Method and apparatus for teaching mathematics in different number systems

Claim 2

Apparatus for teaching mathematics in different number bases comprising: manually operable mechanical input means in a decimal number base, electrical counting circuit means, including a series of interconnected individual counting circuits, and a clearing switch for clearing said circuits, means for converting said mechanical input means to an electrical input means for input to said electrical counting circuit means, said counting circuit means having output means including a visual output totalling means expressed in a binary number base, said visual output totalling means including a series of lamps corresponding in number to the number of individual counting circuits embodying said counting circuit means, manually operable mechanical input means in a binary number base and means for converting said mechanical input means in said binary number base to an electrical input means in said binary base to said counting circuit means, said mechanical input means in said binary and decimal number bases embodying indicia means discernible to the visual, auditory and tactile senses of the operator activating said input means.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said decimal mechanical input means comprises a rotary dial switch means having visible, audible and tactile indicia of input.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus is embodied in a portable, desk-top-sized housing unit and said mechanical and electrical input means include a separable input extension means selectively attachable to said apparatus by a flexible electrical conduit means for effecting an input from a point remote from said unit.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 including interchangeable indicia strip means operable and attachable in association with and selectively detachable from association with said lamps, each said indicia means including means translating the visual output represented by said lamps in said binary number base to an equivalent expression in another number system.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 including a portable desk-top-sized housing unit embodying the various said means, said counting circuit means including input and output connector means connected in said circuit means in a manner so that said input connector means of one said housing unit can be connected to said output connector means of another said housing unit so as to connect said counting circuit means of one said unit in series with said counting circuit means of another said unit, thereby to multiply the calculating capacity of said units. Pg,20

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus is embodied in a first desk-top-sized housing unit including electrical receptacle means connected to the output side of each individual counting circuit embodying said counting circuit means, said visual output means including a second unit separated from said first unit and embodying large display lamp indicia in said binary number base for large group instruction.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said second unit includes a series of individual counting circuits corresponding in number to the individual counting circuits of said first unit, and flexible electrical conductor means including an electrical connector means for mating connection with said receptacle means to interconnect the outputs of said individual circuits of said first unit with the individual circuits of said second unit.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus is embodied in a housing unit, said unit embodying a tape playback means including a speaker means and control means for transmitting taped audible instructions to a user of said apparatus.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 1 including a portable desk-top-sized housing containing said counting circuit means, said housing defining a front face, said decimal input means comprising a rotary telephone dial-type switch with said dial positioned on said front face, said binary input means comprising a series of three-position switches aligned on said front face and corresponding in number to the number of individual counting circuits, each said three-position switch being electrically connected to a different one of said counting circuits and having a first neutral position, a second position connecting the switch to one side of its associated circuit, and a third position connecting the switch to the opposite side of its associated circuit, said lamps including visible portions on said face and arranged each in association with a different one of said three-position switches, each said lamp and associated said three-position switch being electrically connected to the same one of said counting circuits so that each associated three-position switch and lamp represent the same binary expression.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 9 including a series of indicia strips each representative of a different number system, each said strip having a series of openings therethrough corresponding in number to the number of said lamps and arranged so that said strips can be selectively placed over said lamps with said lamps extending through said openings and thereby retaining said strips on said face.

Claim 12

A teaching device for teaching calculation in different number bases and for enabling the comparison of calculations in an unfamiliar base with the same calculations in a familiar number base, said device comprising: a portable desk-top-sized housing having a front face, electrical binary counting circuit means comprising a series of series-connected bistable multivibrator counting circuits each representative of a different binary number, decimal input means comprising a manually operable ten-position rotary telephone dial-type switch with automatic return and having decimal indicia on the dial face positions, said rotary dial including said dial face being on said housing face, and said rotary switch being operable to transmit a number of electrical pulses corresponding to the decimal number dialed and an audible signal of a length corresponding to the decimal number dialed, an electrical lead leading directly from said dial switch to a first one of said series of counting circuits corresponding to the lowest binary number represented by said circuits, for transmitting said decimal dial pulses into said first circuit, binary input means comprising a series of manually operable, three-position input switches on said housing face corresponding in number to the number of said counting circuits, three-posiTion said three- switch having a normally open position and two closed positions including a first closed position for transmitting a single electrical pulse at a time through a first lead to one side of its corresponding counting circuit and a second closed position for transmitting a single electrical pulse at a time through a second lead to the opposite side of the same said corresponding counting circuit so that when said first and second positions of said three-position switch are closed alternately, the associated counting circuit is operated in additive fashion, and a series of electrical lamps corresponding in number to the number of counting circuits and three-position input switches, said lamps being arranged on said housing face, each in association with one of said three-position switches, each said lamp being electrically connected to the output side of a different one of said counting circuits with each lamp and its associated said three-position switch being electrically connected to the same said counting circuit so that each lamp and three-position switch represents the same binary expression, and normally open clearing switch means operable on the outside of said housing and electrically connected in said counting circuit means in a manner to clear all of said multivibrator counting circuits and multivibrator associated output lamps when closed.

Claim 13

A teaching device for teaching calculation in different number bases and for enabling the comparison of calculations in an unfamiliar base with the same calculations in a familiar number base, said device comprising: a portable desk-top-sized housing having a front face, electrical binary counting circuit means comprising a series of series-connected bistable multivibrator counting circuits each representative of a different binary number, decimal input means comprising a manually operable ten-position rotary telephone dial-type switch with automatic return and having decimal indicia on the dial face positions, said rotary dial including said dial face being on said housing face, and said rotary switch being operable to transmit a number of electrical pulses corresponding to the decimal number dialed and an audible signal of a length corresponding to the decimal number dialed, an electrical lead leading directly from said dial switch to a first one of said series of counting circuits corresponding to the lowest binary number represented by said circuits, for transmitting said decimal dial pulses into said first circuit, binary input means comprising a series of manually operable, three-position input switches on said housing face corresponding in number to the number of said counting circuits, three-posiTion said three- switch having a normally open position and two closed positions including a first closed position for transmitting a single electrical pulse at a time through a first lead to one side of its corresponding counting circuit and a second closed position for transmitting a single electrical pulse at a time through a second lead to the opposite side of the same said corresponding counting circuit so that when said first and second positions of said three-position switch are closed alternately, the associated counting circuit is operated in additive fashion, and a series of electrical lamps corresponding in number to the number of counting circuits and three-position input switches, said lamps being arranged on said housing face, each in association with one of said three-position switches, each said lamp being electrically connected to the output side of a different one of said counting circuits with each lamp and its associated said three-position switch being electrically connected to the same said counting circuit so that each lamp and three-position switch represents the same binary expression, and normally open clearing switch means operable on the outside of said housing and electrically connected in said counting circuit means in a manner to clear all of said multivibrator counting circuits and multivibrator associated output lamps when closed.