US125024A - Improvement in writing apparatus for the blind - Google Patents

Description

JAMS R.c0LE. v Improvement in Writing Apparatus for the Blind.'

YNo. 125,024, Y I PatentedrMarch26,1872.

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l IIN UNITED STATEs JAMES R. COLE, OF PADUGAH, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN WRITING APPARATUS FOR THE BLIND.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,024, dated March 26, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. COLE, of Paducah, in the county of McCracken and State of Kentucky, have made a new and useful Improvement in WVritin g Apparatus for theBlind; and I hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description ot' the saine, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings which 4forms a part of this specification, and in which- I*1 igure l shows a plan view Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional elevation 5 Fig. 3, a side view 0f the movable board or guide; and Fig/1, a crosssection of one of the sides of the apparatus.

The nature of my :invention consists in providing a machine to enable persons deprived of sight to write and direct letters, and to perform all kinds of manuscript work. To this end my machine consists, rst, of a short upright post to serve as a handrest, and caused to slide easily in a slot or groove across a movable board, which will enable the blind to keep a straight line; and secondly, of amova-ble board supplied with four pins, the two front ones running in a straight groove in the sides 0f the desk, and the two back running in a curved or saw-toothed groove, which will enable the writer to measure the width of the lines. The hand-rest may be a short post for the easy embrace of the third and fourth lingers, a rest filling the hollow of the hand, or a ringfitting the fourthiinger. The hand-rest may also be` omitted, a slot or groove heilig sufficient for the trained touch of the blind to follow, the board having a small upright pin in back edge so as to move it. The straight groove and its two pins may also be dispensed with.

The following description will enable any one to make and use my invention.

In the dra-wing, A is the back of the frame. B B, the sides; C, the movable board, with slot 0r groove c, in which the hand-rest D moves.

F is the straight, and G the curved groove; and f and g, pins fitting into F and G. i t' are small pins to hold in position the paper to be written on.

To use my machine the board is slipped out, the paper fastened in by the pins and the board slipped in and up as far as it will go. In inyserting the board care should be taken that the pins f f should be first inserted in the lower groove, and the pins g g inserted in the upper groove last. The hand-rest is then moved over to theleft end of the board, takenin the hand so as to guide it, and the line written across. The lower edge of the board is then lifted by a slight touch of the little finger and the board slipped back the length of one curve. This line is then written across in like manner, the board again moved down, and so on to the bottom ot' the paper. When there is a space to be left at the top of the page, the board may be moved up as far as it will go, and then moved down a sufficient number of places. In directing envelopes it would be better to write the direction from the bottom upward. The hand-rest, if employed, may be attached to the board by any suitable device admitting of its sliding easily. The machine may be made of any size 'to accommodate the size of the paper to be'ased, and of any suitable material, preferably of hard wood, as oak or walnut.

`Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The frame, with curved grooves G to opperate with movable board having pins to slide in the grooves, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The movable board C with pins f and g,

as set forth.

JAMES R.. COLE. Witnesses:

EUGENE BOATWRIGHT, LEWIS FERRER.

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