A Geometrical Puzzle to be used for Purposes of Amusement, Instruction, and Advertising.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1891-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Geometrical Puzzle to be used for Purposes of Amusement,
Instruction, and Advertising.
I, LOUIS LOWENTHALL, of 86, Castle Street, Bristol, Photographer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to a new puzzle, in the solution of which, a number of
pieces of material, of a simple geometrical shape, are used to construct a certain
specified number of geometrical figures, and the puzzle consists in arranging the
same pieces, or the same number of pieces into a geometrical figure, and then by
re-arranging them, to form two or more other figures. The material of which the
pieces are made may be cardboard, wood, bone, metal, vulcanite, or any other suitable
substance.
j
To carry my invention into effect, I first make a simple geometrical form, con-
veniently a square, this square may then be divided diagonally, forming two right
angled triangles, each of which constitutes the unit of measure; the hypothenuse
of these triangles serves as the length for the sides of other similar triangles, a
square, a rhomboid, and other triangles are also made, each of which is a multiple
of the unit of measure, and in this way the required number of pieces is obtained
the puzzle is then solved by forming four different figures, riz. a triangle, square,
rectangle, and rhombus or rhomboid, with three, four, five, six, seven, and eight
pieces, with two and with nine pieces it is only possible to make three out of the
four specified figures; a convenient way of proceeding is to commence by taking
two pieces, the two triangles of equal size will at once suggest themselves; and
with these a triangle, square, and rhomboid will easily be made; the next step is
to take any three pieces, and construct the four figures, the same is to be done with
four, five, six, seven, and eight pieces; and with nine pieces three only can be
made. The number of pieces may be extended indefinitely, but it is considered
that nine pieces will be sufficient to tax the ingenuity of most players, and therefore
I at present propose to use this number. When the four different figures can be
constructed with the identical pieces, greater ingenuity will be shown, but it is
considered a solution of the puzzle when the pieces are changed in making the
other figures.
In working out the puzzle, considerable instruction may be obtained by observing
the proportion which one piece bears to another, and ideas as to the superficial
areas of pieces differing in size and shape will frequently be suggested.
Each of the pieces may be stamped or imprinted with an advertisement, or an
advertisement may be distributed over the whole of the pieces, to be read when
they are all used in forming one of the figures, and to increase the variety and
advertising space, the pieces may be coloured, one surface being of one colour, and
the other surface of another, like the counters used in the game of "Reversi."
Dated this 23rd day of June 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Geometrical Puzzle to be used for Purposes of Amusement,
Instruction, and Advertising.
I, LOUIS LOWENTHALL, of 86, Castle Strect, Bristol, Photographer, 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 a new puzzle, in which a number of simple geometrical
forms or pieces, made of any suitable material, such as card-board, wood, bone,
ivory, metal, vulcanite, or other composition can be so arranged as to form certain
specified geometrical designs; and the puzzle consists in making the stipulated
number of designs with any given number of pieces selected from the total number
provided the same pieces when selected may be used to form the whole of the
designs, or one or more pieces may be exchanged for others, the conditions being
that a certain number of designs be formed with a given number of the pieces.
:
To carry my invention into effect, I first make a simple geometrical form, con-
veniently a square, and by cutting it diagonally 1 obtain two right angled triangles,
cach of these constitutes my unit of measure; the hypotenuse of the triangle serves
as a measure for the sides of other triangles, the hypotenuse of these for the sides
of larger ones, and so on until the required number is obtained; in addition to the
triangles I make a square and a rhomboid, each being a multiple of the unit.
When leaving my Provisional Specification, I mentioned nine pieces as a suitable
number to be used in the formation of the several designs; I now find that with
only this number, some of the designs would not be geometrically accurate, I have
therefore increased the number to thirteen, (a number known in many parts of the
country as the "bakers dozen," consequently I have adopted this term as the name
by which my puzzle will be known); I also specify that four designs are to be
formed, vi, a square, triangle, rectangle, and rhomboid; (in one or two cases a
rhombus will be formed instead of a rhomboid ;) of these designs, the whole four
can be made with three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and eleven pieces; three
can be made with two, ten, and twelve pieces, and when the whole of the thirteen
pieces are used, only two of the designs can be formed.
To further illustrate the preparation of the pieces for use, and the method of
solving the puzzle, reference is made to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in
which
Group 1 shows the four geometrical designs to be constructed,
Group 2 the shapes and proportionate sizes of the pieces used, of which there
are provided two of the smallest triangles, four of the next size, three of the next
size, and one each of the two larger sizes, making with one square and one rhomboid,
a total of thirteen pieces.
Group 3 shows the three designs which can be made with two pieces,
Group 4 the whole four designs as formed with three pieces,
Group 5 the same, formed with four pieces, and the solution is obtained in this
manner by increasing the number of pieces up to twelve, making the four designs
with each number except ten and twelve, of which only three can be constructed;
and finally to take the whole thirteen pieces, or the "bakers dozen," and therewith
to form two of the designs.
It is not considered necessary to show how the remaining twenty or thirty com-
binations are made, but five examples, Figs. 6 to 10, are given, showing respectively
a square made with five pieces, a rectangle with six pieces, a triangle with seven
pieces, a rhomboid with nine pieces, and a square with eleven pieces.
As the construction and arrangement of the puzzle are based on geometrical
principles, it is evident that considerable instruction may be obtained by observing
the proportions which one piece or group of pieces bears to another, and illustrations

page_text: of the areas of differently shaped surfaces will frequently be suggested the pieces
may be made of any size, and on an enlarged scale may be used for class teaching,
and in the study of elementary geometry and graphic arithmetic, the lessons derived
from a solution of the various problems would be exceedingly useful.
The picces may be stamped or imprinted with an advertisement or other matter,
so that anything put on them will be prominently and continuously in view of persons
using the puzzle.
As before stated, the pieces may be made any convenient size, and if different
colours are used, the constant variety produced by changing the pieces will have a
pleasing effect.
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 is :-
The construction and combination of geometrical forms as herein described, so
that
any prescribed number of these forms or pieces may be so arranged that two
or more of the geometrical figures as herein mentioned will be constructed; forming
a puzzle affording amusement and instruction, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.