GB2111395A - Manipulative puzzle - Google Patents

Abstract

A puzzle consists of eight elements hinged together. Each element consists of three pyramids each fused to two other pyramids along adjoining triangular faces and the pyramid bases are square so that each element is one half of a cube and the exposed triangular faces of an element are complementary to those of another element. The elements are hinged together so that they can be folded into a cube, a three- dimensional star, and numerous other configurations. Complementary configurations exist so that a pair of such puzzles can be interfitted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Articulated puzzle This invention relates to puzzles of the kind comprising elements articulated together so that they can be moved into different positions to form different geometrical shapes, without being separated from one another.

The present invention provides a puzzle of this kind which by manipulation of its individual elements can be put into the shape of a simple cube and a wide variety of other geometrical shapes. In a preferred embodiment, the puzzle is so designed that if two identical puzzles are provided, they can be adjusted to mutually complementary shapes so that one can be fitted into the other, and in particular the two puzzles can be folded and inter-nested in such a way that one puzzle fits completely within the cube formed by the other.

In the present puzzle, each individual element is one half of a cube, divided symmetrically along a diagonal (in general angular or curved) surface and adjacent elements are hinged together along edges which are orthogonal but not adjacent.

Preferably, each element has a form consisting of three pyramids each adjacent to two of the other pyramids on their respective triangular faces. Accordingly the said diagonal surface consists of triangular surfaces meeting at edges which are diagonal to the cube and which are alternately ridges and valleys.

A puzzle embodying the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 to 5 show an individual element of the puzzle in different views, respectively: In perspective, in side view, in side view from a different angle, in perspective from below, and in perspective from below from a different angle.

Each puzzle element is one half of a cube and therefore has three square faces 10, 20, 30, each perpendicular to the other two. Each square face is the base of an isosceles pyramid and the apexes of the three pyramids meet at the centre of the cube, i.e. each pyramid has two adjacent triangular faces which coincide with respective triangular faces of the other two pyramids. The remaining, exposed triangular surfaces of the pyramids are marked 11, 21, 31. The puzzle element therefore has an exposed diagonal polyhedral surface consisting of 6 isosceles triangles arranged radially and separated by alternate ridges 41 and troughs 42.

That is to say, the surfaces forming part of a single pyramid are separated by a ridge, whereas adjacent triangular surfaces forming parts of separate pyramids are separated by a trough, as can be ciearly seen in Figures 4 and 5. This diagonal polyhedral surface is symmetrical, so that two such elements can be fitted together to form a complete cube, with the ridges of one element fitting into the troughs of the other.

Eight such elements are hinged together along edges of their square faces, in such a way that they can form a complete cube with twice the dimensions and eight times the volume of an individual element cube. Figure 6 shows a complete puzzle cube in perspective, there being hinges at the edges marked 40. For each individual element, the two hinged edges are orthogonal but not adjacent to each other and each hinged edge is the base of one of the exposed triangular pyramid surfaces 1 21 or 31.

With the cube oriented as shown in Figure 6, the underside of the cube contains no hinges, and the ieft and right rear surfaces have hinges arranged as in the lefthand right front surfaces respectively.

By pivoting the two pairs of upper cube elements about the left and right horizontal hinges, the configuration shown in Figure 7 is obtained. This can be hinged about its longitudinal centre line to give the configuration shown in Figure 8. This in turn can be folded about its transverse centre line to give the star-like configuration shown in Figures 9 and 9a. The external surface of. the latter is complementary to the internal surface of the cube elements in the cube shown in Figure 6. Accordingly, the puzzle configuration shown in Figure 9 can be fitted inside the cube shown in Figure 6.

Preferably therefore a pair of identical puzzles are provided so that the user can find complementary configurations of the two puzzles enabling them to be fitted together.

The cube shown in Figure 6 can alternatively be hinged about the hinges shown in the top face, to the configuration shown in Figure 10 which in turn can be folded back about its longitudinal centre line to the configuration shown in perspective in Figure 11. The opposite end pairs of elements of the latter can then be folded back about transverse hinges, giving the configuration shown in Figures 9 and 9a.

