Improvements in Games and Puzzles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 21st Feb., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Games and Puzzles.
We, ALFRED GARTNER and GEORGE TALCOTT, of 764 and 766, Broad Street, in
the City of Newark, County of Essex and State of New Jersey, U.S.A., Mechanical
Engineers, 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, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in
which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure:
=
Figure 1, is a top plan view of my improved game or puzzle and Figure 2, is a
sectional view on line x, y.
The invention relates to a new game or puzzle to be played with a series of
numbered blocks working or sliding in grooves cut or formed in a bed, the blocks
being arranged and adapted to slide from one of said grooves into either of the
other at will, and the invention further consists in the peculiar construction and
arrangement of the apparatus as will be hereinafter. described and pointed out in
the claims.
In the drawings A represents a bed or tray preferably formed rectangular at one
end and in the are of a circle at the other end and with raised sides or borders A¹.
These sides or borders are extended inwards at right angles and paralled with the
bottom of the bed or tray as shown at A', lengthwise of said bed and parallel with
the sides or borders are shaped partitions or division strips as shown at B and C,
thereby forming three partially covered channels or grooves wherein one or more
of a series of blocks numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., can be moved or slid, as will be seen
in Fig. 2. The cross portions of these partitions are preferably made separate and
secured thereto in any desired manner.
These numbered blocks can be formed round, square or polygonal as may be
desired and have slots on their sides adapted to fit the overhanging sides of the
grooves and n which they can be easily moved, the construction of said slots
and the position of the block in the grooves or channels being clearly shown at 5
Fig. 2.
The series of blocks are first placed in one of the grooves or channels in regular
order No. 1 being at the top of the series and the highest number at the bottom
or rectangular portion of the bed as shown in Fig. 1, and the puzzle or game consists
in moving or transferring the whole series of the blocks into either one of the other
channels of grooves and leave them in the same numerical relation to each other as
in the beginning, but in so moving and transferring the blocks only one can be
moved at a time and the player is prohibited from placing any block above another
which bears a lesser number than the moved block that is to say block 3 must not
be placed above block 2 in any of the moves or with any other of the blocks, but
in all moves the block moved must when in any of the channels be above a block
having a number higher than the block moved. The block moved can be placed
or slid into any channel that may be desired but subject to the conditions above
set forth and described.
The numbered blocks are placed in position in the grooves on channels before
the top pieces of the partitions are secured in position or the rectangular base of the
bed may be made removable and the blocks inserted at that end.
In place of the bed with extended sides and partitions as shown, a flat piece of
cardboard or any thin metal can be used having parallel slots arranged in the same
manner as shown in Fig. 1.
both on the top and bottom.
With this construction the blocks could be numbered

page_text: 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 as my invention and desire to secure by Letter Patent is,
A game or puzzle apparatus consisting of a tray or bed having three or more
parallel grooves or channels connecting with each other and in combination with a
series of numbered blocks adapted and arranged to be moved from one groove to
another on said bed substantially as described.
C. R. BONNE & Co.,
Authorised Patent and Trade Mark Agents, 41, Eastcheap, E.C: