US3045363A - Device for teaching, particularly for the teaching of drawing - Google Patents

Description

U51) HUWLHUMAZ Ski/"Wbfi HUUW XR 390459363 5?? July 24, 1962 c. E. KAESTLE 3,045,363

DEVICE FOR TEACHING, PARTICULARLY FOR THE TEACHING OF DRAWING Filed June a, 1960 INVENTOR. CHARLES EM/LE KAESTLE g/ wwwt/vfM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,045,363 DEVICE FOR TEACHING, PARTICULARLY FOR THE TEACHING 0F DRAWING Charles Emile Kaestl, Bloc 9(c) Ave. du General Mangin, Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France Filed June 8, 1960, Ser. No. 34,709 Claims priority, application France June 9, 1959 Claims. (Cl. 35-26) Teachers often encounter considerable difficulties in teaching their pupils the elements of drawing, and more particularly in teaching them how to reproduce the exact proportions of objects, even of simple shape, which the pupils are to draw. The difficulty is still greater when it is attempted to teach the pupils the laws of perspective, and when they are asked to reproduce the apparent distortions due to perspective.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which immediately materializes for the pupils eyes the proportions of objects of simple or complex shape, which the pupils are to reproduce by drawing.

Another object of the invention is a device enabling the pupils to evaluate immediately the value of the apparent distortion of objects, due to perspective, and consequently to reproduce rapidly and easily said distortions. In a broader aspect an object of the present invention is to provide a simple device of rugged construction, easy to manufacture, adapted to support an object which is to be drawn, while allowing the whole object to be viewed, said device further allowing the position of said object to be varied by a simple manipulation, so that the apparent distortions of the object, due to the perspective, when said object is placed at horizon level, or above said horizon level, or below the latter may be analyzed. These objects, along with other objects which will be apparent from the present specification, are achieved by a device according to the present invention, which comprises essentially a column, a base supporting said column in a vertical position, an object-bearer which is transparent at least in its central portion, and means for releasably attaching said object-bearer at variable heights.

In one embodiment of the invention said object-bearer is constituted by a frame comprising at least three sides, said frame being arranged to bear a grid on which the object to be drawn is placed, while one of said sides of the frame is rigidly fixed to a sleeve slidably mounted on said column.

In an improved embodiment of the invention, said frame comprises a second grid rigidly attached thereto in a vertical position, the object to be drawn being placed behind said second grid.

It will be understood that in this embodiment the object is seen vertically through a regular grid, which allows the important points of the object, or model, to be accurately located and consequently allows this model to be closely reproduced by the well-known method of squaring.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the device may further comprise means for suspending the objects, or models, whenever the latter are suited for this method of supporting. Said means preferably are constituted by a rod having a hook and being rigid with a sleeve slidably mounted on said column, said sleeve comprising means to releasably lock a sleeve to the column at any required height.

It will be well understood that it lies within the scope of the present invention to combine the aforementioned means for suspending the objects to be drawn with the object-bearer comprising a vertical grid, the latter then allowing the dimensions and perspective distortions of 3,045,363 Patented July 24, 1962 ice the object suspended at the hook to be determined and located, as indicated hereinabove.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings which show a number of advantageous embodiments of the invention given by way of example only and not to be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the object-bearer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of said objectbearer, and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view, showing the utilisation of the object-bearer according to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the device according to the embodiments shown therein comprises a support constituted by a sleeve 1 and four legs constituted each by a curved tube including one portion 2 substantially perpendicular with respect to the axis of sleeve 1, and one curved end portion 3, the length of which preferably is shorter, said curved portion 3 being adapted to repose on a supporting surface. The horizontal portions 2 of said legs are rigidly attached to sleeve 1, e.g. by welding.

A vertical column 4 is slidably mounted in sleeve 1 and may be locked in the desired position by any convenient means, for instance by set screw 5. Due to this arrangement column 4 may be separated from the supporting leg assembly, which facilitates the transport .or the storing of the device. An object-bearer is slidably mounted on column 4; said object-bearer is rigidly attached to a sleeve 6 coaxially and slidably mounted on the column, with a loose fit. Sleeve 6 may be locked in any desired position on the column, by any convenient means such as set screw 7.

In this embodiment, the object-bearer is constituted by a frame comprising a U-shaped iron rod of circular section which forms a central portion 8 rigidly connected with sleeve 6, and lateral legs 9 and 10. Legs 9 and 10 may be provided with grooves allowing a plate of glass or other transparent material, such as plastic material, to be inserted between said legs, said plate being pro vided with a grid constituted by a pattern of squares placed upon said plate.

This grid may also be constituted, as shown in FIG. 1, by a plurality of threads or wires 11, 12, etc. attached to lateral legs 9 and 10, and by threads or wires 13, 14 perpendicular to threads 11, 12 and attached to the central portion 8 and to the outer thread or wire 12.

It will be understood that an object placed on the above mentioned grid is visible entirely, whichever its position with respect to the horizon may be, and that said grid allows to a certain degree to evaluate the perspective distortion of the bottom of such object.

