Perkins School for the Blind

Jude Jonas

Michael Schmidt

An improved Braille erasure mechanism may comprise a reverse-embosser or impressing mechanism to imprint a negative Braille cell. A negative Braille cell is the reverse of a normal Braille cell, with one or more dots lowered or pressed into the printing medium in an opposite direction to the raised dots of a normal Braille cell. Because the dots of a negative Braille cell are lowered past the surface of the printing medium, they may be ordinarily undetectable to the fingers of a Braille user. Accordingly, by imprinting a full negative Braille cell on top of a Braille cell to be erased, all of the previously raised dots of the Braille cell may be lowered beyond the surface of the printing medium. Any further Braille cell embossed over the erased cell will be free from corruption, because any dot not used by the new cell will remain lowered and undetectable.

Braille erasure mechanism

An electrically-assisted mechanical Braille writer includes a main solenoid to apply force to emboss Braille onto a printing medium, and advance an embossing mechanism to the next cell. A second solenoid engages a mechanical stop to prevent one or more embossing keys from being fully depressed, to prevent kickback from the keys mechanically coupling to the main solenoid. In unpowered operation, the mechanical stop is disengaged, and the embossing keys may be fully depressed to apply force to emboss Braille and advance the embossing mechanism. Accordingly, with electrical power, the user may supply a lesser amount of force and still fully emboss Braille cells, while without electrical power, the Braille writer remains fully operational.

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Waltham, MA, United States of America

Jude Jonas