IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TEACHING ADDITION
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gregory Jones, of Roscommon Street, Liver-
pool, Secretary and Accountant to the Liverpool Collegiate Institution,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TEACHING ADDITION."
Sealed the 5th December 1854, and dated the 28th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gregory Jones at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th June 1854.
I, JOHN GREGORY JONES, of Roscommon Street, Liverpool, Secretary and
Accountant to the Liverpool Collegiate Institution, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IчPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TEACHING
ADDITION" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a combination of parts which can be
changed amongst themselves, and present different rows of figures to be added
up by the pupil, the master having a key to ascertain by inspection the sum of
the whole for himself; and this may be the case whatever may be the par-
ticular rows of figures for the time being presented, without the necessity of
computing. For this purpose, a frame or case is constructed with several
parallel slides in the same vertical plane, on each of which slides is a horizontal
row of figures, and the figures of the several slides are arranged in respect to
each other in such manner that the vertical lines of figures may be changed
by moving tho slides endways. In the front of the frame there is a space for

page_text: showing part of all the slides, the ends of the slides being covered by fixed
screens, and in some cases by moveable ones, so that all the figures of the
several slides are not shown at the same time; hence a variety of changes
may be made, depending on the number of figures hid by the screens. Any
desired number of slides may be arranged in this manner in a frame; and by
having a curtain or moveable screen, only a certain number of the slides may
be shown to the pupil as an addition sum to be computed; and the tutor,
by observing certain of the figures, will ascertain by a key (which may be
calculated to all the changes of the rows of figures the slides are capable of
presenting to view), and will know whether the pupil has correctly computed
the figures for the time shown by the apparatus. By this means many pupils
may have the same sum presented to them, and it will only be necessary for
each pupil to write down the result calculated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
_ by the said John Gregory Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GREGORY JONES, of Roscommon Street, Liverpool, Secretary and Accountant
to the Liverpool Collegiate Institution, send grecting.
any
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Gregory Jones, Her special licence that I, the said John Gregory
Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Gregory Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 APPARATUS FOR TEACHING ADDITION," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Gregory Jones, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gregory Jones, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object a combination of parts which can be
changed amongst themselves, and present different rows of figures to be added
up by the pupil, the master having a key to ascertain by inspection the sum of
the whole for himself; and this may be the case whatever may be the particular
rows of figures for the time being presented without the necessity of com-
puting. For this purpose, a frame or case is constructed with several parallel
slides in the same vertical plane, on each of which slides is a horizontal row of
figures, and the figures of the several slides are arranged in respect to each
other in such manner that the vertical lines of figures may be changed by
moving the slides endways. In the front of the frame there is a space for
showing part of all the slides, the ends of the slides being covered by fixed
screens, and in some cases by moveable ones, so that all the figures of the
several slides are not shewn at the same time; hence a variety of changes may
be made, depending on the number of figures hid by the screens.
Any desired
number of slides may be arranged in this manner in a frame; and by having a
curtain or moveable screen, only a certain number of the slides may be shown
to the pupil as an addition sum to be computed; and the tutor, by observing
certain of the figures, will ascertain by a key (which may be calculated to all
the changes of the rows of figures the slides are capable of presenting to view),
and will know whether the pupil has correctly computed the figures for the
time shown by the apparatus. By this means many pupils may have the
same sum presented to them, and it will only be necessary for each pupil to
write down the result calculated.
Having. thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shews the front view of an apparatus constructed according to
my Invention. This apparatus consists of twenty-four horizontal slides, each
of which is made capable of being slided to some extent at either end into the
covered ends of the apparatus, so that the whole of the figures on any one of
the slides will not at any time be seen in the space which is between the two
covered ends. Each of the slides is on its face divided into equal divisions,
and in each division there is a figure. At the upper part of the apparatus is a
roller blind or curtain, and there are buttons or hooks to retain such curtain

page_text: down to any desired position, and so as to cover any number of the slides,
according as it may be desired to present more or less rows of figures as a sum
for the pupil or pupils to work. The slides are each moved by a projection,
which
passes through a slot in the cover. At the right-hand end of the appa-
ratus a proper key or keys are prepared for the teacher, so that when he has
arranged the slides, or some of them, to the positions he desires to offer to
his pupils as a sum for them to work, he will himself not be required to
work the sum, but will, by reference to the key, at once ascertain the correct
answer.
I would remark, that although I have put particular figures on the divisions
on the different slides these may be varied. In order to prevent the slides
shaking or moving from their positions when once set, I apply a spring catch
to each at one end, which enters into notches or recesses in the guides, so as to
retain the slide from moving, except it be pressed to or fro, so as to overcome
the spring catch.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the combined
apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gregory Jones, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM FINLAY,
Collegiate Institution,
Liverpool.
JOHN GREGORY JONES. (L.S.)