AN IMPROVED WRITING, AND READING MACHINE, AND TEACHER'S BLACK BOARD, COMBINED
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS SCAIFE of 167 The Mount, Hollings' Road Bradford in the County of
York, Joiner & Builder do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
AN IMPROVED WRITING, AND READING MACHINE, AND TEACHER'S BLACK BOARD,
COMBINED to be as follows:—
My invention serves Three purposes, as hereinafter set forth briefly.
1st As to the Writing Machine. My said invention consists of a Method or
principle of teaching the formation of the written letters of the English Alphabet
by Synthesis and Analysis, the component parts thereof, being the letter o, parts
of it, a straight line, and the dot; and in the manufacture and use of apparatus for
facilitating the same which I shortly describe.
A board, on the face of which are horizontal projections or grooves; on this
board are placed the letter o, parts of it a straight line, and dot, forming the
component parts of the letters, in numbers, or duplicates, as required, either
mounted on blocks, or the component parts unmounted, or both, and are caused to
slide and are kept in their respective places, by having at the back of them,
grooves, to fit on to projections of board; or projections, to fit into grooves, of said
board;
thus forming the required letter or letters.
For example; by placing o in position and then placing the component parts of
the tail of a being the bottom half of o and a straight line of equal length to the
other half of the o, to the immediate right, and touching the o, the letter a is
formed; by adding to the straight line, the letter d is formed.
I do not limit myself to any particular substance, color, shape, or size, in the
manufacture or use of the board, nor to the number, or distances aṛart, of the
projections or grooves of, and on the board; nor to the number, substance, shape, or
size of the component parts, mounted, or unmounted.
2nd. As to the reading Machine; my said Invention consists of the board before
described, being used along with letters, or component parts, both of the written
Alphabet, and Printed Roman, or other style of printed letters, and manufactured
and used in a similar manner, to that previously described The letters or
component parts are placed together in the required combination to form words of

page_text: various kinds, either of one or more. syllables, or to form sentences, and at the
same time the children are taught to read and spell; This part of my invention
can be used for teaching the reading of numerals, numerical figures, signs used in
punctuation, and signs & characters used in Music.
As to Black board; this part of my invention consists in the board before
described being extended at all, or any of the sides, and on such extension, lines
are ruled, corresponding to the projections or grooves, aforesaid on the other part of
the board This improved board serves for illustration by the Teacher of the
principles of letter forming or writing, or the children may be allowed to make
use of it to imitate any required subject, by means of chalk, or other suitable
marking material..
I do not limit myself to size, substance or color of this part of my invention, nor
to the number, size, distance apart or color of the lines upon it.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1884.

page_text: or the children may be allowed to imitate any required subject by means of chalk
or other suitable marking material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I do not limit myself
to any particular substance, color, shape or size of board, slips or letters, nor to the
number or distances apart of the ribs or grooves nor to the number substance shape
or size of parts mounted or unmounted or means of keeping them in position on the
board, but I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method or principle of teaching the formation of the written letters of
the English Alphabet, by synthesis and analysis as before described.
2. The combination of the board and letters or component parts of letters, with
or without the blackboard as and for the purposes shewn and described.
3. The use of written letters in component parts with or without board as shewn
and described.
.