US4008529A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Teaching apparatus and method
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-11-07
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Granted: 1977-02-22
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Expires: 1995-11-07
Abstract
Abstract A teaching apparatus and method are disclosed which utilize pages having written material thereon to be learned in combination with transparent sheets having selected opaque areas, the transparent sheets preferably being about the size of one of said pages. In the apparatus each transparent sheet contains randomly spaced, opaque areas which obscure parts of individual letters, whole letters or larger sized multiple indicia portions of the written material. The transparent sheets are necessarily assembled in register and maintained in register with one another and are fastened together along one of their common edges to form a set. The method of using the apparatus is generally as follows: after the written material has been read in its entirety, the bottom transparent sheet in the set is placed alone over the page of printed material so that the random marks on the transparent sheet partially obscure the underlying indicia. The partially obscured written page is then studied even though partially obscured. The recollection and logical deduction of the reader provides the obscured portion whereby the learning process is enhanced. Additional sheets with interlaced random marks are then overlaid on the printed sheet with the random marks progressively obscuring additional areas of the underlying printed material. As each successive transparent sheet is overlayed upon its predecessor, the written material is progressively more fully obscured, thus compelling a user of the teaching apparatus to recall step by step more and more of the substance, or display words on the page of written material. When one page of indicia bearing material has been studied by the learner, the set of transparent sheets may be reused upon another page of material.
Inventors
- 👤 Neil Yorkston
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 03:52
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B1/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
204 words
A visual display apparatus for use in controlling the observable information content of an arbitrarily selectable page of written material bearing intelligible indicia of one visual characteristic disposed on a background of a distinguishable second visual characteristic comprising: a plurality of transparent sheets adapted to overlie the page of written material in an arbitrarily selectable position relative to said page and removable therefrom, each of said sheets containing a field of opaque blots spaced irregularly relative to said written material, the area of said sheet containing said field being otherwise substantially transparent, said blots on each sheet being disposed to obscure a plurality of portions of the written material, said portions being small relative to said written material, said blots on each sheet being arranged in relation to the opaque blots on others of said sheets to obscure different portions of the written material and progressively obscure a greater amount of said written material as additional ones of said sheets are placed over said page; and means separable from said page and attached to each of said plurality of transparent sheets adjacent an edge portion thereof to permit said transparent sheets to be disposed in overlying relationship and to maintain said sheets in registry.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
204 words
A visual display apparatus for use in controlling the observable information content of an arbitrarily selectable page of written material bearing intelligible indicia of one visual characteristic disposed on a background of a distinguishable second visual characteristic comprising: a plurality of transparent sheets adapted to overlie the page of written material in an arbitrarily selectable position relative to said page and removable therefrom, each of said sheets containing a field of opaque blots spaced irregularly relative to said written material, the area of said sheet containing said field being otherwise substantially transparent, said blots on each sheet being disposed to obscure a plurality of portions of the written material, said portions being small relative to said written material, said blots on each sheet being arranged in relation to the opaque blots on others of said sheets to obscure different portions of the written material and progressively obscure a greater amount of said written material as additional ones of said sheets are placed over said page; and means separable from said page and attached to each of said plurality of transparent sheets adjacent an edge portion thereof to permit said transparent sheets to be disposed in overlying relationship and to maintain said sheets in registry.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which the opaque blots are affixed on the surface of the transparent sheets.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which the opaque blots are arranged in each sheet in a mathematically random manner.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which the opaque blots are arranged on the transparent sheets to obscure successively greater portions of the written material as each transparent sheet is overlaid upon the transparent page which precedes it in a non-linear progression.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which the opaque blots are arranged on the transparent sheets to obscure in successive stages the entire amount of written material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which the transparent sheets containing the opaque blots are adapted to be rearranged in registry to provide varying sequences of coverage of the written material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which the transparent sheets are adapted to be arranged in fixed horizontal and vertical registry with a plurality of pages of written material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which the transparent sheets are arranged in a set engaged along one margin to maintain the transparent sheets in a fixed order with respect to one another.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which the transparent sheets are contained in a set and are loosely flexible to permit sequential movement of said sheets into a superposed relationship on the page of written material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which the transparent sheets are hingedly affixed to a rigid spline adapted to be inserted beneath a cover flap jacket at the rear of a volume of written material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said written material is verbal text comprising sequentially arranged symbols and said blots are rectangles of about the size of one symbol.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
223 words
A visual display apparatus for use in controlling the observable information content of an arbitrarily selectable page of written material bearing intelligible indicia of one visual characteristic disposed on a background of a distinguishable second visual characteristic comprising: a plurality of transparent sheets adapted to overlie the page of written material in an arbitrarily selectable position relative to said page and removable therefrom, each of said sheets containing a field of opaque blots spaced irregularly relative to said written material and having a blot visual characteristic contrasting with said one visual characteristic and blending with said second visual characteristic, the area of said sheet containing said field being otherwise substantially transparent, said blots on each sheet being disposed to obscure a plurality of portions of the written material, said portions being small relative to said written material, said blots on each sheet being arranged in relation to the opaque blots on others of said sheets to obscure different portions of the written material and progressively obscure a greater amount of said written material as additional ones of said sheets are placed over said page; and means separable from said page and attached to each of said plurality of transparent sheets adjacent an edge portion thereof to permit said transparent sheets to be disposed in overlying relationship and to maintain said sheets in registry.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
223 words
A visual display apparatus for use in controlling the observable information content of an arbitrarily selectable page of written material bearing intelligible indicia of one visual characteristic disposed on a background of a distinguishable second visual characteristic comprising: a plurality of transparent sheets adapted to overlie the page of written material in an arbitrarily selectable position relative to said page and removable therefrom, each of said sheets containing a field of opaque blots spaced irregularly relative to said written material and having a blot visual characteristic contrasting with said one visual characteristic and blending with said second visual characteristic, the area of said sheet containing said field being otherwise substantially transparent, said blots on each sheet being disposed to obscure a plurality of portions of the written material, said portions being small relative to said written material, said blots on each sheet being arranged in relation to the opaque blots on others of said sheets to obscure different portions of the written material and progressively obscure a greater amount of said written material as additional ones of said sheets are placed over said page; and means separable from said page and attached to each of said plurality of transparent sheets adjacent an edge portion thereof to permit said transparent sheets to be disposed in overlying relationship and to maintain said sheets in registry.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-02-22 | 1980-08-23 | 1981-02-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-02-22 | 1984-08-23 | 1985-02-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-02-22 | 1988-08-23 | 1989-02-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |