Apparatus for Teaching Reading and Reckoning.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Teaching Reading and Reckoning.
I, CHRISTIAN HILD, of Godesberg on the Rhine, in the German Empire,
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 object of my invention is to give the instructor in school opportunity of
teaching in the most efficient manner. As to the teaching of reckoning the apparatus
will be found a great assistance during the first three years of the pupil's school-
days and as to the teaching of reading it will be as great a help in the first year.
By aid of suddenly appearing letters and figures forming words and numbers the
same are brought to the mind of the scholar in a very intuitive manner, while
the teacher may have time to pay full attention to him and observe what effects his
lecturing takes upon him.
In order to make my invention intelligible to every one, I refer to the accom-
panying drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan of the apparatus,
Fig. 2 a front elevation and
Fig. 3 a side-elevation.
Figs. 4 and 5 show two different modifications of the main-part, hereinafter fully
described, and
Figs. 6 to 10 are details.
6
The frame is hinged at its central axis between two posts a a, thus allowing
the side shown in the drawing, as well as its back-part, to be turned to the front,
Between the said frame b there are
which may be kept in position by the screw d.
nine horizontal rails e arranged at equal distances one above the other, which are
provided on both under and upper surfaces with ten longitudinal channels, each
being one tenth of its length shorter than the one in the front, this is done by
bevelling the rails in the manner shown in Fig. 5, the under side of the upper beam
and the upper side of the under beam of the frame are channelled correspondingly.
These channels allow the entrance of small boards, of which there is one for every
channel, there being thus ten in number for every row, they will, when every one is
brought to the end of its channel, fill the row, as may be seen in the top row in
Fig. 2. The vertical row shown in the same figure is the starting-position of the
boards, which however are covered over by a vertical lath omitted in the drawing,
from behind which the boards may be lead forth during the lecture whenever required.
In order to facilitate the handling of the same they are provided close to their
vertical edges with shoulders, which also limit their advance in comparison with
each board to the one in front (Figs. 7 & 8) and therefore also allow the leading-
forth of the whole row by one pull. At the bevelled end of each channel the same
is provided with a spring k (Figs. 9 & 10), which prevents the boards from dropping
out and will allow the insertion or removing of the same only by a slight force.
I have mentioned above, the apparatus is intended to present intuitive means of
exercise for reading and learning to read, to the scholar during his first year.
Practical experience has proved the advantage of leading forth the figures from the
right hand side to the left and the letters from the left hand side to right.
Therefore having the front face filled in with boards of letters for the purpose of a
reading-lesson the position of the apparatus may be such as shown in the drawing
and the turning of the frame in its axis to 180° will present the other face filled up
with figures for reckoning lessons.
.
As
In order to obviate the trouble of turning the frame, I may modify the bevelling
of the rails in such a manner, as shown in Fig. 4, wherein the boards may be moved

page_text: from both sides to the middle, and make use of the left hand side for reading and
the right hand side for reckoning.
For the purpose of teaching to read, the frame may be filled with small or capital
and writing or printing letters as the tutor may deem fit, either before or during the
course of the lessons.
A few examples will illustrate the mode of instruction: Let the letters price
be inserted, which the teacher need only bring forth one after the other. The
children are to sound the first letter as soon as they catch sight of it and follow up
the rest in the same manner as they successively appear. The analysis may succeed
the synthesis. In a similar manner the subdividing of words into syllables (or-chard,
pen-cil) or different pronunciations of similarly spelt words (of, off, marry, merry)
may be brought to the mind of the pupil quickly and intelligibly. As an example
for exercise the letters presIn die may be put together to form words, like:
rice, price, prices, slice, slices, ice, dice, nice, disc, dip, scrip, and so forth.
Since there are as many as one hundred boards of letters, there is a wide range of
instruction given to the school-master, so as to dispense with the primer and slate
at the beginning altogether and the more so, when both sides of the frame are made
use of.
The material for teaching reading, need not however give way to that of reckoning
altogether, since during the first year the latter study does not involve the use of
more than two units or two tens.
Having thus given a few examples for the mode of instructing by aid of my
apparatus I will point out the advantages arrived at thereby.
1. The apparatus permits the synthetic-analytic method of teaching in the most
efficient manner;
2. The same is an excellent assistance in reading-exercises;
3. It enables the teacher to keep an eye on the pupil while manipulating.
4. The letters are movable and may suddenly appear and disappear ad libitum.
5. The reading material, once brought forth, may remain visible to the sight of
the children, without disturbing the progress of instruction.
6. Writing and printing-letters may be lead forth at the same time.
As to the teaching of reckoning it has been already said, that the apparatus will
serve during the first three years. For the first year it will aid the instructor to
bring to sight and mind groups of numbers or stereotyped figures, their composition
and their subdividing, addition and subtraction.
As an example the figure 8 is to be sub-divided, whereby it is found to consist of
the figures 5 and 3.
These figures will lead to the contemplation of the following tasks:
8=5+3, 8=3+5, 8-3-5, 8-5-3, 5+3, 3+5.
Another example may be to subdivide ten, and it is found to contain the figures 7
and 3.
Thus addition and subtraction may be illustrated in every variation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a reading and reckoning apparatus, horizontal rails provided with longitudinal
channels on top and below and bevelled so as to give the channels different lengths
in combination with lettered or figured boards, to fit in between two corresponding
channels of two rails for the purpose as described.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1891
CHRISTIAN HILD,
By H. F. Boughton, M.I. Mech. E.,
London, Sheffield, and Barnsley.