US471706A

US471706A - Puzzle

Info

Publication number: US471706A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 1909-03-29

Description

(No Model.) 7

J. A. McDOUGALL. PUZZLE.

No. 471,706. Patente'd'Mar. 2-9, 1892 WITNESSES: I INVENTOH: 6&2 I I M @WqQwfl W ATTORNEYS UNTTED STATES PATENT Chi-non.

JAMES A. McDoUeAL'L, on PITTSTON, PENNsYLVANIA;

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,706, dated March 29, 1892.

I Application filed May 18, 1891. Serial No. 393,150. (No model.)

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. MoD OUGALL, of Pittston, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Puzzle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to that class of games or puzzles in which a board or box containing movable devices and goals corresponding thereto is designed to be held in ones hand and so manipulated as to direct the movable devices to their respective goals.

The object of my invention is to furnish an improved and interesting puzzle of this character.

To this end the invention consists ina series of devices loaded or having a preponderance of'weight at one end and goals to correspond with such devices.

Further, in the preferred form the invention includes a ballor marble, which when properly directed acts to propel and direct such loaded devices to their proper places.

Fina1ly,-the invention includes a board or box having goals arranged to represent several cities or points distant from a central goal, supposed to represent the Chicago Worlds Fair, the aim in playing the game or solving the puzzle being to start the several devices representing passengers or visitors from the points representing their homes to the central goal representing the fair and return them again to their respective starting-points.

The invention thus generalized will be hereinafter particularly described, and defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a game or puzzle embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a ver-.

tical sectional elevation thereof.

In constructing a puzzle in accordance with my invention I provide a board A, having a vertical flange a at its edge and a glass or other transparent cover a, the whole forming a box-like structure. In the said box a series of movable devices B are provided, and the same are loaded or formed with a preponderance of weight at one end, the body I) belng preferably of pith and the weighted end I) being of lead and rounded. In connection with such movable devices, or men, as movable devices are generally termed in such puzzles, I lay out on the board A a series of goals C at the outer edge of the board corresponding in number to the series of men, and I preferably designate the same as certain cities, those shown being marked New York, Philadelphia," St. Louis, and San Francisco. Centrally of the board a common goal C is indicated or defined, the same in the present instance being supposed to represent the Chicago Worlds Fair, and so marked.

In practice theweighted men B will bear some distinguishing mark or color corresponding with a distinguishing mark or color on the goals. With this construction the aim will be to direct the men or devices B first to their respective goals, then to the common goal, and eventually back to their starting-points, all in imitation of a visit to the Worlds Fain and returning. the men B being weighted, they will tend to move with a somewhat step-by-step movement and will always tend to assume an upright position.

In order to propel the devicesB without so tilting the box as to cause all to move, a ball or marble D is provided, which will have a greater tendency to move than the main devices, whereby the box may be tilted or vibrated sufficiently to throw the ball against the devices B and propel the latter without tilting the box sufficiently to cause the said devices B to travel of their own accord, and hence each one may be moved without affecting the others.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a game or puzzle, a box having a series of goals, a series of elongated movable devices having a preponderance of weight at one end and normally maintained in a verti- By reason of cal position, and a propelling device having a ball or marble for propelling said devices, a greater tendency to move than the said desubstantially as described.

vices, substantially as described.

2. In a game or puzzle, a box having a se- JAMES A? MODOUGALL' 5 ries of goals, a series of devices correspond- W itnesses:

ing to such goals, said devices being in the ALEX. MODOUGALL,

main of pith and having one end loaded, and JNOLMCDOUGALL.