IMPROVEMENTS IN PUZZLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER HENRY REED, of Suffolk House, Laurence Pountney Hill, Cannon
Street, in the county of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PUZZLES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improvements in puzzles in which the definite
arrangement of moveable parts or blocks, each having a character such as a
letter or numeral for identification is indiscriminately broken up or disturbed so
that the relative positions of the parts to their proper and original positions are
unknown to the operator, the task being then for the person to arrange the
characterized parts or blocks into their original positions whilst the construction
and arrangement of the operating parts of the puzzle confine the possible movements
to certain definite limits.
This invention consists essentially in a device embodying in its construction a
base having a groove or track in which is confined a train consisting of a certain
number of blocks each being properly marked with a distinguishing letter or
figure, and these blocks can slide along the length of the track or groove but cannot
be lifted up or removed therefrom in any way except by means to be hereafter
described.
The blocks are also held together to form a continuous train by followers engaging
the groove or track and situated at each end of the train, said followers being held
together by a rod secured to the same and extending over or to one side of the
blocks composing the train, whereby the blocks are held closely side by side and
caused to slide when actuated as one continuous train. To mix up or transfer the
blocks forming the train a circular disk capable of rotation is employed, which disk
is hereinafter terined the turntable. This turntable is provided with a groove or
track which extends diametrically across the same, and which is adapted to receive
when in the proper position, a definite number of the blocks and retain the same
in its rotation, whilst at the same time it blocks up the path of the train while

page_text: switching the blocks, but does not interfere with the motion of the train when the
grooves or tracks coincide, so that the train can be made to cause the delivery of
the blocks from and upon the turntable. It is evident that by means of this
turntable with the co-operation of the train, any definite number of the blocks
can be transferred to any part of the train at will, the problem being to return the
blocks to their original positions by the aid of the said turntable after the said
blocks have been indiscriminately mixed by the previous use of the turntable.
This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the puzzle showing the turntable partially
rotated.
Fig. 2 is a transverse cross section of the same in the plane y y fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents a plan view of a modification of the puzzle in which a
second groove or track which crosses the first track is added to the example shown
in fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section thereof in the plane y¹ y¹ fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modification which is constructed with a circular
groove or train and is provided with several turntables for switching the blocks.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.
In this drawing, referring at the present more especially to figures 1 and 2, the
letter A designates the base of the puzzle constructed preferably of wood and with
a flat face but it can also be made of card board, glass or other suitable material
or in any other form. In the base A is formed a groove or track B extending
rectilinearly across the said plate to the proper length, and into this groove or track
are fitted blocks C which are adapted to slide in the said groove or track in one
continuous train, and for this purpose the said blocks are held together as shown
in this example by followers D D¹ which latter bear against the ends of the train,
F is the turntable situated
and are rigidly connected with each other by a rod E.
in the centre of the groove or track and it consists of a circular disk f having
therein a groove or track B¹ which extends diametrically across the same and when
this turntable is in the proper position the grooves B B¹ coincide, and the blocks A
can be moved along the grooves or tracks in a continuous train.
To effect the rotation of the disk f a button or knob f¹ (figs. 2, 4, and 6)
is attached to the bottom of the disk, the said knob being then on the underside
of the base A. The knob is turned as convenient by the operator, but other
means for effecting the rotation of the disk which would suggest themselves can be
einployed.
In order that the block C cannot be lifted out or removed from the grooves by
the turntable F, the groove is made of a wedge shaped cross section or some other
of the numerous cross sections which will effect this purpose and the blocks C are
shaped to conform to the groove.
In the example shown in fig. 1, thirteen blocks have been employed, each being
characterized by two of the letters found in the words "Humpty Dumptie," one set
of letters being upright whilst the other set is reversed, however it is only necessary
to use one character on each block, two being used so that one series of letters
will always be upright and also to render the problem more complex and
interesting.
As shown in fig. 1 the blocks C have been arranged so that the upper series
correctly represents the words previously referred to, the turntable having been
rotated through a short distance in the direction indicated by arrow 1, marked
thereon and carries with it several of the blocks, and as here shown, it is made of
such a diameter that five blocks neatly fit therein and allow it to be rotated. If
the rotation of the turntable is now continued until the groove therein coincides
in direction with the groove B in the base, the block having the letters PM will be
next to block
carried next to the block having thereon the letters T M, block
and so on whereby the relative positions of the blocks are changed; now while the
P
26
M
M

