Abstract: A package for confections containing a game using this confections as playing pieces comprises a plurality of individual playing piece confections capable of being consumed by the player, some of which display letters of the alphabet, and a playing surface having series of crossing lines defining a grid containing a plurality of similar enclosed spaces slightly larger than the confections. The spaces on the grid may be all blank for construction of a message thereon with the lettered confection pieces or may have selected spaces marked with letters forming a part of a message to be completed by placing of selected lettered confection pieces on unmarked spaces aligned therewith. The game package container encloses the playing piece confections, the playing surface, and an answer sheet secreted from the player containing the correct completed phrase.

Abstract: The invention is a game in which tiles are placed on a game surface to teach a discipline or area of study. The invention will be described in terms of a math game board although the principles taught can be used with many fields of study. The surface has a series of geometrical shapes presented to the player either simultaneously or serially. Each of the geometrical shapes has a plurality of discrete marked off "problem bases". Each of the problem bases have a series of symbols providing a problem. A symbol or symbols on the answer base answers the problem presented via the problem base. When the answer base of each tile having a symbol or symbols correctly answering the problems presented on each of the problem bases is correctly placed on the appropriate problem base, the tiles correctively duplicate each of the geometric shapes of the series.

Abstract: A combination puzzle, box and hangable puzzle frame comprises a base, including a bottom wall and continuous sidewall defining an upwardly opening recess. The base is adapted to receive therein a cover, including a transparent top wall and continuous sidewall defining a downwardly opening recess. The corresponding sidewalls are adapted for interlocking engagement. When the cover is received within the base, with the bottom wall and top wall in spaced apart relation, a storage enclosure is formed. The storage enclosure may be used to store the randomly mixed pieces of an uncompleted puzzle. The cover is freely separable from the base, and may be inverted and inserted within the upwardly opening recess. When the cover is so inverted and inserted, the bottom wall and top wall are in close proximity, to form a picture frame type display enclosure when viewed from the transparent top wall.

Abstract: A scratch and smell game for pre-school children which makes use of a playing board on whose front face is printed drawings of different fruits or other odor-producing objects, each having a characteristic smell. At a site adjacent each fruit on the front face is a removable chip seated in a cutout in the board and forming a part of the board, the chips all having the same geometry. Coated on the front face of each chip is a layer of rupturable capsules containing a fragrance whose smell matches that of the particular fruit adjacent thereto. Printed on the rear face of the board are drawings of the same fruits, portions of these printed drawings being included on the rear faces of the chips so that the chips are necessary to complete the drawings. In playing the game, the player first removes all chips from the board and then shuffles them so that their proper sites on the front face of the board are no longer known.

Abstract: A multitude of parts of three-dimensional shape have full edges and also edge segments adapted for abutment with like edges and edge segments of other parts. The parts additionally include non-abutting irregular or curved edges which may represent terrain contour lines or the bank of a body of water. Inclined areas on the parts are adjacent the irregular or curved edges and represent sloped terrain which is continuous with like inclined areas on other abutting parts. The inclined area of a part may be dispensed with to provide a vertical surface to simulate an escarpment.

Abstract: The invention concerns a parallelepipedic puzzle, its parts, and method of assembly. The puzzle is formed from a group of smaller parallelepipeds each of which are biorientationally attached to the others using a series of pegs and holes affixed on diagonals of the faces of the smaller parallelepipeds. The cube has external aesthetic parts attached at positions on faces of the smaller cubes to signify the solution orientation which is achieved when the external parts are attached in their normal anatomical positions and no extra apertures remain on any exposed surfaces.

Abstract: A novel board game and method of playing the game are described in which pieces of a jigsaw puzzle are assembled over particular indicia of a game board. Points are assigned based on covering or connecting certain areas of the game board, and by playing a uniquely shaped piece of the puzzle in a particular manner. Score cards are assigned to players when points are earned, and totaled at the end of the game.

