GB2143360A

GB2143360A - Educational demonstration apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2143360A
Application number: GB08318777A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roy Henry Clifton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-07-12
Filing date: 1983-07-12
Publication date: 1985-02-06
Also published as: GB8318777D0; GB2143360B

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a storage box, a rigid board 15 marked and pierced on a grid system and storable in the box, and means for supporting the board in a vertical plane on the box, which means are provided by reinforced corners on the box having socket means for the receipt of standards 11 which may be mounted upright and secured by means of thumb screws. The standards are stored diagonally across the box and may be used to support a horizontal beam 22 for certain types of experiment or to support the grid board for further types of experiment. The lower part of the box is used for storage of ancillary apparatus, the grid board being supported by rails to leave the lower part of the box clear. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Educational aid This invention relates to educational aids.

In the teaching of mechanical engineering science, and particularly statics, it is frequently helpful to have a device for displaying and measuring the properties of levers, beams and so forth and also for demonstrating the nature of forces, e.g. the triangle of forces and other basic principles. However, because of the multiplicity of demonstrations which may be necessary and the relative infrequency at which any one demonstration may be required, it is rarely economical for the appropriate apparatus to be owned (and stored) by the educational establishment. Accordingly, the apparatus is not available when it is required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which may be compactly stored and which may be used for a wide variety of demonstrations, thus making its acquisition and storage a practicable proposition for a wide range of establishments.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an educational demonstration apparatus comprising a storage box having re-inforced corners, some or all of the said reinforced corners including socket means for securely receiving the lower ends of support standards normally stored in the box so that the standards are supported in a position perpendicular to the base of the box, the apparatus further comprising means for attaching a bar between two support standards so as to be generally parallel with the base, a substantially rigid board marked and pierced on a grid system for supporting demonstration equipment, and means for mounting the grid board on a pair of said standards in a plane generally parallel with the plane defined by the said standards.

Where a bar is attached between two support standards, it may be used to support spring balances and so forth for use in measuring forces, and these balances, together with pulleys and associated apparatus may also be stored in the storage box.

The grid board may be used in a wide variety of experiments, e.g. for mounting means or levers at specifed points and also for a variety of other demonstrations, e.g. of gear trains and for experiments relating to the centres of gravity.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an educational demonstration apparatus comprising a storage box, a substantially rigid board marked and pierced on a grid system for supporting demonstration equipment, the said grid board being storable in the box, and means for supporting the rigid board in a vertical plane or the box.

It is preferred that the grid board should fit snugly within the up-standing walls of the box, parallel with the base, and is supported on rails mounted parallel with the base when stored in the box.

The standards may be of such length that they fit diagonally between two opposed corners for storage within the box immediately below the level of the board so asto provide some support for the board.

The box may have a lid which has flanges extending within the up-standing walls to the region of the board so as to provide further support for the board.

If required, the apparatus may be provided with a trolley enabling the whole box and its contents to be easily transported from room to room and the trolley may itself provide an accurately horizontal base to preserve verticality of the standards and grid board when properly mounted., The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various views of a preferred form of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly exploded, sowing a storage box and lid, and a grid board in stored position; Figure 2 is a plan view of the box, with the lid removed and grid board partially cut away; Figure 3 is a perspective view of one corner of the box seen from the inside; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the box set up for one type of experiments;; Figure 5 is an end elevation of the box showing the grid board mounted for use in demonstration; and Figure 6 is a partial side elevation of the arrangement shown in Figure 5.

Turning first to Figure 1, there is shown a box for storage of the apparatus and also forming a base for supporting some parts of the apparatus. The box showing as having a base 1 and up-standing end walls 2 and side walls 3. A lid is shown at 4. Each corner of the box is shown as provided with a re-inforcement 5, and Figures 2 and 3 show this in more detail as comprising an outer angle 6 and an inner angle 7 secured together through the walls 2 and 3. Extending across the corner within the inner angle 7 is a gusset plate 8 secured by common screws to the angles 6 and 7. The gusset plate 8 detines, with the inner angle 7, a socket 9 at each corner of the box to receive, as illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6, up-standing support standards 11.The size of the socket 9 is regulated by means of thumb screws 12 which may be turned to hold the standards rigidly and vertically within the sockets 9, or to release them as required.

