Educational and amusement apparatus

• US 4,428,732 A
• Filed: 12/30/1981
• Issued: 01/31/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David A.G. Meyer
• Original Assignee: David A.G. Meyer
• Inventors: Meyer, David A. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US06/335,609
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 434/160, 273/157 R
• US Class Current: 434/160
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/12 Three-dimensional jig-saw puzzles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/40 to form symbols or signs by appropriate arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/00 Teaching reading teaching lip-reading G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/02 Counting; Calculating abacus G06C1/00

Abstract

An educational and amusement device includes elements in the form of an alphabet and/or the digits of a numbering system. Each character element is similarly divided by a plurality of essentially similar parallel lines, which may consist of a first set of parallel lines alone or first and second sets, with the second set of parallel lines oriented to extend in an opposite and perpendicular direction from such first set of lines. Each element includes at least three parts but less than ten, and preferably is four or five parts for sufficient complexity to maintain interest of a child or other person having a learning disability but of a sufficient simplicity to prevent frustration. Each element may be formed with the parts releasably interconnected with each other as by water soluble adhesive. Each element can be made progressively more complex.

Claims

1. An educational and amusement device, comprising a plurality of individual elements each of which defines a character from an alphabet system or a numerical system, each of said elements being divided into a plurality of separate parts defined by a first separating set of a plurality of substantially parallel dividing lines angularly oriented with respect to a centered cartesian coordinate system of said element, a plurality of said elements including a second separating set of lines, said second separating set of lines being angularly oriented lines extending substantially perpendicular to said first plurality of angularly oriented lines, wherein each of said plurality of individual elements includes only said first and second separating sets to define said parts.

2. The device of claim 1 having each of said elements being uniquely color coded.

3. The educational and amusement device of claim 1 wherein a substantial number of said parts being provided for each element and being interconnected to each other by a releasable attachment means whereby the degree of separation within each element can be progressively changed, to permit progressively increasing the number of parts for any given element.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein each of said elements consists of at least four parts and no more than six parts.