GB1587639A

GB1587639A - Writing training aid

Info

Publication number: GB1587639A
Application number: GB3013677A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Sims Williams C T
Current assignee: Sims Williams C T
Priority date: 1978-05-24
Filing date: 1978-05-24
Publication date: 1981-04-08

Description

(54) A WRITING TRAINING AID (71) I, CHRISTOPHER TEMPLE SIMS WILLIAMS of Saddlers, Funtington, Chichester, Sussex P018 9LG, British, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to an aid for use with writing training apparatus. It is especially suitable as an aid for handicapped children when learning movement control and when performing writing exercises.

In some writing training apparatus, children are encouraged to follow grooves in a copper covered board (printed circuit board) with a probe or stylus. When the child's probe comes out of the groove onto the copper part, an electrical circuit, (for instance, as used on continuity testers), causes a buzzer or other indicator to operate.

The copper covered boards described above have certain disadvantages:- They are costly to manufacture. They have poor appearance due to the tarnishing of the copper unless they are repeatedly cleaned. They are dangerous if thrown about by the children. They cannot satisfactorily have patterns etched or engraved on them which contain closed shapes, such as squares, circles and many letters of the alphabet, unless the centres of these shapes are in some way connected to the electrical circuit, again adding to the expense. Further, the copper boards do not provide an easy surface for teachers and therapists to attach their own shapes, should they wish to make up some new shapes, due to the tarnish and the cleaning process. Lastly this form of board makes it difficult to place printing easily in the grooves or enabling transparent material to be placed over the printing to protect it.

It is the object of this invention to overcome the above disadvantages.

According to this invention a writing training aid comprises a sheet of material having on one or both sides an electrially conductive surface, on the conductivesur- face or surfaces are one or more shapes of an electrically insulating material the configuration of which will be of benefit to a child when followed, so making top surfaces which are partly conducting and partly insulating, formed such that if one part is oleophilic the other is not hydrophilic.

In one form the sheet of material having a conducting surface may be a sheet of metal, preferably a non-tarnishing metal such as aluminium. The insulating material, which can be in one or more layers, may then be any shape of insulator, coated on, printed on, or bonded to the metal on one or both sides.

In another form the sheet of metal may be plated. This may give it a non-tarnishing, better conducting or better wearing surface.

In a preferred form the sheet of material is made of a light card or plastics material which is covered with a conducting layer of non-tarnishing (or plates,) metal. On this conducting surface, which may be on both sides of the sheet, is placed a coating of an insulating material which is of a suitable shape for a child to follow when learning to write or when performing other motor control exercises.

The shapes formed of insulating material may be the letters of an alphabet or any shape which helps to train a child towards perfecting writing exercises. These may start with straight lines and, using several sheets, progress through repeated "r"s, "u"s, "o"s etc, to shapes which include the whole alphabet. The shapes may include exercises in which the child has first to follow large letters or easily followed shapes across the sheet, and these may, either on another line or on the same line, progress to smaller or more difficult shapes.

Further examples of suitable shapes include mazes, road route following exercises and many games in which the skill of following fine twisting and turning lines is brought out.

When used for therapeutic purposes the shapes may include changes in direction, changes of width of the shape and other factors, to enable the therapist to assess a child.

These may progress from straight lines of various thicknesses, through gradual curves and small angles of turn, to sharp cornered alterations in the direction of the lines or shapes. By watching and recording a child's skill in following these shapes, a therapist can measure the child's progress.

The shapes may be of a transparent material, enabling the child to view patterns, lines, colours or other displayed matter shown on the conducting surface. Alternatively these patterns, lines, etc may be on the undersurface of the transparent material so that they are not spoiled when a ballpoint pen or probe is used to follow the patterns.

When opaque shapes are used for the insulating material, they may also have lines, patterns, colours or other items on them. These, as for those on the transparent material, may be used as guide lines, or to show with arrows for instance, the correct order in which to form a certain letter. If required these may be covered, in addition, with a transparent layer, for protection.

Further, the shapes may be made from a material which will show a mark, but preferably be easily cleaned of the mark, so that a pencil with conducting lead or a ball-point pen with a metal refill fitted, can be used as a probe for following the shapes. The response of the child can then be seen as he attempts to follow various patterns and shapes. In this way the sheet can be used as a diagnostic tool enabling a therapist to assess a handicapped child's motor skills.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention, and illustrates some of the shapes.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view at XX.

In Figure 1 a sheet of material 1 has a conducting surface 2 upon which is printed a set of shapes 3,4,5,6 & 7. These shapes are screen printed using an insulating material, and they are then further overprinted with guidelines 8 and arrows 9, which indicate the path to follow.

Blank sheets of material 1 with conducting surface 2 (or both sides covered with material 2,) may be provided, so that a therapist may make up her own shapes in order to test a particular skill of a patient.

