US3174753A - Crossword puzzle - Google Patents

Description

HOQGSCOPE DREWARD w. s. MILLER cRosswoRD PUZZLE Filed April so, 1962 47 8 9 lo u 1(23456 AA/SK SHl-UT cHAQ LAND

@ELEGANT March 23, 1965 mL a ma o V WM A 5 n KM m United States Patent O 3,174,753 CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wendell S. Miller, 1341 Comstock Ave., Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Apr. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 190,941 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-157) This invention relates to an improved puzzle which is in certain respect somewhat similar to conventional crossword puzzles, but is designed to be solved in a manner different than such ordinary puzzles, in a manner introducing considerably greater interest and enjoyment to the solution of the puzzle.

A puzzle embodying the invention is formed of a large number of individual puzzle pieces or sections adaptedV to be assembled together in a predetermined manner, and serving when assembled in this manner to form together a composite crossword puzzle pattern. As in the case of conventional crossword puzzles, this pattern has letters forming Words extending in two perpendicular directions, The individual pieces ofthe puzzle have groups of :letters formed thereon which, in most if not all case-s, form less than complete words, so that the grouping of the letters may be helpful in determining where each of the pieces should be placed to arrive at the ultimate composite pattern, but that grouping does not in most cases give more than a clue to the proper positioning of the parts, and therefore does not render assembly of the puzzle too simple. The shapes of the different puzzle pieces may be irregular, to include different numbers of letters arranged in different patterns, so that such shape characteristics of the pieces m-ay also be considered by a person in attempting to properly arrange the pieces. In addition, the person working the puzzle is given the usual series of definitions of the various words included in the puzzle, so that these definitions, in conjunction with all of the other factors, may be employed for properly assembling the pieces.

For facilitating the retention of the lassembled parts in proper relationship, I may employ a board or carrier Structure, provided with means for retaining the parts in set positions. For example, the puzzle pieces and board may have inter-fitting lugs and recesses capable of engaging one another to secure the puzzle pieces in predetermined locations.

The above and other features and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a partially assembled puzzle constructed in according with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the puzzle pieces;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a second differently shaped puzzle piece; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another type of puzzle piece.

The puzzle 14 embodying the invention may include a flat board 15 containing a shallow recess 16 at its upper side for receiving a number of puzzle parts 17 in a predetermined arrangement. Recess 16 may typically be square in horizontal section, as shown, being defined about its periphery by side walls 18 (FIG. 2). The bottom surface or wall 19 of the recess may be planar, except at the location of locating means Ztl for retaining the puzzle pieces in set positions. These locating means Ztl may take the form of small dimples formed in the board, and adapted to receive mating lugs 21 at the undersides of puzzle pieces 17. The dimples are arranged in rows and columns, extending in two perpendicular directions,

so that the arrangement of the dimples will not assist the person working the puzzle in deducing the proper positioning of the puzzle pieces.

As seen best in FIG. 2, the puzzle pieces 17 may be just thick enough to occupy the full vertical extent of recess 16, so that in the assembled condition of the puzzle, the upper Isurfaces 22 of the puzzle pieces are aligned with one another and with the planar top surface 23 of board 1S. The puzzle pieces have letters 24 printed on their upper surfaces, and at some locations have darkened or blank areas 25 similar to those occurring at irregular points across the lface of conventional crossword puzzles. When the puzzle is completely assembled, the different groups of letters between the darkened or blank areas 25 spell horizontal and vertical words, intersecting one another, -in a crossword puzzle-type pattern. The different squares of the puzzle pattern on' which various words commence may be designated by reference to a series of letters A, B, C, etc., identifying the different horizontal rows in the puzzle pattern, and by a series of numerals 1, 2, 3, etc., referring to the different vertical columns in the pattern. Definitions for the words commencing at different points on the board are given at a convenient location, preferably on the surface of the board itself as represented at 26 and 27 in FIG. l. The definitions listed at 26 under the Word ACROSS define the words starting at squares A-1, A-S, A-tl, etc. Similarly, the definitions of the vertical words given in listing 27 of FIG. 1 define the words extending downwardly from the points A-1, A-Z, A-3, AAS, etc.

