GB2029775A

GB2029775A - Braille Reading Aid

Info

Publication number: GB2029775A
Application number: GB7835450A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TAKHVAR M
Current assignee: TAKHVAR M
Priority date: 1978-09-04
Filing date: 1978-09-04
Publication date: 1980-03-26

Abstract

A Braille reading aid comprising a support 2 for a Braille printed sheet, means 5, 7 for aligning the sheet on the support and retaining the sheet in an aligned position, a carriage mounted on the support in such a way that a slot 16 in the carriage extends parallel to the upper and lower edges of the aligned sheet to expose through the slot a single row of Braille characters, and locating means e.g. indexing means 20, operable by the user to positively locate the carriage at incrementally spaced positions corresponding to the spacing of the lines of Braille characters. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Braille Reading Aid This invention relates to a Braille reading aid.

Many blind persons also suffer from additional disabilities and, although they can be familiarised with Braille characters, may experience difficulty in following lines of such characters and in accurately moving from one line to the succeeding line in the correct order. The invention relates to a reading aid for use in such cases.

According to the invention a Braille reading aid comprises a support for a Braille printed sheet, means for aligning the sheet on the support and retaining the sheet in an aligned position, a carriage mounted on the support in such a way that a slot in the carriage extends parallel to the upper and lower edges of the aligned sheet to expose through the slot a single row of Braille characters, and indexing means operable by the user to advance the carriage from the top to the bottom of the aligned sheet in increments corresponding to the spacing of the lines of Braille characters.

Using the aid according to the invention a user can readily position the sheet in the required position, where it is then held. By moving his finger along the slot in the carriage the user traverses a single row of characters in the correct order and is therefore able properly to read that row. When the end of the row is reached a simple indexing movement moves the carriage down so that the slot is positioned over the immediately succeeding row of characters, it can then be read in the same way. In this way the user has no difficulty in reading a Braille printed page in the correct sequence.

The carriage preferably incorporates a support for the wrist of the user in order that the hand is steadied during the reading operation.

In one form of the invention the indexing means may be adjustable in order to adjust the increments by which the carriage is advanced.

Braille print is conventionally presented in two sizes and the spacing between adjacent rows of characters is different in the two sizes. By adjusting the increment of the indexing means text of either spacing can readily be accommodated. The aid may be designed specifically for a right-handed or left-handed user, or alternatively the aid can be such that the carriage can be mounted on the support in two alternative positions, one for a right-handed user and one for a left-handed user.

In order that the invention may be better understood two embodiments of reading aid will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a pian view of a first embodiment of reading aid; Figure 2 is a side elevation in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part of Figure 1, with certain parts removed; Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-lV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an exploded section view on the line V-V of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of reading aid according to the invention; and Figure 7 is a cross-section on the line VI--VI of Figure 6.

Referring now to the reading aid shown in Figures 1 to 4 this comprises a frame 1 having a flat, forwardly sloping deck 2 forming a support for a Braille printed sheet. The front edge of the frame is formed with an extension 3 having a flange 4 forming a front support for the frame.

The rear support for the frame is constituted by two levelling screws such as 5 which may be adjusted relative to the frame to adjust the angle of slope to a comfortable level. The projection 3 and flange 4 form a carrying handle rendering the device readily portable.

At the left-hand side of the support surface 2 the frame has a raised section 5 forming a guide edge 6 against which an edge of the sheet to be read may be aligned. Towards the lower edge of the support a paper holder 7 is pivoted to the support about a rod 8 and may be pivoted upwardly from the support surface by depression of a section 9 into a space 10 cut in the support surface 2. A spring 11 is provided to bias the paper holder 7 to its lowered position. Thus, in order to position the sheet to be read the part 9 is depressed to raise the paper holder 7, the sheet is positioned against the edge 6 and moved to its lowermost possible position and the paper holder is then allowed to move back to grip the sheet.

To the right-hand side of the support surface 2 there is mounted a rack 12 lying above the surface 2 and supported by a top section 13 of the frame and by a spacing member 14 secured to the surface 2. A carriage 1 5 is mounted on the rack and is also supported by the section 5 at the left-hand side of the frame so that space is left between the carriage 1 5 and the support surface 2, thus allowing the sheet to be accommodated below the carriage. The carriage is formed with a slot 16, extending at right angles to the guide edge 6, and with a rounded wrist support 17 extending parallel to the slot 1 6. The wrist support is pivotally mounted on the carriage about an axis 1 8 and retained in position by a lock nut operated by a lever 19.When the lever 19 is moved to loosen the lock nut the wrist support can be adjusted to the most comfortable position and retained there by re-securing the lock nut.

The right-hand side ofthe carriage is provided with indexing means shown generally as 20. This comprises a mechanism mounted on a carrier comprising upper and lower plates 21 and 22 supported for pivotal movement on the carriage by pivot members 23 and 24 secured respectively to the upper plate 21 and an upper cover plate 25, and between the lower plate 22 and a lower element 26 of the carriage. The plates 21 and 22 have a shaft 27 extending between and pivotally mounted on the plates, and a lever 28 is keyed to rotate with the shaft 27 by a key 29. A pinion 30 is also keyed to rotate with the shaft by a key 31, and a further pinion 32 is mounted on the shaft in a manner such that it is free to rotate relative to the shaft. The pinion 32 meshes with the teeth of the rack 12.A pawl 33 is pivotally mounted by a pin 34 on the upper surface of the pinion 32 and is biased by a spring (not shown) into a position of engagement with the teeth of the pinion 30. Thus, by moving the lever 28 in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure 3 the pinion 30 is moved clockwise and its engagement with the pawl 33 transmits this clockwise movement to the pinion 32, so moving the pinion along the rack and thus moving the carriage down towards the lower edge of the support. A tension spring 35 extends between a fixed mounting 36 on the plate 21 and a pin 37 on the lever 28 and this spring acts to return the lever 28 to its original position in an anti-clockwise direction when released by the user. During this anti-clockwise movement the pawl 33 rides over the teeth of the pinion 30 so that there is no movement of the pinion 32.A further tension spring 38 extends between a pin 38a fixed to the base plate 26 of the carriage and a pin 38b secured to the lower plate 22 in order to bias the pinion 32 into engagement with the rack.

The amount of movement of the lever 28 is controlled by a stop-pin 39 projecting below the cover plate 25 of the carriage. The pin has an enlarged head 40 from which extends upwardly an externally threaded shank 41 passing through a slot 42 in the plate 25. The shank extends through a washer 43 and engages an internally threaded bore 44 of a knurled adjusting member 45. By rotation of the adjusting member 45 the pin can be tightened until the head 40 engages in the channel 42 so securing the pin 39 relative to the carriage. By slackening the adjusting member the assembly may be moved along the slot to a new position and re-tightened accordingly. It has already been explained that as the lever 28 is moved clockwise the pinion 32 rotates and this action on the rack 12 causes the carriage to move downwardly by a corresponding amount.

Accordingly, the pin 39 is set so that the pivotal movement of the lever is exactly that required to index the slot 1 6 in the carriage from one line of Braille characters to the next adjacent line. The user's finger is thus guided reliably along each line and indexed from one line to the next by a simple movement of the lever 28.

Figure 6 shows a different embodiment of the reading aid comprising a board 50 having a flat support surface 51 for receiving the printed sheet to be read. Two side guide members 52 and 53 extend along the surface 51 and act as means for aligning the sheet on the support. A paper holder 54 is pivoted to the support in similar manner as that described with reference to Figure 1. A further guide member 55 extends alongside guide member 52, so defining a guide channel 56 between the two members. Similarly a further guide member 57 extends alongside guide member 53 and defines a guide channel 58 between those two members. Each of the guide members 52 and 53 have on the surface facing into the respective guide channels 56 and 58 a series of notches such as 59.

A carriage 60 is mounted on the support by engaging a central bar 61 of the carriage between the guide members 52 and 53 and by engaging a bar 62 on the carriage in the guide channel 58.

The carriage 60 has a slot 63 formed therein which will extend perpendicular to the edges of guides 52 and 53. The dimensions of the slot are such that a single row of Braille characters on a sheet positioned on the surface 51 are exposed through the slot. The guide bar 62 has a bail 64 captive therein and engageable with individual ones of the notches 59. The ball is biased into the position shown in Figure 7 by a compression spring 65 extending between the ball and a plug 66 which is threaded into the outer end of the bore in which the ball is fitted.

When the user had read the first line of characters by moving his finger along the slot 63 he may then index the carriage to the next line merely by pulling the carriage towards him with a slight force. This force will cause the ball 64 to ride out of the first one of the notches 59 and to move along the outer edge of the guide 53 until the next notch is reached. On reaching that notch the ball will engage with an audible click so indicating to the user that the next line has been reached. That line may then be read and the carriage indexed again to move down the page.

It will be appreciated that the device shown in Figures 6 and 7 can be used by either left-handed or righthanded users. It is shown positioned for a right-handed user, but for left-handed use all that is necessary is to slide the carriage from the base 50 at the end remote from the paper fastener 54 and to reverse the carriage so that the guide member 62 fits into the guide slot 56, in order that the ball may engage notches in the outer wall of the guide member 52.

It will be understood that the exact configuration of the support and of the carriage may be varied in the various embodiments of the invention. The wrist support shown in Figure 1 may be omitted, and the carriage shown in Figure 6 may incorporate a wrist support if so desired.

Claims

1. A Braille reading aid comprising a support for a Braille printed sheet, means for aligning the sheet on the support and retaining the sheet in an aligned position, a carriage mounted on the support in such a way that a slot in the carriage extends parallel to the upper and lower edges of the aligned sheet to expose through the slot a single row of Braille characters, and indexing means operable by the user to advance the carriage from the top to the bottom of the aligned sheet in increments corresponding to the spacing of the lines of Braille characters.

2. A Braille reading aid according to claim 1 in which the carriage incorporates a support for the wrist of the user.

3. A Braille reading aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the indexing means is adjustable to adjust the movements by which the carriage is advanced.

4. A Braille reading aid according to any one of the preceding claims in which the carriage can be mounted on the support in two alternative positions, one for a right-handed user and one for a left-handed user.

5. A Braille reading aid according to any one of the preceding claims in which the indexing means comprises a rack secured to the support and extending parallel to the side edges of the aligned sheet, a pinion rotatably mounted on the carriage and meshing with the rack, an operating member movable between first and second limit positions by the user, and means transmitting movement from the operating member to the pinion during one direction of movement only of the operating member.

6. A Braille reading aid according to claim 5 in which the movement transmitting means comprises a spring loaded pawl, and in which spring means are provided for biasing the operating member to the first limit position.

7. A Braille reading aid according to claim 5 or claim 6 in which the pinion, operating member and movement transmitting means are mounted on a carrier pivotally mounted on the carriage and biased in a direction to engage the pinion with the rack.

8. A Braille reading aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the indexing means comprises a notched strip secured to the support and extending parallel to the side edges of the aligned sheet, and a spring-loaded detent member mounted on the carriage and releasably engageable in turn with the notches.

9. A Braille reading aid substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 or Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.