Abstract: A block toy including a hexahedral block body having openings of preselected shapes formed in selected surfaces thereof and a block insert having a color contrasting with the color of the block body and being insertable in the block body such that the contrasting color is visible through the openings in the surfaces of the block body.

Abstract: A card game comprises a set of cards with each card being formed with a slit along its mid-line starting from one edge and extending for about one-half its width towards its opposite edge such as to permit each card to be inserted via its slit into the slit of each other card in the set to form a pair with one-half of one card aligned with and exposed to view with the other half of the other card. Each card has indicia on each half of the card on opposite sides of its respective slit. The indicia on the half of each card on one side of the slit is non-validly complementary with the indicia on the other half of the card on the other side of its slit, but is validly complementary with the indicia on some, but not all, of the other cards of the set to form a valid card pair therewith when the two cards are inserted into each other via their respective slits.

Abstract: A design game comprising at least six series of at least six modules each, each of the series being constituted of the same number of modules and all of the modules having the same shape in plan, with the area in plan of the modules of each series progressing in the same way as in every other series, from the smallest to the largest, according to a definite geometric formula. Modules in the shape of a square are specifically disclosed. The modules are used to form various abstract and quasi-representational designs. At least one spacer element may be used as an aid for positioning the modules relative to each other in a desired angular relationship.

Abstract: An educational toy and method for demonstrating characteristics of a latticework of spacepoints including demonstrating (a) the commonality of latticework between tetrahedron configuration latticework and octahedron configuration latticework, (b) that octahedron latticework merges with tetrahedron latticework, (c) the 13-plane structure of the common latticework, (d) how simultaneous twinning in more than one of the 13 planes can form multitudes of combinations of domains of tetrahedrons and octahedrons, and (e) the altering of latticework by appropriately selecting the dimensions of structure members that define spacepoints in the latticework. Preferably, the structure members are similarly dimensioned and oriented ellipsoidal elements which are gravity stacked and optionally connectable and wherein the centerpoint of each ellipsoidal element represents a spacepoint in the latticework.

Abstract: An interactive book-puzzle instructional entertainment system envisions a story book of consecutively-arranged pages with different indicia and a portion of a complemental supporting story imprinted on each of the consecutive pages, and a jigsaw puzzle including a plurality of separable playing pieces. Each piece bears on one side a duplicate representation of an indicia appearing on one of the pages of the book and bears on the opposite side a portion of a complete picture. The participant matches the indicia of each page of the book with the indicia on each playing piece with each successive piece being playable according to the consecutive order of their appearance in the book. That is, the pieces are playable consecutively, each piece is interlocked so that the second piece is interjoined with the first piece and the third piece is interjoined somewhere along the continuous edge provided by the previously interjoined first and second pieces.

Abstract: An educational game is described for teaching time concepts (e.g., hours in a day, days in a week and month, calendar months, and seasons). The game comprises puzzle pieces which can be assembled in interconnecting relationship in inner and outer bands. The pieces in one band designate seasons and the pieces in the other designate calendar months. The individual pieces are so configured that assembly thereof is only possible if the seasons and the months are both in the correct sequence and the interrelationship between the seasons and the calendar months corresponding to each season is established correctly. The pieces designating months house removable pegs or like markers corresponding in number to the days in the designated months and removable for placement on associated calendar month matrices.An optional feature of the same is a day rod advantageously adapted to be mounted within the inner band of puzzle pieces.

Abstract: A puzzle comprising a planar map projection is formed from a conformal projection of the earth's surface onto an equilateral tetrahedron whose apices are located at preselected significant points on the surface, for example, major airports, major seaports, etc. The planar map puzzle is tesselated (that is, space filling) and periodic (repeating itself with, at most, changes of orientation). A plurality of frames are provided to accommodate different predefined configurations of the puzzle pieces to thereby illustrate differing features of the respective configurations.

Abstract: A jigsaw puzzle having sets of puzzle pieces with the pieces of a first set being of significantly different size than those pieces of a second set. The above sets of pieces are spaced from one another by an intermediate set of puzzle pieces of graduated size which is generally indicative of the spatial relationship of the intermediate puzzle pieces to the first and second sets. The overall configuration of the puzzle may be polygonal or curvilinear.

