GB2315046A - Writing or lettering guide with elastic filamentary ruler - Google Patents

Abstract

The guide comprises a frame 10 having an opening 11 spanned by parallel runs 14 of elastic or cotton filament which yields to allow the formation of letters which extend below the line. The guide may be used for addressing envelopes.

Description

"Writing Aid" This invention relates to a writing aid and ore particularly to a device which will assist handwriting in straight, parallel lines.

The device roost commonly used for such a purpose is a ruler consisting of a straight-sided, rigid strip of wood or a plastics material marked along one or both edges with measurements such as in inches and centimetres. One of the drawbacks of a wooden ruler is that one cannot see what lies immediately belay the line of writing. This is overcame to some extent by the use of a transparent plastics material, but both types possess the disadvantage that they do not permit writing belcsY the line without, of course, shifting the ruler and any novement of the ruler will be difficult to restore accurately so that the desired straight line may be lost. A flat ruler with chamfered side downward or a cylindrical ruler will permit limited departure dazzYard from the desired line but to remain on the desired line with any accuracy requires considerable skill.

Wordprocessors or typewriters are increasingly used nazadays e.g. for the text of letters and other docurrents. For what little use remains for handwritten pages lined paper is the preferred solution so that rulers have become largely redundant. There is haver an exception to this.

Except when window envelopes or labels are used envelopes still have to be addressed and it is usually irore convenient and quicker to do this by hand.

Printed matter such as invitations and greetings cards needs envelopes to be addressed, and in the home this usually ireans handwriting the envelopes.

Envelopes are not usually lined but a conventional ruler is of limited usefulness in ensuring that the lines of writing making up an address are parallel.

A principal object of the present invention is to improve upon existing rulers in particular by providing a ruler which will yield locally to permit writing belch the line and then restore itself to the chosen straight line.

Another object is to provide a ruler which interferes as little as possible with visibility belay the chosen line. A preferred enbodinent of the invention provides a device which will assist not only in writing individual lines straight but also in keeping different lines parallel with one another. This preferred enExxHinent is particularly, although not exclusively, suitable for addressing envelopes.

According to the invention there is provided a writing aid device comprising a filamentaty ruler stretched across an opening in a frame such that with the frame laid upon a surface to be anritten on the filamentary ruler can be used to write in a straight line, the ruler yielding sufficiently to permit limited departure downwardly from the line of the writing instrument as when writing portions of letters which go under the line but restoring itself to the straight line when downward pressure upon it by the writing instrument is relieved.

The frame is suitably a flat sheet of transparent plastics material in which a generally rectangular opening is formed, the filamentary ruler suitably being constituted by a length of elastic stretched between parallel sides of the opening. In a preferred construction parallel runs of elastic will extend between said parallel sides in a mutual spacing suitable for lines of handwriting. In a preferred construction a single strand of elastic provides all of the runs, the strand passing to and fro between aligned notches in the frame sides.

Longer opposite side edges of the frame may be marked with measurementS such as inches and centinetres.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a writing aid in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 illustrates use of the aid of Figure 1.

The device illustrated comprises a frame 10 constituted by an oblong sheet of plastics material, preferably transparent, formed with a central, oblong opening 11. The longer sides of the frame 10 are marked off in reasurements, centimetres at 12 and inches at 13, so that the device can be used as a conventional ruler.

A single strand 14 of elastic or a similar filamentary material is stretched between aligned notches 15 and 16 in the shorter sides of the frame 10 so as to extend in parallel runs 14 across the opening 11 parallel with the longer sides of the frame. Knots or beads at 17 and 18 secure the strand.

To use the device it is placed on the surface on which one wishes to write, such as the sheet of paper 19 of Figure 2. The individual runs of the elastic 14 provide straight lines at suitable intervals for lines of handwriting. letters which are wholly above the line, such as "a,b,c,d,e" require no disturbance of the elastic. However when a letter such as j, p, q" is to be formed, with part of the letter extending below the chosen line, the elastic strand will yield to the writing instrument as shown in Figure 2 to permit formation of the lower part of the letter. As soon as downward pressure on the elastic by the writing instrument is relieved it will resume the straight line condition in which it continues to serve as a guide for the line being written.

As an alternative to the notches 15 and 16 the shorter sides of the frame 10 could be formed with holes (not shown). Howler advantages of the notches are ease of manufacture and the fact that the owner of the device can norse easily replace the elastic strand should it be broken. In a further ert1lment of the invention, not shown, notches such as 15 and 16 may be provided at intervals along the shorter sides of the frame 10 such that by re-threading the elastic strand betçeen different, chosen notches the intervals between the runs 14 can be varied thereby increasing or reducing the spacing betYen lines of writing.

In a yet further enbcdinent an additional strand or strands (not shown) may be provided to extend between notches (not shown) in the longer sides of the frame 10 to define a left-hand or a right-hand limit or "justification" for lines of handwriting. For addressing envelopes, for example, the notches may be disposed such that a left-hand limit or justification is at an angle other than 900 to the runs 14.

The device illustrated is particularly, althouXl not exclusively, suitable for use in addressing envelopes.

It will be understood that use of a single strand of elastic 14 to provide all of the parallel runs of the device is merely optional. Individual runs could be provided by individual strands fixed at their opposite ends to the shorter sides of the frame 10.

The use of elastic is merely preferred. It is found that a filament of cotton such as used for sewing will also serve the purpose.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS:

1. A writing aid device comprising a filamentary ruler stretched across an opening in a frame such that with the frame laid upon a surface to be written on the filamentary ruler can be used to write in a straight line, the ruler yielding sufficiently to permit limited departure downwardly fram the line of the writing instrument as when writing portions of letters which go under the line but restoring itself to the straight line when downward pressure upon it by the writing instrument is relieved.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is a flat sheet of transparent plastics material in which a generally rectangular opening is formed.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the filamentary ruler is constituted by a length of elastic stretched between parallel sides of the opening

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein parallel runs of elastic extend between said parallel sides in a mutual spacing suitable for lines of handwriting.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein a single strand of elastic provides all of the runs, the strand passing to and fro between aligned notches in the frame sides.

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 2-5 wherein longer opposite side edges of the frame are marked with measurements such as inches and centiittres