U.S. patent number 3,672,681 [Application Number 05/033,667] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-27 for game method involving competitive arranging of grouped pieces into polyhedric form.
Invention is credited to David Wolf.
United States Patent |
3,672,681 |
Wolf |
June 27, 1972 |
GAME METHOD INVOLVING COMPETITIVE ARRANGING OF GROUPED PIECES INTO
POLYHEDRIC FORM
Abstract
A method of playing a game comprising two sets of pieces each
set consists of twenty-seven cubes having a hole in each of its six
faces. The cubes are interengageable to form building groups of two
or more cubes. These groups are selectively constructed by opposing
players in puzzle form as to permit the groups of each set to be
assembled into a large cube. The groups of each set are exchanged
by opposing players for purposes of competitively forming the cube
from the opposing players building groups, thereby solving the
puzzle.
Inventors: |
Wolf; David (Newton, MA) |
Family
ID: |
21871738 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/033,667 |
Filed: |
May 1, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/157R;
446/119 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
9/12 (20130101); A63F 9/0611 (20130101); A63F
9/1204 (20130101); A63F 2009/122 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
9/06 (20060101); A63F 9/12 (20060101); A63f
009/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/156,157R
;46/25,26 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Claims
I claim:
1. A game method for players with a plurality of like polyhedric
pieces comprising dividing said pieces into a plurality of sets for
different opposing players, having opposing players each
temporarily interengage a plurality of pieces into a plurality of
building groups, said building groups of each player
interarrangeable into a contiguous polyhedric configuration of a
preselected shape, exchanging said building groups separated one
from the others with the building groups of opposing players, and
thereafter competitively interarranging the building groups
exchanged to form said polyhedric configuration.
2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pieces are
interengaged into contiguous building groups including between two
and four pieces within at least one of said groups.
Description
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of playing a puzzle
solving game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are currently available a wide variety of three dimensional
games in which various polyhedric shapes are provided for purposes
of being assembled into a larger polyhedric shape. Typical of these
puzzles are those commonly marketed under the trademarks "Instant
Insanity" and "Soma". These games essentially provide a fixed
number of building blocks which must be assembled by a player into
a preselected configuration. These games thus provide only a puzzle
solving condition. Some of them, such as Soma, can be solved in one
of many different ways. They do not, however, lend themselves to a
game system in which competing players create their own puzzles for
solution by opponents. Nor do they provide a game puzzle in which
players compete directly with each other, with the game designed to
test relative skills.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a game or puzzle in which opposing
players compete with one another. Another object of the present
invention is to provide a game or puzzle in which opposing puzzles
may be created by opposing players for solution by each other. A
further object of the present invention is to provide a game puzzle
in which players may create one of a number of different puzzles
from a fixed number of pieces for solution by an opponent.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
game or puzzle formed of simple pieces of uniform size and
dimension capable of being easily and inexpensively manufactured. A
further object of the present invention is to provide a game in
which players may readily vary the rules and adapt pieces for a
variety of purposes. A further object of the present invention is
to provide an improved puzzle and method of interengaging game
pieces for use in a puzzle wherein the pieces are temporarily
interengaged.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
game or puzzle consisting of a plurality of polyhedric game pieces
preferably cubical in shape. Means are provided to divide the game
pieces into at least two visually distinguishable sets with each
set having an equal number of pieces. Means are also provided for
temporarily engaging the pieces into a plurality of building groups
with these building groups being capable of being formed or
comprised of a different number of game pieces arranged
contiguously into different polyhedric arrays. These groups are
also capable of being assembled into a contiguous polyheric
configuration of greater size than the polyhedric array. Preferably
when cubes are used for the game pieces, the preferred polyhedric
configuration is a large cube formed of 27 pieces in contiguous
array.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
These and other objects of the present invention will be more
clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the pieces in one
form of the invention formed into a pair of contiguous polyhedric
configurations;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the interengaging means for the
pieces illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a pair of
interengaged pieces showing the relationship of the pieces and the
interengaging means; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pieces of FIG. 1 arranged in
building groups having from one to six pieces in each of the
building groups with these building groups adapted to be assembled
into a polyhedric configuration that is a cube in shape.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention is described in the embodiment of a game
utilizing game pieces which are cube in shape. Game pieces may be
assembled into cubic polyhedric configuration in accordance with
the detailed description hereafter. However, it should be
understood that variations of the game are contemplated in which
other polyhedric configurations may be utilized and in which other
shapes of game pieces may be employed. The present invention is
described in terms of a preferred embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a pair of sets 1 and 2 each
comprising a plurality of game pieces. The game pieces in the
preferred embodiment each consist of polyhedric members 3 of game
set 1 visually distinguishable from the polyhedric members 4 of
game set 2. The pieces 3 may be distinguished from the pieces 4 by
forming them of different type of materials. Thus, for example, the
game pieces 3 may be made of wood painted white while those of game
pieces 4 may be made of wood painted black. Obviously, other color
combinations as well as materials may be used to distinguish these
two sets.