Abstract: Crescent-shaped, polygonal tiles useful for covering walls, floors, ceilings, streets or paths and for producing toys, games and structures. The tiles each have a substantially convex outer edge, a substantially concave inner edge, and at least seven sides forming the edges. In some instances, these sides are straight and of equal length, and in other instances they are not straight but enclose the same area as enclosed by the straight sides of equal length. The tiles, either by themselves or in combination with others, interconnect to fill a plane. Either by themselves or in combination with others, the tiles form mosaics with periodic or non-periodic patterns.

Abstract: A jigsaw message pad comprising a removable sheet of interlocked jigsaw pieces which is within a sleeve characterized bu an open end through which said sheet may be removed and a window through which one surface of said sheet can be viewed.

Abstract: A puzzle game and a method of manufacturing the same including separate geometric segments of a total picture image removably fastened in jumbled fashion in a first defined area and a visibly marked grid in a second defined area forming the same geometrically shaped segments as in the first area whereby the jumbled segments can be transferred from the first area to the second area to form a correct picture image within the visible grid.

Abstract: A puzzle game includes a game board with a square playing surface, and a plurality of blocks defined by cubes, at least one of the blocks being a single cube and the remaining blocks including two or more cubes defining L-shaped, T-shaped, cruciform and straight blocks. The blocks can be arranged on the board to cover the entire playing surface, or stacked to form a cube, T-shaped walls or sets of stairs. Recesses can be provided in one surface of the blocks for receiving pegs, which increases the number of games which can be played with the puzzle game.

Abstract: An amusement device comprises a solid cube which may be disassembled into a plurality of blocks of differing geometric shapes wherein each of the geometric shapes is formed from one or more modular units. Each modular unit comprises an isosceles right triangular prism having a triangular face formed by two legs each of which has a length A and which meet at a right angle, and a hypoteneuse which has a length B, said modular unit having a depth which is equal to A, and a volume which is equal to C. Each of the differing geometric shapes is formed from one or more modular units and has a volume equal to an integral number times C, and the total volume of said solid cube is equal to 16C.

Abstract: A jigsaw comprises a plurality of pieces which can be assembled to form a picture, design, shape or some other representation, some pieces being reversible so as to at least partially alter the character of the representation. Opposite faces of some pieces may bear a different picture, color, design, symbol or other marking so that reversing them alters the visual effect of the representation, or some pieces may be non-symmetric such that reversing them actually alters the shape of the representation.

Abstract: A jigsaw puzzle includes puzzle pieces which interlock to provide a two-piece part which is provided with an open slot. A plurality of such two-piece parts can be interfitted together to form a three-dimensional object.

Abstract: A game played with L-shaped members for positioning upon a playing board having squares defined thereon and color marking in a majority of the squares displaying a fixed pattern of horizontal and vertical continuously extending lines of squares. Each of the L-shaped members having squares defined thereon with at least one of the squares of each of the L-shaped members being marked with a different color. The purpose of the game is to generate by the selective placement of the L-shaped members on the squares of the playing board to obtain an assembly of the L-shaped members with the colored squares thereof overlying the color marked squares of the playing board and wherein each horizontal and vertical row of the colored squares of the L-shaped members display different colors.

Abstract: A puzzle in which each of a number of regular octagons is divided to form an irregular octagon and a number of smaller pieces. Each irregular octagon has four pairs of equilateral parallel sides. Each of the smaller pieces has two pairs or three pairs of equilateral parallel sides. The sides of all parts formed are equal in length. A number of the pieces are capable of being assembled in juxtaposition to form a large regular octagon, which assembly can be performed in a large number of different ways.

