US1184326A - Educational device. - Google Patents

Description

H. G. CHESS.

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30. ms.

1 ,1 84,326. Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

i'z'v' VENTO 7? H. G. CRESS.

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-30. 1915.

l ,1 84,326. Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORATIO Gr. CREISS, 0F BEREA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE FOX NOVELTY COMPANY, OF BEREA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HoRA'rIo G. Unless, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berea, in the county of (luyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Educational Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and cheap education device for childrens use, consisting of a slotted sup port and a set of movable buttons adapted to be positioned in various order therein. In one embodiment of my device there is an annular storage passageway for the buttons and transverse straight passageways communicating at one end with the annular passageway, and buttons having on them the letters of the alphabet so that words may be composed by selecting the proper buttons from the annular passageway and shifting the set therein until the desired button comes opposite the straight passageway and then moving it into the straight passageway.

The present invention relates to the construction of the support or board, whereby it may be made very cheaply and at the same time be very strong and durable, and allows for the easy installation of the buttons, as well as the reversal thereof when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the complete device; Fig.2 is a similar view with the top plate and buttons removed; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of the complete device, as indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 1; Figs. 4. and 5 are enlarged cross sections, as indicated by the lines 4il and 5-5 in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the buttons in two mutually inverted positions when both faces are provided with characters or designs; Fig. 7 is a detail in vertical section, of a modification where two devices are secured together, back to back.

The usual buttons, as shown in the draw ings, consist of blocks having a top plate A, a shank B and a bottom plate C. The top and bottom plates are shown as rectangular, although the may be of other shape if desired. The shank is shown as continuous from one edge of the button to the other, being located centrally so that the vertical cross section of the button is similar to the letter H lying on its side. On one or both faces of this button are printed, or otherwise formed, suitable characters, as letters, pictures, or designs. My invention provides a slotted holder for these buttons, the holder being preferably largely of pasteboard or similar material, and so arranged as to be strong and stiff. This holder will now be described.

The top portion of my holder consists of an annular plate of pasteboard or similar material 10, and an interior plate of the same material 11. The interior plate has longitudinal slots 12 and 13 extending from one end and the outer periphery of this member is smaller than the inner periphery of the member 10, wherefore a complete annular slot 15 exists between them when they are in place. The two plates 10 and 11 are held in proper relation within a suitably formed paste board box comprising a bottom 20 and an outside wall 21. As shown, this wall is elliptical so that the outer periphery of the plate 10 fits snugly within it. The plates 10 and 11, located in the same plane, parallel with the base 20, and preferably below the upper edge of the wall 21, are firmly secured in place by the following described peculiar construction. Resting against the interior of the wall 21. is an annular strip 23 of less height than the wall. Placed at intervals around the base, preferably equidistantly, are blocks 25. Secured to these blocks, on their inner edges, is an annular strip 27. This strip 27 of pasteboard, fiber or metal is preferably glued or cemented to the blocks 25, a convenient method being to cover the entire outside surface of the strip 27 with glue and bring it in contact with the positioned blocks. Nails 28 pass through the plate 10, the blocks 25 and the bottom 20, and are clenched on the under side. As will be seen from the drawings, the blocks, with the strips 23 and 27, make a firm continuous support for the annular plate 10.

The interior plate 11 is supported in an analogous manner to the plate 10. That is to say, I provide at the longitudinal center of the device a series of buttons (three in the drawing) 30, 31 and 32. These buttons support the intermediate or tongue member 17 between the slots 12 and 13. At either side of this intermediate set of buttons are sets, shown as consisting of four buttons 40, 41, 42 and 43, these buttons supporting the two plate portions 18 and 19 on opposite sides of the tongue 17. To make a continuans support for the parts 17 18 and 19 of the intermediate plate, I provide in addition to the buttons described an endless strip of pasteboard, metal or other material 35, which loops around the buttons 31 and 32, as shown in Fig. 2, and a similar strip 45, which engages the other intermediate buttons. This strip 45 is shown as provided with loops 46 at its ends, which extend around the buttons 40. Then this strip passes in contact with the inner edges of the buttons 41, then around the buttons 42, then in contact with the outer edges of the buttons 43 and then in contact with the eyes or loops 46 on the buttons 40, and then in contact with the outer edge of the button 30. It will be seen that by this means the strips 35 and 45 provide vertical supports for the free portions of the intermediate plate, approximately near the edges thereof. The buttons hold the strips from displacement and the strips make vertical struts for supporting the top plate. Suitable nails 48 pass through the various portions of the top plate and the buttons of the difierent sets, being clenched below the bottom plate 20.

In constructing my device the bottom plate 20 and outer wall 21 of the supporting box is first made in any usual manner, and the strip 23 put in place, the annular row of blocks 25 placed equi-distantly about the base in contact with the strip 21, and glued on their under sides, which secure them to the base. With the other blocks in place and glued to the base, the strips 27 35 and 45 are then positioned in contact with the corresponding blocks, and may be glued to them. Then the top plates are put in place and the nails are driven through them and through the blocks (with the exception of the block 32) and are clenched on the under side of the plate 20. These nails may be driven in at one timeby a suitable gang machine. After all the nails are in place, a strip of paper, indicated at 50, in Fig. 5, is pasted on the under side of the base 20.

