BE IT KNOWN THAT I, ARTHUR. W. JUENGER, a citizen of the United States and resident of the County of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in BOARD PUZZLES of which the following is a specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.
This invention relates to portable pattern alignment puzzle games. Applicant has no knowledge of any cross-related applications. This invention has no connection with any federally sponsored research and development program.
Puzzles have existed for decades as conventional forms of amusement, entertainment and interest occupying devices. Puzzle solvers regularly enjoy mental exercises in shape, space and color identification and recognition provided by puzzles. Experienced puzzle solvers find simple and uncomplicated puzzles boring and unchallenging, and conventionally avoid such puzzles. There exists a need for complex puzzles which are small, portable, and suited for convenient storage in a briefcase or handbag while in a partially solved condition.
To satisfy these needs, applicant has invented a small, portable puzzle, sized and shaped for carrying in briefcases or folders or the like, which is complex and challenging, and which may be readily stored in a partially solved condition when matters arise causing interruptions in puzzle solving. A puzzle of the type hereinafter described may be stored for days, weeks and months, and it may be readily carried into places where people customarily look for something to occupy their time, such as in airports, physician's offices or while traveling.
This invention provides a portable puzzle comprising seven twelve sided prisms movably disposed in the recess of a solving board to which the individual pieces of the puzzle are magnetically attracted such that said pieces may be held and moved about in the recess without the use of interlocking configurations, and which, during periods of non-use, may be readily stored in convenient locations. The face of each prism presents twelve colored segments extending from the center of the prism to the sides on the periphery of the prism. Each prism has two segments each of six different colors. The arrangement of colors on the face of each prism differs from the arrangement of colors on every other prism. The object of the puzzle is to place the individual prisms in the recessed solving board in such manner that there are the same colors on the abutting sides of the various prisms when the prisms are disposed in the solving board.
Referring now in more detail by reference character to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, A represents a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle assembly comprising a base 20 and seven prisms 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 and 160. The base 20 is preferably a flat sheet 22 of magnetically attractive material sandwiched between thin layers 24, 26, of wood or plastic as best seen in
The prism 40 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardly presented flat faces 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52. Similarly, the prism 60 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardly presented flat faces 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72; the prism 80 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardly presented flat faces 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 and 92; the prism 100 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardly presented flat faces 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111 and 112; the prism 120 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardly presented flat faces 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131 and 132; the prism 60 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardly presented flat faces 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151 and 152; and the prism 160 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardly presented flat faces 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171 and 172. The central portions of each prism is coated with a metallic coating for attracting each prism toward the base 20 for purposes presently more fully to appear.
The base 20 contains a recess 21 sized for accepting all seven prisms, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 and 160 arranged such that one is located in the center of the recess and the other six are placed around the central prism. Along the periphery of the recess 21, there are six cutout sections 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 sized for snug fitting disposition of the outer peripheries of the prisms stacked around the centrally positioned prism.
Referring to
The upwardly presented face of each prism 53, 73, 93, 113, 133, 153 and 173, is colored with six different colors, red, orange yellow, green blue and purple, arranged differently on the face and arranged such that there are only two sections of the same color on each of said faces. It should be here noted that the order of placements of the colors on the individual sections of the individual prisms is crucial to the creation of the puzzle. Referring now to Table I, the correct order of section colors on the separate prisms is set out such that there will be only one correct solution in the millions of possible combinations.
It should be noted that when one prism is positioned in the center of the recess 21 and the pother six prisms are positioned in the recess about the central prism, that the central prism will have a side in abutment with a side of each of the surrounding prisms, and each of the surrounding prisms will have one side in abutment with the central prism and a side in abutment with each adjacent peripheral prism. The object of the puzzle is to position the prisms such that each side which abuts a side of an adjacent prism abuts a section of the same color as the abutting section.
In use, the prisms are positioned and repositioned in the recess of the base until the color of each abutting section is the same. By coating the base and individual prisms out of materials which have magnetically attractive properties, solution of the puzzle may be continued on a day to day basis if desired. This is a necessary feature where, as here, there are over a billion possible combinations of prism positions and locations and yet only one correct solution. Because of the inherent difficulty, a challenging portable puzzle can be provided which is readily adaptable for use wherever people are accustomed to spending long waiting periods looking for something to do such as at airports, and while traveling, particularly in automobiles and airplanes where freedom of movement is restricted and waiting boredom looms.
The following table presents one suggested combination of colored segments on each prism to create a suitable puzzle:
It should be apparent that changes and substitutions in the unique and novel arrangement, combination, assembly and interaction of the various parts, colors and components shown and described herein may be made without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.