US3711102A - Progressive ring-threading puzzle - Google Patents

Abstract

A maze puzzle comprising a panel provided with a large number of like holes. The holes are arranged in such a manner that for at least a specific group of a substantial number of holes, there is a uniform center-to-center spacing from hole to hole in a predetermined progression from a starting hole to a finish hole through which a ring having a gap is threaded through any two successive holes in the progression. Optionally, a group of further holes may lead from the finish hole back to the starting hole and at least one further group of holes may be included to provide a false path.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Stubbmann 1 Jan. 16, 1973 [54] PROGRESSIVE RING-THREADING France ..273/153 R Great Britain ..273/l 53 R [57] ABSTRACT A maze puzzle comprising a panel provided with a large number of like holes. The holes are arranged in such a manner that for at least a specific group of a substantial number of holes, there is a uniform centerto-center spacing from hole to hole in a predetermined progression from a starting hole to a finish hole through which a ring having a gap is threaded through any two successive holes in the progression. Optionally, a group of further holes may lead from the finish hole back to the starting hole and at least one further group of holes may be included to provide a false path.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJAH 16 I973 SHEET 1 BF 2 FIG. I

m. H /l. Fl G. 4

INVENTOR.

ALBERT STUBBMANN BY @L 441, 0 f $4 ATTORNEYS PROGRESSIVE RING-THREADING PUZZLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention A puzzle which is solved by threading a gapped ring through a predetermined progression of holes in a panel.

2. Description of the Prior Art So far as is known, there is no prior art. The closest toy with any structural resemblance to the present invention is a childs drawing toy in which a series of dots is provided on a sheet, each dot having associated therewith a different number of a series. A child with a writing implement traces out a path from dot to dot following the numbers in succession to complete a crude picture. However, aside from the concept of progression of a member from point to point on a surface, there is no similarity whatsoever between a number drawing toy and the puzzle of the instant invention.

Generally speaking, puzzles of a simple order present a challenge to a person s manual dexterity and ingenuity. There are essentially no puzzles which are so constructed as to challenge and thereby strengthen a childs or person's visual recollection of spatial orientation. The absence of such puzzles with such a characteristic in a simple mechanical form is a hiatus in the educational and entertainment field. The closest type of game which makes any effort to challenge and reinforce a childs or an adults spatial recollection is that of Concentration in which the cards of a deck are randomly strewn on a table or floor face down and two (or more) players in alternation lift, reverse so as to show the faces, and then return to their original positions two cards, one after another, the object of the game being for the players to remember the positions and faces of the different back up cards so that subsequently as a card is turned up the then-current player can turn up and remember the other one of a pair of cards of matching color and number. However, Concentration requires a large number of loose cards, and a full deck of cards because the absence of one will throw the game off stride. It also requires a rather large space and more concentration and recall than an ordinary young child possesses. Thus, the game of Concentration" has never become popular. As a solitaire game, i.e., a puzzle, it is almost never played.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Purposes of the Invention It is an object of the invention to provide a puzzle which avoids the foregoing drawbacks.

It is another object of the invention to provide a puzzle of the character described which will improve and strengthen a persons, both a childs and adults, power of concentration and spatial recall.

It is another object of the invention to provide a puzzle of the character described which will teach, improve and strengthen a persons recognition of orderly progression.

It is another object of the invention to provide a puzzle of the character described which will improve a persons manual dexterity.

It is another object of the invention to provide a puzzle of the character described which constitutes relatively few and simple parts, isrugged and durable in construction and which will furnish hours of pleasurable enjoyment.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The puzzle includes a panel which preferably is flat and rigid and is provided with a large number of like holes extending between its opposite broad surfaces. The holes, when considered in a certain predetermined order, provides a consecutive progressive series the holes of which have a uniform center-te-center spacing; that is, the center-to-center spacing from the first to the second hole in the series is a certain length, the center-to-center spacing from the second to the third hole in the series is the same length, the center-tocenter spacing from the third to the fourth hole in the series is the same length, etc. The path of progression of the holes is preferably not a straight line but may zigzag, progress along a curve, cross back and forth over one another and, indeed, present any type of random pattern that is desired.

In association with the holes a ring is provided which preferably is rigid. The ring is of a diameter such that it can be threaded through any two adjacent holes in the progressive series. The ring has a gap the length of which is somewhat greater than the axial length of the holes. The cross-section of the ring is such that the ring can be threaded through any of the holes, turning in a direction parallel to the plane of the ring and about the center of the ring. When the ring after being threaded through two adjacent holes in the progressive series is turned in its own plane to a point where the gap has its ends located on opposite sides of the panel so that it is clear of one hole, the ring can be rotated about the other hole through which the ring still passes so as to locate the ends of the gap above a fresh hole which is the next or previous hole in the series. This turning is about a line perpendicular to the plane of the panel, in the plane of the ring and tangential to the ring where it passes through the panel. Subsequently turning the ring about in its own plane will cause an end of the ring at the gap to enter into the fresh hole and, shortly thereafter, for the ends of the gap to lie on opposite sides of the panel of the preceding hole whereupon the ring can be turned ready for threading, hopefully into the next hole in the proper sequence. This threading from hole to hole is continued from the starting hole to the finish hole.

The puzzle challenges the ingenuity of the solver to remember the preceding hole. This recall of the preceding hole may seem simple from the foregoing description, but in practice it is anything but simple. The slightest break in concentration will cause the solver to start to retrace the series, i.e., to go back toward the starting hole instead of toward the finish hole, and the more mistakes that the player makes the more confused he becomes and the more prone he is to make further mistakes until he settles down again to concentrate closely in remembering the order of the maze of holes that he has already threaded with the rmg.

It is within the scope of the invention to provide an additional series of holes having a center-to-center spacing of the same length leading in a single path from the finish hole to the starting hole in order to avoid retracing the preceding maze through which the player has successfully threaded the ring.

It also is within the scope of the invention to provide false trails wherein the ccnter-to-ccnter hole spacing is the same as that for the true path, but which false trails will either lead to dead ends or lead to closed paths from which the solver must once again successfully trace his steps to lead to the true path.

In a sense, the puzzle of the present invention is somewhat like a labyrinth in that there is only one correct path which, if properly traced, will lead from start to finish. However, unlike a labyrinth, it is much simpler with the puzzle of the instant invention for the solver to reverse his proper direction of threading the ring and soon to become so confused that he no longer knows which is the proper direction until he has made several false threadings in the wrong direction and generally senses that he is approaching the starting hole rather than the finish hole.

The ring preferably is maintained captive, i.e., trapped, in the panel so that it will not be lost. This most conveniently can be done by providing a border around the panel having a height which is in excess of the length of the gap of the ring. Preferably, also, the ring is rigid so.that it cannot be distorted out of its circular shape and forced into an incorrect hole.

Although the holes have a certain ordered sequence through which the ring is intended to be threaded, in the preferred form of the invention the surface of the puzzle observed by the solver has no indication of the sequence. Nevertheless, to prevent total frustration the reverse side of the puzzle has the holes numbered in the proper sequence or there is some other means to indicate the true path.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arragnements of parts which will be exemplified in the puzzle hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a broad surface of the puzzle, a portion being broken away to provide space for other figures and the gapped ring being illustrated in its finish hole;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a more highly enlarged view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrating a hole in greater detail; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the reverse side of the puzzle illustrating the identification of holes by numbered order of sequence and showing, with primes, holes that provide false paths.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 40 denotes a puzzle constructed in accordance with the invention. The puzzle includes a panel 42 which in the preferred form of the invention is flat, i.e., plane. However, the invention obviously embraces curved configurations for the panel. The plan shape of the puzzle can be selected according to the desire of the manufacturer. As illustrated, it is oblong. Circular, square, stellate, oval and a multitude of other configurations could alternatively be employed.

