US1044241A - Puzzle. - Google Patents

Description

A. S. POTTEIGER.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1910. RENEWED APR. 11, 1912.

1 044 241. Patented Nov. 12,1912.

ALBERT S. POTTEIGER, OF READING,. PENNSYLVANIA.

PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

Application filed June 27, 1910, Serial No. 569,103. Renewed April 11, 1912. Serial No. 690,044.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT S. POTTEIGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to toy puzzles or games that comprise a board having an outer intact Wall and inner walled pens having gateways and balls adapted to be rolled about on the board by skilful manipulation of the board to roll certain of the balls into certain inclosu'res or pens in certain order.

My invention has for its object the provision of a board and pens 0f peculiar form and arrangement that adapts them to re-' quire or necessitate a novel manipulation of the board to get the balls in a particular inclosure, all as is clearly illustrated in the annexed drawings forming a, part of this specification.

I will first describe the invention, in em tenso, in view of the said drawings, and subsequently point out the same with particularity in the subjoined claims.

Of the said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of the board of my improved toy puzzle with the balls thereon. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the same.

Similar figures of reference designate similar parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

The fanciful idea involved in the toy game is that the balls 10 are cattle that at first are at large in the general runs 11 inclosed by the outer wall 12, which is a vertical flange of sheet metal or other material extending intact around the margin of the board. The first thing to be accomplished is to get the four groups of cattle distin guished by the colors of the balls, into their respective pens, 13, 14, 15 and 16, consisting of substantially triangularly-shaped inclosures arranged about a centrally disposed inclosure 17 each inclosure having a gateway 18 through which the balls (cattle) may pass. The said gateway to each triangular pen is located in the walls on the inner sides where they approach nearest to the central circular inclosure. From the pens the cattle are to be taken out one by one and driven through the gateway of the central inclosure, called the slaughter-house, and killed, by getting them into the concaved recesses 19 formed in the bottom of the board within the wall of the central inclosure or pen.

There will be twelve balls employed in the practice of the toy puzzle, as herein shown, and they will be divided into four groups of three each, colored, respectively, red, white, blue and black. All of the walls will consist of'fianges such as has been eX- plained with reference to the wall 12, and the walls may be colored in accordance with the color of the balls (cattle) in their respective pens. The ends of the walls at the gateways may be curved inward, as at 20, to prevent the easy escape of balls once driven into their pens. This, while desirable is not essential. I The central pen only will be provided with the concaved recesses in its bottom.

The rules for employing the toy may be widely varied but as indicatin the use of the invention and one way of employing it for recreation and pass-time is as follows: The player places the twelve balls, which are termed cattle, as before stated, and are colored, as explained, on the general run 11, within the wall 12. He then proceeds to drive them, one by one, and group after group, in the order named, into their respective pens, through the driveways 21 and gateways 20 into their respective inclosures by changing the inclination of the board and rolling the balls accordingly. The cattle are to be penned by manipulation of the board alone, and each animal must be put in the pen assigned to it. After the cattle have all been driven into their rightful pens, the player proceeds to take them out one by one and drive (roll the balls) into the central inclosure 17 and get them into the recesses 19. The latter may or may not be colored in accordance with the color of the balls, this matter depending upon whether it isdesired to make the game easy or ditficult of performance. Once the cattle have been. taken from their pens and killed by getting them into their rightful recesses 19 in the central pen, the puzzle will be considered as solved or ended.

As has been stated, the rules for the practice of the invention and the form and ar-- rangement of the partitions may be varied to suit fancies or desires without departing from the general nature or spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A toy puzzle consisting of a board having an outer intact wall, a central walled inclosure, of circular form, provided with a gateway through its wall, and having concaved recesses in its bottom, and triangularly formed walled pens surrounding the central inclosure, each provided with a gateway in its wall where it approaches nearest to the central inclosure, combined with a pfiurality of balls in number agreeing with t e number of concaved recesses in the central inclosure, the said balls being divided into four groups, each group being differently colored from each and every other group.

2. In a device of the class described, a board, a wall fixed to the marginal edge of said board, a circular walled inclosure located centrally of the board, and having a gateway therein the ends of the wall adjacent said gateway being curved outwa rally, said board being provided with a plural ty of pockets within said central inclosure and a plurality of walled inclosures arranged at intervals concentrically with respect to said central inclosures and provided with gateways adjacent said central inclosures, the ends of the walls of said inclosurcs adjacent said gateways being curved inwardly.

3. In a device of the class described, a

inclosures being all toward the center of the board and the gateway of the central inclosure opening in alinement with one of the passage ways.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT S. POTTEIGER. Witnesses WARREN KocHnL, L. VARREN LEISS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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