Improvements in Apparatus for use in Teaching Arithmetic.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr.. 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1884
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in Teaching Arithmetic.
I, JAMES FAWCETT HOLMES, of 3 The Hollies, Wesley Road, Armley, Leeds, in the
County of York, Schoolmaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for use in teaching arithmetic
and is principally designed to teach Compound Addition, and its object is to enable a
teacher to obtain the same or a given result by a simple arrangement of parts with the
least amount of mental calculation.
According to this invention I take a board of any suitable size and shape, and fix on
its surface any desired number (preferably though not necessarily so, fourteen) grooved
horizontal strips or ledges, and also on one side thereof is fixed a vertical strip which
runs nearly the full length of the board. This vertical strip is employed for keeping
the figures in column form.
Between each grooved horizontal strip or ledge is inserted a strip of card or other
suitable material on which is placed the required figures, that is to say, when thirteen
cards or strips are employed, the figures on the first nine lines (are with the
exception of the tens in the shillings columns and the farthings) are arranged in
numerical order on each card or horizontal line, thus the first line might be arranged
in the following order namely 1234: 5: 6 whilst the second or any of the remaining
eight lines may consist of 2345 6: 7 in one line and so on.
:
But for the last four
lines, that is the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth, each line may consist of any
given four of the nine numerals; it being essential that the same four figures should
only appear in each line, thus if 5798 were the selected four numerals then column
of pounds and the units of the shillings and pence columns must contain the said
four figures.
By the above described arrangement, the same sum total of each column of pounds,
units of shillings, and units of pence may be obtained regardless of the order or
arrangement of the lines.
Any desired number of lettered cards may be used to vary the exercise and so
prevent the pupils from finding out the principle by which the answer is obtained.
The number of figures in the pounds, shillings, and pence of these lettered cards
is open to any variation as to the number of numerals employed.
By the use of the above apparatus the teacher can obtain the answer by inspection
with the least mental calculation.
A box may also be fixed to the board for receiving the whole or any portion of the
cards when not in use.
Dated this Eighteenth day of April 1889
JAMES FAWCETT HOLMES.
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in Teaching Arithmetic.
I, JAMES FAWCETT HOLMES, formerly of 3, The Hollies, Wesley Road, Armley but
now of 7, St. Michael's Square, Chapeltown Road, Leeds, both in the County of York,
Schoolmaster, 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 improvements in apparatus for use in teaching arithmetic

page_text: and it is principally designed to teach Addition (Simple and Compound) but it may
also be employed in teaching Substraction, Multiplication, Short Division, decimals,
and any metric system, and its object is to enable a teacher to obtain the same or a
given result by a simple arrangement of parts with the least amount of mental
calculation.
In the drawings:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of what I term a "Tots" Board for Infants and
Juniors, Fig. 2, a sectional elevation of same, Fig. 3, a "Tots" Board shown
applicable for teaching Compound Addition. Figs. 4 and 5 are front and end elevations
of means for supporting the "tots" cards.
a is the "tots" board of any suitable size and shape, preferably rectangular though
not necessarily so. On the face of the board a may be fixed or formed thereon or
therein any desired number of grooved horizontal ledges or strips as shown
at Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or hooks, clips, or their equivalents c as shown at Figs. 4 and 5.
In the drawings I have shown fifteen of these ledges or strips for the reception of
fourteen "tot' cards d to be hereafter described, but I would have it understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise number shown as they may be decreased say
to nine or even less, and increased to say twenty-one or more. The ledges are shown
in T form to prevent the "tots" cards d from falling out of position or they may be
dropped into the hooks c as shown at Figs. 4 and 5. A vertical stripe inay also be
fixed to one of the outer edges of the board a and is made to extend the full length of
the ledges band is employed for keeping the figures in column form, as shown. At
the foot or lower end of the board is provided and fixed a box or other receptacle f
for receiving the whole or any portion of the cards & when not in use.
ddd are what I term the "tots" cards which may be inserted between the pro-
jecting portions or lips of the ledges bor hooks c as shown in the drawings; and they
may be made of strips of cards, straw-board, wood, sheet iron, tin, or any other
suitable material of any required size and thickness. In practice I have found when
each card is made say about ten and a quarter inches in length by one and seven
eighths of an inch in width and a sixteenth or three thirty-seconds of an inch in thickness
it will answer well, but these dimensions may be either increased or diminished as
circumstances may require. On the face of each card d is printed, painted, enamelled
or fixed the required figures as shown, that is to say, when a board such as is shown
at Fig. 1. is used for teaching Infants and Juniors Simple Addition, Substraction,
Multiplication and Short Division, the set of cards preferably consist of eighteen, nine of
which are unlettered such as for example are shown on the first and upper nine lines
or rows of Figures as illustrated at Fig. 1, and nine lettered cards marked with
letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I in the left hand corner (or in any other suitable
position). Four of these lettered cards may be say such as are shown in position
at Fig. 1. In the above described unlettered cards the nine figures in each row may
increase in order from left to right, that is to say, the top line may commence with 1
and end with 9, the second may commence with 2 and end with 1, the third may com-
mence with 3 and end with 2 and so on, or any other suitable arrangement of figures
may be employed. In this view the figures in the upper nine lines may also increase
in numerical order in vertical column when read from top to bottom. But in lettered
cards A to I the figures may be made to decrease in the same order, the cipher
taking the place of 1: thus for example in line or row mark A the nine figures may
commence with 9 and decrease to 0; in line marked B may commence with 8 and
decrease until 9 is again reached, and so on. By the arrangement of the figures and
the cards being moveable every possible combination is obtained, as well as providing
thorough practice in mental addition.
Any number of exercises in substraction may be given by taking any two of the
cards, and finding the difference between them. Multiplication may be easily taught
by its use. If the figures are taken diagonally the pupils may easily be taught that
multiplication is only a short method of addition, thus for example if any of the figures
in the upper nine unlettered lines be read from left to right in an upward diagonal

