Abstract: A manipulative puzzle is disclosed in which a succession of coaxial wheel-like elements is to be moved by a projective pattern to selectively exclude ones of these elements from a lot to be rotated in relation to the others. An embodiment has a disassembled configuration in which the various self-integrating parts comprise a semi-tubular limiter adapted for educational use in the assembly of a compact annular body from initially isolated elements, and an actuative projectional unit. The equable arbor able to provided by this limiter and the range of moves able to be performed unite conceptually the broad style of its puzzle with simpler apparatuses made to challenge a toddler. In addition this actuative projectional unit is selectively installable to determine the complexity of its puzzle.

Abstract: A puzzle game having at least one solution comprising at least 2 superposable light permeable portions. These portions are disposed in such a way that at least one superposition of light permeable portions in individually light continuous disposition will provide one solution. Light permeable portions may be oriented by means of a holder. In some embodiments, light permeable portions are translucent, transparent, polarizing or fiber optic.

Abstract: A mechanical puzzle which relies on intermeshed gears which must be rotated into alignment, either relative to each other or static markings, or both. The gears rotate substantially unison unless a cut-out or slip-spot on any of the gears is so aligned with the shaft of an intermeshed gear such that the intermeshed gear can rotate freely.

Abstract: A play device or game in the form of circular top and bottom members having a group of individual transparent disks between the members, the top member having a cutout or window through which a section of all disks can be seen. The disks carry a group or pattern of opaque spots on their surfaces so arranged that the disks can be positioned to provide alignments of groups of spots on individual disks observable through the window so that the spots collectively define the outline of a letter, geometric figure, or other design. Methodology is provided by way of use of rectangular grids, each having spots arranged to represent a component of a letter or figure. The grids are identified by a number, and then tabulated to indicate the grid components that make up each letter or figure and are then used for positioning the opaque spots in the disks.

Abstract: A puzzle having at least two overlapping circles disposed in a base, each circle being defined by a number of petals and a number of triangles. Each of the petals is formed of two arcs which are portions of a circle of the same circumference as each of the overlapping circles, and the triangles have faces in the form of arcs complementary to the arcs of the petals. The overlapping circles have common component petals and triangles, and rotation of either of the circles causes displacement of the common components. The petals and triangles have complementary tongues and grooves. The portion of the base underneath the circles has upwardly directed partial annular ridges, and the petals and triangles are provided with downwardly directed extensions which engage and are guided by the sides of the ridges.

Abstract: In a tubular toy puzzle, the object is to manipulate indicia on rotatable rings to achieve a desired arrangement of the indicia. Manipulation occurs by rotating a drive mechanism connected with a combination of the rings. Axial repositioning of a drive shaft in the drive mechanism changes the combination of rings which can be manipulated.

Abstract: A three-dimensional sliding element puzzle has a spherical support with circular tracks receiving legs and feet of slidable outer shell members defining either a spherical octahedron, cuboctahedron, or icosidodecahedron.

Abstract: A puzzle comprising a casing in which fixed seats are provided for a like number of bodies. Each of the bodies is movable within its seat by being turned about two of its axes. The bodies are shaped like cubes with rounded edges and corners and with recesses in all six faces. Adjacent bodies are interconnected by cross shaped connectors having bulbous end portions at the free ends of the cross arms. The bulbous end portions matingly engage the recesses of the bodies. The faces of the cube are marked such as by colors or stripes and the object of the puzzle is to achieve selected arrangements of the markings.

Abstract: A balance toy in the form of a body having a top portion, a bottom portion and a plurality of sections therebetween. The intermediate sections are rotatable with respect to each other about a common axis in the form of an elongated rod connecting the top and bottom portions. At least some of the sections are provided with a weighted portion spaced from the axis. The toy will be tilted unless the weighted portions are arranged so as to counterbalance each other.

Abstract: This disclosure is concerned with a puzzle type game involving an equilateral triangle assembly of hexagonal-form sub-assemblies of side-by-side components, wherein adjacent sub-assemblies share two common components and are held together in assembly but adapted for rotation of each sub-assembly around its own center.

Abstract: A puzzle comprised of a plurality of elongated pieces, each piece having a plurality of sides presenting a portion of a scene on each side, the puzzle including a knockdown stand adapted to hold said pieces in a contiguous relationship with selective sides of said pieces in a face up relationship so that when all of the sides are aligned on the stand so that all of the portions of the same scene face upwardly and are in proper contiguous relationship a scene is presented. Differing sides of the pieces may be aligned contiguously and facing upwardly so that a different scene is presented.

Abstract: The invention relates to an educational device adapted to permit the rapid and simple assembly, disassembly and reassembly of letters, words or figures to facilitate reading. It comprises a planar area (10) of thick paper, cardboard, synthetic plastics or other material which is divided into a number of squares, oblongs or other discrete sub-areas of a desired shape (12 . . . 28) by dividing lines or gaps so that at least some of the discrete sub-areas can be folded over as flaps to cover part of a central area (18, 20, 22) of the planar area, there being letters, words or figures applied to both the front and back surfaces of the planar area, the planar area having corner flaps.

