Toy Puzzle.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Sept., 1892-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Toy Puzzle.
I, PERCY ALEXANDER MACMAHON, Major R.A., F.R.S., of 231 Eglinton
Road, Woolwich, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a toy puzzle.
This toy puzzle consists of a number of rectangular pieces of cardboard, wood or
other material connected together by flexible joints consisting of parchment woven
fabric or the like. These joints are at opposite extremities of the rectangles and
are so arranged that the rectangles can be laid one on the other to form a pile; it
may be several inches in height according to the number and the thickness of the
rectangles employed. This pile may be made in many different ways the flexible
joints being of such a length that between the two rectangles which a joint connects
other rectangles may be interposed, so that the sequence of the rectangles in the
pile may be very different from the sequence in the chain.
On the edges of the pile of rectangles not occupied by the joints, a design of any
sort is painted or otherwise formed. When the pile is separated and the chain is
extended the design of course is no longer apparent; the puzzle consists in again
arranging the rectangles in pile in such manner as to exhibit the design. This will
be a task varying in difficulty according as the mechanism is constructed to admit
of a greater or smaller number of permutations.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1891.
CARPMAEL & CO.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Toy Puzzle.
I, PERCY ALEXANDER MACMAHON, Major R.A., F.R.S., of 231 Eglinton
Road, Woolwich, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object a toy puzzle.
This toy puzzle consists of a number of rectangular pieces of cardboard, wood or
other material connected together by flexible joints consisting of parchment woven
fabric or the like. These joints are at opposite extremities of the rectangles and
are so arranged that the rectangles can be laid one on the other to form a pile; it
may be several inches in height according to the number and the thickness of the
rectangles employed. This pile may be made in many different ways the flexible
joints being of such a length that between the two rectangles which a joint connects
other rectangles may be interposed, so that the sequence of the rectangles in the
pile may be very different from the sequence in the chain.
On the edges of the pile of rectangles not occupied by the joints, a design of any
sort is painted or otherwise formed. When the pile is separated and the chain is
extended the design of course is no longer apparent; the puzzle consists in again
arranging the rectangles in pile in such manner as to exhibit the design. This
will be a task varying in difficulty according as the mechanism is constructed to
admit of a greater or smaller number of permutations.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the drawings annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan of a toy puzzle in accordance with my invention as it appears
when unfolded.
Figure 2 is an edge view of the same.
Figure 3 shows the toy puzzle as it appears when folded, bringing together the
edges of the plates to form a continuous surface.
In these figures the plates are marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; they form a series
and are similar the one to the other; they are joined into a chain by flexible
attachments a a a which are so applied as to admit of the plates being placed one
against the other with their free edges in close contact as is seen at Figure 3.
A suitable length for the attachments is such as to allow between plate and plate
a distance somewhat greater than nine times the thickness of the individual plate.
This length will admit of the plates being piled the one on the other in many
orders of sequence. In the case of a chain of nine plates connected in the manner
stated, the chain can be folded in 4527 different ways.
With the chain folded in some one of these ways a consistent design has been
produced upon the surface marked S in Figure 3 extending over the edges of all or
several of the plates. The unfolding of the chain disperses this design and the
puzzle is so again to fold the chain as to reproduce the consistent arrangement of
the design. On the other side of the toy another similar puzzle design may be
presented. The number of plates employed and their thickness may be varied and
the length of the attachments may be such as to impose some limit on the freedom
of arrangement.
Other variations may also be made without departing from my invention, thus
for example the chain may be made endless but in this case an even number of
plates should be provided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A toy puzzle consisting of plates connected into a chain by flexible attachments
in such manner as to admit of the plates being laid together in different orders of
sequence such plates having upon their edges a design which appears in a consistent
form when the plates are assembled in the prearranged order.
Dated this 21st day of August 1892.