Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
"
The apparatus consists of a case A, in the back part of which are placed the keys,
whereas the front part serves for taking up the show-cards and other accessories of
the instrument.
The keys C & D D are fitted into notches of a bar B in such a manner
that they rest upon pins E which are embedded in a longitudinal groove in the
bar B.
Each key forms a double-armed lever; the short back arms are all of equal
length; the front arms are of two different lengths, the arms D being longer than
the arms C.
All keys are interchangeable and placed at equal distances from each other. In
order to make the long front arm D somewhat lighter it is reduced in thickness as
shown by figs. 2 & 8.
I beg to remark that I call the front side of the apparatus that side facing the
children and the back side the one near the teacher.
The back end of each key is provided with a little bolt F and at the front end the
[Price 8d.]

page_text: curved slits G are cut transversely into the keys. These slits serve for fixing the
show cards on the keys, and by the bolts the keys are fixed in their raised position
when a word or a number shall be shown for a longer time. To that effect a rail H
is fixed to the corresponding side of the casing into or below which the bolt is pushed
when a key with a show card in it has been raised. As soon as the bolt is withdrawn
the key drops down by its own weight in front.
It needs no special mention that any other means for fixing the keys may be used
instead of the bolts F.
When the keys are down they rest upon a rail or bar I with their front arin; this
rail is covered by some soft and thick stuff, such as velvet or the like to check the
noise caused by the falling keys.
Each apparatus is provided with a number of show cards fig. 9, marked with.
the signs of letters, cyphers and black dots to represent numbers.
These signs
are marked in large characters on the side facing the pupils and the same signs
are marked in small characters on the back side, so that the teacher also can conve-
niently see them.
These cards are of such size and shape that when placed in proper order into
the slits G in the keys they can form a continuous row when all the keys are
raised.
Finally the apparatus is fitted out with a sort of a fork (fig. 10) which serves
for indicating the separation of letters, or syllables or the various black dots of the
show cards.
The following examples show the use of my new key apparatus.
3740
In order to explain the difference in pronounciation of the letter "a" in the
words :
war ware," warrant or of the diphthong "ou" in "trough,” “through,”
"tough," "though" and "plough" the teacher proceeds as follows:
(3
"
e
"
He fixes the cards containing the letters w, a, r, e, n, t in the keys; of course those
occurring twice be fixes twice and at their respective places. He then lets spell
the word
war and "sound" it and each single letter; then he adds the letter"
and lets the children form the syllables "wa " and "re," combines them to form the
word "ware." The e is then dropped and the remaining letters r, a, n, t are raised
and so the word "warrant" is formed where the a sounds different again.
In an other lessen spelling and pronounciation of ware, where and were can bo
explained and in a similar manner the teacher will analyze the words trough, through,
tough, though plough and others.
In a similar manner numbers and their values are explained.
Thus for instance 5 as individual number, as being composed of 3 and 2, or 4 and 1,
or of 5 dots. The cards with the ciphers may hereby be used as well as the cards
with the black dots.
In separating syllables or words or combined numbers the teachers places the
indicator fork between the respective syllables or dots as the case may be.
It will thus be seen in how many varieties my new key apparatus can be used and
which great advantages it offers.
Dated this (thday of Estuary 1080
KARL J. MAYER,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Key Apparatus for the First Instruction in Reading and
Reckoning.
1, Hugo GERTIG of Barmen, Rhenish Prussia, Germany, 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:-
:-
The present invention relates to a new means for instructing the first elements of
reading and reckoning.