Furthermore, it will be seen that the configurations shown in Figures 7 and 11 are complementary and can be fitted together either along a common axis or at right angles. Similarly the configurations shown in Figures 8 and 10 are complementary and can be fitted together with their axes parallel.

The puzzle elements can be set in other configurations by hinging thrdugh different angles and again in this case complementary inter-fitting configurations can be produced. Bridge-like configurations can also be obtained for example as in Figure 12.

The disposition of the hinges is clearly shown in the various figures and therefore will not be described in detail.

Alternate triangular faces are preferably coloured, to make the appearance of the puzzle more interesting and also to make it easier for the user to see the effect of manipulations. For example, three different colours may be used for alternate triangular faces of each individual element, with the colours on the several elements being arranged to form attractive patterns in the various different configurations of the puzzle. The exterior of the puzzle may also be coloured, for example in black and white or another colour and white, or two different colours, as shown in Figure 6.

To enable the relative orientation of the various elements, and the positions of the hinges relative to the polyhedral diagonal surfaces of these, to be easily identified, the ridges and valleys in the said polyhedral surface are identified by reference numerals 41, 42 respectively, but not every ridge and valley is so identified in the drawings. The hinges themselves can of course form either ridges or valleys between adjacent elements, depending on the configurations of the latter. The individual elements are identified by references A to H respectively, and it should be noted that each configuration shown is symmetrical, and those shown in Figs. 7, 8, 10 and 11 each consist of a symmetrical pair of symmetrical groups of four.In detail, in Fig. 8 a first group of four elements comprises said elements disposed in a square array each with two of its said bases facing respective bases of two adjacent elements, the other four bases of the four elements being coplanar, said four elements being interconnected by three hinges namely a first hinge at a pair of adjacent edges parallel to the said coplanar bases, and two hinges each at a pair of adjacent edges orthogonal to the said coplanar bases and to the first hinge, a second group of four elements, identical to the first group, is disposed beside the latter with all said coplanar bases in a common plane, with the respective first hinges at opposite ends of and extending along the longitudinal centre line of the puzzle, and said two groups are hinged together by two hinges each extending along adjacent edges of said coplanar bases, orthogonal to and on opposite sides of said centre line, whereby said groups can pivot about a transverse axis coplanar with and between said, coplanar bases and said puzzle can hinge about a longitudinal axis defined by said first hinges (Fig. 8).

Claims (5)

1. A puzzle comprising eight articulated elements, each in the form of one half of a cube divided symmetrically along a diagonal surface intersecting three pairs of opposite vertices of the cube and six adjacent edges, each element being hinged to two adjacent elements along two said edges which are neither adjacent nor opposite, in such a manner that the elements can be disposed to form a cube and by pivoting about their hinged edges can also be disposed to form a variety of geometrical shapes.

2. A puzzle as claimed in claim 1 in which each element has a shape consisting of three isosceles pyramids with square bases, each adjoining the two others along respective triangular faces.

3. A puzzle as claimed in claim 2, in which, in one configuration of the said element: a first group of four elements comprises said elements disposed in a square array each with two of its said bases facing respective bases of two adjacent elements, the other four bases of the four elements being coplanar, said four elements being interconnected by three hinges namely a first hinge at a pair of adjacent edges parallel to the said coplanar bases, and two hinges each at a pair of adjacent edges orthogonal to the said coplanar bases and to the first hinge, a second group of four elements, identical to the first group, is disposed beside the latter with all said coplanar bases in a common plane, with the respective first hinges at opposite ends of and extending along the longitudinal centre line of the puzzle, and said two groups are hinged together by two hinges each extending along adjacent edges of said coplanar bases, orthogaonl to and on opposite sides of said centre line, whereby said groups can pivot about a transverse axis coplanar with and between said, coplanar bases and said puzzle can hinge about a longitudinal axis defined by said first hinges (Fig. 8).

4. A puzzle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A geometrical puzzle element in the form of one half of a cube, and consisting of three identical isosceles pyramids with square bases, each pyramid adjoining the two others along respective triangular faces.