US479475A

US479475A - stutz

Info

Publication number: US479475A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 1909-07-26

Description

(No Model.)

' L. F. STUTZ.

PUZZLE.

No. 479,475. Patented July 26, 1892.

uin 7 UNITED STATES PATENT PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,475, dated July 26, 1892.

Application filed April 21, 1892. Serial No. 430,054:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS F. STUTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is the object of my invention to provide a game or puzzle illustrating the discovery of the American Continent by Columbus with its attendant difliculties and disappointments.

To this end my invention comprises a base having, preferably, though not necessarily, a curved hemispherical or spherical surface having thereon the representations of two continents or countries-such as Spain and Americaand having between said countries a space representing the ocean, in or on which are adapted to move one or more travelers or sliding objects, preferably in the shape of and representing ships.

It is the object of the person playing the game or attempting to solve the puzzle to cause the ship ortraveler to move from the place representing Spain across the intervening space or ocean to that representing America. This is accomplished by the manipulation of the base or globe in such manner as to cause the ship or traveler to fall by gravity in the direction desired. The ships are caused to remain upon the surface of the base or globe by their engagement with guidessuch as undercut or equivalently-shaped slots or grooveswith'which the surface of the globe is provided. This engagement is preferably effected by means of wires or shanks which are attached to the ships, passed down through the groove, and carry on their lower ends cross-pieces, heads, or weights of greater dimension than the width of the groove.

The difficulties of the game are caused by the manner in which the grooves are traced upon the surface of the globe so as to intersect each other. This arrangement is such that when the globe is manipulated and the traveler or ship is caused to gravitate from one point to another thereon it will tend to follow the curves of the grooves which lead back to the place of starting, and can with difficulty be caused to pass transversely into the intersecting grooves which would lead them to the desired destination.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into effect without, however, intending to limit the improvement in its practical applications to the particular construction which, for the sake of illustration, I have delineated.

In said drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game apparatus or puzzle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the device, showing the actuatingweight as separate from the ship or traveler.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a base or globe having thereon, as shown at 2, the representation of a continent or country-for instance, Spain-and having at 3 the representation of another continent or country-for instance, America.

4 is the intervening surface, which represents the ocean and in or on which are formed grooves or guides 5. I do not confine myself to any particular manner of arranging these grooves; but it should be such as will tend to make it difficult for the ships or travelers which run therein to becaused to move from 1 to 2. For instance, in the arrangement illustrated the grooves are formed with portions 6, which lead back toward the point 1 and which are easily followed by the ship, and portions 7, intersecting transversely in such manner that it will be difficult to cause the ship to enter and follow them. The grooves are preferably of the character illustrated and best seen in Fig. 2. These I term undercut, meaning thereby that beneath the groove or slit there is a space 8, which follows the groove, of greaterwidth than the groove itself, so that a weight or head, which can follow easily along the spaces 8 cannot pass through the groove. The weight and head may be formed by one and the same piece, as shown at 9 in Fig. 2, or they may be separate, as illustrated at 9 and 9 in Fig. 3. In either case the gravity of the weight causes the movement of the ship; but in the latter construction care must be taken to keep the weight behind the head or cross-piece 9 which can only be done by careful and proper manipulation of the globe.

The globe may be made of any suitable material, such as wood, composition, or metal; but I prefer to mold it in sections of a plastic substance, such as papier-mach. It may also be made of stamped or molded paper or paperpulp. In the construction illustrated the separate sections are shown at 10 arranged to form between them the grooves or guides and spaces 5 and 8 and cemented or otherwise attached to a central support 11. The latter can be made hollow, as shown, with an openin g 12, through which the travelers can be introduced into the interior of the device when not in use. The opening can then be closed by a plug 13.

The ships or travelers are shown at 14, having shanks 15, adapted to pass down through the grooves 5 into the spaces 8. The lower ends of said shanks have cross-pieces or heads, which may be formed with and by weights 9 or by separate parts 9 as already described.

It will be understood that my invention may be employed to illustrate other events than the voyage of Columbus-for instance, the voyage of AmcrigoVespucci or that of Ulysses.

At certain points the grooves 5 may be interrupted or blocked by obstacles representing rocks, which will impede the further progress of the ship unless the grooves leading to such obstacles (which latter are indicated at 16 in Fig. 1) be avoided.

What I claim is 1. The herein-described game or puzzle, illustrating thediscoveryofAmerica, and comprising a globe or curved surface and ships or travelers having a loose sliding connection therewith and movable thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. Theherein-described game orpuzzle, consisting of a globe provided with the representations of two continents or countries and with an intervening space representing the ocean, undercut or equivalently-shaped intersecting grooves in the said space, and ships engaging. said grooves and movable therein, substantially as set forth.

3. A game or puzzle consisting of a globe having intersecting grooves and ships or travelers engaging said groovesand movable therein by their gravity, as the globe is manipulatcd, over the surface of the globe, substantially as set forth.

4: A game or puzzle consisting of a hollow globe having intersecting grooves, an opening into the interior of the globe, having a cover or plug, and detachable ships or travelers adapted to engage said grooves or be stored within the globe, substantially as set forth.

5. A game or puzzle consisting of a suitable base adapted to be manipulated or tilted by hand and having an undercut groove or slit, a traveler engaging the groove, and a separate weight in the inner or wider part or space of the groove and adapted by such manipulation to be moved to actuate the traveler, substantially as set forth.

6. The herein-described game or puzzle, consisting of a globe having grooves leading in a direction which is not desired to be pursued, travelers adapted to follow said grooves by their gravity as the globe is manipulated, and intersecting grooves meeting the first-mentioned grooves at an angle and leading to the desired destination, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS F. STUTZ; lVitnesses' S. G. HOPKINS, II. N. Low.