Abstract: An educational entertainment device includes at least one cube formed from (a) a regular tetrahedron and (b) four 1/8th sections of a regular octahedron wherein the faces of the tetrahedron and the faces of the octahedron are all congruent. The 1/8th sections are formed by slicing the octahedron through three orthogonal planes, each slicing plane passing through four vertices of the octahedron, each 1/8th section being defined by (a) one octahedron face and (b) three mutually orthogonal corner faces. By coupling the octahedron face of each of the four 1/8th sections to a corresponding one of the tetrahedron faces in edge-to-edge fashion, one cube is formed. Each side of the cube includes two corner faces, one from each of two 1/8th sections. By rotating a 1/8th section about an axis perpendicular to the plane interfacing the 1/8th section and the tetrahedron, the two corner faces forming a cube side can be altered. A plurality of n.sup.3, e.g. eight, cubes can form a block of cubes, in an n.times.n.times.

Abstract: A puzzle game comprises a base having a plurality of steps extending upwardly from a circular wall to a top platform. A circular well or raceway extends between the circular wall and the lower of the steps and receives a circular ring therein for rotation thereabout. A plurality of additional rings are rotatably supported on the steps and a center member is supported on the platform. The faces of the rings are slanted upwardly and have line indicia thereon forming a maze pattern. A player rotates the rings which come to a click-stop in a random manner. A maze is created from the outer edge of the device to the center member and vice versa. Scores are awarded to a player in proportion to the length a playing piece is moved by the player through the maze for a given time period. The highest score is awarded the player who negotiates a path through the maze with a playing piece within a specific time period.

Abstract: A method of forming a puzzle comprises cutting a sheet having a design thereon into a plurality of parallel strips, cutting some or all of the strips transversely to form multiple pieces, rearranging the pieces of each cut strip end-for-end to form secondary strips, forming each of the strips into an endless ring, and assembling the rings on a spindle for independent rotation about a common axis.

Abstract: Both ends of four strips each including four equal foldable card boards are superposed one upon the other to form a rectangular frame. End card boards of two adjacent strips are foldably interconnected and front and rear surfaces of each card board are provided with predetermined patterns. By suitably folding respective strips in one or opposite direction a desired pattern can be formed.

Abstract: The present invention is a puzzle game which employs a plurality of moveable members, each of which bears at least one indicium, slideably mounted over rail-like means formed on a sectionalized base. One section of the base is the display section whereto the moveable members are moved in order to form a sought after display of the indicia which represents a solution of the puzzle. Another section of the base is the maneuvering section which is employed by the person solving the puzzle to change direction, location or orientation of the moveable members in an effort to find the solution to the puzzle. The maneuvering section includes a turntable means which enables the movable members to be moved from one rail to another and which enables the orientation of the indicia to be changed. In addition the moveable members can be readily removed or added to the puzzle to effect flexibility in the degree of difficulty offered in solving the puzzle.

Abstract: A puzzle in the form of a multi-colored regular solid is disclosed. Plates corresponding to the adjacent faces of the regular solid are disposed on said faces and divided into a plurality of triangles of different colors, and which triangles have adjacent edges. The plates are coupled in pairs and the pairs are rotatable relative to their respective faces. The object of the puzzle is to rotate the pairs of plates so that none of the adjacent edges of the triangles are of the same color.

Abstract: Puzzles, including both two dimensional and three dimensional versions, are comprised of movable segmented segments on a base. In various embodiments the base is a sphere. The segmented sections form geometric figures and each geometric figure has a common segmented section with another geometric figure. In the two-dimensional version the geometric figure is in the form of a circle. In the three-dimensional versions the geometric figure is in the form of a sphere; a square, with the segmented sections forming a cube; a triangle, with the segmented sections forming tetrahedron; or a pentagon, with the segmented sections forming a dodecahedron.

Abstract: A three-dimensional puzzle game having six sides comprising a cube wherein each side includes nine squares forming three columns intersecting three rows, any of the columns and rows being rotatable about an orthogonal axis of the cube with a single individual such rotation being accomplishable at a time, each of the six sides carrying a different integrated, invertible pictorial design with interchangeable portions which appear on each of the nine squares of each side.

Abstract: A novelty or educational device having, in combination, a first panel having a group of illustration segments in a predetermined pattern, with at least one overlay panel contiguous to the first panel and separated from that panel by a fold line. The overlay panel has a plurality of window areas arranged in a pattern corresponding to the predetermined pattern of the first panel. A second group of illustration segments on the non-window areas, would be the complement of the first group of illustration segments and would correspond to the second overlay panel. The window areas are formed in a complex pattern alternating from window to solid area in both the horizontal and vertical directions thereby obfuscating the illustrations. Both the reverse and the obverse of each panel contains illustrations segments which are the complement of illustration segments of other panels, thereby providing a number of illustrations.

