# US 4,382,794 A · Instructional aid

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- Number: US 4,382,794 A
- Document ID: US4382794A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/232,121
- Filed: 1981-02-06
- Granted: 1983-05-10
- Earliest claimed: 1981-02-06
- Inventors: Ann M. Preus
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4382794A

## CPC

- G09B 23/02: for mathematics (for statics or dynamics G09B23/08)
- G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B)

## Abstract

An instructional aid consisting of a plurality of objects useful in teaching and understanding basic concepts of number, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Each of the objects in the plurality corresponds to some integer number between one and ten and has a thickness representing the number to which it corresponds. Moreover, each object has a surface having a color or combination of colors representing the prime number or composite number to which it corresponds. The surface having such color or combination of colors has the shape of the Arabic numeral representing the number to which the object corresponds. Alternatively, this surface has the shape of a symmetrical figure with a number of sides equal to the value of the number to which the object corresponds. As a further alternative, this surface consists of a linear composite of unit surfaces, the number of such unit surfaces being equal to the value of the number to which the object corresponds.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An instructional aid comprising:
a plurality of objects in which each of said objects:
(a) corresponds to some integer number from one to ten inclusive,
(b) has a thickness dimension which represents the relative value of the number to which it corresponds,
(c) has the shape of the Arabic numeral representing the number to which the object corresponds, with the exception of the object corresponding to the number ten where that object has the shape of the Arabic numeral representing the number one.
(d) has at least one surface being of a color or combination of colors representing the prime number or the prime factors of the composite number to which it corresponds, wherein:
(i) said one surface of each of the objects corresponding to the prime numbers two, three, five and seven is a different color,
(ii) said one surface of each of the objects corresponding to the composite numbers four and eight is the same color as the color of said one surface of the object corresponding to the prime number two,
(iii) said one surface of the object corresponding to the composite number nine is the same color as the color of said one surface of the object corresponding to the prime number three,
(iv) said one surface of the object corresponding to the composite number six is divided into two portions, one portion being of the same color as the color of said one surface of the object corresponding to the prime number two, and the other portion being of the same color as the color of said one surface of the object corresponding to the prime number three, and
(v) said one surface of the object corresponding to the composite number ten is divided into two portions, one portion being of the same color as the color of said one surface of the object corresponding to the prime number two and the other portion being of the same color as the color of said one surface of the object corresponding to the prime number five.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The instructional aid of claim 1, wherein the thickness of each object is a multiple of a unit thickness, the multiplier being the value of the number to which the object corresponds.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The instructional aid of claim 2, wherein each object has a weight equal in value to a multiple of a unit weight, the multiplier being the value of the number to which the object corresponds.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The instructional aid of claim 1, wherein at least one of said surfaces of each objects bearing said color or combination of colors has a number of holes therein equal to the value of the number to which the object corresponds.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The instructional aid of claim 4, wherein said holes are adapted to receive a peg.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The instructional aid of claim 1, wherein at least one of said surfaces of each object being of said color or combination of colors has on it the name of the number to which the object corresponds.