US 4,708,345 A · Manipulative amusement device

Abstract

An amusement device for use in providing a manipulative puzzle, word games, games of chance, scoring games, or the like. Upper and lower parallel plates are planarly rotatable about a vertical axis. A plurality of cylinder assemblies is carried by the plates disposed on the outer periphery such that their longitudinal axes intersect to define a regular polygon parallel to the plates. Means are provided for maintaining spatial position of the upper one-half of each cylinder assembly relative to the upper plate, and the lower one-half of each cylinder assembly relative to the lower plate as the plates are rotated in opposing directions. When the plates are rotated such that the upper and lower cylinder halves combine to define the cylinder assemblies, each such assembly is further rotatable about its longitudinal axis. Each cylinder is comprised of sections each preferably having an identifier on its outer surface such as a different color or the like. Repeated rotation of the plates and cylinder assemblies permits formation of such assemblies from any combination of cylinder sections. When the combinations of cylinder sections are randomized, such repeated rotations may result in forming a preselected pattern of such identifiers to solve a puzzle as, for example, in forming a plurality of cylinder assemblies each with a different uniform outer surface color.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A manipulative amusement device comprising:

an upper plate;
a lower plate parallel to and in coaxial alignment with said upper plate and rotatable relative to said upper plate;
each plate having a common centerpoint and including a plurality of openings on the outer periphery thereof alignable in vertical registry upon said relative rotation;
each plate further including a collar piece disposed on either side of each opening whereby when said openings are in said vertical registry, mating pairs of said collar pieces define a plurality of collar members each having a pair of recesses;
a plurality of cylinder assemblies each formed about a respective longitudinal axis and comprised of an even number of cylinder segments numbering at least six, said number being independent of the number of said plates;
and
each said assembly having opposing end disks, each said disk being rotatably received by a respective one of said recesses and in coaxial alignment with said axis whereby each said cylinder assembly is rotatable about said axis and whereby said axes, in combination, circumscribe said common centerpoint.

4 more elements

A manipulative amusement device, comprising:

an upper and a lower plate each independently rotatable about a vertical axis;
a first plurality of half-cylindrical assemblies carried by said upper plate on the outer periphery, each said assembly being comprised of at least three cylindrical segments;
a second plurality of half-cylindrical assemblies carried by said lower plate on the outer periphery, each said assembly being comprised of at least three cylindrical segments;
means for maintaining the positions of said first and second pluralities of said half-cylinderical assemblies on said respective first and second plates when said plates are in a first rotational position;
wherein when said plates are in a second rotational position, said first and second pluralities of half-cylindrical assemblies combine to form a plurality of cylinders each comprised of at least six even-numbered ones of said cylindrical segments;
and
means for maintaining said combined half-cylindrical assemblies as said cylinders when said plates are in said second rotational position and when said cylinders are rotated about the longitudinal axes of said cylinders;
and wherein
said longitudinal axes of said cylinders lie about, and in a plane normal to, said vertical axis of said plates.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Manipulative amusement device

Life of this patent

Manipulative amusement device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20