Improvements in Puzzles.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGE THOMAS BRADLEY, Merchant, and
MILTON HOBERT BRADLEY, Salesman, both of No. 1346, Chapel Street,
New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of America.]
Improvements in Puzzles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 puzzles and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing
in which
Figure 1, is a perspective view of the puzzle complete.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 modifications in the construction of the balls.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 modifications in the construction of the tube.
This invention relates to that class of puzzles in which balls are arranged within
a chamber exposed to view, free for movement therein, the puzzle depending upon
certain arrangement or movement of the balls within the chamber, such movement
being produced by gravity, or equivalent force indirectly applied thereto, and the
invention consists of a tubular chamber, its interior exposed to view from the
outside, with one or more balls arranged therein, of a diameter slightly less than
the internal diameter of the chamber, and one or more smaller balls arranged in the
said chamber, the said larger balls having a cavity open to the circumference, the
said opening into the cavity corresponding substantially to the size of the smaller
balls, and as and for the purpose more fully hereinafter described.
A, represents a tube, which is preferably made from glass, and is closed at each
end by heads B, to form a close chamber.
Within the chamber one or more balls are arranged, here represented as
three, C, D and E representing such balls. The diameter of the said balls is
slightly less than the diameter of the tubular chamber, and so that the balls may
roll freely within the chamber.
Within the chamber one or more smaller balls, as a, bc, are arranged, and each
of the larger balls is constructed with a cavity d, open to the outside of the balls,
each of the cavity openings slightly larger than the smaller balls a bc, and so that
the said smaller balls may enter the said cavities. This completes the puzzle.
To work out the puzzle, it is required that the one or more balls which stand in
the chamber at one side of the larger balls, as seen in Fig. 1, shall be transferred
to the opposite side of the said larger balls, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1,
and this is accomplished by taking the tube in the hand, and by the movement of
the tube so cause the first ball to present its cavity to receive one of the smaller
balls, as c in Fig. 2, which entering the cavity d, of that ball, may, by the rolling
of the said ball C, pass to the opposite side of that ball and be discharged into the
chamber between the first ball and the second ball, and as indicated in broken lines
Fig. 2, then in like manner the ball c is brought into the cavity of the second ball,
to be discharged upon the opposite side of that second ball as indicated in broken
lines Fig. 2, then in like manner the cavity of the third ball receives the small ball,
and finally discharges it into the other end of the chamber, as seen in Fig. 2,
o representing a ball as entering the cavity of the first large ball C, b, representing
the second smaller ball as in the cavity of the second ball D, and being transferred,
and the ball a, as just escaping from the cavity of the third ball E.
The balls being each free and independent of the other, readily move within the
tubular chamber by tipping the tube so as to produce the movement by the action

page_text: of gravity, or the movement may be accomplished by shaking the tube, such
movement changing the position of the balls until they present themselves for the
transfer as before described.
The freedom of the balls makes it extremely difficult to locate one of the smaller
balls in the cavity of the larger ball so as to be transferred by that larger ball from
one side of the said larger ball to the chamber on the opposite side of the same
ball.
.
While preferring to construct the larger balls with a cavity open to one side only,
the balls may have the cavity extend diametrically through them, and so as to
open upon the opposite side, as seen in Fig. 3, C₁ representing the ball, and d
representing the opening diametrically through it; this construction will make the
transfer of the smaller balls easier than when the cavity opens from one side only.
Or, the balls may be constructed with two or more cavities, as seen in Fig. 4,
C representing the ball, and representing the cavities therein, each cavity being
adapted to receive a smaller ball.
The tube is best made from glass, as it prevents the possibility of any direct
application of force to the balls; yet the tube may be made as a cage, by a
succession of wires e, as seen in Fig. 5, the spaces between the wires being so much
less than the smaller balls as to prevent the possibility of their escape. This will
give the necessary exposure to the balls for the working out of the puzzle. Or,
the tube may be made partially transparent by the introduction of glass panels, as
seen in Fig. 6, G G representing the glass panels, and H H, opaque sections, these
illustrations being sufficient to indicate that the tube may be constructed from
various materials.
The tube is preferably of cylindrical shape, but it may be polygonal, as seen in
Fig. 7, A representing the tube, or other desirable shape, it only being essential,
so far as its shape is concerned, that the larger balls shall so fill the tube as to
prevent the possibility of the smaller balls escaping from one side of the larger
balls to the opposite side, except by means of the cavities in the said larger balls.
The glass tube is preferable, because of its entire transparency, the neat
appearance which may be given to the article, and for its small cost, vet, as before
stated, it is not essential that the tube shall be made from glass.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
The herein described puzzle, consisting of a tube closed at both ends, the interior
of the tube exposed to view through its surface, combined with one or more balls
within said tube, the said balls so much less in diameter than the internal diameter
of the tube as to permit the free movement of the balls longitudinally within the tube,
and one or more smaller balls arranged within the said tube, the said larger balls
constructed with a cavity opening to the surface of the ball, the said opening
slightly larger than the smaller balls, and the said cavities adapted to receive the
smaller balls through said opening, substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of February 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.