Year: 1895

page_text: Puzzle..
We ERNEST CHARLES LEA of Surbiton Road, Kingston on Thames in the
County of Surrey Engineer and MICHAEL JOSEPH GASHION of 19A Coleman
Street in the City of London Financial Agent do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described in and by the following statement':
"
The object of our invention is to construct a puzzle of the well known " maze
type so that it shall be more difficult of solution or to accomplish and at the same
afford an excellent means for advertising purposes.
In describing our invention we shall refer to the accompanying sheet of drawings
and to the figures and reference letters thereon.
In constructing our puzzle we take a piece or plate of thin sheet metal or other
stiff material of a suitable shape and preferably circular or nearly so as shewn by
Figure 2. and in this we form or cut a slot or slots commencing, say, at or near the
outer edge or periphery or in a projection as at A. Figure 2. and extending in a
straight line almost to the centre and having various branches concentric and
radial over the surface of the plate as shewn by thick black lines, the whole
forming a $6
maze.
In this slot we insert a metal or other loop or key such as B Figure 1. normally
depending from and lieing in the extremity of the slot at A or in the cut out
portion Crepresenting the centre or goal of the maze Figure 2. the ordinary
puzzle being to pass the loop or key B along the slot or passage shewn by thick
black line from A to C or from C to A. but we render this solution of the
puzzle more difficult and interesting by means of the following device for hiding
the maze or the greater part of it from view and locking to some extent the loop
or key B. At the centre of the plate we pivot two other plates or discs of
slightly less diameter or size and on either side of the main plate Figure 2 thus
forming a back and front to same as shewn by D Figure 1.
These outer plates or discs are free to revolve independently of each other and
of the centre plate on which they are mounted and in each of them we cut or form
a short straight slot such as E, Figure 1. extending from a point near the centre E
to the external edge and being open at that poiut and it will be seen that it is
impossible when these outer plates cover the main or maze plate for the loop or
key B to be passed along the slot from A towards C or vice versa until the two
slots E in back and front plates D. are brought coincident with each other and
straight part of slot radiating from A or C. In manipulating the puzzle the centre
plate may be held between the finger and thumb of the left hand by its edge or
projections and the loop or key in the right hand, when the slots E in outer plates
have been turned so as present their open ends opposite to point A in which is the
loop B the said loop or key B may be passed along all three slots until arriving at
any of the divergent branches when it may be passed along them pulling with it
the two outer plates in the slots E in which it remains during the whole of its
transit from A to C or vice versa the course or paths of the maze being thus hid
from view entirely or a number of holes F. F. may be cut in the outer plates
through which small portions of the main plate may be seen.
On the back and front plates D. we may place advertisements of any suitable
description or pictures.
As a modification and for increasing the space for advertising we may pivot to

page_text: either the back or front plate D or to both of them two or more further plates as
shewn by Figure 3. and these could be conveniently attached at point Hand
would revolve with the plate without interfering with the working of the puzzle.
In place of the loop or key B we may employ a short bar such as Figure 4.
having heads or knobs J. J. which can only be inserted in or withdrawn from the
maze when the circular or enlarged ends E¹ of the slots E are coincident with
the centre or goal C of the maze.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner it is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. Enclosing a so called maze puzzle of any suitable pattern within outer or back
and front covers or plates so that the course or paths of the maze are hid from the
operator without interfering with the action of the puzzle and also that space is
obtained for the purpose of advertising if desired substantially as herein before
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The maze puzzle arranged and constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing-or any mere equivalent
therefor.
Dated this 26th day of March 1895.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.