Preferably, the panel is of sheet-like shape, which is to say, it is of uniform, rather thin, thickness. A typical thickness is 0.08 inch. The panel can be made from any material. Wood and sheet metal are mentioned by way of example, but because the panel is not completely of sheet-like configuration, in the illustrated and desired form of the invention, the panel is made by molding of a synthetic plastic, preferably a thermoplastic, so that it can be injection molded. Desirably, also, the thermoplastic selected does not shatter easily, i.e., is tough. Many synthetic thermoplastic resins are known which satisfy these requirements, mention being made, merely by way of example, to polyamides, acrylics, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrates and copolymers of butydiene and styrene in which major amounts of styrene are present so that the panel is not noticeably flexible.

Interest in the puzzle may be enchanced by providing a design 44 on the front surface of the puzzle (shown in FIG. 1) and locating within the design all of the like holes 46 of the true path to which reference previously has been made, these being the holes arranged in the predetermined order from a starting hole to a finish hole. The holes, which will later be described in detail, that lead from the finish hole to the starting hole preferably are outside the border of the design 44'. The illustrated design 44 herein is, by way of example, an

ear.

As mentioned previously, the holes 46 of the true path are so positioned and mutually spaced on the panel 42 that, beginning with the starting hole 48 and terminating with the finish hole 50, adjacent holes in the true path have equal center-to-center spacing. Thus, considering the hole 48 as the starting hole, the next hole in the series is the hole 52. The third hole in the series is the hole 54. The fourth hole in the series is 56. The holes progress successively, being identified by the reference numerals 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108 and 110 to the finish hole 50. All of these holes are indicated by suitable reference numerals in FIG. 1. However, in the preferred form of the invention there is no indication whatsoever on the surface of the puzzle exposed to the solver of any symbols or other means indicating the proper sequence of holes, i.e., the true path.

Used with the puzzle is a ring 112. The ring has a circular cross-section which is slightly smaller than the cross-section of the holes, e.g., a few thousandths of an inch. The center-to-center spacing of the holes in an embodiment of the invention is, by way of example but not limitation, 1.187 inches and the holes are circular and O.l60 inch in diameter. The circular cross-section of the ring is 0. I60 inch in diameter and the diameter of the center line of the ring (the line running around the center of the cross-section of the ring) is 1.187 inches to match the center-to-center spacing of any pair of successive holes in the predetermined order (the true path).

The gap in the ring is indicated by the reference numeral 114. In the example being described this gap is 0.360 inch, i.e. this is the distance between the ends of the mutilated ring defining the gap. The ungapped portion of the ring extends over a predominant portion of the full 360 circumference of the ring. Moreover, in the example being described this gap is considerably in excess of the thickness of the panel which, again in the example, is 0.08 inch. This difference arises because each hole is extended on opposite faces of the panel 42 by collars 116 which protrude from the opposite surfaces of the panel 0.125 inch so that, effectively, the length of each hole is 0.330 or 0.03 inch less than the length of the gap.

To facilitate threading of the ring through the holes each hole has flaring ends and a slightly constricted center. It is this slightly constricted center which has the diameter of 0.166 inch, this being sufficiently larger than the cross-sectional diameter of the ring to provide an easy sliding fit of the ring through any one of the holes.

Assuming that to start the solving of the puzzle the ring is threaded through the starting hole 48 and the second hole 52, the puzzle is correctly solved as follows. The ring is turned in its own plane (which is defined by the starting hole 48 and the second hole 52) and which is roughly perpendicular to the plane of the panel 42, any noticeable deviation from perpendicularity being prevented by the inability of the ring to appreciably cock in the holes 48, 52. The turning is continued until the gap-defining ends of the mutiliated ring lie on opposite sides of the panel and clear of opposite ends of the starting hole 48. At this time, therefore, the ring is only threaded through the second hole 52. Now the ring is swung in (about) the second hole 52. The swinging takes place about an axis tangential to the portion of the ring in the second hole and perpendicular to the plane of the panel 42. The swinging is continued until the ends of the gap lie on opposite sides of (in registry with) the third hole 54. Now the ring again is turned in its own plane until one end of the gap and subsequently more of the ring enters the third hole 54, and this process is continued until the gap in the ring is clear of opposite ends of the second hole 52, whereupon the ring is swung about the third hole 54 until the ends of the gap lie on opposite sides of (in registry with) the fourth hole 56. This process is continued until the ring reaches the finish hole 50.

Things will progress rather smoothly as long as the solver of the puzzle remembers the position of the preceding hole which the ring had just left. This sounds simple in the telling, but is difficult in the actual solving of the puzzle. Unless the solver of the puzzle rigorously concentrates on which holes the ring has last left he will almost certainly, somewhere in the solving of the puzzle, insert an end of the gap back into a hole which he had previously left and then start to retrace the steps he had previously taken.

it will be observed that the holes from the start to the finish do not progress along a simple straight or curved line, but rather zigzag and cross over one another, i.e., the lines between the holes, so that is very easy for a player to lose his sense of direction unless he has a good power of recall as to the spatial location of the holes through which the ring has already been threaded. The probability is strong that the proper progression will be reversed at least several times during the solving of the puzzle.

Another series of holes 115, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 and 128 leads in a simple straight path from the finish hole 50 back to the starting hole 48 so that once the puzzle has been successfully solved it is rather easy to step the ring back to the starting point by threading through a linearly arranged path of holes.

It is desired to keep the ring trapped in the panel and this may be simply done by providing a border flange 130, the height of which perpendicular to the plane of the panel exceeds the length of the gap. The same trapping effect can be secured by locating all the holes further away from the border than the diameter of the ring. This latter arrangement only appears at the top and right-hand sides of the panel 42.

The ring should be made of a material which cannot be noticeably deformed except deliberately, for example, steel, and may be plated, e.g., with nickel or chrome, to enhance its appearance, protect it from deterioration and lower its surface coefficient of friction so it can slide easily through the holes. The ring should be a perfect circle except for the gap, i.e. it should be of constant radius with respect to its center so that it can be easily rotated through any pair of holes in the true path without binding. The ring also preferably is of uniform circular crosssection so that it will neither rattle nor bind in the holes.

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide false trails, i.e., false paths, which can divert the concentration and attention of the solver of the puzzle. The false trails are such that they cannot be detected upon inspection because of the great number of like holes present and the random arrangement of the holes in the true path. The false trails either can be dead-end trails or closed-path trails, the first terminating in a hole which is not spaced from any other hole by the aforesaid fixed length, so that the ring cannot be threaded any further. The second, i.e., the closed-path type of false trail, will return the ring threaded along the same back to a hole on the true path. In other words, it provides an alternate segment for the true path, the reason for its use being that when the solver of the puzzle returns to the main path he is not certain in which direction to thread the ring and, indeed, is not even aware of the fact that he has been diverted from the true path so that he is just as likely to progress along the true path in the wrong direction as in the right direction. Indeed, the solver of the puzzle may continue around the closed false path a few times before he is even aware he is doing this, and by this time will become confused.

The point of return of the closed false path to the true path may be either at the same hole as the hole which started the false closed path or at an earlier or later hole in the true path.

In FIG. 1 two dead-end false paths and one closed false path have been illustrated. One dead-end false path is comprised by the holes 84, 86. The other dead-end false path is comprised by the holes 96', 98'. The closed false path includes the holes 92' and 94'. The complete false path also includes holes 90 and 92 in the true path.

In one form of the invention the puzzle includes no number or directional lines or arrows on the front face of the panel 42 to indicate the true path for the solver to follow when threading the ring through successive holes because this would destroy the problem presented by the puzzle. However, in the preferred form of the invention the reverse side (the back side) of the panel 42 is provided with some sort of suitable indiciato denote the true path. This back side is the side shown in FIG. and the indicia 132 therein indicated (they may be imprinted or raised) are in the form of the series of numbers 1-32, all numbers included (not excluding odd numbers). The start and finish of the puzzle proper are indicated by the words Start and Finish on the front of the panel. Also, the return holes 115, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128 are not numbered on the reverse side of the panel. However, the indication of the direction in which the ring should be progressively threaded through the return holes is indicated by symbols 134, to wit, arrows, imprinted or indicated by raised ribs on the back surface of the puzzle.

It will be apparent to anyone skilled in the puzzle field that the particular arrangement of the holes in the true path from start to finish as well as the number of holes from start to finish is a matter of choice and can be varied from puzzle to puzzle. The same is true of the presence or absence and the number of false paths of the dead-end and closed-path types.

It thus. will be seen that there is provided a puzzle which achieves the various objects of the invention' and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A puzzle comprising a panel having several like holes therein, one of said holes being a starting hole and another of said holes being a finish hole, the holes between the staring hole and the finish hole being arranged in a predetermined pattern to define a true path from said starting hole to said finish hole, additional holes providing a return path from the finish hole to the starting hole, further additional holes defining at least one false path leading from the true path, and still further additional holes defining at least one false path leading from the return path; at least one surface of the panel bearing no indicia indicating the succession of holes in the true path and said surface having a design printed thereon, the area defined by said design embracing the holes in the true path from the starting hole to the finish hole but excluding the holes in the return path from the finish hole to the starting hole; and a circular ring having a gap therein, the ungapped portion of said ring extending over a predominant portion of the full 360 circumference of the ring, the length of said gap being in excess of the individual lengths of the holes whereby with the ring starting in the position in which it is threaded through the starting hole and the first next succeeding hole in the true path to solve the puzzle the ring is turned in its own plane until the ends of the gap are above and below the opposite ends of the starting hole and the ring is then turned about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the panel to position the ends of the gap above and below the next succeeding hole after which the ring is threaded into the next succeeding hole and such sequence of steps is continued until the ting reaches the finish hole.

2. A puzzle comprising a panel having several like holes therein, one of said holes being a starting hole and another of said holes being a finish hole, the holes between the starting hole and finish hole being arranged in a predetermined pattern to define a true path from said starting hole to said finish hole, said path thereby constituting holes in a predetermined sequence, every adjacent pair of holes in such sequence having a constant center-to-center spacing and additional holes defining at least one false path leading from i the true path; and a circular ring having a gap therein,

the ungapped portion of said ring extending over a predominant portion of the full 360 circumference of the ring, the length of said gaps being in excess of the individual lengths of the holes; each end of said holes defined by collars on opposite surfaces of the panel in registry with the hole in the panel, the collars and panel defining a passageway, the walls of said passageway having a two-way taper substantially conforming with the curvature of the ring; whereby with the ring starting in the position in which it is threaded through the starting hole and the first next succeeding hole in the true path to solve the puzzle the ring is turned in its own plane until the ends of the gap are above and below the opposite ends of the starting hole and the ring is then turned about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the panel to position the ends of the gap above and below the next succeeding hole after which the ring is threaded into the next succeeding hole and such sequence of steps is continued until the ring reaches the finish hole.

3. A puzzle comprising a panel having several like holes therein, one of said holes being a starting hole and another of said holes being a finish hole, the holes between the starting hole and finish hole being arranged in a predetermined pattern to define a true path from said starting hole to said finish hole, said path thereby constituting holes in a predetermined sequence, every adjacent pair of holes in such sequence having a constant center-to-center spacing and additional holes defining at least one false path leading from the true path; one face of said panel bearing no indicia to indicate the succession of holes in the true path from the starting hole to the finish hole and the other face of the panel bearing indicia indicating the correct succession of holes from the starting hole to the finish hole, said non-indicia bearing surface having imprinted thereon a design embracing in areal extent the group of holes in the true path; and a circular ring having a gap therein, the ungapped portion of said ring extending over a predominant portion of the full 360 circumference of the ring, the length of said gaps being in excess of the individual lengths of the holes; whereby with the ring starting in the position in which it is threaded through the starting hole and the first next succeeding hole in the true path to solve the puzzle the ring is turned in its own plane until the ends of the gap are above and below the opposite ends of the starting hole and the ring is then turned about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the panel to position the ends of the gap above and below the next succeeding hole after which the ring is threaded into the next succeeding hole and reaches the finish hole.

