Spirograph Bruno Abakanowicz invented the Spirograph between 1881 and 1900. It was used for calculating an area delimited by curves. Drawing toys based on gears have been around since at least 1908, when "The Marvelous Wondergraph" was advertised in the Sears catalog. An article describing how to make a Wondergraph drawing machine appeared in the "Boys Mechanic" publication in 1913. The Spirograph itself was developed by the British engineer Denys Fisher, who exhibited at the 1965 Nuremberg International Toy Fair. It was subsequently produced by his company. US distribution rights were acquired by Kenner, Inc., which introduced it to the United
Technical drawing tool Templates are also available for other geometric shapes such as squares and for drawing ellipses, as well as many specialized varieties for other purposes. There are also specific templates to provide user with the most common symbols in use in different branches of designing. For example, the architect templates can be used to draw different sized doors with their "opening arcs", building and equipment symbols and furniture. The templates also provide the symbols for thermal insulation. Two methods of drawing smooth curves in manual drafting are the use of French curves and flat splines (flexible curves). A French curve is