Figure 2 also shows how the standards 11 fit snugly diagonally between a pair of gusset plates 8 and are supported by the thumb screws 9 and fixing screws well clear of the base so as to leave the lower part of the box free for storage of other parts of the demonstration apparatus. The up-standing walls 2 and 3 are provided with support rails 14 having an upper surface generally co-planar with the tops of the gusset plates 8, and the plane support surface thus provided supports the edges of a grid board 15 which fits snugly between the up-standing walls 2 and 3. Some support for the board 15 is also provided, when stored, by the diagonally stored standards 11. The lid 14 is shown as having a downwardly extending flange 16 which, when the lid is in the closed position resting on the upper edges of the walls 2 and 3, is in close proximity with the edges of the grid board 15.

The grid board 15 is shown particularly in Figure 2, as being marked out with a grid pattern of engraved or otherwise marked lines 16 and with apertures 17 at the intersections of the lines 16. This pattern of marking and piercing provides for modular support of knife-edges for beams or levers, or stub shafts for pulleys or gears for the demonstration of various experiments. The actual details of the mounting devices have been omitted for clarity of illustration.

The division by the lines 16 also aids in measuring distances across or up and down the grid board.

Turning now to Figure 4, this shows how a pair of standards mounted in the sockets 9 at two adjacent corners may be used, by means of split adaptor blocks 21, to support a horizontal bar 22. The blocks 21 are shown as being split and being provided with tightening screws 23 to clamp the blocks 21 to the standards 11 and also to clamp the bar 22 within the blocks 21. The bar 22 is used to support apparatus for demonstrating various types of experiments, and particularly it may be useful for the support of spring balances to which cords are attached so that the tensions in the cords, representing known forces can be measured.

Turning now to Figure 5, this shows how the grid board 15 may be mounted between two standards 11 mounted on corners spaced by an end side 2. The grid board is supported by a pair of lower adaptors 24 which are slid over the standards 11 until they rest on the corner reinforcements, and by a pair of upper adaptors 25. The opposed faces of adaptors 24 and 25 are provided with slots to engage the edge of the grid board 15 so that the latter is securely mounted in a vertical plane somewhat clear of the standards 11 so that the latter do not interfere with acess to the rear of the board for the securing of items mounted thereon.

It will thus be seen that the box may be used for storage of a considerable quantity of apparatus for carrying out different demonstrations and experiments, and also acts as a support for those experiments by means of the standards 11 mounted in the re-inforced corners and by the bar 22 orthe grid board 15 mounted on the standards. It will be appreciated in particular that the bar 22 may in fact be the third of the standards 11 illustrated in Figure 2.

When carrying out certain demonstrations it will be necessary to bolt a bracket on the side of the box.

The bracket would be removed when the particular demonstration was completed. In order to accommodatethe bracket two holes 25 (approx. 7 mm diameter) may be drilled or otherwise provided in the side of the box, these holes being located between the top edge of the side wall and the support rail 14. Only the two shorter sides 2 of the box need have these holes.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. For instance, although each corner of the box illustrated is reinforced by an inner and an outer angle, it is possible integral or solid corner pieces, including the socket, might be formed by plastic or metal mouldings, castings, extrusion or stampings, and the box constructed by bolting the box sides 2 and 3, and possibly the the base 1, to these corner pieces.

Also, the corner sockets 9, or their equivalent sockets in corner pieces may be used to support particular pieces of equipment directly rather than by meansof the standards.

It is also possible that a grid board could be supported by hinges or brackets fixed at or near the upper edge of a wall of the box and supported in a vertical plane by a back stay.

Claims

1. An educational demonstration apparatus comprising a storage box having re-inforced corners, some or all ofthe said re-inforced corners including socket means for securely receiving the lower ends of support standards normally stored in the box so that the standards are supported in a position perpendicular to the base of the box, the apparatus further comprising means for attaching a bar between two support standards so as to be generally parallel with the base, a substantially rigid board marked and pierced on a grid system for supporting demonstration equipment, and means for mounting the grid board on a pair of said standards in a plane generally parallel with the plane defined by the said standards.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the grid board fits snugly within the up-standing walls of the box, parallel with the base, and is supported on rails mounted parallel with the base when stored in the box.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the standards are accommodated diagonally within the box immediately below the level of the board so as to provide some support for the latter.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the lid of the box has a flange extending within the walls of the box to the region of the board when the latter is supported on the rails.

5. An educational demonstration apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. An educational demonstration apparatus comprising a storage box, a substantially rigid board marked and pierced on a grid system for supporting demonstration equipment, the said grid board being storable in the box, and means for supporting the rigid board in a vertical plane on the box.