Improvements in Apparatus for Teaching Reckoning and Reading.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Teaching Reckoning and Reading.
I, PETER FRIEDRICH BRUCHMANN of Wülfrath-Elberfeld, in the Empire of
Germany, Head Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is an apparatus for teaching reckoning and reading
which excels similar apparatus hitherto known by its simplicity of action. The
plates on which the letters and numerals are shown are clamped in at both ends of
rectangular two-armed levers and can be turned up or down i.e. made visible or
invisible by turning these levers about pivots provided at the angle thereof.
The base of the apparatus is formed by chests in which the plates etc. are kept
and which when closed hold the above-mentioned levers in position.
On a narrow board hinged with its two longer sides to two broader boards is
mounted a longitudinal bar having recesses for the levers. The broad boards have
upright boards so as to afford space for the plates or cards. Each arm of the levers
has at its rear side a spring pressing against the arm and adapted to clamp fast a
paste-board or other card introduced. The levers put into use are supported with
their pivots in recesses or notches of the bar referred to. In front of the latter is
provided another bar placed so high that when an arm of one of the levers rests on
the same, the other arm occupies a vertical position. When the levers are turned
for 90 degrees, their rear arms rest on the adjoining upright side of the rear card
box, which side is precisely as high as the second bar.
To use the apparatus, the cards shewing the letters, words or numerals are placed
first into the horizontal arms of the levers. On the angle lever being turned back
about the upright arm, the card is turned up and becomes visible to the pupil.
The lever arm which occupies a horizontal position can now be provided with
another card.
To close the apparatus, the broad boards are turned about the hinges; the upper
side or cover of the broader or rear box lays itself behind the upright rear arms of
the angle levers, while the inner side of the narrower box in front lays itself.
on the horizontal arms, so that the levers are secured in their position and cannot
fall out.
Several of the levers together may hold larger cards, which may be provided
with smaller cards to allow of a variety of combinations.
Dated this 13th day of June 189i.
HUELSER & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Teaching Reckoning and Reading.
I, PETER FRIEDRICH BRUCHMANN of Wülfrath-Elberfeld, in the Empire of
Germany, Head Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a reckoning and reading apparatus for intuition and
practice, which excels all other apparatus serving the same purpose by great
simplicity in use. The plates or cards on which the letters and numerals are shown,
are clamped in at both ends of a rectangular two-armed lever and can be turned
Price Q11

page_text: •
up and down, i.e. made visible or withdrawn from view by turning said lever about
pivots provided at the angle point thereof.
The base of the improved apparatus is formed by boxes, in which the plates
or cards and other requisites are kept, said boxes when closed holding the levers
in position.
Referring to the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1. is a plan of the apparatus when opened.
Fig. 2. the same with one half closed.
Fig. 3. the same with both halves closed.
In the following figures are drawn to an enlarged scale :
Fig. 4. a section along line A. B, Fig. 1.
Fig. 5. a section along line C. D, Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 a section along line E F Fig. 3.
Fig. 7 a front view of the apparatus when closed.
Fig. 8 different views of a rectangular lever with a plate or card.
Fig. 9 a larger card held by several levers.
The bar a provided with cuts for the levers c and serving as base, bears on a
narrow board d, which is connected by hinges at its long sides with wider boards e
and f. The latter have on three sides upright boards and form spaces g and for
keeping the cards etc. To lever arm c a spring / Fig. 8 is so secured as to press
against said arm and cause the plate or card shifted between to be clamped fast.
Those levers, that are in use, rest with their pivots i in notches k, Fig. 1, of bar a,
and can be easily removed or replaced. In front of bar a, a second bar a is
arranged, which is placed so high, that, when one arm of one of the levers bears
thereon, the other arm occupies a vertical position, Fig. 4; the lever arms are
therefore held respectively in a precisely vertical or horizontal position. When
turning the angle levers for 90 degrees-the horizontal arms resting on bar a' being
thereby placed vertical,-the other arms bear on the side h¹ of box h, which side is
exactly equal in height to the upper side of bar a¹ and therefore serves the same
purpose. The arms are held in horizontal or vertical position by the horizontal
arms laying themselves on a bar a', or on a side of a box forming part of
the chest.
To use the improved apparatus, the plates or cards by which the words or
numerals are illustrated, are put into the horizontally lying arms of the levers c (the
latter can for this purpose, also be taken out of the apparatus).
On now turning the angle lever at the upright arm backwards, the plate or card
rights itself up and becomes visible to the pupil. By a slight knock on its rear side
the upright card is returned into its former position. While a word or numeral
is upright and visible to the pupil, another card can be shifted into the arm that
now occupies a horizontal position, and by turning lever c, a new word or numeral
can be prepared.
The simplicity of the apparatus admits of an easy and rapid displacement or
exchange of the levers and thereby of an easy alteration of the teaching objects
exhibited. To close the apparatus the two boards e and f are swung about the
hinges connecting the same to board d. Thereby the top side of the broader
box (ie. its lid) places itself behind the upright arms of the angle lever, Fig. 5,
the rear side g of the narrower box however comes to lie on the upper side of the
horizontal arms, Fig. 6, whereby the levers are held, in position and prevented from
falling out.
By the arrangement represented in Fig. 9, in which a larger card is held by a
lever or levers, which card may again hold several cards, various combinations are
with facility formed and elucidated in reckoning etc. as indicated in said figure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1.) A reading and reckoning apparatus for tuition and practice, in which the

page_text: plates or cards exhibiting the letters or numerals can be at both ends clamped fast
by rectangular two-armed levers c through springs 1, said levers so resting in cuts b
of a bar as to be revoluble, about pivots provided in the angle point of the
levers C in notches of the bar a, while the plates or cards fixed in the horizontally
lying arms are withdrawn from, and those fixed in the vertically placed arms
exhibited to, the view of the pupil, substantially as set forth.
2.) The application, in the apparatus referred to in Claim 1, of a larger plate or
card to be fixed in lever or levers and adapted to again receive a number of
smaller plates or cards, substantially as set forth.
3.) The application, in the apparatus referred to in Claim 1, of a casing consisting
of a narrow board d serving as base, connected by hinges to two other boards e and f
which have upwardly elongated sides and are formed into boxes g and h for keeping
teaching material, one box h, when the chest is closed, being located behind the
vertically placed arm, while the other box, h bears on the other or horizontal arm
of the angle lever, for the purpose of securing the two shanks of lever c in their
position and obviating their falling out of the cuts b, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 8th day of March 1892
PETER FRIEDRICH BRUCHMANN,
By Huelser & Co.,
His Agents.