Abstract: A jig-saw puzzle work board having a frame with a recess formed in one lateral surface of the frame. The bottom of the recess forms a work surface for the assembly of the pieces of a jig-saw puzzle. A padding of resilient foam material is provided which has dimensions permitting the padding to be removably fitted into the recess with a snug fit. A surface of the padding engages the puzzle pieces and applies them against the work surface. A lid retains the padding in the recess of the frame. The lid is removably affixed across the recess-provided surface of the frame by a novel arrangement of Velcro material and complementary Velcro material.

Abstract: Building elements with matching side surfaces for fitting together to form constructions of varying shape, said building elements having the same length (L) and each having two opposite, equiform, flat, parallel end surfaces and at least three flat, rectangular side surfaces extending between said end surfaces to effect said matching of the side surfaces, the cross-sectional surfaces of the building elements each having a size which is a multiple of a triangular area of the size a.sup.2/2, and the sides of the end surfaces having proportional lengths selected from the group a, a.sqroot. 2, 2a and 2a.sqroot.a or a multiple thereof, "a" having a predetermined value, and the sides of the end surfaces defining proportional angles selected from the group 45.degree., 90.degree., 135.degree. and 270.degree..

Abstract: An educational toy for teaching small children alphanumeric characters and their positions on a conventional keyboard includes a flat base unit having a plurality of surface slots extending partially through the base and second slots between the bottom of the surface slots and the bottom surface of the base to a metallic bottom plate. Keys are represented on the top surfaces of bars having exterior shapes that fit within the surface slots and with magnet tipped extensions that fit within the second slots. The slots and keyboard bars are uniquely shaped so that each bar can only fit into its respective slot to form a completed assembly similar to a conventional keyboard.

Abstract: A three dimensional puzzle game having a plurality of component pieces, which when assembled, form a plurality of different right rectangular prism solution shapes. The pieces are designed to give a puzzle unit volume which is a multiple of at least four prime numbers, not all equal to each other. All of the component pieces are utilized to provide each of the solution shapes. Preferably, the component pieces are multi-layered and made from rectangular cross-section material, such as wood, of uniform width.

Abstract: A puzzle which includes five interfitting pieces, four of which can be interfitted to collectively form a square and all five of which can be interfitted to collectively form a larger square.

Abstract: A system of interlocking keyed play pieces is adapted for receiving and displaying indicia bearing tile members. Each of the play pieces is provided with a display window through which the tiles may be viewed. The pieces may be interconnected both laterally and longitudinally to enable a child to interconnect the play pieces in an infinite number of combinations so as to form a multitude of structures of varying configurations.

Abstract: A combination system such as may, for example, be embodied in a matching game or instructional device or in a set of locks and keys consists of a number of receivers and an associated number of plugs with both the receivers and the plugs having cooperable coding features coded according to unique rules, derivable from N-dimensional geometry, assuring a desired form of cooperation between a plug inserted in a receiver only when the code of such plug matches the code of the receiver.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with the technical field of structures adapted to provide entertainment of a didactic character, and in particular with a block subdivided into suitable portions to compose three-dimensional figures. The technical problem to be solved was that of providing a simple structure whereby a very high number of three-dimensional configurations could be obtained, the elements which make up the game being in such mutual relationship as to favor the attainment of such three-dimensional configurations.

Abstract: A support device has a rod-like support member and a base for maintaining the support member in upright position. A guide device extends along the length of the support member, which has a free top end at its farthest distance from the base. Each of a plurality of body members has an axial bore formed therethrough whereby each of the body members is removably slidably mounted on the support member. Each of the body members has a directing device for cooperating with the guide device in a manner whereby each of the body members rotates about the axis of the support member in a first direction of rotation when it slides on the support member toward the base and in a second opposite direction of rotation, when it slides on the support member away from the base thereby providing variable spiral motion of the body members. A top member has an axial bore formed therein whereby the top member is removably slidably mounted on the support member.

Abstract: This invention relates to a combined educational puzzle and amusement device comprising a set of nine toy blocks that have various indicia imprinted on the sides of the individual blocks, in such a manner that the rotation and displacement of the individual blocks in a given pattern can produce all of the letters in the alphabet; the letters being formed on the combined top surface of the toy blocks, when the blocks are arranged in a grid, of three rows down, and three rows across.