The game pieces 3 and 4 except for visual distinguishing means as
described above are preferably of identical polyhedric shapes. In
the preferred embodiment, these pieces are cubical in form. They
may each consist of a one inch cube. Hole 6 is formed in the face 5
of each of these cubes. The hole 6 may be of any suitable dimension
but, for example, may consist of a cylindrical hole 3/8 inch in
diameter and 3/8 inch in depth. The holes are centrally located in
each of the faces 5 of the cubes so that two cubes may be arranged
with butting contiguous faces and with the holes of such faces in
axially aligned relationship. The game pieces in each set may be
assembled into groups of different arrays of pieces by means of
interengaging means best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The
preferred embodiment of the interengaging means, comprises an
elastomeric resilient compressible tubular element or member 7
having a series of grooves and ridges 8 extending the length of the
outer wall of the member 7. The member 7 may be made of rubber or
plastic and has an outer diameter that is substantially the same or
slightly greater than the diameters of the holes 6 so that member 7
may be inserted into the holes and be detachably engaged thereby.
For this purpose the wall of each member 7 should be flexible and
capable of being squeezed for insertion in the hole. Each member
has a length that is twice or preferably slightly less than twice
the length or depth of the holes 6 so that interengaging member 7
may be positioned with one half of each of the aligned holes 6 of
two game pieces that have been arranged with butting faces.
A sufficient number of members 7 are provided to permit a wide
variety of combinations in each set. No more than 50 would
ordinarily be required for both sets since under ordinary playing
conditions approximately 25 to 40 members would be used.
In playing the game each of two players select one of the sets and
creates a puzzle without the opposing player observing. Generally
the puzzle may be created by starting with the 27 pieces of the set
disengaged from each other and from members 7. For greatest
convenience the player should initially arrange these pieces
temporarily in the configuration of the puzzle solution. Thus for
example if the pieces 3 are to be created into building groups that
may thereafter be arranged into a cube, the player should
preassemble these loose pieces into a cube with three pieces on
each edge. The player then removes from the cube the number of
pieces he intends to create into a building group, taking care to
remove pieces from adjacent positions in the cube that form the
desired building groups. The player then joins the pieces together
to form a group by inserting opposite ends of the members 7 into
holes 6 of different pieces to abut them into the desired shape of
a building group. Thus, for example a building group 10 as
illustrated in FIG. 4 may be formed with four pieces 11, 12, 13 and
14 each abutting an adjacent piece to form an L shaped building
group. A wide variety of such groups may be built of varying
members or pieces. It is calculated that eleven different shaped
groups of four or less pieces may be arranged if we include a
single piece as a group. The specific number of groups created is
of course a function of the number of pieces used in each group. A
typical array of building groups that may be formed into a cube to
solve the puzzle is illustrated in FIG. 4. These groups may be
assembled into a larger cube by interengaging or positioning groups
so that the commonly marked faces 20 to 38 inclusive are positioned
in facing relation.
The players exchange their building groups with one another
appropriately separated one from the other. Each player then
attempts to solve the puzzle of the other by reassembling the
building groups created by the other into a cube. The first player
to solve the puzzle of the other wins. Scoring may be kept in a
variety of ways. For example the winning player may be awarded a
fixed number of points or alternately may be awarded a number of
points equal to the number of pieces or perhaps the number of
building groups that the losing player had failed to assemble into
the puzzle solution at the time the winning player had
finished.
Other varients are contemplated in the game rules. For example, a
losing player might challange the winner to solve the puzzle the
winner had created. If the winner cannot solve the puzzle he
created within a fixed period of time, as for example 30 seconds,
the winner may be penalized by losing the round or otherwise.
Also contemplated are games in which the pieces assume shapes other
than cubes and in which the puzzle solution, whether or not the
pieces are cubes, assume other polyhedric shapes. For example, the
pieces may comprise elements with rectangular faces or alternately
they may be pyramid in shape. In the latter example the pyramids
have equilateral faces and be arranged when in a puzzle solution to
provide a larger equilaterally faced pyramid.
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