IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SCHOOL OR CLASS ROOMS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Stevens, of Camden Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Bachelor of Arts and Laws, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SCHOOL OR CLASS ROOMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Stevens at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th February 1880.
JAMES STEVENS, of Camden Road, in the County of Middlesex, Bachelor of Arts
and Laws. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SCHOOL
OR CLASS ROOMS."
My Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of class rooms, for
schools and tho like, and it has for its objects, 1st, to enable the classes under
tuition in a number of different rooms to be constantly supervised by a single
inspector, who, without quitting the same post and without being seen by anyone
in the rooms under inspection can overlook all the class rooms in the structure or
building; 2nd, to enable two or more adjoining class rooms to be readily thrown
into one, in order that two or more classes may be instructed or lectured to at the
same time.
According to my Invention a central chamber or enclosure is provided for the
inspector or supervisor, around which and radiating therefrom are grouped the
different class rooms, the whole assemblage of which would form a polygonal,
circular, or other figuro in plan. The class rooms will therefore be considerably
narrower at one end than at the other, the narrow ends all converging towards the
common centre, the inspector's enclosure. At the narrow end of each room would
be placed the instructor's platform and appliances, so that the pupils shall face this
end. The inspector's chamber should be at a higher level than the teachers'
platforms in the class rooms so as to command a good view, and in the sides of
the said chamber which form the end walls of the different class rooms sight holes
would be provided, at which the whole of the persons present in the rooms would
be within range of the inspector's eye. These sight holes should be constructed of
pyramidal or conical form, the base being directed outwards and the apex projecting
inwards to the supervisor's chamber, and having a small aperture, which may be
glazed or not, and to which the supervisor's eye would be applied.
As the supervisor's chamber would not need to be strongly lighted, and the

page_text: sight holes would be shaded from outside light by the above mode of construction,
the presence or absence of the supervisor would not be perceived by the pupils.
The radial walls separating the adjoining class rooms from one another may be
constructed of sliding partitions, or revolving shutters, or curtains capable of being
readily removed or drawn when required to throw two or more class rooms into
one, in order that two or more classes may be instructed at a time by the same
teacher, the rooms by reason of their fan like form and arrangement being well
adapted to this purpose without necessitating any re-arrangement of the seats and
desks.
By the above arrangements the instructor may be relieved of the task of
maintaining watchfulness for the sake of discipline, and enabled to devote his whole
energies to the duty of instruction, a constant supervision unobserved by the pupils
can be maintained, space is economised, the acoustic properties of the class rooms
are improved by the radiating direction of the side walls, and a good relative
position of the instructor and pupils are ensured.
]

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Stevens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th August
1880.
JAMES STEVENS, of Camden Road, in the County of Middlesex, Bachelor of Arts
and Laws. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SCHOOL
OR CLASS ROOMS."
My Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of class rooms for
schools and the like, and it has for its object to enable the classes under tuition in
a number of different rooins to be constantly supervised by a single inspector, who,
without quitting his post and without being seen by any one in the rooms under
inspection, can overlook all the class rooms in the structure or building. By the
improved construction, moreover, two or moro adjoining class rooms may be readily
thrown into one, in order that two or more classes may be instructed or lectured to
at the same time.
According to my Invention a central chamber or enclosure is provided for the
inspector or supervisor, around which and radiating therefrom are grouped tho
different class rooms, the whole assemblage of which would form a polygonal,
circular, or other figure in plan. The class rooms will therefore be considerably
narrower at one end than at the other, the narrow ends all converging towards the
common centre, viz., the inspector's enclosure. At the narrow end of each room
may be placed the instructor's platform and appliances, so that tho pupils shall face
this end. This arrangement can however be varied, the instructor, for instance,
having his back to the partitions or walls which separato the class rooms, with the
forms for the pupils extending from the centre, so that the light shall enter at the
left of the pupils. The inspector's chamber should be at a higher level than the
teachers' platforms in the class rooms so as to command a good view; and in the
sides of the said chamber, which form the end walls of the different class rooms,
sight holes would be provided at which the whole of the persons present in the
rooms would be within range of the inspector's eye. These sight holes should be
constructed of pyramidal or conical form, the base being directed outwards and the
apex projecting inwards to the supervisor's chamber, and having a small aperture,
which may be glazed or not, and to which the supervisor's eye would be applied.
As the supervisor's chamber would not need to be strongly lighted, and the sight
holes would be shaded from outside light by the above mode of construction, the
presence or absence of the supervisor would not be perceived by the pupils.
The radial walls separating the adjoining class rooms from one another may be
constructed of sliding partitions, or revolving shutters, or curtains capable of being
readily removed or drawn when required to throw two or more class rooms into
one, in order that two or more classes may be instructed at a time by the same
teacher, the rooms by reason of their fan like form and arrangement being well
adapted to this purpose without necessitating any re-arrangement of the seats
and desks.
By the above arrangements the instructor may be relieved of the task of
maintaining watchfulness for the sake of discipline, and enabled to devote bis
whole energies to the duty of instruction, a constant supervision unobserved by the
pupils can be maintained, space is economised, the acoustic properties of the class
rooms are improved by the radiating direction of the side walls, and a good relative
position of the instructor and pupils is ensured. Moreover, visitors can see the
working of the school without distracting the attention of either master or pupils.
The Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a ground plan illustrating my Invention. a are
the walls or partitions which separate the class rooms, and 6 the inspector's box
provided with sight holes at c, which are separately illustrated in Figures 2, 3,

page_text: and 4, Figure 2, showing the sight hole as seen from the class room, and Figure 3
from the inspector's box; Figure 4 shows a side view of the sight hole. It will
be observed in Figure 1 that the box b is furnished with a sight hole for each
room, and the supervisor can consequently observe all the rooms without moving
from his position therein.
In the room No. 1 I have represented the pupils' forms d extending from the
central box b to the outer wall, the instructor's position being at A. This is the
arrangement that would be preferred in many schools, as the light would thereby
enter the windows to the left of the pupils; but the forms may be placed as in
No. 3, and the instructor's seat at B if preferred. No. 2 is the head master's room
from which the box bis entered.
Figure 5 shows in elevation a building constructed in accordance with my
Invention.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The improved construction of class rooms for schools and the like, consisting in
the combination with a room divided by radial walls of a central inspection box
or chamber, the whole arranged substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Stevens, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.