. The operations so far described omit any fasteningto the block 32, and accordingly the outer portion of the tongue 17 is left free so that it may be bent into the form shown in dotted lines '17 in Fig. 4. This allows for the buttons to be conveniently put in place as shown in that figure, the tipping of the tongue enlarging the passageway between it and the'plate 10 so that the bottom C of the button may be passed through the passageway, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The various buttons are thus put in place one after the other, and, after being put in place, the tongue is secured by a suitable fastening device, .which may be removable, as, for instance, the thumb screw 49.

7 By making the final fastening for the tongue removable, I enable the user to take out the buttons when desired, and by putting characters on both faces of the buttons (as indicated by Figs. 6 and 7 I double the capacity of the device. The reversal of the buttons, thus provided for, forms of itself an interesting occupation for the child.

I have shown the various blocks as made round, which is most convenient to provide the desired contact with the various strips.

These blocks are also shown as provided with an annular groove 55. This groove furnishes convenient means for inserting glue or cement between any of the buttons and pasteboard strips wherever it is found necessary or desirable. c

. It will be seen that by my construction a very stiff slotted support may be constructed composed principally of pasteboard and wall no pressure is brought on the buttons if the device stands bottom side up, and I thus render available any interesting design on the bottom covering 50, or, I may secure to the bottom another complete device, as illustrated in Fig. 7 thus again doubling the capacity. In this double construction the corresponding buttons may come opposite each other, or the buttons 42, 32, and 42 may come opposite the buttons 40, 30, 40 respectively, according to whether it is desired to have the board turned about its major or minor axis.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In an educational device, the combination of a suitable base, a slotted top, isolated supports between the top and base, and vertical stiffeners between the top and base se cured to the supports.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a base, an annular series of blocks secured to the base, an annular top plate secured to the blocks, an interior plate spaced from the annular top plate, and supporting blocks for the interior plate between it and the base.

3. In a device ofthe character described, the combination of a base, a series of blocks thereon, strips standing on edge on the base contacting with the blocks, top plates rest- 1 ing on the blocks and strips, and nailspassing through the top plate, the blocks and the base.

'4. The combination of a supporting box having a base and outside wall, an interior strip standing on edge adjacent to the wall and another strip standing on edge substantially parallel with the wall, an annular top plate resting on said strips, an intermediate slotted plate positioned within and separated from the annular top plate while being substantially in the same plane therewith, and shiftable buttons in the channel provided between the top plates.

51 The combination of a base, a series of blocks secured thereto, a strip standing on edge on the base looping around various blocks, a top plate resting on the strips and secured to the blocks.

6. The combination with a base, of a top plate having a pair of parallel slots therein, dividing the plate into an intermediate tongue and outside portions, three groups of blocks adapted to stand beneath the in-* termediate tongue and the outside portions respectively, and a continuous strip looping around the blocks beneath one outside portion and then passing to and looping around the blocks beneath the other outside portion.

7 The combination with a base, of a top plate having a pair of parallel slots therein, dividing the plate into an intermediate tongue and outside portions, three groups of blocks adapted to stand beneath the intermediate tongue and the outside portions respectively, and a continuous strip looping around the blocks beneath one outside portion and then passing to and looping around the blocks beneath the other outside portion, another continuous strip looping around the blocks beneath the intermediate portion, and means for securing such outside and intermediate portions to the respective blocks.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a base provided with a vertical wall, an outside annular top plate within said wall, an inner top plate in the same plane as the outer top plate and spaced within it and having a transverse slot communicating with the annular slot between the top plates, blocks located at various points between the top plates and base and positioned to support the various portions of the top plates, and nails passing through the top plates, the blocks and bottom plate.

9. In a. device of the character described, the combination of a base provided with a vertical wall, an outside annular top plate abutting said wall, an inner top plate in the same plane as the outer top plate and spaced within it and having a transverse slot communicating with the annular slot between the top plates, blocks located at various points between the top plates and base and positioned to support the various portions of the top plates, and strips standing on edge between the top plates and base and held against displacement by the blocks.

10. The combination of a box having a base and a wall, an annular top plate whose outer edge is adjacent to the wall, an interior plate transversely slotted and spaced from the annular plate to provide an annular channel between them, strips on edge within the box for holding the annular plate and intermediate plate in substantially the same plane, blocks for securing the strips, nails passing through the top plate, blocks and base, and buttons shiftable in the channels provided.

11. As a new article of manufacture; an educational board consisting of a paste board box, paste board strips on edge within the box, wooden blocks within the box holding the strips, and a slotted paste. board top plate resting on said strips and blocks.

12. The combination of an annular top plate, an interior plate transversely slotted and spaced from the annular plate to provide an annular channel between them, sup ports for holding the annular plate and intermediate plate in substantially the same plane, buttons shiftable in the channels provided, and a fastening device for a portion of the interior plate adjacent to the annular channel enabling said portion to be dis placed for the placement or removal of the buttons.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination of a base, a slotted top, double faced buttons having their shanks in such slots, and a fastening for a portion of the top arranged to allow such portion to be moved to enable the buttons to be removed therefrom and reversed.

14. The combination with a base, of an annular top, an interior top spaced therefrom and having a portion movable independently of the rest of the top, a fastenin for such portion adjacent to its free end enabling such portion to be carried out of the plane of the annular top, and buttons whose shanks occupy the annular channel and slots.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

HORATIO Gr. CRESS.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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