As stated previously, the individual puzzle pieces have different letters on their face, preferably arranged in different patterns. For example, the piece represented in FIG. 3 is the one which is located in the upper left hand corner of the FIG. l puzzle, and has the two letters A and S extending horizontally, with the two letters A and M extending downwardly beneath the 5. The puzzle piece illustrated in FIG. 4, on the other hand, has the letters K, 8, H, and O in an entirely different pattern, with a darkened or blank area 25 received be- :tween the K and S. As will be apparent from FIG. l, the K of the piece represented in FIG. 4 is receivable adjacent the S of the piece represented in FIG. 3, so that these parts together form the Word ASK The boundaries between the different letters and darkened areas of the ultimate puzzle pattern are formed by a series of vertical parallel uniformly spaced straight lines 26', and a series of intersecting horizontal parallel straight lines 27', defining uniformly dimensioned squares containing the individual Iletters and darkened areas. As will be apparent from =a consideration of FIGS. l, 2 and 3, the cuts or separations between adjacent ones of the puzzle pieces 17 are preferably, in all instances, formed along the mentioned dividing lines 26' and 27' between different squares. These cuts `are represented in FIG. 1 as dark lines 28, While the uncut portions of the lines 26 and 27 are represented as lighter lines.

In using the puzzle, a person first removes all of the puzzle pieces 17 from recess 16 in board 15, and then may refer to the first definition in listing 26 to see if it can be determined what letters should extend horizontally across the upper row from the point A-1. If the person working the puzzle is able to determine from the definition that this word is probably ASKf he searches through the various puzzle pieces to see which of them could possibly be placed in proper position to spell this word. Similarly, the other definitions :are studied, in conjunction with such information as may be given by the shapes of areas left unfilled on the board, to gradually -lill in the entire board and complete the proper crossword puzzle pattern.

FIG. 5 represents a variational type of puzzle piece 17u 3 whichy may be substituted for the pieces 17 of FGS. 1 to 4, and which may be essentially the same as pieces 17 except for the provision on the upper and lower surfaces of each piece 17a of a number of superimposed sheets 29 and 129 formed of plastic, paper or the like. -Each of the upper sheets 29 has an adhesive coating 30 on its undersurface, and each lower sheet 4129 has an adhesive coating 130 on its upper surface, to secure the sheets together and to piece 17. Letters and darkened or blank areas are printed on sheets 29 and ,129 to form different crossword puzzle patterns, with different ones of the sheets having different background colors.

In use, a puzzle employing the pieces 17a of FIG. 5 may first be solved by matching together the letters on the uppermost layers 29 of the different piece-s, to form a first crossword puzzle pattern with a first characteristic background color, following which the top sheet 29 on each piece 17a may be stripped off so that the puzzle may then be solved again, using another set of definitions, to form a second pattern withv a second characteristic backgr-ound color. Similarly, the pieces may be inverted to use the first of the layers 129, having a third background color, which layer may then be removed, etc. Thus, there may be as many different puzzles as thereare sheets 29 and 129, plus two final puzzles formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the pieces 17a themselves.

I claim:

A puzzle comprising a plurality of puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled together in a predetermined pattern, each of said puzzle pieces comprising a support having a first surface, and a layer of sheet material having a surface area equal to the area of a respective first surface removably adhesively attached to said first surface of each puzzle piece to provide a second surface therefor, said first surface of each of said pieces marked to distinguish it from each said second surface, said pattern consisting of intersecting rows and columns of essentially square indicial areas on both said first and second surfaces, said different puzzle pieces being separable one from another only along the boundaries of said square indicial areas, various of said puzzle pieces being shaped differently from others, each indicial area of said first and second surfaces of said p ieces having a letter or a uniform color therein so that when assembled, each piece with the same first or second surface exposed, a crossword puzzle pattern including words extending in two different directions and intersecting one another is formed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 176,144 McDougall Apr. 18, 1876 941,680 Houghton Nov. 30, 1909 1,432,062 Greene Oct. 17, 1922 2,453,290 Wetzel Nov. 9, 1948 2,481,109 Grace Sept. 6, 1949 2,585,924 Freedman et al Feb. 19, 1952 2,703,459 Paquette Mar. 8, 19,55 2,749,129 Vose June 5, 1956

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