Patent US4056892A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4056892A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Engineering and educational table and method of use
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1976-04-16
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Granted: 1977-11-08
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Expires: 1996-04-16
Abstract
Abstract A table, having a removable transparent top with a box-shaped container directly below the top supported on legs which are removable and adjustable, is provided with a granular medium within the container and various measuring instruments associated there-with for creating or forming miniature simulated landscapes. The granular medium comprises a substance such as sawdust or a mixture of sawdust and soil or artificial soils lightly wetted by a substance such as oil so that the medium may be formed into shapes that retain their configuration until disturbed by outside forces. The measuring instruments associated with the table include both metric and English scales formed along the edge of the table, a miniature transit mountable on the table, compass, stadia and other surveying instruments.
Inventors
- 👤 Jimmie P. Atencio
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 10:11
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B25/00; G09B25/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A landscape instruction and design table comprising in combination; a generally rectangular box-like container having a bottom and vertically extending sides terminating at an upper edge for supporting a removable top; a removable top plate providing a plane working surface adapted to rest on said upper edge; a quantity of non-fluid material disposed in said container for shaping into simulated landscapes; distance measuring means associated with said container for measuring distances of selected points within said container from each other and from a base reference point; and, angle measuring means comprising a transit associated with said container and sealed for functioning therewith for measuring vertical and horizontal angles betwen points within said container and between said points and a reference axis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
121 words
A landscape instruction and design table comprising in combination; a generally rectangular box-like container having a bottom and vertically extending sides terminating at an upper edge for supporting a removable top; a removable top plate providing a plane working surface adapted to rest on said upper edge; a quantity of non-fluid material disposed in said container for shaping into simulated landscapes; distance measuring means associated with said container for measuring distances of selected points within said container from each other and from a base reference point; and, angle measuring means comprising a transit associated with said container and sealed for functioning therewith for measuring vertical and horizontal angles betwen points within said container and between said points and a reference axis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said granular material comprises a moistened sawdust.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The table of claim 1 wherein said top plate is transparent and includes grid means associated therewith for defining location of points within said container.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention of claim 1 including: guide means mounted adjacent the edges of said container; and, indicator means slidably mounted on said guide means for positioning above points in said table.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said granular material comprises a moistened sand.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said angle measuring means further comprises a compass.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 1 including stadia means for use with said transit for measuring elevations within said container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein: said distance measuring means comprises scale means formed along the upper edge of the sidewalls of said container.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
The invention of claim 5 including: guide means mounted adjacent the edges of said container; and, first and second indicator means intersecting above said table and slidably mounted on said guide means for positioning above selected points in said table and cooperating with said scale means for defining the distance of said reference point from a selected reference point.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 9 including stadia means for use with said transit for measuring elevations within said container.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
123 words
The table of claim 1 wherein said top plate is transparent and includes grid means associated therewith for defining location of points within said container; guide means including a plurality of rods mounted and extending along adjacent the edges of said container; indicator means including a pair of bars slidably mounted on said guide means and extending at right angles to one another for positioning the point of intersection thereof above points in said table; said distance measuring means comprises scale means formed along the upper edge of the sidewalls of said container for cooperation with said indicator means, wherein said angle measuring means is a transit, and further including stadia means for use with said transit for measuring elevations within said container.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The table of claim 11 wherein said transit includes a base formed to mount to said pair of bars at the intersection thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The table of claim 11 wherein said transit includes a base formed to mount and clamp to the upper edge of said table.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The table of claim 13 wherein said base is formed to mount at the corners of said table.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
197 words
A method of creating and teaching spatial and angular relationships between simulated landscape formation and structures, the steps of: establishing a predetermined scale to which a miniature landscape is to be constructed; providing a granular non-fluid medium for shaping into a temporary simulated landscape formations; providing a generally rectangular box-like container for containing said granular non-fluid medium; providing distance measuring means for measuring distances between points within said container and with respect to a base reference point by establishing one corner of said container as a base reference point, and forming measuring scales extending from said reference point along the edges of said container; providing vertical and horizontal angular measuring means for measuring vertical and horizontal angles between points within said container and a base axis by providing a miniature transit scaled to function within the dimensions of said container, and providing a base for mounting said transit on the edge of said container; shaping said medium into a simulated landscape in proportion to said scale; establishing the location and distal relationship between structures of said formation by said distance measuring means; and, establishing the angular relationship of structures of said formation by said angular measuring means.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
197 words
A method of creating and teaching spatial and angular relationships between simulated landscape formation and structures, the steps of: establishing a predetermined scale to which a miniature landscape is to be constructed; providing a granular non-fluid medium for shaping into a temporary simulated landscape formations; providing a generally rectangular box-like container for containing said granular non-fluid medium; providing distance measuring means for measuring distances between points within said container and with respect to a base reference point by establishing one corner of said container as a base reference point, and forming measuring scales extending from said reference point along the edges of said container; providing vertical and horizontal angular measuring means for measuring vertical and horizontal angles between points within said container and a base axis by providing a miniature transit scaled to function within the dimensions of said container, and providing a base for mounting said transit on the edge of said container; shaping said medium into a simulated landscape in proportion to said scale; establishing the location and distal relationship between structures of said formation by said distance measuring means; and, establishing the angular relationship of structures of said formation by said angular measuring means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 15 including providing first means extending between opposite sides of said container and second means extending between opposite ends of said container, said first means and said second means intersecting above said container for establishing the location of a point within said container.
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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) | 1980-11-07 | 1981-05-09 | 1981-11-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-11-07 | 1985-05-09 | 1985-11-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-11-07 | 1989-05-09 | 1989-11-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |