Writing or drawing tablet.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1902.-} (No Model.)

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-UTHO . WASHINGTON. D C,

United States Patent Office.

FREDERICK ELLSWORTH DODGE, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

WRITING OR DRAWING TABLET.

SPECIFICATION· forming· part of Letters Patent No. 716,629, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed March 25,1902. Serial No. 99,965. (No model.)

To (M whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Frederick Ellsworth Dodge, dentist, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at VII, 40 Burggasse, 5 Vienna, Empire of Austria-Hungary, have' invented Writing or Drawing Tablets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art io to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to writing or drawing tablets; and its object is to provide a tablet or slate of any desired material which will greatly assist learners of the art of writing and drawing.

The invention consists in characters to be traced in the form of grooves varying in depth where angles exist in the construction of such characters, so that particularly at the angles the proper guiding of the tracing medium is facilitated. The grooves may be cut, engraved, or pressed, according to the material chosen. They are of sufficient depth and breadth to hold a pencil or other point, and by means of the variation in the depth of the 30 grooves at the crossing or at the juncture of grooves the pencil or point is guided into the proper groove and deterred from entering the wrong one. This is accomplished by making the groove slightly shallower before the cross35 ing or juncture and slightly deeper at and after the crossing or juncture. The pencil consequently falls into the right groove and continues in it.

By means of this invention assistance is 40 given both to the eye of the learner and to the hand at the same time, thus rendering easier the learning of the art of writing and drawing.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 45 a view of a part of a tablet or slate with an engraved letter “ 1,” and Fig. 2 is the same view of a “ W. ” Fig. 3 is a section on the line A A of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a section on the line B B of Fig. 2.

In carrying the invention into effect a tab- 50 let is provided, of slate, paper, or any other suitable material, with or without any suitable coverings, such as glass, parchment, or the like, and on the surface of the tablet the grooves representing the lines of the letters, 55 figures, or drawings are either cut in, engraved, stamped, or impressed, according to the material from which the tablet is constructed, the depth and width of the grooves being adapted according to the form of the 60 point of the writing or drawing pencil or pen, so that the latter may be inserted sufficiently deep into the grooves and may be guided by the walls thereof. At the crossings or junctures of the letters or figures the grooves are 65 shallower before the crossing or juncture and deeper after the crossing or juncture. The groove of the letter “1” in Figs. 1 and 3 is at a and &amp; slightly shallower than at c and d. The grooves of the letter “W” in Figs. 2 and 70 4 are at e, f, and g slightly shallower than at h, i, and j. In this manner the right guidance of the point of the pencil or pen is rendered easy, while the pencil or pen is prevented from entering the wrong groove. A 75 deviation from the correct line would only occur from false or incorrect guidance and never by accident.

Grooves of variable depth are also applicable to the teaching of elementary drawing. 80