Improvements in Games or Puzzles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Games or Puzzles.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of 23 Southampton Buildings in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention, a communication to me by James Urquhart Mackenzie of New York,
in the County and State of New York United States of America, to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a puzzle, the design of which is to effect various
combinations of letters or other characters by moving blocks, bearing such
characters upon their faces, in a suitable box or enclosed space.
In carrying the invention into effect an oblong box is employed, made of suitable
material and having its inner bottom surface divided into a number of squares by
lines extending at right angles to each other. These squares are numbered
consecutively beginning with the upper left hand corner of the box, and the specific
mode of numbering them will be presently described.
The object is to have the box divided into twenty-seven available spaces so that
blocks containing the twenty six letters of the alphabet may be moved within the
box, the twenty seventh space being left unoccupied to enable the blocks to be
moved. In order to accomplish this a fixed angle block is employed, which is
preferably at the lower left hand corner of the box and of such size as to cover
three of the divisional squares, that is, two on the left hand side row of spaces and
two on the bottom row. With this arrangement the box is divided from side to
side into five rows of five spaces cach, one of four spaces, and one of three spaces;
and from top to bottom into five rows of spaces, one, at the left, of five spaces, the
next of six spaces, and the remaining three of seven spaces each. There are thus
thirty two spaces, but there is also provided an adjustable or movable blank which
is of the width of one space and of the length of five spaces, and when this blank
is in the box it thus covers five of the thirty-two spaces leaving the requisite number
of twenty seven. This block may be placed either accross the upper end of the
box so as to cover one of the lateral rows of spaces, or between the upper end of
the box and the upper end of the angle block so as to cover the five spaces of the
left hand row.
When the adjustable blank is in the first of these positions, that is,
across the end of the box, it allows the box to be used to form words of five letters.
When it is along the left hand side of the box, the box may be used to form words
of four letters. In order that the numbering of the spaces may be consecutive in
either position of the adjustable blank the numbering begins with the second space
of the upper row counting from the left, numbering this space 1. The upper row
then bears the figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the left hand space of the second row is
numbered 4, that of the third row 8, of the fourth row 12 and of the fifth
row 16, thus when the adjustable blank is across the top of the box, the numbers
on the box are consecutive beginning with 44 and continuing up to 27, and when
it is at the left hand side of the box, the numbers are also consecutive from 1 up
to 27. The adjustable blank may be pivotted at its upper left hand corner so as
to be swung from one position to the other, but it is preferred to make it removable
so that it can be taken out of the box and replaced in the other position so that
this operation may be performed without taking the character-bearing blocks out
of the box.
There are twenty-six of these character bearing blocks each having printed or
otherwise placed upon its upper side one of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.
They are preferably circular in form and made of some suitable light material so

page_text: that they can be moved readily about the box. There is also a twenty seventh
block which may be called the key block, and which fills the twenty seventh space
in the box when the puzzle is not being used.
In the operation of the puzzle, the problem presented is to so move the blocks
within the box without removing them therefrom as to form certain words or
combinations by arranging the letters in the proper order. The blocks are usually
first placed consecutively on the numbered spaces with the key block occupying
the twenty-seventh space, and said key block being then removed, the other blocks
may be moved one at a time into the required positions to form the desired
combination.
By altering the position of the adjustable blank, the number of combinations
which may be proposed for solution may be varied almost indefinitely.
By having the spaces in the box numbered as described, a record may be kept
of the moves required to form any particular combination, this being desirable for
the purpose of determining the number and order of moves by which the problem is
accomplished in any instance.
The blocks may bear numbers, or characters other than those of the English
alphabet, and be used to form suitable combinations of such characters.
Dated 12th
& Manch 1900
B. J. B. MILLS,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
(a communication to me from James Urquhart Mackenzie, of New-York, in the
County and State of New-York, United States of America,) 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 a puzzle in which movable blocks, bearing alphabetical
or other characters on their faces, are moved from place to place in a suitable box
or enclosed space, with the object of forming words or other combinations of such
characters.
The puzzle is described and illustrated as provided with twenty-six of such blocks,
bearing the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet, but other letters or characters
may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.
In the accompanying drawing :-
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the interior of the box with the movable blocks removed;
and
Fig. 2 is a similar view with the blocks in position.
A is a suitable box made of wood or pasteboard. In the lower left hand corner
of the box is permanently fixed a wooden or other block B of the angular form
shown. The remainder of the bottom of the box is divided, as shown, by lines
extending at right angles to each other, into thirty-two square spaces. A movable
or adjustable blank C is also provided, which may be placed in different positions
in the box in order to alter the combinations which may be made. If, for instance,
the adjustable blank C is placed across the top of the box, as shown in Fig. 2, the
box may be used to form words of five letters cach, since the lateral rows of spaces
then contain five spaces each, with the exception of the two lower ones, which are
shortened by the presence of the angle block B; or when the adjustable blank C is
placed along the left hand end of the box, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2,

page_text: the rows are shortened, so as to enable the block to be used for words of four
letters each.
The spaces in the bottom of the box are numbered consecutively as shown, the
object of this being to enable a record to be kept of the order and number of
moves, so that the moves required to perform any particular problem may be
determined. In order that the numbering may be consecutive in either position of
the adjustable blank, the numbering begins with the second space from the left on
the uppermost row and this space is numbered 1, and the remaining spaces of the
left hand vertical row are numbered with intermediate or half numbers.
when the adjustable blank is across the top of the box, the numbers are consecutive
from 4 to 27, and when it is along the left hand side of the box the numbers are
consecutive from 1 to 27. In order to increase the difficulty of the operation
the adjustable blank may be, if desired, placed in still other positions within
the box.
Thus
The character bearing blocks themselves, as shown in Fig. 2, consist of circular
discs of some light material, twenty-six of which each bear a letter of the English
alphabet, while the twenty-seventh, which may be called the "key-block," fills the
twenty-seventh space. The blocks being placed in the box, as shown in Fig. 2 or
in some other order if desired, the key block is removed and the character blocks
may then be readily moved, one at a time, into the single unoccupied space which
always is present, until they are arranged in the combination required. By making
the blocks circular in form instead of square, they are enabled to be moved more
readily within the box.
The adjustable blank C, as shown, is completely removable from the box, and is
removed therefrom in order to change its position without regard to the presence of
the character bearing blocks.
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 :-
The within described puzzle, consisting of a box having its inner surface divided
into spaces numbered consecutively, and provided with the fixed angle block and
the adjustable blank, and with a series of character bearing blocks filling the
remaining space with the exception of the space sufficient for one block.
Dated this 8th day of December 1833.
Dated this on day of Decem
B. J. B. MILLS,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.