Specification of Bertram Mitford : communicating with deaf and dumb persons.

  • Mitford, Bertram.
Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of Bertram Mitford : communicating with deaf and dumb persons. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Mitford’s Improvements in Communicating with Deaf and Dumb Persons. Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent. 5 NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bertram Mitford, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is 10 to say:— My said Invention relates to a peculiar form of apparatus for facilitating intercourse with deaf and dumb or deaf or dumb persons, and consists of a hand telegraph composed of a hollow case of any convenient form and size made of wood or other suitable light material, 15 and provided with a handle whereby it may be easily held in the hand of the user. On that side of the said case which is intended to face the user there are contained the letters of the alphabet, numerals, or other signs useful in personal intercourse, and upon the opposite side or that which faces the person communicated with there is provided an aperture 20 which may be protected by glass. In the interior of the hollow case are disposed a number of sliding wires worked by buttons which traverse along slots disposed each immediately above a different letter or sign. The upper end of each of these sliding spindles carries the corresponding letter or sign to that marked on the case opposite to the particular 25 button, and when any slide or button is pushed along the slot the corresponding letter or sign will be presented at the glazed aperture on the opposite side of the case. By successively raising and lowering or moving the slides it is obvious that words can be easily spelt and communication be thus established with the deaf and dumb or deaf or 30 dumb without necessitating a knowledge of the signs known as c< the deaf and dumb or finger alphabet.” And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of 35 Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures. Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a front elevation of my improved apparatus, which I have named “ The Hand Telegraph for the Deaf or