Abstract: The block game of the invention comprises an open-top box, including side walls and at least one floor. A plurality of similar regular blocks, designed to be removably contained by the box, are provided, wherein at least one of the blocks includes a movable part embedded therewithin. The movable part includes a top face, occupying a restricted portion of one of the faces of at least one of the blocks, to constitute an animatable portion. A manually-operated handle is carried by the box for driving the movable part within the associated block. At least two of the faces of each block are each adapted to carry a different graphical representation, each forming part of a different large image, wherein the animatable portion appears animated when the handle is activated.

Abstract: A puzzle assembly having a plurality of pieces which are identical and which interfit without interlocking are assembled in a recess of the base of a container and the container is closed by a cover hinged to the base. When the cover is closed, the puzzle pieces are disposed between top and bottom walls formed respectively on the cover and the base. The pieces are made of a resiliently yieldable material and their normal thickness is greater than the spacing between the walls when the cover is closed so that the pieces are clamped between the walls and are held against sliding even though only some of the pieces have been assembled. The puzzle has a design on both sides and the top and bottom walls are transparent so that both designs may be viewed with the cover closed.

Abstract: A jigsaw puzzle assembly and storage apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a ferromagnetic base portion preferably contructed including a thin layer of tin or steel. The base portion includes at least one beveled edge which permits a partial assembly or an entire puzzle to be shifted intact up the beveled edge and onto the base portion for storage. A flexible magnetic cover sheet is hingeably coupled to the base portion along one edge and the magnetic attraction between the entire surface of the ferromagnetic base portion and the magnetic cover sheet serves to hold a plurality of jigsaw puzzle pieces fixedly mounted in a desired relationship during horizontal or vertical storage. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a set of folding legs disposed on the lower surface of the base portion which permit the base portion to be utilized as a freestanding work station.

Abstract: A jig-saw puzzle work board forming a work surface recessed relative to a frame surrounding the work surface. The work surface is used for reconstructing a puzzle by placing the puzzle pieces together in a predetermined fashion, and a cover having a resilient facing or padding is placed over the work surface for preserving or storing away a partially reconstructed puzzle, the padding being made of resilient foam material having a surface engageable with the surface of the puzzle pieces and capturing the pieces and applying them against the work surface.

Abstract: The present invention entails a teaching device for severely retarded and physically handicapped individuals. A separable teaching board is provided which includes a plurality of detachable board sections. Each board section includes indented cutouts formed in the face thereof, with the indented cutouts being of a selected shape. Further there is provided a plurality of inserts formed in like selected shapes for being inserted into certain cutouts. An individual is taught to effectively match a given insert with a like shaped cutout by manipulating and positioning the insert within the matching cutout.

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: A three dimensional jigsaw comprised of a plurality of single-layered and multi-layered interlocking puzzle pieces which combine to form, when the puzzle is assembled, a plurality of superimposed, concentric planer layers of differing surface area is disclosed. When the puzzle is properly assembled, a continuous homogenous pictoral illustration is displayed on the surface of each visable planar layer of the puzzle.

Abstract: An apparatus for playing a game is provided that includes a plurality of cards or tiles upon one surface of which is formed a representation of a portion of a typically elongate subject, which can be either a plant, animal or inanimate object. The tiles are adapted to be placed upon a flat playing surface of predetermined area such that the tiles when placed adjacent one another form a complete picture of the subject in as realistic a posture as is feasible, utilizing two-dimensional illustrations. The tiles are marked such that the representation has a different indicia at its beginning from that at its end, so that the tiles can be placed in a correlative relationship with regard to the markings on the ends of the representation on each tile. In a preferred embodiment of the game apparatus, the tiles each bear a portion of a representation of a snake and the tiles when placed in correlative relationship on the playing surface form a completed picture of a snake.

