Abstract: A movable puzzle comprising a plurality of puzzle elements having a substantially planar configuration which together form a completed image on at least one planar face when juxtaposed in a desired relative generally planar orientation. The puzzle pieces are arranged in upstanding completed image orientation in a trough having wheels mounted thereon in desired juxtaposition and spatial relationship so as to permit movement of the puzzle pieces as a whole.

Abstract: A five-piece geometric puzzle is disclosed. This geometric puzzle uses three basic shapes which can be arranged either as a two dimensional rhomboid or a three dimensional tetrahedron. The puzzle set is constituted by two pieces each comprising six connected balls in a planar rhomboid array, two pieces each comprising two connected balls, and one piece comprising four connected balls in planar linear array. Multiple sets of the pieces may be provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for framing a jig-saw puzzle includes providing a combination work assembly board and frame having a raised peripheral rim and a bottom wall defining a well therewithin for receiving the completed jig-saw puzzle, and attaching the completed puzzle to the frame. In one embodiment of the present invention, a backing sheet is placed in the well of the frame in overlying relationship with the bottom wall,and the jig-saw puzzle is assembled in the frame on top of the upper surface of the backing sheet. The completed jig-saw puzzle is then removed from the frame on top of the backing sheet so that an adhesive may be applied to the bottom wall of the frame. A slide board is then placed on top of the rim of the frame, and the completed puzzle and the backing sheet are placed on top of the slide board.

Abstract: Puzzle games, comprised of two-sided component puzzle pieces assembled in a tray having a transparent base for viewing both sides of the assembly. The assembly bears a pattern or design which depicts one or more morphologic or other objects exhibiting inter-object or intra-object symmetries. The puzzle pieces have perimetric shapes conforming to symmetric boundaries within the overall pattern or design. Each pattern or design is variegated and some of the pieces may be themselves variegated. At least some of the puzzle pieces are interchangeable with other puzzle pieces in front-to-front, back-to-front, and/or back-to-back relationship to produce a kaleidosymmetric effect. Some morphologic objects bear realistic markings; and some consist of two or more components which may be interchanged with like pieces in other like morphologic objects bearing different realistic markings to create morphologic objects with fanciful markings.

Abstract: A celestial display device having at least one box-like support member formed with a concave, hemispherical upper surface. A plurality of jigsaw puzzle pieces having convex lower surfaces are adapted to be removably affixed to the concave support member surface. The puzzle pieces have representations of celestial indicia on their upper surfaces and are assembled together on the support member to create a coherent celestial object display.

Abstract: An educational world map game adapted to be played on a pachisi-like game playing board bearing the world continental areas with countries marked off and lines of playing spaces to be traversed by playing pieces counted off in number according to the roll of dice and directed by a drawing of a card or playing piece showing the country shape in one of the continental areas. With the playing pieces being shaped as puzzle parts and each having the puzzle outline of a country, they are adapted to fit with one another and to overlie the country spaces marked off in the continental areas at the terminal ends of inwardly-extending lines of the playing spaces and these country spaces may be counted in continuation of the line space the shortest distance within the continental area to reach final country destination.

Abstract: A deck of cards for the assisting of improvement in children of learning skills of matching, counting, alphabet use, color use and providing simple games of fun. Each card of a fifty-two card deck depicts one-quarter of the picture of an animal in color, with each card of the four card set depicting a quarter-picture of a given animal identified by a common letter of the alphabet, a common numeral and an individual card suit symbol. Two different card decks are required for presentation of all letters of the alphabet. The name of the depicted animal may be marked on one or more cards and the picture of each card is drawn in a common scale so that four cards of different sets may be combined to form a picture of generally continuous outline which is a composite of quarter pictures of different animals.

Abstract: An assemblable, multi-component, spherical toy is disclosed which comprises an inner supporting structure consisting of a plurality of quadrilateral elements connected to one another by H-shaped couplers, and a plurality of convex quadrilateral cover plates covering the supporting structure.

Abstract: Educational system for facilitating the learning through the discovery and inductive reasoning process wherein expression means as to a set of interrelated concepts are divided into first and second groups on objects which are physically manipulatable to disclose any expression of the first group into adjacent relation to any expression of the second group, to provide a number of correct examples in which the objects physically mate and a number of incorrect examples in which they are in non-mating relationship physically, with the numbers of correct and incorrect examples being such as to enable the student to learn the interrelated concepts, without pre-instruction, and solely from the discovery and inductive reasoning process during trial and error manipulation of the objects and to facilitate the development of the discovery and inductive reasoning process itself irrespective of the subject matter of the concepts.

