US487798A - Puzzle - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

E. L. THURSTON. PUZZLE.

N0. 487,798. Patented Dec. 13, 1892.

Fig 1.

WlTNESSES. INVENTDR.

15M@ L? W y am Darren STATES PATENT Trice,

EDlVINL. TI'IURSTON, OE CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LEONARD VATSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,798, dated December 13, 1892.

Application filed September 30, 1890. Serial No. 366.616- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. THURsToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description, reference -being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to that class of puzzles which are composed of a number of tablets the surface of which bear certain marks, configurations, or symbols which are designed to match with or bear a predetermined relation to the marks, configurations, or symbols on adjacent tablets when said tablets are properly arranged in contact.

My invention consists of a puzzle composed of a number of tablets having, separately and collectively, the characteristics hereinafter described, and shown in the drawing, and deiinitely distinguished in the claims.

In the puzzle shown in the drawing sixteen blocks are employed. The block marked A is not, however, an essential part of said puzzle. It is added for the purpose of completing the iigure and making the puzzle when solved more symmetrical in appearance. The tablets comprising it are necessarily in the form of parallelograms and are preferably square. The surface of each is divided into four substantially-equal sections, the lines of division extending diagonally from corner to corner, thereby forming triangular sections, each of which extends across one whole side of the tablet. Each section bears a symbol, and the same symbol does not appear twice on the same tablet. Any symbols which suit the fancy may be used, and I have shown numerals to represent any kind of symbols; but I prefer to use colors as symbols for the following among other reasons, viz: Colors give no information as to which of the four sides is to be at the top or bottom or at either side, the eye can more readily select any desired block, and a much prettier puzzle is produced.

Puzzles like that shown in the drawing, which are composed of square tablets divided into triangular sections, each of which fills one side, are generally more diflicult of solution than puzzles in which the tablets are differently shaped and divided, for while it may be easier to match any two or three or more tablets less than the whole number, there are more chances of misplacing them, and such misplacement would generally be an error which Would make a complete solution impossible.

As before stated, fifteen blocks are essential to the specific puzzle shown in the drawing. Six symbols are employed thereon. It is possible to make only fifteen combinations of four out of six symbols, and the symbols employed in the said puzzle are so disposed upon the several tablets that each tablet contains one of said possible combinations-that is to say, no two of the fifteen tablets bear the same four symbols. The sixteenth tablet A is a duplicate of one of the other tablets (that marked B) to this extent, that it bears the same four symbols; but the symbols are differently arranged upon the said two tablets.

When the tablets are properly arranged in con tact,thetouching sections contain thesame symbols, and the outline figure formed is similar in shape to the separate tablets forming it when sixteen tablets are employed. When only the fifteen tablets are employed, one vacant space is necessarily left in said outline ligure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy l. A puzzle consisting of a number of equalsized tablets in the form of a parallelogram, the surface of each of which is divided by lines running diagonally from corner to corner into .four triangular sections, each section containing a symbol, of which the same symbol does not appear twice on the same tablet and no two tablets bear the same four symbols, with one possible exception, said symbols being disposed upon the several tablets in such manner that the entire number of tablets may be laid in contact when the touching sections on contiguous tablets cont-ain the same symbol.

2. A puzzle composed of fifteen rectangular tablets, the surface of each tablet being divided into four triangular sections, the divission line between them extending diagonally from corner to corner, each Section containing one of six dierent symbols, said symbols beingr arranged on the several tablets, substantially as shown and described, whereby no two tablets contain the same four symbols, and all the tablets are adapted to be laid in contact and form a rectangle from which one tablet is missing when the touching sections of contiguous blocks contain the saine symbol, with or Without a sixteenth tablet, similarly shaped and divided, bearing four of said symbols and adapted to fit the vacant space and complete the rectangle.

3. A puzzle composed of fteen square tablets, the surface of each of which is divided into four triangular sections, each section be- EDWIN L. THURSTON.

Vitncsses:

ALBERT II. BATES, FRANK. MILLER.

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