page_text: direction, or right to left in a downward diagonal direction it will be found that the
same figure will be in a diagonal line in each row of figures.
In teaching Short Division the Board supplies a ready means of illustration and
practice, thus for example, any given line may form the dividend for any example
of short division.
But when the Board is used for teaching Compound Addition as shown at Fig. 3.
the set may consist of twenty cards (or more); thirteen (or more) of which may
be unlettered and seven (or more) marked with letters in a similar manner
to that described for Fig. 1. By arranging the figures on the first nine lines
(with the exception of the tens in the shillings columns and the farthings)
in numerical order on each card or horizontal line the greatest variation in the
combination of the figures may be obtained; thus the first or top line might
be arranged in the following order namely 1234 15: 6 whilst the second or any of
the remaining eight lines or more may consist of 234567 in one line and so on.
But for the last four or more lines, for example say the tenth, eleventh, twelfth and
thirteenth, each line may consist of any given four of the nine numerals; it being
essential that the same four figures should only appear in each line, thus say if 5798
were the selected four numerals then the column of pounds and the units of the
shillings and pence columns must contain the said four figures. The totals of each
column of pounds, the units' column of shillings and the column of pence, equal the
same number. Consequently the answer for the thirteen unfettered cards is easily
obtained. By taking out one of these cards, and substracting it from the known
results of the thirteen cards, another answer is obtained for twelve lines; this may
be done with each of the thirteen cards. For further practice, place in the Board a
lettered card and add the amount to the known answer of the thirteen cards, and a
new answer is obtained. Each of the thirteen unlettered cards may be substracted
from the known result of the fourteen cards, and a new result is obtained for each
exercise.
The Board may be similarly used for the first nine lines of figures, each column
equalling the same total, and by the method previously described, any number of
examples with answers may be given.
It may also be used for substraction, by placing the highest number at the top
and substracting the lesser amounts; and it affords capital practice for short division,
each line being made the dividend, and similarly for multiplication.
Any desired number of lettered cards may be used to vary the exercise and so
prevent the pupils from finding out the principle by which the answer is obtained.
The number of figures in the pounds, shillings, and pence of these lettered cards is
open to any variation as to the number of numerals employed.
By the use of the above apparatus the teacher can obtain the answer by inspection
with the least mental calculation.
The Junior set of cards may be used for decimals, and any metric system, according
to the different denominations placed at the head of the columns. Any line dividing
the columns may be utilized to denote the decimal point.
The advantages of the above described board are, it provides any number of exercises
with the greatest rapidity; economises time; ensures thorough work by the class; and
the answers may be obtained by inspection with the least amount of calculation.
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
1. The manufacture and use of the improved apparatus for teaching arithmetic
substantially as herein described and illustrated, consisting of a board having any
required number of ledges or hooks arranged on its face capable of receiving and
supporting in a horizontal position a given number of cards having numbers printed
thereon in column form, as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In apparatus for teaching arithmetic substantially as herein described, the

page_text: combination of a board such as a having a number of ledges such as 6 or hooks such as c
arranged in or on its face in which cards such as d having figures arranged in any
suitable manner on their faces may be inserted substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. The improved apparatus for teaching arithmetic arranged and combined sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated at Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Twenty third day of November 1889
JAMES FAWCETT HOLMES.
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.