Abstract: A game for forming a variety of designs such as faces, scenes, etc., having a frame with outer ends and a vertically extending channel therebetween with an upper edge and lower edge and an opening extending transversely therethrough for viewing a design therein. A stand is connected to the frame at the lower end thereof for vertically supporting same, and a set of inserts which when assembled in proper orientation to each other forms a single design thereon is provided. The inserts are of a width to slide horizontally within the channel and between the upper and lower edges thereof and extending beyond the outer ends of the frame when assembled.

Abstract: A puzzle including a plurality of pieces each having a subset of coded symbols on its top and bottom surfaces. The pieces are adapted to fit together to form a closed structure when a plurality of symbols in the respective subsets of adjacent pieces match each other. In one embodiment, the pieces are arcuate blocks each having symbols formed by a plurality of peg arrangements extending from the top surface of the blocks, and correspoding aperture arrangements in the bottom surface of the block. The blocks are arranged end-to-end to form several courses, and the courses are stacked above each other with the blocks of one course overlapping two blocks of each adjacent course. However, the blocks may overlap each other only when their aperture arrangements match the peg arrangements of the blocks below. In another embodiment of the invention, the pieces are formed by a plurality of arcuate strips each having a plurality of spaced apart symbols.

Abstract: A cubic puzzle especially suitable for teaching the alphabet to children as well as serving as an adult puzzle. Puzzle members formed in the shape of alphabetic and numeric representations are releasably mounted on each surface of a cube. The alphabetic and numeric representations are inter-fitted to have a specific position on the cube surface and effect a puzzle on each surface.

Abstract: A board on which to assemble a jigsaw puzzle. The board is preferably of circular form and fitted with an inner rectangular section bounded by upraised ridges in which section the puzzle is assembled. The outer section of the board is formed with a pair of separated concentric upraised ridges, with a ring-shaped tray loosely fitted on the board between the concentric ridges on which the puzzle pieces may be initially placed in random order. The tray may be rotated so as to bring any desired puzzle piece to the position of the player, without rotating the position of the partially assembled jigsaw puzzle resting in the inner rectangular section. Vertical pegs may be mounted to extend above the tray surface to furnish grip means for manually rotating the tray.

Abstract: Movie-Cubes is a system by which all the surfaces of a group of three-dimensional cubes are patterned in a way that when the cubes are arranged and moved correctly, they create a continuous picture or pattern that changes and eventually returns to itself. The pattern is laid out on a 45.degree. zig-zag graph before it is applied to the cubes. When this group of patterned cubes is arranged, so that the picture or pattern matches from cube to cube, and alternating rows of matched cubes are moved correctly, they create a picture or pattern that not only changes, but eventually returns to where it started. This system operates on the principle of geometric progression whereby, once the group of cubes is matched correctly, they are moved and rotated in alternating rows from one side of the group of cubes to the opposite side. With each rotation and movement of a row of matched cubes, a new part of the picture or pattern is exposed until the picture or pattern eventually returns to its starting point.

Abstract: A combination of block units comprising: a generally H-shaped block unit having a configuration including two symmetrical grooves extending in Y-axis direction in a basic rectangular parallel-piped having X-, Y- and Z-axes intersecting with the right angle with each other, each of the grooves has a base wall which is parallel with X-axis and oppositely inclining side walls intersecting with the base wall with an acute angle, the distance between the centerlines extending in the Y-axis direction on the side walls being half of the length of the parallel-piped in the X-axis direction, a generally T-shaped block unit having a configuration attained by bisecting the H-shaped block unit along the X- and Z-axes thereof, a generally U-shaped block unit having a configuration attained by bisecting the H-shaped block unit along the X- and Y-axes thereof, and a generally T-shaped block unit having a configuration complementary to the U-shaped block unit.

Abstract: Six-sided cubic blocks with interfitting and repelling sides have selected representations on each side according to predetermined patterns of relationships between side structures and representations. The blocks are assembled in horizontal and vertical arrays to achieve numerical goals of representations on faces of the arrays. Two persons work on the vertical array from opposite sides seeking to attain their own goals, while preventing opposite persons from attaining their goals.

Abstract: A device for producing a block-built picture comprising a plurality of blocks and a support for mounting the blocks in a regular arrangement along coordinate axes. The blocks are adapted to present varying pictoral elements of at least one area thereof to define a picture perceived by the areal density of the pictoral elements. Thereby a block-built picture is produced by properly selecting the area of the pictoral elements of respective position of cubic blocks or changing the rotational position of cylindrical blocks.

Abstract: A plurality of parallelepiped blocks having varying heights, planar sides and a curved upper surface are connected together by special pin and hole interlocks randomly spaced in predetermined locations to form a three dimensional puzzle with at least a curved upper surface. Two or more puzzles can be made by initially assembling the blocks into a polyhedron with six rectangular faces and sawing along a predetermined path to separate the polyhedron into individual puzzles.

Abstract: A puzzle is provided having a plurality of puzzle pieces, each piece being of identical shape defined by a planar irregular pentagon. The shape of the irregular pentagon and the angles defined at the apices are arranged so that the puzzle pieces may be placed on a planar supporting surface in side to side abuttment to cover fully the surface and in a variety of configurations and juxtapositions. Each apex in each of the puzzle pieces is provided with indicia of a value selected from M possible values. According to the preferred rules of the puzzle, the pieces are to be placed on the support in such a manner that each apex in a given group of adjacent apices carries the same indicia of value as the other apices in that group. The number of puzzle pieces is limited so that no two puzzle pieces have the same configurations of indicia of value. In one embodiment the puzzle includes thirty-two pieces and in a second embodiment, twenty pieces.

Abstract: A board having four rectangles of 90 squares dimensioned respectively 9 .times. 10, 6 .times. 15, 5 .times. 18 and 3 .times. 30. At least one set of the 18 one-sided pentominoes are provided for disposition in the aforesaid rectangles. In one embodiment a number on one side of each pentominoe piece is related to the difficulty of playing the piece. In another embodiment, two sets of pentominoes are provided with opposite checkerboard patterns. In other embodiments, the pentominoes are provided with parts of a message, picture or geometric design.

Abstract: A die-cut jigsaw puzzle particularly adapted for distribution as premium items. As disclosed herein it is an educational toy formed from an elongated rectangular cardboard blank. The blank is divided by laterally extending perforated lines into three generally equal sized panels, including a center panel with an end panel on each side. One of the end panels has a jigsaw puzzle die-cut therein with the puzzle being surrounded by an uncut peripheral border of the panel. The jigsaw puzzle containing panel is folded over about a perforated line and adhered to the center panel by an adhesive which is applied to the peripheral border of the panel. An aperture formed in the center panel is aligned with the jigsaw puzzle portion of the end panel and is sufficiently large to permit a child to insert his finger through the aperture to remove the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle from the panel. The other end panel contains a number of water soluble paints which may be of different colors.

Abstract: A tangential spheres geometric puzzle uniquely formed from nine assembly pieces, of which eight pieces are based upon a triangular sphere array and a ninth piece based upon spheres disposed in a square array, providing a challenging educational and manipulative game. The pieces are assemblable into a tetrahedral pyramid.

Abstract: An archeological game utilizing common archeological techniques for locating an ancient buried civilization, termed the Great Civilization. The game interrelates two types of indicia bearing cards, termed fragment cards and clue cards, for determining the language of the ancient civilization from a plurality of possible languages and then deciphering the archeological fragments encrypted in that language to locate a predetermined number of fragments genuinely from that civilization, such as a predetermined number of mateable fragments which define a message, in order to be declared the finder of the ancient buried civilization. A fragment card may contain genuine encrypted language symbols as well as ingenuine or fake symbols not genuinely associated with the ancient civilization, such as forgeries or imports of another region than the known regional location of the ancient civilization.

Abstract: A puzzle is disclosed that is comprised of a plurality of cards that partially overlap each other so that, when completely assembled, the combined exposed portions provide a picture; the non-exposed portions provide areas for assembly information. The matching of the assembly information is a guide to assemble the puzzle. In one form, a card holder can be used to facilitate the positioning of the cards. In another form, the cards simply attach to each other.