US579183A

US579183A - Slate-ruler

Info

Publication number: US579183A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1914-03-23

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheet-Sheet 2.

' O. SOHALLER.

SLATE RULER Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

v 0175 $51 zi-s Wanna/13s awue/wtoz 7907112 ZZer.

NITED TATES orro sormtnnn, on OKAWVILLE, ILLINOIS.

SLATE-RULER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 57 9,183, dated March 23, 1897.

Application filed September 8, 1896. Serial No. 605,157. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO SOHALLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Okawville, in the county of Washington and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slate-Rulers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in slate-rulers; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a folding slate with the leaves thereof open and showing my improved ruler attached to one of the leaves. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ruler detached, showing one of the securing-bands removed. Fig. 3 is a plan of a single slate with the ruler removed therefrom. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line 00 a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional detail of a modified form of frame, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one end of the grooved plate carried by the opposite members of the frame of the slate.

The object of my invention is to construct a combined ruler and slate in which the ruler can be conveniently and temporarily attached to the slate-frame, so that the scholar can at any time detach the same and use it for ruling lines on the writing-surface of the slate, the latter being provided with suitable means whereby the child is enabled to rule series of. parallel lines both rapidly and with precision, the rule being provided with suitable devices whereby it is guided along the frame in the process of drawing said lines, and whereby it is set in position while each line is being drawn, the said devices also serving as means for partially securing the ruler to the slate when the ruler is not in use. To this end I have devised a ruler and slate which in detail can be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the writing-surface of an ordinary either single or folding slate, and 2 the frame,within which the slate proper is mounted. Embedded in or carried by the lateral members of the frame and flush with the surfaces of said members are (preferably) metallic plates 3, each provided with a medial longitudinal depression or guide-groove 4, the said grooves being parallel to one another, a series of openings 5 being formed along the base of each groove,

the spacing between the openings being the same on each side of the frame. The openings 5 communicate with a series of depressions 6, formed in the wooden members of the frame, in which the said plates are embedded. The plates 3 are secured to the frame by means of the prongs or deflected ends 7, driven into the wood of the frame, as best seen in section in Fig. 4. The openings 5 are in the path of the transverse parallel guidelines 8, nu1nbered consecutively from 1 upward, the line on one side of the frame being a continuation of the corresponding line on the opposite side. Formed also in one of the plates 3, exterior to the groove 4 and adjacent to the outer edge of the frame, are openings 9, communicating with depressions 10 of the frame,

the distance between the said openings 9' be ing equal to the shortest distance between the grooves 4, that is to say, equal to the length of a line perpendicular to said parallel grooves 4.

Into the openings 9 and communicating depressions 10 are adapted to be inserted the projecting pegs 11, carried along one of the longitudinal edges of the ruler 12, the said pegs serving to partially secure the ruler to the frame, the ruler being additionally secured to said frame by the eyes 13, carried at the free ends of the elastic bands 14, secured at each end of the ruler, the eyes being made to pass or snap over the projecting buttons 15, disposed along the edges of the terminal members of the frame and located substantially in line of the grooves 4. The bands 14, being elastic, are stretched so as to enable the eyes 13 to be snapped over the buttons referred to. The bands 14 are themselves secured to the ruler by passing strips of rubber or similar fabric through openings 16 and then sewing the eyes 13 to the ends of the same. Each eye is provided with a strip 17, by which it can be better seized.

WVhen the ruler is not in use, it is temporarily secured to and carried by the frame, as indicated by the full lines in Fig. 1, the

pegs 11 being inserted in the openings 9 and depressions 10, designed for their reception,

and the eyes 13 being passed overthe buttons 15.

NVhen it is desired to use the ruler for the purpose of drawing parallel lines a a a a, the child removes the ruler from the frame, then inserts the pegs 11 into the series of openings 5 and depressions 6 to firmly hold the ruler in place across the frame,the numbered guidelines 8, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., serving to insure parallelism to the lines a thus drawn, and the grooves 4 serving to guide the pegs 11 from one opening 5 to the next as the child draws the rule along the. frame in the act of ruling a number of such lines. The object of placing or locating the pegs 11 along the edge of the rule is for the purpose of facilitating the insertion of the same into the openings 5 or 9, since being along the edge they can better be seen than were they carried or disposed along the face intermediate of the opposite edges of the ruler. By employing the plates 3 there is less wear on the wooden frame, as constant drawing of the ruler along the Wooden frame might in time destroy the regularity and trueness of the grooves 4c and the depressions 6, communicating therewith. Of course the plates may be dispensed with, and in that case the guide-grooves and the depressions 6 may be formed directly in the frame of the slate; and, as seen in the modification in Fig. 5, the depressions 6 may run entirely through the frame, communicating with grooves 4 on each face of the frame member. Under the latter construction the child would be enabled to draw parallel lines on each face of the slate.

In Fig. 1 the dotted position of the rule shows the relative position it occupies when serving its purpose as a rule. It is apparent, of course, that many minor changes might be made, especially in the means for temporarily securing the rule to the frame, Without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is to be understood, too, that I do not limit myself to the nature or kind of material used for making any portion of my device.

It is to be understood that it is within the spirit of my invention also to omit the frame altogether, forming the several openings or depressions directlyin the body of the slate.

It is of course obvious that the ruler can be secured along the narrow edge of the slate,

and it is further obvious that the pegs carried by the ruler may be spaced so as to enter suitable depressions in the frame for ruling parallel lines lengthwise of instead of transversely across the slate. Having described my invention, What I claim is- 1. In a combined ruler and slate, a suitable slate, a ruler having suitable pegs disposed along one of the longitudinal edges of the same, openings formed along one side of the slate-frame for receiving said pegs and partially securing the ruler 'to the frame and suitable devices for additionally securing the opposite ends of the ruler to the slate-frame, substantially as set forth.

2. In a combined ruler and slate, a suitable slate, a frame for the same, parallel guidegrooves formed along two opposite members of the frame, a series of depressions or openings formed at the base of each groove and correspondingly spaced on each side of the frame, transverse guide-lines drawn across the path of the openings, a ruler, and suitable pegs carried along one of the longitudinal edges of the same and separated by a distance equal to the distance from one depression on one side of the frame to its corresponding depression on the other side, whereby the pegs of the ruler may be simultaneously guided along the grooves and properly inserted into the series of depressions along the frame and series of parallel lines drawn with the assistance of the rule, substantially as set forth.

3. In a combined ruler and slate, a suitable ruler, pegs projecting from and disposed along one of the longitudinal edges of the same, suitable depressions formed in the frame for the reception of the pegs to temporarily and partially secure the ruler to the frame, buttons carried by the opposite edges of the frame in line with one of the lateral members of the frame, elastic bands carried by the ends of the ruler, and eyes secured to the ends of the bands and adapted to be passed over the buttons to additionally secure the ruler to the frame, substantially as set forth.

4. In a combined ruler and slate, a suitable slate, a frame for the same, plates embedded in two opposite members of the frame and flush with the surfaces of said members, parallel guide-grooves formed in said plates, openings formed at the bottom of the guidegrooves, depressions formed in the frame members communicating with the openings of the plates, guide-lines transversely disposed along each plate and passing through or in the path of the openings, the said openings and depressions adapted to receive the pegs of a suitable ruler, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO SCHALLER.

Witnesses:

ALFRED A. MATHEY, EMIL STAREK.