She can cut out her own shapes from adhesive-backed insulating material and fix them to the conducting surface, adding guide lines or arrows if necessary.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:- 1. A writing training aid comprising a sheet of material having on one or both sides an electrically conductive surface, on the conducting surface or surfaces are one or more shapes of an electrically insulating material the configuration of which will be of benefit to a child when followed, so making top surfaces which are partly conducting and partly insulating, formed such that if one part is oleophilic the other is not hyd ro hilic.

2. A writing training aid according to claim 1 in which the sheet of material having the conductive surface is a metal.

3. A writing training aid according to claim 2 in which the metal is plated.

4. A writing training aid according to claim 1 in which the sheet of material is made of plastics or composition material, covered with a conducting layer.

5. A writing training aid according to claim 1 in which the sheet of material is a card and is covered with a conducting layer.

6. A writing training aid according to any of claims 1 to 5 in which the insulating material is printed, screen printed, coated, painted or in some other way spread onto the conducting surface.

7. A writing training aid according to claims 1 to 5 in which the insulating material is in the form of a sheet which is bonded or in some other way attached to the conducting surface.

8. A writing training aid according to claims 6 or 7 in which the insulating material is first made to cover the conducting surface and is then etched or in another way partly removed to give the required shape of the insulating material.

9. A writing training aid according to claims 6, 7 or 8 in which the insulating mat erial is transparent.

10. A writing training aid according to claim 7 in which the insulating material is made of card with one side coated with adhesive to enable it to be attached to the conducting surface.

11. A writing training aid according to claim 10 in which the card is further covered with a tougher material such as metal on its top surface in order to improve its wearing qualities.

12. A writing training aid according to claims 10 or 11 in which a plastics material is used in place of the card.

13. A writing training aid according to any of claims 1 to 12 in which the surface of the insulating material has on it; centre lines, arrows, instructions, colours, or other items to aid a child trying to follow the shapes.

14. A writing training aid according to claim 13 in which the centre lines, arrows, etc are further covered by a transparent layer for protection of the surface.

15. A writing training aid according to claim 9 in which the centre lines, arrows etc are on the under surface of the transparent material.

16. A writing training aid according to any previous claim in which the top coating

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. various thicknesses, through gradual curves and small angles of turn, to sharp cornered alterations in the direction of the lines or shapes. By watching and recording a child's skill in following these shapes, a therapist can measure the child's progress. The shapes may be of a transparent material, enabling the child to view patterns, lines, colours or other displayed matter shown on the conducting surface. Alternatively these patterns, lines, etc may be on the undersurface of the transparent material so that they are not spoiled when a ballpoint pen or probe is used to follow the patterns. When opaque shapes are used for the insulating material, they may also have lines, patterns, colours or other items on them. These, as for those on the transparent material, may be used as guide lines, or to show with arrows for instance, the correct order in which to form a certain letter. If required these may be covered, in addition, with a transparent layer, for protection. Further, the shapes may be made from a material which will show a mark, but preferably be easily cleaned of the mark, so that a pencil with conducting lead or a ball-point pen with a metal refill fitted, can be used as a probe for following the shapes. The response of the child can then be seen as he attempts to follow various patterns and shapes. In this way the sheet can be used as a diagnostic tool enabling a therapist to assess a handicapped child's motor skills. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention, and illustrates some of the shapes. Figure 2 shows a sectional view at XX. In Figure 1 a sheet of material 1 has a conducting surface 2 upon which is printed a set of shapes 3,4,5,6 & 7. These shapes are screen printed using an insulating material, and they are then further overprinted with guidelines 8 and arrows 9, which indicate the path to follow. Blank sheets of material 1 with conducting surface 2 (or both sides covered with material 2,) may be provided, so that a therapist may make up her own shapes in order to test a particular skill of a patient. She can cut out her own shapes from adhesive-backed insulating material and fix them to the conducting surface, adding guide lines or arrows if necessary. WHAT I CLAIM IS:-

1. A writing training aid comprising a sheet of material having on one or both sides an electrically conductive surface, on the conducting surface or surfaces are one or more shapes of an electrically insulating material the configuration of which will be of benefit to a child when followed, so making top surfaces which are partly conducting and partly insulating, formed such that if one part is oleophilic the other is not hyd ro hilic.

3. A writing training aid according to claim 2 in which the metal is plated.

of the insulating material is such that the path of a writing probe may be seen, and then preferably erased after use.

17. A writing training aid according to any previous claim in which the shapes of the insulating material form one or more letters of the alphabet of a language.

18. A writing training aid according to any previous claim in which some of the shapes of the insulating material are such as will train a person to construct the letters of an alphabet.

19. A writing training aid according to any previous claim in which some of the shapes of the insulating material are such as will train a person in hand movement control.

20. A writing training aid according to any previous claim in which some of the shapes of the insulating material represent games, mazes and tests of skill of hand movement.

21. A writing training aid as claimed in claim 1, constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.