Visual display board

Claim 1

A display device comprising body means defining a plurality of passages, said body means having associated therewith an effective display plane located adjacent the forward ends of said plurality of passages, a movable member located in each of said plurality of passages, capable of moving in each of said plurality of passages between a first position and a second position and a writing member capable of being moved in front of said display plane for causing said movable members to move between said first and second positions responsive to the position of said writing member; wherein said first position is a forward position and said second position is a rearward position and wherein said forward position is located in said display plane and said movable members are held in their respective forward positions when they are moved to their respective forward positions; further comprising a stripping material placed upon said display plane, said stripping comprising at least one pair of strips affixed to the display plane with said pair of strips overlapping the forward ends of said passages, said pair of strips separated from each other by slightly less than the width of said movable member so as to contact said movable members in their respective forward positions, said material comprising magnetically conducting material, means for connecting a pole of a first type magnetic field to one of said pair of strips and a source of an opposite magnetic pole to the other of said pair of strips, said movable members comprised of magnetically attractable material whereby said movable members are held in their respective forward positions by the magnetic force between said two strips.