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US 4,726,588 AGranted
Magnetic detent device and puzzle game device
AssigneeBalls-N-Bars, Inc.
InventorAnthony G. Caprio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A detenting device used in the form of a puzzle including magnets and balls using a nonmagnetic tube around which an annular tubular magnet surrounds the tube with one magnetic pole on the entire inside surface of the tubular magnet and the opposite magnetic pole on the entire outside surface of the magnet wherein the ball or other magnetically attracted body is positioned at either one end or at the other end of the magnet requiring force to dislodge it from either position to the other position.
Claims15
A puzzle device comprising:
- (a) a transparent cylindrical tubular body of nonmagnetic material,
- (b) closing means to close each end of the tubular body,
- (c) a plurality of annular tubular magnets spaced along the length of the tubular body, each tubular magnet,
- (i) having a length along the direction of the length of the tubular body,
- (ii) having a single magnetic pole on the entire interior surface of the tubular magnet surface, and
- (iii) having the opposite signal magnetic pole on the entire exterior surface of the tubular magnet surface, and
- (d) a plurality of magnetically attracted balls in the tubular body, each ball of a diameter to allow easy rolling movement along the length of the tubular body, the number of the balls positioned inside the tubular body equal to the number of tubular magnets plus one,
- wherein the length of the tubular magnets are about the same distance as the diameter of the balls.
5 more elements
A detenting device comprising:
- (a) a magnetically attracted body having a plane of symmetry,
- (b) a containing means of nonmagnetic material having a length, and a cross-sectional area normal to the length,
- wherein the cross-sectional area is sufficient to allow the body to freely move along the length,
- (c) an annular tubular magnet surrounding the the cross-section area having two ends separated along the length of the containing means wherein there is one magnetic pole on the entire inside surface of the tubular magnet and the opposite magnetic pole on the entire outside surface of the tubular magnet, and
- (d) a moving means to move the body from one end of the magnet to the other end, while maintaining the plane of symmetry parallel to the cross-sectional area.
2 more elements
A detenting device comprising:
- (a) a magnetically attracted spherical body,
- (b) a housing of nonmagnetic material having a length and a cross sectional area normal to the length, two closure means to close each end of the housing and two apertures, one through each end generally positioned opposed to each other,
- (c) an annular tubular magnetic surrounding the housing having two ends separated along the length of the housing wherein there is one magnetic pole on the entire inside surface of the tubular magnet and the opposite magnetic pole on the entire outside surface of the tubular magnet, and
- (d) a moving member means fixedly attached to the spherical body to move the body from end of the magnet to the other end.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.