Overhead abacus
An abacus including a frame, a plurality of wires supported by the frame, and a plurality of counting members coupled to the wires for movement along the wires. The counting members are substantially translucent so to allow light to pass therethrough.
1 . An abacus comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of wires supported by the frame; and
a plurality of counting members coupled to the wires for movement along the wires, the counting members being substantially translucent so to allow light to pass therethrough.
2 . The abacus of claim 1 , wherein the counting members are configured with at least one substantially flat surface allowing light to pass therethrough.
3 . The abacus of claim 2 , wherein each counting member includes a center of gravity, and wherein the counting members couple to the wires through portions of the counting members offset from the center of gravity of the counting members.
4 . The abacus of claim 3 , wherein the counting members include a central axis passing through the at least one substantially flat surface, and wherein the wires pass through the central axis of the counting members.
5 . The abacus of claim 1 , wherein the counting members are configured with at least two opposing surfaces.
6 . The abacus of claim 5 , wherein the at least two opposing surfaces are configured as at least two substantially parallel surfaces.
7 . The abacus of claim 6 , wherein the counting members are in the form of beads configured as cylinders, opposing ends of each cylinder defining the at least two substantially parallel surfaces.
8 . The abacus of claim 5 , wherein each counting member includes a center of gravity, and wherein the counting members couple to the wires through portions of the counting members offset from the center of gravity of the counting members.
9 . The abacus of claim 8 , wherein the counting members include a central axis passing through the at least two opposing surfaces, and wherein the wires pass through the central axis of the counting members.
10 . The abacus of claim 5 , wherein the frame is configured to be supported on a viewing surface of an overhead projector.
11 . The abacus of claim 10 , wherein the counting members are configured to naturally orient their at least two opposing surfaces with the viewing surface of the overhead projector.
12 . An abacus comprising:
a frame configured with a plurality of channels; and
a plurality of counting members supported by the channels for movement along the channels, the counting members being substantially translucent so to allow light to pass therethrough.
13 . The abacus of claim 12 , wherein the counting members are configured with at least one substantially flat surface allowing light to pass therethrough.
14 . The abacus of claim 13 , wherein the frame is configured to be supported on a viewing surface of an overhead projector.
15 . The abacus of claim 14 , wherein the channels support the counting members therein, such that the at least one substantially flat surface of the counting members is generally oriented with the viewing surface of the overhead.
16 . The abacus of claim 12 , wherein the counting members are configured with at least two opposing surfaces allowing light to pass there through.
17 . The abacus of claim 16 , wherein the at least two opposing surfaces are configured as at least two substantially parallel surfaces.
18 . The abacus of claim 17 , wherein the counting members are in the form of beads configured as disks, opposing ends of each disk defining the at least two substantially parallel surfaces.
19 . The abacus of claim 16 , wherein the frame is configured to be supported on a viewing surface of an overhead projector.
20 . The abacus of claim 19 , wherein the channels support the counting members therein, such that the at least two opposing surfaces of the counting members are generally oriented with the viewing surface of the overhead.
21 . An abacus comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel wires supported by the frame; and
a plurality of counting members configured with at least two substantially parallel surfaces allowing light to pass there through, each counting member having a center of gravity,
wherein the counting members are coupled to the wires at portions of the counting members offset from the center of gravity of the counting members, the counting members being movable along the wires.
22 . The abacus of claim 21 , wherein the counting members include a central axis passing through the at least two substantially parallel surfaces, the wires passing through the central axis of the counting members.