Improvements in Educational Appliances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1809-Accepted; 19th Aug:, 1899
Improvements in Educational Appliances.
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1, JAMES OLIVER OSMAN, Minister of Gospel, Norcatur, Kansas, U.S.A., 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 invention relates to improvements in the construction of synthetical
educational appliances; more particularly to that class of devices intended for
kindergarten or primary teaching; and the object is to provide a simple, inexpen-
sive, convenient, and effective device for this purpose.
To this end, the invention consists in certain features of construction and com-
bination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed:
In the drawings:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved synthetical teacher.
Figure 2 is a horizontal transverse section of the same.
Figure 3 is a detail view of the spring brake bars.
Figures 4 and 5 slow different forms of mounting the annuli.
In the drawings, 1 denotes the base or standard; 2 the upright or standard,
in the upper end of which is mounted a transverse bolt 3 removably secured in
place by the thumb-nut 4. 5 denotes a washer fixed to the standard and pro-
vided with the projecting tits or lugs 6-6 to receive the collar 7 of the brake-
bar plate 8.
9 denotes a circumferential groove in the bolt 3, and 10 denotes a disk mounted
on the bolt and provided with a correspónding groove 11 to receive a series of
bearing, balls 12, which also extend partway into the groove 9, and which form
the bearing between the bolt and disk.
13 -13 denote a series of independent concentric annuli, of which there may be
an indefinite number, and each annulus, with the exception of the outer one, is
formed with internal and external grooves to receive a series of bearing balls 14,
as shown in Fig. 2.
The brake-plate 8 consists of a series of brake-bars 15, each of which terminates
in a thumb-button 16, and their inner faces are provided with a series of
arbitrarily arranged rubber brake shoes 17-17, which bear against the con-
tiguous faces of the annuli and retain them in their set position.
18 denotes a removable peg, which may be inserted in any one of the recesses 19
formed in the front faces of the annuli, to conveniently bring them to the desired
position.
20 denotes a radial plate mounted on the bolt 3, and provided with a visual
slot 21, for the purpose of reading the aligned characters on the faces of the
annuli.
Each of the brake fingers 15 is provided with an L-shaped guard hook 22,
which laps over the outer edge of the outermost annulus 13, and which permits
the brake finger to be pushed backward a sufficient distance to release the brake
shoe from contact with the rear faces of the annuli, the guard hook thereby

page_text: limiting the rearward movement of the finger and preventing it from being
pushed back far enough to lose its elasticity.
The outer faces of the annuli are provided with letters, characters, parts of
words or whole words, after the usual manner of devices of this kind, a few of
which are shown in Fig. 1, but of course the arrangement, as well as the characters
themselves, is optional, and may be varied to suit the particular class, grade, or
use to which the device is applied.
As shown in Fig. 2, a pocket may be formed in the back of the annuli at any
point to communicate with the grooves, and after the balls have been dropped in,
this pocket is closed by the plug 23, so that an unbroken path is formed for the
bearing balls.
In Figure 4, I have shown each annulus formed in two parts and held together
by a screw, and in Fig. 5, I have shown them stamped up of sheet metal, each
being independently mounted on the common axis..
It will of course be understood that various changes in the form, proportion,
and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from
the principle, or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
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:
1. In a device of the character indicated, a series of independent concentric
annuli mounted in the same plane, means for independently moving each annulus,
and a series of spring actuated brake fingers engaging said annuli, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a device of the character described, a series of independent concentric
annuli mounted in the same plane, means for independently moving each annulus
in either direction to bring the characters on one annulus into alignment with
the corresponding characters on the other annuli, and a series of spring-actuated
brake fingers engaging said annuli, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a device of the character indicated, a standard, a transverse bolt mounted
therein, a series of independent concentric annuli mounted on said bolt, a visual
indicator fixed to said bolt and extending across the aligned faces of said annuli,
and a guard hook fixed to the rear face of the indicator and extending inwardly
across the rear face of the external annulus, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this 92nd day of Tun ienn
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents.