Maze puzzle
OwnerWilliam Giakasinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A maze puzzle comprising an outer cylinder on the inner surface of which is a trackway forming a maze which is solved by rotating and pushing an inner cylinder having a projection which slides in the trackway. In another version, the outer cylinder is segmented so that two or more segments can be interconnected randomly so that a different maze path is formed with each combination of segments. In still another version, using either the segmented or unsegmented outer cylinders, but dispensing with the inner cylinder, the puzzle is solved by causing a magnetically attractable ball to move along the maze as a magnetic slider is moved on the outer surface of the cylinder.
Claims3
An improved maze puzzle of the type wherein there is a cylindrical container whose inner wall has a plurality of spaced raised portions to form horizontal trackways with at least one transverse slot to connect the said trackways, said trackways and transverse slots being disposed to constitute a maze, said maze including a plurality of blind stops and having an axial shaft passing rotatably through end walls attached to the cylindrical container, which axial shaft has a laterally extending arm on said shaft, the outer end of the arm riding in one of the said trackways, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a. An inner cylinder, replacing said axial shaft and end walls, dimensioned to telescope within said container, having a laterally extending arm slightly shorter than the depth of the raised portions, and being slideably insertable into the cylindrical container so that the laterally extending arm may ride in said trackway, said cylindrical container consisting of a plurality of segments, having fiduciary marks at each segment end, each segment being insertable into any other segment in random order such that, when the fiduciary marks are aligned, a completed maze puzzle is formed from one end of the assembled segmented cylindrical container to the other .
A puzzle comprising:
- a segmented container constructed with a plurality of elemental segments, each of said segments comprising:
- a hollow container, with a cylindrical inner surface, having first and second ends, and having openings disposed at said first and second ends;
- a primary groove on said inner surface defining a serpentine path extending between said first and second ends;
- a plurality of secondary grooves on said inner surface, each secondary groove intersecting said primary groove and having a blind stop remote from said primary groove;
- means for detachably joining said segments with the inner surfaces thereof in end-to-end coaxial alignment to define a cylindrical inner surface for said segmented container;
- said segments being radially oriented with respect to each other so that the primary groove of each segment intersects the primary groove of an adjoining segment at the juncture of said segments, the primary grooves of said segments cooperating to define a serpentine path substantially coextensive with said segmented container's cylindrical inner surface in an axial direction;
- an inner cylinder dimensioned to telescope within said segmented container;
- a follower means affixed to said inner cylinder and constructed and arranged to extend into said primary and secondary grooves and to be movable therein;
- said primary and secondary grooves defining a maze on the cylindrical inner surface of said segmented container to guide said follower means through said maze so that said inner cylinder is removable from within said segmented container when said follower means has traversed said primary grooves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.