Claims (3)

1. A puzzle comprising a panel having several like holes therein, one of said holes being a starting hole and another of said holes being a finish hole, the holes between the staring hole and the finish hole being arranged in a predetermined pattern to define a true path from said starting hole to said finish hole, additional holes providing a return path from the finish hole to the starting hole, further additional holes defining at least one false path leading from the true path, and still further additional holes defining at least one false path leading from the return path; at least one surface of the panel bearing no indicia indicating the succession of holes in the true path and said surface hAving a design printed thereon, the area defined by said design embracing the holes in the true path from the starting hole to the finish hole but excluding the holes in the return path from the finish hole to the starting hole; and a circular ring having a gap therein, the ungapped portion of said ring extending over a predominant portion of the full 360* circumference of the ring, the length of said gap being in excess of the individual lengths of the holes whereby with the ring starting in the position in which it is threaded through the starting hole and the first next succeeding hole in the true path to solve the puzzle the ring is turned in its own plane until the ends of the gap are above and below the opposite ends of the starting hole and the ring is then turned about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the panel to position the ends of the gap above and below the next succeeding hole after which the ring is threaded into the next succeeding hole and such sequence of steps is continued until the ring reaches the finish hole.

2. A puzzle comprising a panel having several like holes therein, one of said holes being a starting hole and another of said holes being a finish hole, the holes between the starting hole and finish hole being arranged in a predetermined pattern to define a true path from said starting hole to said finish hole, said path thereby constituting holes in a predetermined sequence, every adjacent pair of holes in such sequence having a constant center-to-center spacing and additional holes defining at least one false path leading from the true path; and a circular ring having a gap therein, the ungapped portion of said ring extending over a predominant portion of the full 360* circumference of the ring, the length of said gaps being in excess of the individual lengths of the holes; each end of said holes defined by collars on opposite surfaces of the panel in registry with the hole in the panel, the collars and panel defining a passageway, the walls of said passageway having a two-way taper substantially conforming with the curvature of the ring; whereby with the ring starting in the position in which it is threaded through the starting hole and the first next succeeding hole in the true path to solve the puzzle the ring is turned in its own plane until the ends of the gap are above and below the opposite ends of the starting hole and the ring is then turned about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the panel to position the ends of the gap above and below the next succeeding hole after which the ring is threaded into the next succeeding hole and such sequence of steps is continued until the ring reaches the finish hole.

3. A puzzle comprising a panel having several like holes therein, one of said holes being a starting hole and another of said holes being a finish hole, the holes between the starting hole and finish hole being arranged in a predetermined pattern to define a true path from said starting hole to said finish hole, said path thereby constituting holes in a predetermined sequence, every adjacent pair of holes in such sequence having a constant center-to-center spacing and additional holes defining at least one false path leading from the true path; one face of said panel bearing no indicia to indicate the succession of holes in the true path from the starting hole to the finish hole and the other face of the panel bearing indicia indicating the correct succession of holes from the starting hole to the finish hole, said non-indicia bearing surface having imprinted thereon a design embracing in areal extent the group of holes in the true path; and a circular ring having a gap therein, the ungapped portion of said ring extending over a predominant portion of the full 360* circumference of the ring, the length of said gaps being in excess of the individual lengths of the holes; whereby with the ring starting in the position in which it is threaded through the starting hole and the first next succeedIng hole in the true path to solve the puzzle the ring is turned in its own plane until the ends of the gap are above and below the opposite ends of the starting hole and the ring is then turned about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the panel to position the ends of the gap above and below the next succeeding hole after which the ring is threaded into the next succeeding hole and such sequence of steps is continued until the ring reaches the finish hole.

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