page_text: two grooves coincide the train can be moved, say toward the right so as to bring
from one to five new blocks upon the turntable whereby one or all of the blocks
previously upon the turntable are delivered to the groove in the base on the other
side of the turntable where they remain during the next following rotation of the
turntable. By thus indiscriminately operating the device the blocks can be
thoroughly mixed after which the problein consists in replacing the blocks in the
proper positions to spell the words "Humpty Dumptie "by only operating the train
and turntable. The extreme difficulty of said problem will be readily perceived
when the number of possible combinations of these letters are observed. Instead
of thirteen blocks more or less can be used, the difficulty of solving the problem
naturally increasing with the increase in the number of blocks. In the modification
shown in figs. 3 and 4, a secondary groove or track B is used which crosses the
groove or track B preferably at right angles, and a differently shaped cross section
of groove or track is employed. The turntable F is situated at the junction of the
two tracks B B¹ in a position to be capable of receiving and discharging blocks
from and to both tracks, whereby the blocks can be arranged so as to render
the task of re-arranging them in their proper position more complex and arduous.
It will also be observed that an additional set of followers D D¹ are situated in
the second track and the turntable is provided with only one track so that one of
the tracks in the plate is always blocked when the track in the turntable coincides
in direction with the remaining track.
In the modification shown in figs. 5 and 6, the track or groove B is made circular
or endless and three turntables F are employed, the blocks being in this case
circular and other slight detail changes necessary to the change of track are
introduced. It is evident that two trains of bl. cks can be arranged alongside of
each other with or without divisions between the said rows of trains. The ends of
the grooves or tracks may be made so as to be permanently open or closed, if left
open, the blocks can be arranged by sliding the same out of the groove or track.
In the examples shewn in the drawing the tracks are all sunk below the surface of
the base and table, but the tracks may be on an elevation above the plane of the
base and turntable, and other unimportant modifications of detail parts as would
suggest themselves can be substituted without departing from the spirit of the
invention.
°
It will be observed from figs. 2, 4, and 6, that the disk f is sunk into the base
whereby the ends of the groove in the turntable are closed up which prevents the
blocks in the same from leaving the track thereon until the two tracks B B'
coincide in direction, however, other means for such a guard may be employed.
Having now particularly described and. ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination in a puzzle, of a base piece, a train of characterized blocks
held upon and capable of moving in a definite path on said base and a rotating
device intersecting the said train and provided with means to receive at one side
two or more of the blocks comprising the aforesaid train and to deliver at the other
side one or more of said blocks substantially as described.
2. The combination in a puzzle, of a base, provided with a track, a train of
characterized blocks fitted to and moveable along said track, and a turntable
having a track and intersecting the track of the base substantially as described.
3. The combination with the base A and the track thereof, of the blocks on the
track, the followers and rods for holding the blocks together in line and the turn-
table located in the length of the track, for receiving two or more of the blocks
from one side of the track or reverse the same and deliver the same from its opposite
side, substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination of a base having a track, a train of characterized blocks
moveable along its said track, a rotating disk having a diametrical track and

page_text: intersecting the track of the base and followers for moving the train of blocks
substantially as described.
5. The base provided with two or more intersecting tracks, blocks arranged in
trains in tracks, a turntable situated at the intersection of the tracks and provided
with a diametrical track and means for holding the block in trains substantially as
shown and described.
6. The combination of a base having a track and a circular recess intersecting
the track, a train of characterized blocks moveable along the track and a turntable
having a track and located in said recess substantially as described.
יד
1
December 1885