Improvements in or relating to the Teaching of Topography or Geography.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1898-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Teaching of Topography or
Geography.
I, MAUD ANTOinette DuthoIT of 67 Granville Park, Lewishain, County
of Kent Gentlewoman do hereby declare the nature of this invention "to be as
follows:-
'This invention relates to the teaching of topography or geography, and may be
carried out in the following manner.
The invention consists principally in the employment of apparatus, whether in
the form of bricks, blocks, or other suitable form, presenting the salient features of
the city, country, or the like which is to be represented.
Suppose, for example, that it is desired to impress the learner with the salient
features of a particular city, Jerusalem for example, the apparatus would consist
first of a map, plan, 'picture or equivalent representing the city which the learner
has to construct from the apparatus provided for him; and secondly, of the
apparatus required to produce the desired result. For the sake of clearness 'I will
assume that the pieces to be employed are constructed of wood, and bear upon them
either in pictorial illustration, or in relief or otherwise, representations of the
different parts of the city, and I will denominate each of these pieces as a "block."
I however wish it to be understood that I do not bind myself to making 'these
"blocks" of any particular materials, or shape, size or appearance, as I may use
Any suitable materials for the purpose. For example they may be made ar
suggested of solid blocks of wood, carved, painted, covered with paper bearing
the required designs, or they may be of paper or card-board folded over, of
compressed paper pulp or papier maché, of celluloid, rubber, or many other
materials.
Each block is intended to represent some particular feature of the city and where
for example there are several gateways of known construction each block
representing one of these gate-ways would be made to represent as accurately as
possible that particular gate-way, and would therefore be suitable for that gate-
way only and not for any other; it might benr an identifying number or the actual
name of the gateway upon it so as to facilitate the correct placing of the blocks.
Or again it night bear no indication, and be left entirely to the judgment of
the person nsing the blocks to place it correctly by reference to his index 'map
or plan.
Each of the other "blocks" would similarly represent some special feature-it
might be a building, a tree, a river,-which would require to be correctly placed
in building up the "block" city. In some cases such as blocks representing
portious of plain walls they might not bear any distinctive feature, but where
possible the distinctive features would be carried out with each individual block.
it will be appreciated that with sneh a system and apparatus it is possible to
impart a specially accurate knowledge of any particular place, the 'learner'after'a
few times of building the city or place easily remembering the correct positions of
at least the principal buildings or features.
Any desired means may be employed for fixing or connecting the various pieces
or blocks together or to the table, board or equivalent upon which they are to be
placed and if desired a special board or table of the proper shape and provided

page_text: with grooves, ridges, books, pins or other retaining devices may be employed and
may be provided with a cover so that the pieces may be preserved when
completely fitted together or only partially so.
Dated this 19th day of October 1895.
Geography.
I, MAUD ANTOinette DuthoIT of 67 Granville Park, Lewisham, in the
County of Kent, 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 the teaching of topography or geography, and may be
carried out in the following mauner :-
The invention consists principally in the employment of apparatus, whether in
the form of bricks, blocks, or other suitable form, presenting the salient features
of the city, country, or the like, which is to be represented.
Suppose, for example, that it is desired to impress the learner with the salient
features of a particular city, Jerusalem for example, the apparatus would consist
first of a map, plan, picture, or equivalent, representing the city which the learnor
has to construct from the apparatus provided for him; and secondly of the
apparatus required to produce the desired result. For the sake of clearness I will
assume that the pieces to be employed are constructed of wood, and boar upon
them either in pictorial illustration, or in relief, or otherwise, representations of
the different parts of the city, and I will denominate each of these pieces as a
"block." I however wish it to be understood that I do not bind myself to making
these "blocks" of any particular materials, or shape, size or appearance, as I may
use any suitable materials for the purpose. For example they may be made as
suggested of solid blocks of wood, carved, painted, covorod with paper bearing
the required designs, or they may be of paper or card-board folded over, of
compressed paper pulp or papier maché, of celluloid, rubber, or many other
materials.
Each block is intended to represent some particular feature of the city, and
where for example there are sevaral gate-ways of known construction, each block
representing one of these gate-ways would be made to represent as accurately as
possible that particular gate-way, and would therefore be suitable for that gate-
way only, and not for any other; it might bear an identifying number or the
actual name of the gate-way upon it so as to facilitate the correct placing of the
blocks. Or again it might bear no indication, and be left entirely to the judgment
of the person using the blocks to place it correctly by reference to his index map
or plan.
Each of the other "blocks" would similarly represent some special feature-it
might be a building, a tree, a river,—which would require to be correctly placed
in building up the "block" city. In some cases, such as blocks representing
portions of plain walls, they might not bear any distinctive feature, but where
possible the distinctive features would be carried out with each individual
block.
It will be appreciated that with such a system and apparatus it is possible to
impart a specially accurate knowledge of any particular place, the learner after a
few times of building the city or place easily remembering the correct positions of
at least the principal buildings or features.

page_text: Any desired means may be employed for fixing or connecting the various pieces.
or blocks together or to the table, board or equivalent upon which they are to be
placed and if desired a special board or table of the proper shape and provided
with grooves, ridges, hooks, pins or other retaining devices may be employed and
may be provided with a cover so that the pieces may be preserved when completely
fitted together or only partially so.
I find by experiment that cardboard, strawboard, thick paper or some substance
capable of similar treatment is well adapted to make the blocks of.
The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example one method of
constructing the blocks and a specimen plan of a city.
Figure 1 shows the manner in which a piece of card-board or thick paper is.
shaped and cut previous to folding into the form of a tower.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the complete tower.
Figure 3 similarly to. Figure 1 shows shaped pieces of card-board in readiness.
to be folded into the form of a portion of a wall.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of this piece folded to represent the angle of
a wall,
Figure 5 is an oxample of a plan upon which the blocks are to be arranged, the
plan shown being one of the city of ancient Jerusalem.
To form a tower such as illustrated in Figure 2 a piece of cardboard is out as
shown in full lines in Figure 1 and bent or folded on the dotted lines, slots A. B, C
and D being cut into which tabs A 1, B 1, C1, and D 1, are passed, the shape of
the complete tower being thus maintained.
The tower is shown with an open entrance E at one side while doors F may be-
cut in the opposite side. Figure 3 shows the shape into which the cardboard is cut
in order to construct an angle of a wall such as shown in Figure 4, the lines along
which it is to be folded being indicated by dotted lines. Slots G H and J are
cut for the reception of the tabs G 1, H 1, and J 1, slots K and L being out for the
tabs K1 and L1, of the battlements which are formed separately. In both.
Figures 2 and 4 the position of the tabs is indicated in dotted lines.
The plan shown in Figure 5 is shown in the accompanying drawing on a
considerably smaller scale than that to which it would have to be drawn for use
with blooks of the size indicated in Figures 1 to 4. This plan may have suitably
indicated upon it in their respective places the names of the various gates, towers,.
or other features to be placed thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for use in teaching topography or geography the combination
with a plan of an actual place of "blocks" or imitation structures representing the
salient features of that place and adapted to be put together so as to represent it
in miniature.
2. In apparatus for use in teaching topography or geography the combination
of a plan and "blocks" or imitation structures substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for use in teaching topography or geography the combination
of a plan and "blocks" or imitation structures substantially such as described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of July 1896.
M. A. DUTHOIT.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.