mind that the answer to any sum indicated by
the figures for the time exposed to view is to be found in a tabular key
having an index letter corresponding with the index letters on the aprons of
the apparatus. Thus supposing the lesson to be in simple addition :-Lower
the slide to expose the desired index letter A, B, C, or other letter, also lower
the slide i or j, or both of them, according to the size of sum you intend to
set, that is to say, till the desired number of columns and rows of figures
are exposed to view. Bid the scholars then copy such figures on their slates,
always insisting that they note down the index letter as shown on the right
band under the column h, as also the number of columns and rows of
figures contained in the sum before them. Let the said sum be now
worked. For the answer refer to a key under the corresponding index

page_text: letter, as also the corresponding number of columns and rows of figures
shewn..
To set another sum, raise or lower the apron by turning the axis m, you
thus cut off one or more rows of figures above or below, and so produce an
entirely new sum; bid the scholars change the index letter on their slates for
the one now exposed to view, rub out the answer to the previous sum, change
or add as may be. the figures now before them and proceed to find the total.
Thus the index letter exposed by the opening of the slide h being A on the
side, Figure 1, of the apparatus; and the figures exposed by the opening of the
slide i are in three rows as at Figure 1; then the answer to be obtained, and
that which should be found in the key by the teacher, will be as follows:→
Column i or left-hand three rows 262952 A. Although I have in this illus
tration only given three rows, other numbers of rows may be added by sliding
down the slide i, or the two columns i and j may be combined in one sum,
and then the answer should be found in the key under 4, 5, or 6 row left or
right or left and right.
For subtraction adjust the apron as before, lower the slide i or j on either
right or left or both of them so as to expose to view two rows of figures only,
as for instance as shown by Figure 7. The answer in the key will be left-
hand column 11110 A, right hand 21101 A.
For multiplication or division adjust the apron as before, lower the slide i
orj on either right or left or both sides of frame so as to expose to view one
row of figures only. Let the aperture k be now uncovered and you have at
once either the multiplier or divisor given for that sum. For the answer
refer to the corresponding index letter, multiplier, or divisor in the key. Thus
supposing the illustration to be as in Figure 8, then on looking for the answer
in the multiplication columns of the key the answers should be―
Left, 2:197528 A.
Right, 106420 A.
Or, in case of division, the key for the answer to Figure 8 should be-
Left, 2:49382 A.
Right, 2:26605 A.
For the extra sums in multiplication and division the multipliers and
divisors of which consist either of one, two, three, four, or five figures, open
the slide so as to expose to view such of the foregoing number of figures as
may be required for the multiplier or divisor. The answer should be found
in the key under the corresponding index letter and extra multiplier or
divisor. Supposing the figures exposed by the opening of the slide / to be
559 as a multiplicand with the other parts as in Figure 9, then the result
or answer to be given and which should be found in the key would be
559-5520987344390 A, or if that number (559) is to be taken as a divisor,

page_text: then the answer required from the pupil, and which should for the benefit of
403
559
the teacher be found in a key, will be 559...17668073 + A, and so on,
using always the letters indicated in the column h as the index to the key,
which should under a similar letter indicate the answer to the sum offered!
for solution.
For compound rules, as £, s, and d, the column i may be used for the
pounds and the column j for the shillings and pence, and in like manner
other arithmetical quantities may be indicated.
means which I adopt in 1
understood that I do not
Having thus described my improvements and
carrying the same into effect, I would have it
confine myself to the precise details shown and described so long as the
peculiar character of the improvements be retained substantially as explained.
. In witness whereof, I, the said William Grosvenor, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord 1
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM GROSVENOR. (L.S.)