The above described device may be completed by adding a rod 15 one of the ends of which is formed with a hook 16, said rod 15 being rigidly attached to a sleeve 17 similar to sleeve 6. Hook 16 may be used to suspend objects such as a pail or similar objects adapted to be suspended. The object, or model, to be drawn may easily be fixed at the desired height, by sliding sleeves 6 or 17, respectively, along column 4.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1, as far as the object-bearer is concerned, however the free ends of lateral legs 9 and 10 are rigidly connected each to a vertical rod 18, 19' supporting a grid similar to the grid described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 1.

It will be easily understood that this grid which is not subject to perspective distortion to any degree appreciable by the pupils who are placed substantially in front of the grid, will enable said pupils not only to evaluate the dimensions of the object to be drawn, but also the apparent distortions due to perspective, as indicated in FIG. 4.

The object to be drawn, as shown in FIGURE 4, is a flower pot, and the transparent vertical gr-id allows the width of the upper end of said flower pot to be immediately evaluated, said width extending over four squares of the grid; similarly the height of the pot, as well as its width at the lower end, which corresponds to two squares of the grid, may easily be evaluated. Furthermore said grid also enables a pupil to notice that, due to perspective, the median point of the upper end of the pot is located at the point designated by numeral 21, which is separated from point 22 defining the lateral ends of the upper edge, by a distance corresponding to of the side of a square. The device thus provides a materialization of the apparent distortion due to perspective.

In the embodiment according to FIGURE 2 the apparent distortion due to perspective of the vertical grid is perceivable to all the pupils placed within an angle of about 25 to 30 having its apex located on the column. Pupils who are obliged to be placed outside of said angle will not be able to take full advantage of the device, due to perspective distortion of the grid. Under these conditions, it is advantageous to replace the plane vertical grid surface defined by the vertical rods 18, 19, by a grid having the shape of a cylinder segment, as shown in FIG- URE 3. In this embodiment of the invention the legs 9, of the horizontal object-bearer are constituted by a circle 74 supported and delimited by two sections 25, 26 of the generatrix of the corresponding cylinder.

It will be easily understood that under these conditions the pupils may be placed around the object, or model, in a circle extending over about 180, each pupil viewing said object through a grid portion which is substantially free of perspective distortion, as said grid portion may be considered as defining substantially a plane perpendicular to the viewing direction of each pupil. In order to achieve this result, the radius of the cylinder must of course be sufliciently great, e.g. four to five times the maximum horizontal dimension of the object to be drawn.

It will be understood that in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 an object suspended at book 16 may be viewed through the vertical grid; such suspended object may also be placed upon the horizontal grid, so as to achieve any desired position in which said object is required to be drawn.

What I claim is:

1. In a grid device for supporting an object and for aiding in the drawing of said object, the combination, with a substantially vertical column, of a substantially horizontal frame, a sleeve slidably mounted on said column and rigidly attached to the edge portion of said frame where by said frame can be moved only vertically, said frame being provided with two series of wires, the wires of each series being substantially parallel with respect to each other and perpendicular to the wires of the other series to define a first open grid, a second frame substantially perpendicular to said horizontal frame and rigidly connected to the edge portion of said horizontal frame, said second frame being also provided with two series of wires, the wires of one of said series being substantially parallel with respect to each other and perpendicular with respect to the wires of the other series to define a second open grid, whereby an object supported upon the first grid can be viewed through said first and second grids at the time time.

2. In a grid device for supporting an object for the pur' pose of aiding in the drawing of said object, the combination, with a substantially vertical column, of a horizontal substantially U-shaped frame, a sleeve slidably mounted on said column and rigidly attached to the central portion of said U-shaped frame whereby said frame can be moved only vertically, the latter being provided with two series of wires, the wires of each series being substantially parallel with respect to each other and perpendicular to the wires of the other series to define a first open grid, two rods rigidly connected each to the free end of one of the substantially parallel legs of said U-shaped frame, one series of substantially parallel wires extending between said two rods, and another series of wires extending between the two outermost wires of said series of parallel wires to define a-second open grid, whereby an object supported upon the first grid can be viewed through said first and second grids at the same time.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a rod rigidly connected to a sleeve slidably mounted on said column and provided with locking means, whereby an object suspended from said rod can be viewed through said first grid.

4. In a device for the teaching of drawing, the combination of a substantially vertical column with a substantially circular frame rigidly attached to a sleeve slidably mounted on said column wherein said frame can be moved only vertically, and a transparent grid structure constituted by a cylinder segment, said structure being rigidly connected to said frame.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said grid structure comprises at least one first rod in the shape of an arc of a circle and spaced vertically from said frame, and two other rods rigidly attached each to an end of said first rod, said other rods being perpendicular to the plane of said first rod, said other rods being rigidly attached to said frame and perpendicular to the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 156,209 Diehl Oct. 27, 1874 1,134,106 Clarke Apr. 6, 1915 2,263,101 Perry Nov. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 758,595 France July 18, 1933 542,537 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1942 ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GATE 0F CORRECTION July 24, 1962 UN CERTIFI Patent No. 3,045,363

Charles Emi1e Kaestl It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below read same time lihe 11, for "time time" aled this 20th day of Column 4,

Noveniber 1962.

Signed and se (SEAL) Attest:

DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer

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