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US 4,560,164 AGranted
Toy puzzle
OwnerPhillip H. Darlinginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims17
A manually manipulated mechanical device comprising:
- a plurality of mutually positionable elements supported so that the elements are movable;
- a drive selectably engaging and positioning different subsets of elements, at least one subset including at least one element in common with at least one other subset, the subsets being positioned to achieve an operative location of the elements by positioning an incremental part of each element in a predetermined combination with the similar incremental parts of other elements, so that the incremental parts are in a predetermined mutual relationship, wherein the elements comprise:
- driven members having engageable members for engaging the drive;
- and wherein the drive comprises a plurality of driving members, a plurality of which are engaged with the driven members along an engageable portion, the relative extents of the engageable portions of the driving members and on the driven members being sufficiently different so that the driving and driven members can be relatively repositioned to engage at least one different subset of said driven members.
1 more element
A method of manual manipulation to reposition the elements of a mechanism, comprising:
- selectively engaging a drive with one subset of a set of engaged, mutually positionable elements, manipulating the drive to position said one subset of elements;
- engaging the drive with at least one different subset of said set, said one different subset and said one subset including at least one common element from said set;
- manipulating the drive to position said one different subset of elements;
- repeating the previously defined steps to achieve an operative mutual relationship among those incremental portions of said elements,
- wherein the repeating step comprises axially repositioning a drive member in the drive so that at least one projection on the drive member disengages said one subset, and engages said one different subset of said subsets of elements.
2 more elements
A manually manipulated puzzle device comprising:
- plurality of independently rotatable, juxtaposed rings having indicia thereon and having engaging members on the rings;
- a drive member having a plurality of projections which engage and rotate various combinations of rings through contact with the engaging members on the engaged rings, at least one of the various combinations containing at least one ring common to another of said combinations, the drive member being re-positionable so as to engage the projections with another of said combinations of the engaging members to rotate a different combination of rings in order to allow positioning of the indicia of plural rings in a cooperative location.
A manually manipulated mechanical device comprising:
- a plurality of mutually positionable elements supported so that the elements are moveable;
- a drive selectably engaging and positioning different subsets of elements, at least one subset including at least one element in common with at least one other subset, the subsets being positioned to achieve an operative location of the elements by positioning an incremental part of each element in a predetermined combination with the similar incremental parts of other elements, so that the incremental parts are in a predetermined mutual relationship;
- and
- randomizing means for enabling intermittent motion of at least one of the mutually positionable elements by causing intermittent engagement of the drive with at least one element.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.