A Combined Teacher's Desk, Black Board, and Apparatus for Giving Instruction in Reading and Arithmetic or in One of these Subjects.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 27th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th July, 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by GUSTAV JULIUS DARRSOHMIDT, of Pieschen,
near Dresden, Saxony, German Empire, School Director.]
A Combined Teacher's Desk, Black Board, and Apparatus for
Giving Instruction in Reading and Arithmetic or in One of
these Subjects.
I JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the combination of a series of parts or furniture or
implements or apparatus to be used for giving instruction or teaching in school-rooms.
It chiefly consists of a teacher's desk which in its main appearance and construction
does not very much differ from those generally in use. It is provided with a lid or
cover, that in the normal position forms an incline towards the teacher and which may
be locked in the usual way by a lock and key, so as to lock up those parts, the com-
bination of which with the desk constitutes the present invention.
"black
The lid or cover may be fastened to the desk in the ordinary way of hinges but so
that the cover may be entirely turned over, and hang down vertically in front of the
desk, towards the pupils, and in that position present that side which, when the cover
was locked to the desk, faced the inside of the latter. This side may be covered in
any suitable way, preferably black and varnished if necessary, so as to form
board." This board may, besides the above mentioned hinges, be so combined with
the desk, that it may, when turned over for use, be raised or lowered at will. The
board, thus adjusted in its position to suit the entire school or class, may be fixed or
retained in this position either by suitable holes and pegs or by self-acting springs or
other suitable devices. In lowering the cover of the desk to its lowest position, it
may be swung around its hinges and into its normal inclined position on the desk.
Again, I combine the desk with an apparatus for giving instruction in reading.
For this purpose I divide the inner space of the desk into three main compartments,
the middle one being a collecting compartment and the two side ones being subdivided

page_text: into a certain number of small vertical compartments. These small compartments are
arranged in gradations, the lowest being next the teacher's seat and they rise gradually
towards the front of the desk. These small compartments are intended to receive
pieces of wood, cards or small plates, on one side of which are letters, numbers,
signs, &c. for giving instruction in reading. I prefer to put these pieces, cards or
plates in the small compartments so that they stand with the letters or numbers
towards the front of the desk and with the blank side towards the teacher, this blank
side carrying at the top edge in miniature the corresponding letter, number, &c. for
the guidance of the teacher, if he collects them from their compartments in order to
form a word with them or for other purposes.
This
Near the front of the desk, I provide a kind of framing, which may either be stowed
away in the desk and, when required for use, be raised vertically or which may be
laid down and turned up with a circular movement, when required for use.
framing, which may either be single or double (in this latter case for arranging two
parallel rows of letters, &c. one above the. other), is intended to support the letters,
numbers, &c. exhibited by the teacher, the letters, &c. resting on movable plates,
which may be moved by the teacher either singly or, some or all of them, simul-
taneously in order to allow the letters to drop through a slit into the collecting
compartment, after they have been exhibited.
Again, I combine the desk with an apparatus for giving instruction in arithmetic,
which mainly consists of a square frame whose sides are connected by a set of parallel
wires, upon which balls or cylinders are placed like the beads of an abacus; I prefer
these beads to be colored, so as to indicate by their colors the unit of numbers which is
contained in each row. The frame of this apparatus, with the wires and balls, may be
packed within the desk and, when required for use, be raised and fixed. When
lowered into the desk it is covered and locked, like the reading apparatus, by the
cover or lid in its normal inclined position on the desk. I prefer to provide the frame
of the arithmetical apparatus with a board, which divides it vertically into two parts in
such a manner, that one-half is visible to the pupils while the other half, being covered
by the board, conceals the entire set of balls or cylinders from the pupils, the concealed
part being, however, visible to the teacher, who, from this part, shifts horizontally
those balls or cylinders which he desires to exhibit.
It will be obvious that, by arranging the reading and the arithmetical apparatus in
the manner described, they will afford the great advantage that the teacher can work
them, for giving instruction, while he faces and overlooks the pupils.
