AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PLAYING PUZZLE OR EDUCATIONAL GAMES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Ward of Tipton in the County of
Stafford for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN
PLAYING PUZZLE OR EDUCATIONAL GAMES
33
AI
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Ward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1883.
'
THOMAS HENRY WARD of Tipton in the County of Stafford "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PLAYING PUZZLE OR EDUCATIONAL GAMES?
My Invention relates to an arrangement of apparatus or means to be employed
in playing a new game which may be arranged simply as a puzzle or as an
assistance in Education. According to my said Invention I provide a number of
pyramidal pieces of wood or other material each with four equal sides reckoning
the base as a side or in other words each consisting of pyramids with a triangular
base. Each of said four sides I will call a face. 'Upon' one, more or all of these
faces is placed some distinguishing mark. The said pyramids are preferably
arranged upon a tray table or holder' which is made of any suitable shape and
material and has a raised rim to retain the pyramids in place. In playing the
game or puzzle with these pyramids they are arranged upon the said tray or table
each placed upon one of its faces as a base a space equal to that occupied by one
of the said pyramids being left unoccupied. The said pyramids may thus be one
at a time tipped over to rest upon another of their faces as a base and thus the
said pyramids may be caused one at a time to change their position on the tray
or table. The object of the game or puzzle is by this tipping of the pyramids one
at a time into the space which is left unoccupied by the displacement of the
one last moved to eventually by this means bring the pyramids into any relative
order that may have been previously settled upon. It will be evident that more
than one space may be left unoccupied which will have the effect of'simplifying the
game or puzzle.
€

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Henry Ward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th December 1883.
THOMAS HENRY WARD of Tipton in the County of Stafford
"AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PLAYING PUZZLE OR EDUCATIONAL GAMES
"
My Invention relates to an arrangement of apparatus or means to be employed
in playing a new game which may be arranged simply as a puzzle or as an
assistance in education. I will explain my said Invention with reference to the
accompanying drawing. Figure 1 of which represents one of the pyramidal pieces
hereinafter described Figure 2 being a plan and Figure 3 an elevation of a
number of such pieces arranged upon a tray, table or holder as also hereinafter
described.
According to my said Invention I provide a number of pyramidal pieces A of
wood or other material each with four equal sides reckoning the base as a side or
in other words each consisting of pyramids with an equilateral triangular base.
Each of said four sides I will call a face. Upon one more or all of these faces is
placed some distinguishing mark say the letters of the Alphabet or of a part of the
Alphabet.
The said pyramids are preferably arranged upon a tray table or holder B which
is made of any suitable shape and material and has a raised rim b to retain the
pyramids in place the said tray table or holder being of such a size that the
said pyramidal pieces fill the said tray table or holder when they are all in place
thereon.
In playing the game or puzzle with these pyramidal pieces A they are arranged
upon the said tray table or holder each placed upon one of its faces as a base a
space equal to that occupied by one of the said pyramidal pieces A being left
unoccupied. The said pyramidal pieces A may then be one at a time tipped over
(on one of the edges) each to rest upon another of its faces as a base and thus the
said pyramidal pieces A may be caused one at a time to change their position on
the tray table or holder. The object of the game or puzzle is by this tipping of
the pyramidal pieces one at a time into the space which is left unoccupied by the
displacement of the one last moved to eventually by this means bring the said
pyramidal pieces A into any relative order that may have been previously settled
upon. Suppose as an example that the pyramidal pieces are marked upon each of
their faces with the letters of the Alphabet from A to ✗ each pyramidal piece
being marked with one of the letters. Thus one of the said pieces will be marked
on each of its faces with the letter A, another will be marked on each of its faces.
with the letter B, another with the letter C and so on. The said pieces are then
placed upon the tray table or holder B each upon one of its faces as a base but in
disorder. The object of the game or puzzle is by simply tipping the pyramidal
pieces over upon one of the edges of the base upon which it originally rested to
cause it to take up a new position upon another of its sides as a base and thus to
ultimately bring all the pieces into such a position that the letters on the several;
pieces appear in their correct alphabetical order. It will be evident that an
almost endless number of signs names drawings subjects or other devices or marks
may be made upon the several pieces the object of the game or puzzle being to
arrange them in any given order or orders so as to exercise or attain by this
means any required knowledge of relation or order of the subjects marked upon the
pieces and thus the apparatus may be utilized not only as a game for amusement
but one for the education of the player in the particular matter to which the signs
names drawings subjects devices marks or the like relate.
1

page_text: It will be evident that more than one space may be left unoccupied which will
have the effect of simplifying the game or puzzle.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent is.
The apparatus or means for playing puzzle or educational games consisting of a
number of pyramidal pieces formed as hereinbefore described and shewn at A
which are placed upon a tray table or holder to be arranged in any desired order
by tipping from one position to another substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Henry Ward have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this third day of December One thousand eight hundred
and eighty three
T. H. WARD (L.S.)