page_text: The instruments in use for that purpose have various defects, especially the
following:
1) They are, without exception, so arranged that the teacher, when explaining a
sound, a word or a figure must turn his back to the pupils, in consequence of which
of course the discipline of the children suffers.
2) The means used hitherto are merely instruments for exercise.
The objects
brought to sight can thereby be shown and then taken away again, but afterwards
they are not again ready at any moment to reappear or disappear.
They therefore do not arrest the attention of the children and induce the latter to
learn things by heart.
3) They serve either for reading alone or for reckoning alone.
My new instrument is free from these drawbacks and is so constructed,
1) That the teacher in using it and making explanations never needs to turn his
back to the children, but always faces them.
2) That it may serve for exercise as well as for instructing and demonstrating; the
parts of it therefore must be movable, but so, that they may be fixed at will.
3) That it is as practicable for teaching reading as for reckoning.
According to the above it serves as well for analyzing a word or a syllable as for
combining the characters to syllables and these to words.
On the accompanying drawing my instrument is represented.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the apparatus, keys raised.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
Fig. 3 is a section in line I II with cover the keys at rest.
Fig. 4 is a section without cover, the keys raised.
Fig. 5 is a section in line III IV with cover, the keys at rest.
Fig. 6 is a similar section without cover, the keys raised.
Fig. 7 is a side view and top view respectively of a short key in an enlarged
scale.
Fig. 8 is a side view and top view respectively of a long key in an enlarged
scale.
Fig. 9 are various show cards.
Fig. 10 shows the indicator fork.
The apparatus consists of a case A, in the back part of which are placed the keys,
whereas the free front part of it serves for taking up the show cards and other
accessories of the instrument.
The keys C C and D D are fitted into notches of a bar B in such a manner
that they rest upon pins E which are embedded in a longitudinal groove in the
bar B.
Each key forms a double armed lever, the short back arms are all of equal length;
the front arms are of different lengths, the arms D being longer than the arms C
and the keys are all interchangeable and placed at equal distances from each other.
In order to make the long front arms D somewhat lighter they are reduced in thickness
as shown in figs. 2 & 8.
I beg to remark that I call the "front side" of the apparatus that facing the children
and the "back side" the one near the teacher.
The back end of each key is provided with a little bolt F and at their front end the
curved slots G are cut transversely into them:
These slots serve for fixing the show cards in the keys and by the bolts the keys
are fixed in their raised position if a character or a figure shall be shown for a
longer time.
To that effect a rail H is fixed to the corresponding side of the casing into which
the bolt is pushed when a key with the show card in it has been raised. As soon as
the bolt is withdrawn the key drops down again.
It needs no special mention that any other means for fixing the key may be used
instead of the bolts F.
When the keys are down they rest upon a rail I with their front part. This rail is

page_text: covered by some soft and thick stuff such as velvet or the like to check the noise
caused by the falling key.
Each apparatus is fitted out with a number of show cards fig. 9 containing the signes
of letters, cyphers and black dots to represent the latter, in larg characters on the side
facing the pupils and similar signs are also marked on the back side so that the teacher
also can see them.
These cards are of such size and shape that when placed in proper order into
the slots G in the keys they can formi a continous row when all the keys are
raised.
Finally the apparatus is fitted out with a fork (fig. 10) which serves for separating
the syllables or single characters of a word or the various black balls of the cypher
cards.
The following examples show the use of the apparatus.
To explain the difference in pronounciation of the words bar, bare, ware, war,
warrant or of through, trough, though, tough, plough etc. the teacher fixes the cards
containing the letters b, w, are ran and t for instance in the keys; he then lets spell
the word "war" and sound it and each single letter, the a for instance in its different
sounds.
Then he adds the letter "e," raises the corresponding key, forms the syllables wa
and re in separating them by the indicator fork or raising them separately, then he
combines them to form the word "ware" where the a sounds different from that in
war, he drops the e and the w and raises the b to show the word bar; in raising then
the e again comparisons can be made between the four words now considered with
respect to spelling and pronouncing. Now the following letters r, a, n and t are
added to " war
"to get the word "warrant" where the a is again pronounced in two
different manners or sounds.
In dealing with the word ware the teacher may also compare it-in an other
lesson with were, where, weir and so on.
In a similar manner the words through, trough, though, tough etc. are analyzed.
Numbers are dealt with in like manner, for instance: 5 consists of 3 and 2 or of
4 and 1; to show this, cards containing 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 dots are put in the keys and
always the corresponding cards raised up together; they may also be separated by
placing the fork between the respective dots as shown by fig. 6.
It will thus be seen in how many varieties the new key apparatus can be used and
the great advantages it offers.
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 :
"In the key instrument for the first instruction in reading and reckoning the
arrangement of keys C & D in a suitable box A on a bar B, so that the keys can
oscillate vertically on pins E on the bar B, the keys being divided by the pins in two
levers of unequal length, the short or hind arms having bolts or stops For other
suitable means fitted to them for fixing the keys in a certain position, whereas the
front arms are provided with slots G for fixing the show cards therein."
Dated this 7th day of October 1889.
KARL J. MAYER,
Agent for H. Gertig.