EDUCATIONAL VISUAL AID
United States Patent 3593434
A double solution puzzle having pieces that afford on one face the flexibility of inversion with double factual question-and-answer opportunity for solution that also serves at least one other face of the puzzle.
US Patent References:
School game
Clinch et al. - February 1929 - 1701557
Puzzle
Strutton - May 1936 - 2041030
School game
Clinch et al. - February 1929 - 1701557
Puzzle
Strutton - May 1936 - 2041030
Application Number:
04/866239
Publication Date:
07/20/1971
Filing Date:
10/14/1969
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
273/157R
International Classes:
A63F9/10; A63F9/18; A63F9/06; A63F9/10
Field of Search:
35/71,73,70 273/157R,157A
Primary Examiner:
Skogquist, Harland S.
Claims:
I claim
1. A double-solution puzzle comprising a plurality of pieces, each piece having at least two plane faces, one face of which bears a depiction of visual information in such a manner as to depict a composite of visual information in at least one arrangement of said pieces, another face of which bears a depiction of visual information that responds to two or more information inquiries in each of two or more different alignments of information inquiry, a frame, at least two transparent plates sized to securely engage said frame in parallel fashion so as to secure an arrangement of said plurality of pieces between them, and a plurality of strips each of which bears at least one information inquiry.
2. A double-solution puzzle as described in claim 1 wherein each piece has two faces bearing visual information, each of said faces being substantially parallel to each other.
3. A double solution puzzle as described in claim 1 wherein each piece has six faces bearing visual information, each of said faces being disposed substantially at right angles to four other faces and substantially parallel to the fifth face.
4. A double solution puzzle as described in claim 3 wherein said frame is transparent.
1. A double-solution puzzle comprising a plurality of pieces, each piece having at least two plane faces, one face of which bears a depiction of visual information in such a manner as to depict a composite of visual information in at least one arrangement of said pieces, another face of which bears a depiction of visual information that responds to two or more information inquiries in each of two or more different alignments of information inquiry, a frame, at least two transparent plates sized to securely engage said frame in parallel fashion so as to secure an arrangement of said plurality of pieces between them, and a plurality of strips each of which bears at least one information inquiry.
2. A double-solution puzzle as described in claim 1 wherein each piece has two faces bearing visual information, each of said faces being substantially parallel to each other.
3. A double solution puzzle as described in claim 1 wherein each piece has six faces bearing visual information, each of said faces being disposed substantially at right angles to four other faces and substantially parallel to the fifth face.
4. A double solution puzzle as described in claim 3 wherein said frame is transparent.
Description:
Previously U.S. Pat. No. 1,339,399 described a puzzle designed to be solved by matching question-and-answer information on one face of a puzzle piece so that the pieces fitted together properly and produced the desired design on the opposite face of the puzzle piece.
In 1926, U.S. Pat. No. 1,597,260 described a double-solution puzzle designed to afford a numerical solution on one side and a pictorial solution on the other side. And, in 1934, U.S. Pat. No. 1,978,107 described the combination of a puzzle board, a cover plate and pieces bearing markings providing matching answers to corresponding numbers. However, no double-solution puzzle having pieces that afford on one side the flexibility of inversion with double factual question-and-answer opportunity for solution that still solves another face correctly has ever been described prior to the present invention. Providing such a flexible puzzle is one of the objects of this invention.
A further object of this invention is to provide a double-solution puzzle having one of its solutions designed to afford factual questions to be matched with factual answers proving another solution on another face of the puzzle affording a textual basis for these factual questions and answers.
A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of parts that will provide the opportunity for several variations of subject matter adaptable to a convenient transparent frame.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of pieces of a game board arranged in accordance with the invention, showing the solution affording the textual basis upon which factual questions and answers are based.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the opposite faces of the pieces of the game board as they appear in FIG. 1, arranged in a manner of afford the correct answer to each respective question.
