An Improved Puzzle.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Puzzle.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 58 Elms Road, Clapham Common, London,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a puzzle of the kind described in the Specification to
Letters Patent No. 15607, granted to me and dated 17th of August, 1893, and the
object of my present invention is to form the two parts of the puzzle, which have
to be looped together and separated, entirely of metal, instead of forming them
partly of metal and partly of cords as shown in my prior specification. On
reference to my prior specification it will be found that the two parts of the puzzle
are united together by what I term a "reef" knot, and my present invention will
perhaps be best understood by assuming that two pieces of steel wire, about oue
sixteenth of an inch in diameter and six inches long, are so twisted together as to
form a reef knot, and the free ends of each piece then united so that the con-
figuration of each piece is triangular. In forming the reef knot the loop of each
wire is made, as far as possible, at right angles to the portion of the other wire
which it encircles, so that it is only necessary to slide the one piece relatively to
the other in order to detach them; in fact the mere shaking of the pieces, when
joined together, in a hat will result in their detachment.
It is however much more difficult, in the first instance, to loop the pieces together
again in order to form the reef knot, and to do this the triangular pieces are held
so as to be superposed, the sides at the ends of which the loops are located being
held parallel to each other, the loops being at opposite ends; the apex of each
triangle is now entered into the loop of the other, and by a twist and a sliding
movement the two pieces are united together so as to form the reef knot.
The wire is usually of circular cross-section and is, of course, sufficiently stiff to
prevent the shape of the pieces being altered by any incorrectly attempted
solution; and although I have, for convenience of explanation, described the
configuration of the pieces as triangular, they may be semicircular or other desired
shape.
Dated this 11th day of May 1896.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26 Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Puzzle.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 58 Elms Road, Clapham Common, London,
Mechanic, 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 relates to a puzzle of the kind described in the Specification to
Letters Patent No. 15607, granted to me and dated 17th August, 1893, and the
object of my present invention is to form the two parts of the puzzle, which have

page_text: to be looped together and separated, entirely of metal, instead of forming them
partly of metal and partly of cords as shown in my prior specification. On
reference to my prior specification it will be found that the two parts of the puzzle
are united together by what I term a "reef" knot, and my present invention will
perhaps be best understood by assuming that two pieces of steel wire, about one
sixteenth of an inch in diameter and six inches long, are so twisted together as to
form a reef knot, and the free ends of each piece then united so that the con-
figuration of each piece is triangular. In forming the reef knot the loop of each
wire is made, as far as possible, at right angles to the portion of the other wire
which it encircles, so that it is only necessary to slide the one piece relatively to
the other in order to detach them; in fact the mere shaking of the pieces when
joined together, in a hat, will result in their detachment.
It is however much more difficult, in the first instance, to loop the pieces together
again in order to form the reef knot, and to do this the triangular pieces are held
so as to be superposed, the sides at the ends of which the loops are located being
held parallel to each other, the loops being at opposite ends; the apex of each
triangle is now entered into the loop of the other, and by a twist and a sliding
movement the two pieces are united together so as to form the reef knot.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the two parts of which the
puzzle is composed, and also the method of looping together and separating the
parts. Figs. I and II are respectively a plan and elevation of one part aud
Figs. III and IV are similar views of the other part. Figs. V, VI and VII show
the successive stages of the process for looping the parts together; the two parts
being placed together as shown in Fig. V, it is only necessary to slightly twist and
slide the upper part relatively to the lower part in order to obtain Fig. VI, and
then the parts can be slid into the position shown in Fig. VII. Of course, a
reversal of the process results in the separation of the parts.
The wire is usually of circular cross-section and is, of course, sufficiently stiff to
prevent the shape of the pieces being altered by any incorrectly attempted
solution; and although I have, for convenience of explanation, described the
configuration of the pieces as triangular, they may be semicircular or other desired
shape.
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 improved puzzle substantially as described and illustrated.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26 Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.