Either the arithmetical apparatus or the reading apparatus can be dispensed with if
desired.
D
ليكم

page_text: A Combined Teacher's Desk, Black Board, and Apparatus for
Giving Instruction in Reading and Arithmetic or in One of
these Subjects.
A communication from abroad by GUSTAV JULIUS DÄRRSCHMIDT, of Pieschen,
near Dresden, Saxony, German Empire, School Director.
I JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents 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 has for its object the combination of a series of parts or furniture or
implements or apparatus to be used for giving instruction or teaching in school rooms.
It chiefly consists of a teacher's desk which in its main appearance and construction
does not very much differ from those generally in use. It is provided with a lid or
cover, that in the normal position forms an incline towards the teacher and which may
be locked in the usual way by a lock and key, so as to lock up those parts the com-
bination of which, with the desk, constitutes the present invention.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings is a side view of the desk with the cover or lid
closed. Figure 2 is a plan of the desk with the cover or lid opened. Figure 3 is a
cross-section on the line A ---B of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-section on the
line CD of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line E- - - F of
Figure 2. Figure 6 is a longitudinal section on the line G---H of Figure 4.
The lid or cover m may be fastened to the desk in the ordinary way by hinges, but
so that the cover may be entirely turned over and hang down vertically in front of the
desk towards the pupils, and in that position (see Figures 3 and 4) present that side
which, when the cover is locked to the desk, faces the inside of the latter. This side
may be colored in any suitable way, preferably black, and varnished if necessary, so
as to form a "black board." This board may, besides the above mentioned hinges, be
so combined with the desk, by rods n, that it may when turned over for use be raised,
as in Figure 5, or lowered, as in Figures 3 and 4, at will. The board thus adjusted
in its position to suit the entire school or class may be fixed or retained in this position
either by suitable holes and pegs o or by self-acting springs or other suitable devices.
In lowering the cover of the desk to its lowest position (Figures 3 and 4) it may be
swung around its hinges and into its normal inclined position on the desk, to serve as
a cover for the latter, as in Figure 1.
Again I combine the desk with an apparatus for giving instruction in reading. For
this purpose I divide the inner space of the desk into three main compartments (a, b, c,
Figure 2); the middle one c I call the collecting compartment, the two others a and b
are subdivided into a certain number of small vertical compartments. These small
compartments are arranged in gradations (Figures 2, 4 and 5) the lowest being next
the teacher's seat, and they rise gradually towards the front of the desk. These small

page_text: compartments are intended to receive pieces of wood, cards or small plates, on one side
of which are letters, numbers, signs, &c. for giving instruction in reading. I prefer
to put these pieces, cards or plates in the small compartments so that they stand with
the letters or numbers towards the front of the desk and with the blank side towards
the teacher, this blank side having at the top edge in miniature the corresponding
letter, number, &c. for the guidance of the teacher, if he collects them from their
compartments in order to constitute a word with them or for other purposes.
Near the front of the desk I provide a kind of framing d, d', d', which may either
be stowed away in the desk (as seen in Figures 4 and 5) or raised vertically for use
(as seen in Figure 3) or which may be laid down and turned up with a circular
movement when required for use. The framing d, ³, d, is preferably fixed to the
vertically movable frame r. The framing, which may either be single or double (in
this latter case as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 for arranging two parallel rows of
letters &c., one above the other), is intended to support the letters, numbers &c.,
exhibited by the teacher, the letters &c. resting on movable plates
which may
e,
moved by the teacher, either singly by touching the levers or keys k, or some or all of
them simultaneously by touching the middle lever or key in order to allow the
letters to drop through a slit f into the collecting compartment c, after they have been
exhibited.
be
The levers or keys k, which are kept in the normal position by springs h, are
connected to the plates e by the small double arm vertical levers, so that if kare
pushed, the plates e will recede and allow the plate with letters, figures or other
characters on it to drop; g is an incline to ensure the falling of the letters into the
compartment c.