FIG. 3 is a representative series of strips of questions designed to correctly arrange the answer blocks so as to complete the answer arrangement shown in FIG. 2 and the textual design shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a representative series of strips of questions designed to correctly arrange the answer blocks in inverted fashion from the strips shown in FIG. 3 so as to complete the answer arrangement shown in FIG. 2 in inverted fashion and to complete the textual design shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 shows the combination of transparent slides together with their frame, question strips and the answer blocks arranged in exploded view so as to correctly complete the textual basis shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a section view of the game board shown in FIG. 2, showing the component parts arranged from their exploded view in FIG. 5 into their solution arrangement.
Referring to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of 36 game blocks, each having a part of the textual information upon which the questions and answers shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are based. As shown in FIG. 1 these 36 game pieces are arranged to correctly depict all of the textual information afforded on each of them individually.
The number of game pieces needed for any particular puzzle combination can be selected as desired, and the number of questions and answers will vary accordingly. A design, photograph or art work affording such a textual basis for questions and answers could be substituted for the printed word.
FIG. 2 shows the inverted arrangement of the game blocks as shown in FIG. 1 so that information, in this case names of presidents, are shown in small type in parallel alignment with frame edge 1 of FIG. 2. In inverted fashion, the names of several presidents and other information is in capital type in parallel alignment with frame edge 1 so as to face away from frame edge 1 of game board 2.
In FIG. 5, the question strips 5 are fastened to or held against transparent plate 3 in such a fashion to locate their answers in a predetermined arrangement. That predetermined arrangement, when each question asked on the game strips is correctly answered and the game pieces arranged so as to correctly answer these questions, provides the textual basis for those questions and answers in inverted fashion as seen through transparent plate 4 as shown in FIG. 1.
Question strips 5 may be coated on their underside with some suitable adhesive to enable them to be positioned on transparent plate 3 in the desired alignment in such a manner that they will not slide out of place. It is preferable that such an adhesive does not adhere permanently to plate 3 but remain on each respective question strip for reuse. The game block pieces 6 can be arranged between transparent plates 3 and 4 by sliding plate 3 in frame 7 sufficiently out of frame 7 to provide access to the space between slide plates 3 and 4. In this space between slide plates 3 and 4, game pieces 6 may be arranged to properly answer the questions asked on question strips 5.
As shown on FIGS. 5 and 6, question strips 5 correspond to question strips 5 as shown in FIG. 3 bearing characters of small type. Should the questions asked by question strips 8 as shown in FIG. 4 be desired to be asked, those question strips would also be attached to transparent plate 3 but in the spaces 9 with the capital characters shown in inverted fashion from the position of the small characters on question strips 5.
With the above versatility, it's readily seen that two question-and-answer games are found on one side of this double-solution puzzle, either of which, when correctly arranged, produces the composite of the textual subject matter on the opposite faces from which of game pieces 6 these questions and answers were derived. That correct arrangement of the textual subject matter may then be viewed and checked against the question and answer solutions through transparent plate 4. If the textual matter is not correctly arranged, so as to depict FIG. 1, it must be rearranged to its correct arrangement in order to provide the correct answers as arranged in FIG. 2.
By correctly arranging the textual subject matter of FIG. 1, thereby correctly arranging the answers to question strips 5 or 8, as selected, the correct answers to the questions are supplied and emphasized in the mind of the game player. Thus this visual aid to the educational process adds the element of fun and entertainment to the process of learning.
An alternative embodiment, not shown, could consist of game pieces having considerable depth, such as cubes, and having parts of a selected design reproduced on all six faces. By using a transparent frame, a correct solution to either question and answer puzzle as depicted in FIG. 2 could provide correct solutions to multiple sides of the combined puzzle as solved and shown in FIG. 6.
In 1926, U.S. Pat. No. 1,597,260 described a double-solution puzzle designed to afford a numerical solution on one side and a pictorial solution on the other side. And, in 1934, U.S. Pat. No. 1,978,107 described the combination of a puzzle board, a cover plate and pieces bearing markings providing matching answers to corresponding numbers. However, no double-solution puzzle having pieces that afford on one side the flexibility of inversion with double factual question-and-answer opportunity for solution that still solves another face correctly has ever been described prior to the present invention. Providing such a flexible puzzle is one of the objects of this invention.
A further object of this invention is to provide a double-solution puzzle having one of its solutions designed to afford factual questions to be matched with factual answers proving another solution on another face of the puzzle affording a textual basis for these factual questions and answers.
