A New or Improved Puzzle.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Puzzle.
SAMUEL MARSH Westminster House Gildredge Road Eastbourne, Solicitor's
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Iuvention consists of a new or improved puzzle in which the object is to
cause certain balls or other objects to roll move or slide from certain points over a
lase with flat or depressed smooth or rough surface enclosed in a box or other
receptacle and perforated or indented or holed in designs so that the balls or other
objects may either drop through into a tray underneath or lodge on the surface
working out the design of the perforations indentations or holes. The base or
surface is spotted or otherwise marked to render the design unintelligible until the
balls or other objects have defined it. At each end of the perforated indentated or
holed base are receptacles for the balls or other objects with sliding doors or
apertures through which the balls or other objects issue or re-enter as desired.
The base is moveable is of various shapes and is made to remain stationary or
to revolve round a fixed centre or to swing on an axle or pivot.
I, SAMUEL MARSII, of Westminster House, Gildredge Road, Eastbourne, in tho.
County of Sussex, Solicitor's Managing Clerk, 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:-
My invention consists of a new or improved game or puzzle.
In this puzzle balls or the like of uniform or various sizes are caused to pass from
a given point or points over a surface upon which designs of any kind have been
outlined by slight depressions indentations or holes adapted to receive, hold and
retain the said balls or the like. The surface is conveniently enclosed in a box
cr other receptacle, and means are provided for controlling the admission of the
balls to the surface aforesaid.
In an alternative construction I may form the designs on the surface with holes
larger in diameter than the diameter of the balls so that the same may drop partly
through the said holes and rest on the tray or receptacle beneath the perforated
surface. In order that several sizes of balls or other objects may be used to outline
the designs (letters numerals or the like) I may form around some of the holes
small barriers or obstacles which will prevent any but balls of the required size from

page_text: being deposited on or in such holes. In order to render the perforated or indented
designs on the surface indistinguishable until the balls have taken their place
thereon, dots, lines, or other marks are made on the surface in such manner as to
conceal the design until the balls or other objects are deposited.
The receptacles for the balls or the like may be fixed in any convenient position
in the apparatus. The base or pattern surface may be fixed or movable, or
atranged to revolve around a fixed centre or to swing on an axle or pivot and may
be of any convenient shape.
In order more clearly to set forth my invention as applied to the construction of
a game or puzzle I have illustrated the same in one modification in the accompany-
ing drawing in which A indicates the pattern surface or board provided with a
number of indentations arranged to form a design (letters and numerals) which
indentations are masked by the addition of a number of printed dots rendering the
design, letter, or pattern indistinguishable until the said indented parts have been
outlined by the balls or pieces brought to rest upon the same. The receptacle B
fer the balls is in this case placed at the left hand side of the toy and is filled with
shot or other convenient small spherical or other pieces, and may be opened or
closed by means of the shutter actuated by the revolving pin C. When the
shutter is opened the balls issue forth upon the surface of the puzzle and by
gently inclining and shaking the box may be caused to assemble upon the various
designs forming inscriptions and patterns such as indicated by the dotted lines in
the drawing. From this example it will be obvious in what manner the invention
may be adapted to other designs or patterns or to revolving apparatus turning upon
a central shaft, or to other detailed modifications of the invention.
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:
1. In an improved game or puzzle a surface enclosed in a box or other receptacle
perforated, indented, or grooved to form a design, said design being concealed by
dots, lines or other marks upon the said surface, until rendered visible by bodies
passing through or resting upon the perforations, indentations or grooves of the
said design.
2. In combination with a perforated, indented or depressed surface such as set
forth in Claim 1 balls or movable bodies capable of being rolled or deposited on the
perforations indentations or depressions by the movements of the receptacle in
which the surface is contained for the purpose of rendering visible the concealed
design.
3. The improved game or puzzle substantially as described and as illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
101
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.