Abstract: A toy puzzle includes a base member with first and second rows of circular containers. One more container is in the first row than is in the second row. A plurality of playing pieces are to be positioned in the top row of containers in a predetermined pattern to define an object in each of the containers with one eye and an open mouth. The pieces may be repositioned in the second row of containers to form a closed mouth, one eyed object in each of the containers with no leftover pieces.

Abstract: A game including a game board having a base and pegs upstanding on the base arranged in columns and rows to define a grid of uniformly sized squares. A plurality of square cards each of which is divided into nine colored squares identical in size to the squares of the game board is provided. Notches are formed along the sides of each card at the corners of each square and openings are formed in the card at the corners of the center square so that the cards can be fitted over the pegs and against one another and the base of the game board. The squares on the cards are arranged in patterns of color so the cards can be placed on top of one another in a partially overlapping manner to ultimately form a pattern of nine contiguous squares of the same color when viewed from above.

Abstract: The device includes an assembly tray for holding assembled pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and includes two storage trays for holding unassembled puzzle pieces. The storage trays are adapted to be placed in side-by-side relation in the assembly tray and hold the assembled puzzle pieces in assembled relation when the device is picked up and carried. Filler blocks are adapted to be placed in the storage trays to hold the unassembled pieces therein in position when the device is picked up and carried. A releasable cover holds the filler blocks, the storage trays and the assembly tray together as a compact unit.

Abstract: An educational and amusement device includes elements in the form of an alphabet and/or the digits of a numbering system. Each character element is similarly divided by a plurality of essentially similar parallel lines, which may consist of a first set of parallel lines alone or first and second sets, with the second set of parallel lines oriented to extend in an opposite and perpendicular direction from such first set of lines. Each element includes at least three parts but less than ten, and preferably is four or five parts for sufficient complexity to maintain interest of a child or other person having a learning disability but of a sufficient simplicity to prevent frustration. Each element may be formed with the parts releasably interconnected with each other as by water soluble adhesive. Each element can be made progressively more complex.

Abstract: A novelty educational puzzle for instructing users in multidirectional, mathematical and grammatical skills that is restrictive as to both the answers and problems in both the vertical and horizontal directions as well as being color coded to further aid the user and facilitate proper assembly and simultaneous solution to the problems thereon.

Abstract: A mathematical teaching/learning aid includes a set of thin mathematical cards or blocks, the set including six different types of blocks that represent the numbers +1, -1, +X, -X, +X.sup.2, and -X.sup.2, respectively. A plurality of blocks of each type are included in the set. The numbers +1, -1, +X, -X, +X.sup.2 and -X.sup.2 are referred to as "block type" indicia, and are printed in the center of the two opposed major faces of each corresponding type block. Four edge indicia or dimensions are printed adjacent to each of the respective edges of each face of each block. The product of the edge indicia at adjacent edges of each face is equal to the "block type" indicia of that block. Mating edge alignment tabs and notches or mating edge alignment indicia are provided at or adjacent to each edge of each block to allow edge-to-edge mating of each block with another block in only one configuration.

Abstract: A puzzle-game consists of a plurality of jig saw-type puzzle boards with identical pictures and puzzle parts for play. The game is played competitively with suitable chance devices, such as dice. The number of playing pieces corresponds to the numbers which can be generated by the chance devices, i.e. eleven pieces where a pair of dice are used in the play. The individual playing pieces are numbered and the spots on the board where the pieces are to be played bear the same respective numbers. The pieces must be played in ascending order of the numbers from three to twelve and finally piece number two. Each player is allowed a predetermined, e.g. three, rolls of the dice on each turn of play to try to roll the number of the next piece to be played. The roll of a double one, i.e. "snake eyes", during play incurs a penalty. The play of the last piece requires the roll of the double one, hence the name of the game "snake eyes".

Abstract: A two-sided puzzle having a puzzle comprising puzzle members on each side thereof. One or more puzzle members on one side are each coupled to a puzzle member on the opposite side. The puzzle members are arranged or oriented on each side such that matching or assembling the puzzle members on one side automatically unmatches or disassembles the puzzle members on the opposite side.