A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of parts that will provide the opportunity for several variations of subject matter adaptable to a convenient transparent frame.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of pieces of a game board arranged in accordance with the invention, showing the solution affording the textual basis upon which factual questions and answers are based.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the opposite faces of the pieces of the game board as they appear in FIG. 1, arranged in a manner of afford the correct answer to each respective question.
FIG. 3 is a representative series of strips of questions designed to correctly arrange the answer blocks so as to complete the answer arrangement shown in FIG. 2 and the textual design shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a representative series of strips of questions designed to correctly arrange the answer blocks in inverted fashion from the strips shown in FIG. 3 so as to complete the answer arrangement shown in FIG. 2 in inverted fashion and to complete the textual design shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 shows the combination of transparent slides together with their frame, question strips and the answer blocks arranged in exploded view so as to correctly complete the textual basis shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a section view of the game board shown in FIG. 2, showing the component parts arranged from their exploded view in FIG. 5 into their solution arrangement.
Referring to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of 36 game blocks, each having a part of the textual information upon which the questions and answers shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are based. As shown in FIG. 1 these 36 game pieces are arranged to correctly depict all of the textual information afforded on each of them individually.
The number of game pieces needed for any particular puzzle combination can be selected as desired, and the number of questions and answers will vary accordingly. A design, photograph or art work affording such a textual basis for questions and answers could be substituted for the printed word.
FIG. 2 shows the inverted arrangement of the game blocks as shown in FIG. 1 so that information, in this case names of presidents, are shown in small type in parallel alignment with frame edge 1 of FIG. 2. In inverted fashion, the names of several presidents and other information is in capital type in parallel alignment with frame edge 1 so as to face away from frame edge 1 of game board 2.
In FIG. 5, the question strips 5 are fastened to or held against transparent plate 3 in such a fashion to locate their answers in a predetermined arrangement. That predetermined arrangement, when each question asked on the game strips is correctly answered and the game pieces arranged so as to correctly answer these questions, provides the textual basis for those questions and answers in inverted fashion as seen through transparent plate 4 as shown in FIG. 1.
Question strips 5 may be coated on their underside with some suitable adhesive to enable them to be positioned on transparent plate 3 in the desired alignment in such a manner that they will not slide out of place. It is preferable that such an adhesive does not adhere permanently to plate 3 but remain on each respective question strip for reuse. The game block pieces 6 can be arranged between transparent plates 3 and 4 by sliding plate 3 in frame 7 sufficiently out of frame 7 to provide access to the space between slide plates 3 and 4. In this space between slide plates 3 and 4, game pieces 6 may be arranged to properly answer the questions asked on question strips 5.
As shown on FIGS. 5 and 6, question strips 5 correspond to question strips 5 as shown in FIG. 3 bearing characters of small type. Should the questions asked by question strips 8 as shown in FIG. 4 be desired to be asked, those question strips would also be attached to transparent plate 3 but in the spaces 9 with the capital characters shown in inverted fashion from the position of the small characters on question strips 5.
With the above versatility, it's readily seen that two question-and-answer games are found on one side of this double-solution puzzle, either of which, when correctly arranged, produces the composite of the textual subject matter on the opposite faces from which of game pieces 6 these questions and answers were derived. That correct arrangement of the textual subject matter may then be viewed and checked against the question and answer solutions through transparent plate 4. If the textual matter is not correctly arranged, so as to depict FIG. 1, it must be rearranged to its correct arrangement in order to provide the correct answers as arranged in FIG. 2.
By correctly arranging the textual subject matter of FIG. 1, thereby correctly arranging the answers to question strips 5 or 8, as selected, the correct answers to the questions are supplied and emphasized in the mind of the game player. Thus this visual aid to the educational process adds the element of fun and entertainment to the process of learning.
An alternative embodiment, not shown, could consist of game pieces having considerable depth, such as cubes, and having parts of a selected design reproduced on all six faces. By using a transparent frame, a correct solution to either question and answer puzzle as depicted in FIG. 2 could provide correct solutions to multiple sides of the combined puzzle as solved and shown in FIG. 6.