US570363A - Puzzle - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

T. J. BARRETT. PUZZLE.

No. 570,363. Patented Oct. 2'7, 1896.

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PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,363, dated October 27, 1896.

Application filed .Iuly 17, 1896. Serial No. 599,530. (No model.)

such as will enable others skilled in the art` to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in puzzles, and possesses the novel features and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

To more fully describe my invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my improved puzzle, showing the movable figures placed in position onthe checkered board; and Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the puzzle-board folded.

Similar reference letters and numerals refer to similar parts throughout both the views.

My improved puzzle apparatus consists of a board A, composed of two members A and A2, joined, as at a, so that when not in use the members may be folded together, as shown in Fig. 2. This board may be made of heavy cardboard, light wood covered with paper, or any suitable material of which game and puzzle boards are usuallycomposed. The upper face of this board is divided into at least thirty-six squares, these squares being preferably made varicolored, as in regular checker-boards, but possessing the novel arrangement as hereinafter described. Upon twenty-six of these squares are arranged two sets of movable figures B and B. In the drawings these figures are made to represent frogs, but it is obvious that movable figures of any form` may be substituted for those shown in the present drawings. These two sets of figures, of at least thirteen in each set, may be distinguished from each other by coloring one set, the set B, for instance, green and the set B red.

It is proposed to let each set of frogs represent a company attacking the opposing cornpany of different color. To this end each set or company of frogs has one captain, nine privates, and three officers, whose initial positions are as follows: The captains occupy the spaces or squares 1 and 17, respectively, the privates occupy the squares 5 to 13 and 2l to 29, respectively, making nine privates on each side, and the officers occupy the squares 14. to 16 and 30 to 32. This arrangement places the two opposing captains at the top of the board, leaves the seven squares immediately below them vacant, alines the nine privates opposing each other in single file with a vacant square, 36, between them, and the officers occupy positions just below the line of privates with a vacant square also between them.

I-Iaving thus explained the positions of the men, the object of the puzzle is to transfer the frogs of one set to the positions of the frogs of the other set, and vice versa; that is, to transfer the red frogs B to the squares occupied by the frogs B at the beginning and to transpose the frogs B to the squares occupied by the frogs B at the beginning, and, in addition to this, to bring the line of officers accompanying the squares 14, 15, and 16 and 30, 3l, and 32 through the line of privates and make them occupy the squares 18, 19, and`20 and 2, 3, and et, respectively. When this transposition will have been accomplished, the frogs will occupy opposite positions from those occupied in the beginning, the line of six officers occupying the squares above the privates and not below them.

The transposition of the frogs from one side of the board to the other is made by moves and jumps. A frog of one color may be moved toward the objective point, which is a square on the opposite side, by moving that frog from the square it occupies to the square directly in front of it if that square is vacant, or if the square directly in front of and adadjoining the square upon which that frog is located is occupied by a frog of a different color and the square next in front of the frog of the different color is vacant then the first frog may jump the frog of a different color and occupy the vacant square and may continue to jump as long as there are alternate spaces open for a jump. IVhen, however, there is no longer an opportunity for a jump, the frog of that color has to stop and allow the opposite color a chance to move or jump.

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Only one move is allowed each frog, that is, no two frogs of the same color may be moved in succession, nor may one frog jump one of different color and then move in succession, though there be a chance for a move.

To solve the puzzle, the first few moves are as follows: Letting B represent the green frogs and B the red frogs, the frog on square 5 is moved to 35. It now becomes the red frogs time to move, when he jumps from 2l to 5, but as no other jump is open he has to stop. The green frog then moves from 1 to The red jumps from 17 to 1. Then the green moves from 33 to 17 and the red from 22 to 21 and the green jumps from 35 to 22 and jumps again from 6 to 35, but has to stop, for no other jump is open, when the red takes its turn, and the moves are kept up, as above, until the spaces along the line of privates all become so filled and arranged that neither a move nor a jump can take place along the line, when the officers occupying a line below the privates are put in play. They are moved and jumped among each other, the object being to transpose the colors from right to left, and vice versa, and also to bring the oiiicers through the line of privates and make them occupy the blank spaces above that line, as explained.

The officers may only be carried through the line of privates to occupy the squares above when a vacant square occurs between two privates of the same color, but differing in color from the officer. For example, suppose it is required to transpose the ofcer occupying square 31 to square 19, and as this frog B is supposed to be a red frog the privates occupying the squares 23 and 21 should be green frogs and the square 22 vacant. The frog on 3l then jumps square 22 and occupies square 19. These are the only conditions under which one of the officers may be brought to the upper line.

yThere are about one hundred and ninetyiive moves necessary to solve this puzzle, but they are all of the same nature as those eX- plained.

It is obvious that various minor modifica; tions may be made in the above-described apparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having fully described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A puzzle, comprising a diagram of the shape formed joining together a number of spaces to form a rectangle and adding to each end of the said rectangle an equal number of spaces similar to those composing the rectangle, and adding a row of spaces to and above the upper row of spaces forming said rectangle; and two sets of movable men or figures arranged upon the said spaces, and adapted to be moved from one space to another, substantially as described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a puzzle-board consisting of a plane surface having upon said surface a number of spaces so disposed as to form a central rectangle having an extension at each end composed of lequal numbers of similar spaces, and a row of similar spaces adjoining the central and adjacent spaces, forming the top row of said rectangle, in combination with two sets of movable figures or men arranged upon a number of said spaces in sets lon opposite sides of a vertical central row of vacant spaces, substantially as described.

3. As an improved article of manufacture a puzzle-board composed of two flat members so joined together that they may be folded one upon the other and when opened present a continuous surface on one side; a number of rectangles so disposed on said surface as to form a larger rectangle having an eXtension at each end composed of equal numbers of rectangles and a row of similar rectangles adjoining the central and adjacent rectangles forming the top row of the larger rectangle; in combination with two sets of figures or men so arranged that the two sets of men occupy a number of the rectangles on each side of a central vertical row of vacant rectangles, said men being adapted to move or jump from one rectangle to another, substantially as described.

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

THOMAS JOSEPH BARRETT. Witnesses JOHN J. SAUOIER, Jos. H. DE GRANGE.

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