Abstract:
The puzzle holder comprises a frame, comprises a guide pair on the frame for receiving and supporting puzzles in a stack, comprises a stack pair on the frame for aiding stacking a second frame, interchangeable with the frame, on the frame, and comprises a handle connected to the frame for carrying the frame with puzzles edgewise.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The product stores puzzles in stacks and carries puzzles edgewise. 
     Various devices for storing puzzles shown in prior art—for example in U.S. Pat. No. 703,558 by Ford, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,941,558 by Labbe, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,427,318 by Warren, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,667 by Gainsley, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,726 by Anderson, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,018 Keller, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,248 by Shillito, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,728 by Kondo, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,118 by Gottesman, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,547 by Rannelli, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,049 by Fingers—do not suggest individually, nor in any combination, the puzzle holder shown here. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The puzzle holder comprises a frame having panels comprising a base panel, a left panel, and a right panel; comprises a guide pair on the frame for receiving and supporting a puzzle; comprises a stack pair on the frame for aiding stacking a second frame, interchangeable with the frame, on the frame; and comprises a handle connected to the frame distal one of the panels for carrying the puzzle edgewise. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 depicts the puzzle holder storing puzzles. 
     FIG. 2 depicts the view across line  2 — 2  in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 depicts the puzzle holder carrying puzzles edgewise. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The puzzle holder  10  stores puzzles in stacks as depicted in FIG.  1  and carries puzzles edgewise as depicted in FIG.  3 . The holder has a frame with panels comprising a base panel, a left panel, and a right panel. 
     The base panel has a base outside  11 , a base inside  12 , a base top long side  13 , a base bottom long side  14 , a base left short side  15 , and a base right short side  16 . The left panel has a left outside  21 , a left inside  22 , a left top long side  23 , a left bottom long side  24 , a left front short side  25 , and a left back short side  26  connected to the base panel at the base left short side. The right panel has a right outside  31 , a right inside  32 , a right top long side  33 , a right bottom long side  34 , a right front short side  35 , and a right back short side  36  connected to the base panel at the base right short side. An optional support member can be used to provide structural strength for example by connecting the right panel and the left panel as depicted  61 . 
     There are guide pairs on the frame comprising left guides  27  extending from the left front short side along the left inside toward the left back short side and comprising right guides  37  extending from the right front short side along the right inside toward the right back short side. The right guides are guide aligned with the left guides in pairs so that puzzles can be received by and supported by guide pairs. Optional guides  17  in the back panel connect pairs of right and left guides. 
     While the guides are shown as grooves in the panels, the guides can take many forms—such as tracks, multiple pegs, and bristles all protruding from the frame—so long as guides can support puzzles in a stack. 
     The puzzles to be supported each have a bounding portion  111 ,  121 ,  131 , have a base  112 ,  132 , and have pieces  113 ,  133  within the bounding portion and resting on the base when in a stack. To keep pieces in place when the puzzle holder carries puzzles edgewise, cover sheets  71 ,  72 ,  73  are provided as a preferred, but optional, part of the product. 
     The holder can stack when the panel “bottom” sides  14 ,  24 ,  34  are supported on a surface. (Alternatively, the panel “top” sides  13 ,  23 ,  33  can be supported on the surface in place of the “bottom” sides.) The frame is also depicted displaced  10 ′ in FIG. 1 to indicate this and to indicate stack alignment of stack pairs on the frame. 
     While only one stack pair stack aligned somewhere on the frame can be used, preferably there is a left panel front foot  41  and a left panel back foot  42  protruding from the left panel bottom side and a left panel front socket  43  and a left panel back socket  44  in the left panel top side. And, there is a right panel front foot  51  and a right panel back foot  52  protruding from the right panel bottom side and a right panel front socket  53  and a to right panel back socket  54  in the right panel top side. 
     The front feet are stack aligned with the front sockets and the back feet are stack aligned with the back sockets. A foot is stack aligned with a socket so that a second frame, interchangeable with the frame, could be stacked onto the frame with the foot fitting into the corresponding socket. 
     The feet can have various forms such as dowels, pins, tongues, plates, and the form depicted, with the sockets having the corresponding form. 
     The puzzle holder also comprises a handle which can be connected to the frame in various ways so that the puzzle holder carries puzzles edgewise, “edgewise” meaning that the handle is distal one of the three panels—for example distal the base panel as shown—so that a portion of the puzzle perimeter between the puzzle back and the puzzle bounding portion is supported on this distal panel. 
     Preferably, a handle  83  is connected to the frame by being attached to a bag  81  depicted in FIG. 3, the handle being distal one of the panels when the frame is contained by the bag and the bag is carried by the handle. The bag can have a closing flap  82  and  82 A and fasteners such as the hook-and-loop fasteners  86 ,  87  indicated. 
     The puzzle holder can be fabricated from various materials such as wood and from various plastics by methods known in the art. The puzzle holder can also be fabricated by sealing plastic sheets with imbedded spacers by methods known in the art. 
     Descriptions, drawings, and referenced elements illustrating principles of the invention do not limit the invention as other equivalent elements, element configurations, and operations comprehended by principles of the invention will be obvious hereafter to persons skilled in the art.