Abstract: Apparatus for constructing a pyramid. The apparatus comprises a circular piece of material having a circular front face; a circular back face; and a plurality of fold lines formed on at least one of the faces. The fold lines include diameter lines each traversing and passing through the center point of the circular face, and chord lines each shorter in length than the diameter lines, either end of the chord lines and the diameters lines coinciding with a point on the circumference of the face. The pyramid is formed by sequentially folding the circular piece of material along the fold lines.

Abstract: A solid geometrical puzzle comprises a plurality of basic components each of which is hinged along two edges to neighboring components. A typical basic component comprises a solid element that is triangular in cross section, said triangle being a right angle isosceles triangle. The solid element has three four-sided faces, a lower face, an upper face extending 90.degree. to the lower face and a face joining the free ends of the upper and lower faces. The end portions of the element are triangles. The assembly may be folded along the hinge lines of a particular type to form many regular and irregular geometric shapes such as sawtooth configurations, parallelpipeds etc. The arrangement is intriguing and interesting to work with as a form of amusement and special effects may be obtained by printing designs on the faces.

Abstract: A hexaflexagon or an interchangeable face device is made by first printing a desired pattern on both sides of a sheet of card stock. The printed sheet is then die cut to form a series of parallel rows of zigzag slots. The slotted sheet is then laminated on both sides with a clear, flexible sheet material such as mylar forming a sandwich. The sandwich is then cut to form rows of alternating triangles. A triangle row is then folded and the two end triangles of the row adhered together to form the hexaflexagon.

Abstract: Means is described for transferring the component parts of an unknown design to copy sheet such that the unknown design is not recognizable until it has thus been fully reproduced on the copy sheet. The particular means described is a packet comprising a central sheet having attached thereto by fold lines, a plurality of fold-in sheets adapted to overlay the central sheet, in which at least two of the fold-in sheets comprise sheet-form stencils having different component stencil designs therein which, taken together, form a composite stencil design corresponding to the unknown design. By placing a copy sheet in the pocket overlaying the central sheet and successively overlaying it with the fold-in sheet-form stencils and successively transferring the component stencil designs thereof to the copy sheet, the unknown design is thus produced.

Abstract: An educational puzzle particularly adapted to teach children relationships between pairs of items of information is disclosed. The puzzle comprises a central planar portion which functions as the main body of the puzzle together with a plurality of arm members which extend from the main body portion. Each of the pairs of items forms a message pair and the parts of the message pairs, that is to say the parts of the items that make up each message pair are disposed in demarcated areas on the arms and are arranged in such a manner that the arms may be folded to solve the puzzle for the members of a message pair.

Abstract: A game adapted to be held in the hands of a player for manipulation into specific positions, with the game comprising a body portion of a flexible material having an inner surface and an outer surface so as to be foldable between a flat plane and into a pair of panels, and each panel including oppositely disposed upper and lower ends and spaced apart sides intermediate the ends. The panels are flexibly connected to each other along the lower end and adapted to alter in configuration to the specific positions. A pair of flexible outer flaps are integrally formed with each of the panels on the outer surface with each outer flap being connected to the upper end and one of the sides, such that each outer flap has an inner end and a bottom end freely movable relative to its respective one of the panels so that the fingers of each hand of the player may be interposed between each of the panels and each of the flaps.

Abstract: Puzzle apparatus having a square playing area defined by a square pivot frame each side of which carries a plurality of strip members pivotally mounted for movement against said area in overlying relationship and interleaved with one another to provide a preselected solution sequence. The strip members have spaced recesses along their respective lengths providing lateral and endwise legs defining a plurality of L-shaped contiguous portions each having three discrete identifiable sub-areas thereby providing a multiplicity of selectable puzzle solutions.

Abstract: Structural cores are quasi-isotropic load-carrying constructional elements n the form of parallel rows of polyhedrons disposed in alternating sequence. These have been made from interwoven fibrous filaments, coated with plastic. Such structural cores are made herein from a continuous ribbon.

Abstract: A three-dimensional mathematical game comprises a stacked array of rotatable transparent or translucent plates, each plate being rotatable about a common vertical axis, the plates carrying indicia thereon such that when the plates are viewed through one of the top or bottom plates, there will appear to be a plurality of vertical rows of indicia. The indicia are arranged to represent a field of numbers in some numbers system to the base 2 or higher, and the game is played by rotating the plates to go from one number configuration to another.

Abstract: A puzzle ring framed of 12 or more straight elongated flat links of similar length and pin joined to each other at their associated ends in a prescribed mode of superposition can be deformed to assume various interesting plane and solid skeletons through simple hand actions by players; the links are preferably made of a flexible material.

Abstract: An improved interchangeable-face device comprising two rows of alternately disposed equilateral triangles, spaced apart from one another and joined by link members bridging the interspaces, bonded to opposing surfaces of a pliant intermediate binder element, whereby the triangles and their interspaces are in registry, with the exposed portions of the binder element forming hinges for adjoining triangles. The triangle faces are provided with corresponding representations and the triangles are schematically overlaid upon one another, with the end triangles bonded together, to form a polygon, the latter adapted to be flexed for progressive exposure of groups of triangle faces, each group defining a different composite representation.