US2982031A - Toy box composing elements for teaching purposes - Google Patents

Description

y 1951 R. BARDELLI V 2,982,031

TOY BOX COMPOSING ELEMENTS FOR TEACHING PURPOSES Filed July 10. 1959 TOY BOX COMPOSING ELEMENTS FOR TEACHING PURPOSES Roberto Bardelli, 71 Via Poliziano, Rome, Italy Filed July 10, 1959, Ser. No. 826,315 e v Claims priority, application Italy May 12, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. 35-73) This invention relates to a toy box which is an addition to the ordinary teaching equipment of elementary schools and afiords a subsidiary means to teaching methods which is very efiective, and, at the same time, agreeable to pupils. In its preferred embodiment, the box of the invention has the appearance of a display glassworlvand contains elements by the use of which position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the box with its cover in a raised position and a few composing elements in their respective cases, one of the elements being shown as being removed from the box;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a composing element adapted to be placed in a case of the box of Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the element of Fig. 4.

Box 1, preferably made of a transparent, unbreakable and sufficiently rigid material is provided with a double cover 2 hinged on side walls of the box, each leaf of the cover being adapted to cover a half of the box. When the latter is closed, the free edges of the leaves may be connected together by any suitable means, or each of the leaves may be fixed to the box side walls independently of the other. A grille 3 is contained in box 1, all the cases of this grille being of equal size and grille 3 being formed of ribs 5 extending longitudinally of the box and ribs 4 extending transversely of the box and crossing ribs 5 at right angles. Both ribs 4 and 5 extend upwardly from the box bottom, ribs 4 being of the same height as the box side walls throughout, and ribs 5 being of this height only in a short portion adjacent the crossings with ribs 4, but being much lower in their remaining portion, to form a deep recess 6 for the purpose to be described hereinafter.

A composing element (Figs. 4 and 5) is placed in each case of grille 3, this element being in the form of a flat sheath '7, made of a transparent, unbreakable and sufiiciently rigid material, adapted to exactly but loosely fit in a case of grille 3. Sheath 7 consists of a base 8 which is provided with a rib 9 extending from its inner face at right angles therewith and adjacent its periphery, and of a cover 10 engaging rib 9 with its side wall 11 which is formed with a shoulder 12. Two opposed edges of a sheet 13 are clamped between rib 9 and shoulder 12, this sheet bearing an alphabet letter, a numeral, a graphical symbol, or a figure adapted to impress the knowledge of an alphabet letter or numeral on a pupils mind. Generally, the character or figure printed on one face of the sheet is difierent from what United States PateneO Batented May 2, 1961 2 is printed on the other face. Two opposed sides'of sheath 7 are provided with a notch 14 for finger grasping.

Cover 2 is provided with ribs .15 extending only longitudinally of the box, ribs extending transversely being not provided. When the box is closed, the edge of each rib 15 is exactly superposed on the edge of a longitudinal rib 5 in the box on half the length of the latter.

In a pair of diagonally opposed angles of each case, two small horizontal plates 16 are fixed, the distance between the upper surfaces of these plates and the upper edges of ribs 4 and 5 equalling the thickness of sheath 7,'so that the composing elements placed in the cases will have their upper surfaces flush with the top of grille 3 and the side walls of box 1. The small plates 16 are positioned in the four angles of a crossing, crossings pro:- vided with plates 16 being in alternating relationship With'the crossings unprovided with such plates, both longitudinally and transversely of the box. e

Ribs 15 in cover 2 arein turn. provided with ears 17 which project by pairs from their edges, these ears being flushwith the edges of ribs 15, and so positioned that depth of each recess 6 is greater than the thickness of a sheath 7, a first method may be adopted when one at least of the two cases of grille 3 which are lengthwise adjacent the case wherefrom the composing element is to' be removed is empty, and comprises inserting a finger nail in recess 6 which can be reached from the adjacent empty case beneath the element and pushing the latter upwardly. A second method which can be adopted in all instances, comprises pushing the element downward near one of its long sides: then, the end of this side of the element in one of the angles of the case that are unprovided with a plate lacking a support, the element will swing about the plate 16 in the angle where the other end of said side is located, and the opposed side of the element will rise over the plane of upper surfaces of sheaths 7, thus affording a grasp to the users fingers.

Now let us suppose that it is desired to teach a pupil to form the word- ROME. The box having been placed on a table or form and fully opened, the pupil will be instructed to take from the box an element Whose sheet bears the letter R on one of its faces and to place this element in one of the spaces between two ribs 15 in cover 2; then he will be requested to take an element bearing the letter O and to place this second element adjacent the previous one; like proceedings will be performed in respectof letters M and B.

What I claim is:

1. A toy box with composing elements for teaching purposes, comprising: a grille formed of two rows of ribs projecting upwardly from the bottom of the box and crossing each other, one row of ribs extending longitudinally of the box and the other row extending transversely of the box, the ribs of one row being of the same height as the box side walls throughout and the ribs of the other row being of said height only in a portion adjacent the crossings with the ribs of the first mentioned row but being much lower in their remaining portion to form a relatively deep recess; a support member for a composing element in each of two diagonally opposed angles of a grille case at such a height over the bottom that the distance of the edge of said ribs from the surface of said a supportwhereon said element will rest equals the thickness of said elements, whereby the upper surfaces of said composing elements are flush with said edges of grille ribs,v and, by inserting a finger nail in one of. said recesses beneath the composing element in an adjacent grille. case a user can lift said element, or else, by pushing. the

element downward near one of its long sides, the end of this side of the element in one of the angles of the case that are unprovided with said support means will swing about the support means in the angle where the other end of said side is placed, andthe opposed side of the element willlrise over the plane of upper surfaces of said elements; a cover, provided with a row of ribs on its inner face extending only longitudinally of the box and arranged in such a way'that the edge of each of the ribs in the cover is exactly superposed on the edge of a longitudinal grille rib when the box is closed; ears extending by pairs from the sides of said cover ribs flush with the edge of the latter and so positioned that each pair is superposed on a crossing in said grille unprovided with said support means when the box is closed, whereby a composing element in a grille case is held firmly in place by the pair of said support means in two diagonally opposed angles of the grille case and by the cover rib ears References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 456,708 Preston July 28, 1891 635,182 Perry Oct. 17, 1899 204,723 White Nov. 14, 1916 1,839,558 Hutchinson Jan. 5, 1932 2,294,465 Lasker Sept. 1, 1942 2,831,572 Messina Apr. 22. 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 749,444 Great Britain -1 May 23, 1956

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