Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1888
Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1888
I, HENRY JOHN JAMES VAN MARLE of 3 Albany Terrace Bournemouth in the
County of Hampshire Manufacturer 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 comprises a puzzle in which two rings have to be removed from
threads or cords upon which they are strung.
The Invention consists of a flat board square rectangular or any other suitable shape
with four holes at equal distances from each other through which strings of any con-
venient length are passed and looped on to a ring, so that the four strings form a square
pyramid the bottom ends being passed as above stated, through the said board and
there provided with beads or any other spherical article which larger in diameter
than the diameter of the holes cut in the board for the purposes of retaining the same
in position at or near the centre of the board two other circular holes are cut through
one of which the end of a string is passed carried under the board, and passed through
the other hole. The two ends are then pulled taut and looped upon the second ring,
at the apex of the pyramid and knotted or otherwise fastened together.
The puzzle is to disengage each of the rings from the strings or cords.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts in both figures.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the Invention with the strings broken away and
Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the same. The board A is made of any suitable
size or shape is provided with four circular holes B B B¹ B' through which the strings
or cords CC CC are passed and looped over the ring D the ends being knotted or
otherwise fastened together so that the strings CC CC, when passed through the
holes B B. B¹ B' and fastened to the beads or any other spherical article E E E¹ E¹
form a square pyramid as shewn in Fig. 2. Two other circular holes F and G are.
also made in the board at or near its centre. The string H is passed through the
holes from the bottom and the ring K is placed thereon. The ends of the said
string H are then looped over the ring D as shown at J and the ends fastened
together.
The puzzle is two fold first to get the ring K off without removing the ring D and

page_text: second to get the rings Dand K off together. The two rings K & D are to be removed
without cutting or breaking the strings or undoing any of the knots or other fastening
thereof.
The ring K is removed as follows.
The end of the string H loop. J is passed through one of the holes B and the
string C running through this hole is passed through the loop J The same is done
with the next hole B when the loop J is found to be over the two strings CC The said
loop J is now passed over the top ring D and comes over the two strings C¹ C¹ The
loop J is now alternately passed through the two holes B₁ B¹ and the strings CƠ¹
running there through when the string H will be found free from the ring D and the
ring K can be removed therefrom.
To get the rings D and K off together can be effected as follows.
The four loops J1 J1 are passed successively through their respective
holes B B B B₁ and over the strings CCCC when they will be free from the top
ring D.
The said top ring D can be removed from the string H by simply passing
the end or loop J over the said ring; when the same will be free and the ring K can
also be removed.
The four beads or other spherical article E E on the top of the board serve to
keep the strings C C C C in their places after the ring D has been removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The construction of a puzzle in which two rings K and D have to be removed from
the strings HC C₁ &c. substantially as herein before set forth and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
"
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office,
54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.