Again I combine the desk with an apparatus for giving instruction in arithmetic
which mainly consists of a square frame v, whose sides are connected by a set of
parallel wires v¹, upon which balls or cylinders are placed like the beads of an abacus,
see Figure 6. I prefer these beads to be colored, so as to indicate by their colors the
unit of numbers which is contained in each row.
The frame of this apparatus with the wires and balls or beads may be stowed within
the desk, as seen in Figure 3, and when required for use be raised in guides s and
fixed in this raised position (Figure 4). When lowered into the desk it is covered
and locked in the same manner as the reading apparatus by the cover or lid m in its
normal inclined position on the desk.
I prefer to provide the frame of the arithmetical apparatus with a board v¹ which
divides the machine into two parts in such a manner, that one half is visible to the
pupils while the other half, being covered by the board, conceals the entire set of balls
or cylinders from the pupils, the concealed part being however visible to the teacher,
who from this part shifts horizontally those balls or cylinders which he desires to
exhibit.
It will be obvious, that by arranging the reading and the arithmetical apparatus in
the manner described, they will afford the great advantage that the teacher can work
them for giving instruction while he faces, superintends and overlooks the pupils. For
convenience the vertical piece, z, of the desk may be made capable of being wholly or
partly lowered (see Figure 3); this will enable the teacher to more rapidly manipulate
the letters, especially those collected in the compartiment c and those in the lower
divisions of a and b.
Figures 7, 8, 9 represent a modification in which the framing d, d¹, d² for sup-
porting the letters, numbers or other characters exhibited by the teacher is dispensed
with. In this modification I make use of the cover m for that purpose, the cover also
serving as the black board when necessary. For using it for giving instruction in
reading I divide it into two parts m and m' hinged together so that it can be turned
up from its normal position, seen in Figure 7, into that seen in Figures 8 and 9.
A convenient place for exhibiting the letters, numbers or other characters is obtained
by means of a protruding rail m² fixed on the inside and lower part m² of the cover.
This modified form of cover or lid does not alter the inside division of the desk into
the compartments a, b, c.

page_text: In Figure 10 is illustrated a wire framing y, y¹, which may be single or double, to
be placed on the top of the lid or cover m³, as shown in Figure 8, for the purpose of
providing additional stands for more rows of letters, numbers or other characters;
this wire framing will be sufficiently understood from the figures without further
explanation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me, I declare
that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with a teacher's desk of a cover or lid (m), which may be used
in the usual way for closing the desk, or be brought into a position to be used as a
black board, as described.
2. The combination with a teacher's desk and cover or lid m, as referred to in
claim 1, of an apparatus for giving instruction in reading, which apparatus may be
stowed away in the desk and be raised for use, as described.
3. The combination with a teacher's desk and cover or lid and with an apparatus
for giving instruction in reading as referred to in claim 2, of an apparatus for giving
instruction in arithmetic, which apparatus may be stowed away in the desk and be
raised for use, as described.
4. In a teacher's desk, the arrangement between the teacher and the pupils of an
apparatus for giving instruction in reading, as described.
5. In a teacher's desk, the arrangement between the teacher and the pupils of an
apparatus for giving instruction in arithmetic, as described.
6. In the apparatus for giving instruction in reading, a framing for holding or
exhibiting the letters, figures, &c., in combination with means for removing one or
more or all the letters, figures, &c., from the framing through a slot into a collecting
compartment, as described.
7. The modification represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9, and herein before described,
in which the lid or cover of the desk can be employed to support the letters or other
characters exhibited by the teacher.
8. In the apparatus for giving instruction in arithmetic, the division of the frame of
the same by a board which conceals one half of said frame and the balls from the
pupils, only the other half of the frame being visible to them, while the entire frame
is visible to the teacher, as described.
9. The combination of an apparatus for giving instruction in reading with a
teacher's desk the interior of which is divided into three compartments (a, b, c) as
shown, and for the purpose described.