Assembly puzzle

Claim 2

An assembly puzzle comprising: twelve interengageable, elongate puzzle pieces, each of said pieces having a plurality of notches formed therein, said notches extending transversely through said pieces and being contoured to receive a section of another puzzle piece at an angle to said notch puzzle piece; said puzzle being formed from a first set of puzzle pieces and a second set of puzzle pieces, the pieces in said first set having more notches than the pieces in said second set; and said puzzle pieces being arrangeable in an interlocking, selfsupporting configuration which defines a plurality of groups of said puzzle pieces, the pieces within each group being oriented in parallel to each other but at an angle to each piece in each of said other groups, said configuration of said twelve pieces being defined by four groups of three pieces each.

Claim 3

An assembly puzzle comprising: twelve interengageable, elongate puzzle pieces, each of said pieces having a plurality of notches formed therein, said notches extending transversely through said pieces and being contoured to receive a section of another puzzle piece at an angle to said notch puzzle piece; said puzzle being formed from a first set of puzzle pieces and a second set of puzzle pieces, the pieces in said first set having more notches than the pieces in said second set, said pieces of said first set including a total of three of said puzzle pieces and said second set including the remaining nine puzzle pieces; and said puzzle pieces being arrangeable in an interlocking, self-supporting configuration which defines a plurality of groups of said puzzle pieces, the pieces within each group being oriented and parallel to each other but at an angle to each piece in each of said other groups.

Claim 4

An assembly puzzle comprising: twelve interengageable, elongate puzzle pieces, each of said pieces having a plurality of notches formed therein, said notches extending transversely through said pieces and being contoured to receive a section of another puzzle piece at an angle to said notch puzzle piece; said puzzle being formed from a first set of puzzle pieces and a second set of puzzle pieces, the pieces in said first set having more notches than the pieces in said second set, said pieces of said first set including a total of three of said puzzle pieces and said second set including the remaining nine puzzle pieces; and said puzzle pieces being arrangeable in an interlocking, self-supporting configuration which defines a plurality of groups of said puzzle pieces, the pieces within each group being oriented and parallel to each other but at an angle to each piece in each of said other groups.

Claim 5

A puzzle as defined in claim 2 wherein said three pieces in said first set each have three notches and wherein said pieces in said second set each have two notches.

Claim 6

A puzzle as defined in claim 3 wherein each piece in said second set has two notches formed on the same side of said piece, said notches being spaced lengthwise along said piece and extending in parallel directions, said direction being oriented at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said piece, the region between said paralleling slots defining an intermediate land surface.

Claim 7

A puzzle as defined in claim 4 wherein said pieces of said first set include the same two notches and intermediate land as the pieces in said second set, each of said pieces in said first set having a third notch disposed between the two paralleling notches thereof, said third notch being displaced angularly about the longitudinal axis of said piece and extending in a different direction than that of said first two notches.

Claim 8

A puzzle as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said puzzle pieces is of hexagonal prismatic shape, said notches being of trapezoidal configuration to receive three longitudinal faces of the other of said pieces.

Claim 9

A puzzle as defined in claim 6 wherein the notches formed in each of said members are oriented in a direction making an angle of approximately 70*32'' with the longitudinal axis of their associated piece.

Claim 10

A puzzle defined in claim 7 wherein the direction of the third notch of each of said pieces in said first set is displaced about the longitudinal axis of said puzzle piece approximately 120* to the direction of the first two notches thereof.

Claim 11

A puzzle as defined in claim 7 wherein the land of each piece defined between said first group faces inwardly toward the center of said assembled puzzle, each of said lands cooperating with the other lands of said other pieces to define a hollow space of dodecahedron configuration.

Claim 12

A puzzle as defined in claim 9 wherein each of said lands is of substantially rhombid configuration.

Claim 13

An assembly puzzle comprising: a plurality of interengageable, elongate puzzle pieces, each of said pieces being of hexagonal prismatic shape, each of said pieces having a plurality of notches, each of said notches being of trapezoidal configuration, each of said notches being disposed at an angle of approximately 70*32'' to the longitudinal axis of its associated piece, said notches being contoured to receive a section of another puzzle piece at said angle to said notch puzzle piece; said puzzle being formed from a first set of puzzle pieces and a second set of puzzle pieces, the pieces in said first set having more notches than the pieces in said second set; and said puzzle pieces being arrangeable in an interlocking self-supporting configuration which defines a plurality of groups of said puzzle pieces, the pieces within each group being oriented in parallel to each other but at an angle to each piece in each of said other groups.

Claim 14

An assembly puzzle comprising: a plurality of interengageable, elongate puzzle pieces, each of said pieces being of hexagonal prismatic shape, each of said pieces having a plurality of notches, each of said notches being of trapezoidal configuration, each of said notches being disposed at an angle of approximately 70*32'' to the longitudinal axis of its associated piece, said notches being contoured to receive a section of another puzzle piece at said angle to said notch puzzle piece; said puzzle being formed from a first set of puzzle pieces and a second set of puzzle pieces, the pieces in said first set having more notches than the pieces in said second set; and said puzzle pieces being arrangeable in an interlocking self-supporting configuration which defines a plurality of groups of said puzzle pieces, the pieces within each group being oriented in parallel to each other but at an angle to each piece in each of said other groups.

Claim 15

An assembly comprising: a plurality of interengageable, elongate puzzle piecEs, each of said pieces having a plurality of notches of substantially identical configuration formed therein, said notches extending transversely through said pieces and being contoured to receive a section of another puzzle piece at an angle to said notched puzzle piece, each of said puzzle pieces having at least two paralleling notches spaced lengthwise along said piece and defining a land therebetween; said puzzle being formed from a first set of puzzle pieces and a second set of puzzle pieces, the pieces in said first set having more notches than the pieces in said second set; and said puzzle pieces being arrangeable in an interlocking self-supporting configuration which defines a plurality of groups of said puzzle pieces, the pieces within each group being oriented in parallel to each other but at an angle to each piece in each of said other groups, said lands of each of said pieces facing inwardly towards the center of said assembled puzzle, each of said lands cooperating with the other of said lands to define a hollow dodecahedron at the center of said puzzle.

Claim 16

An assembly comprising: a plurality of interengageable, elongate puzzle piecEs, each of said pieces having a plurality of notches of substantially identical configuration formed therein, said notches extending transversely through said pieces and being contoured to receive a section of another puzzle piece at an angle to said notched puzzle piece, each of said puzzle pieces having at least two paralleling notches spaced lengthwise along said piece and defining a land therebetween; said puzzle being formed from a first set of puzzle pieces and a second set of puzzle pieces, the pieces in said first set having more notches than the pieces in said second set; and said puzzle pieces being arrangeable in an interlocking self-supporting configuration which defines a plurality of groups of said puzzle pieces, the pieces within each group being oriented in parallel to each other but at an angle to each piece in each of said other groups, said lands of each of said pieces facing inwardly towards the center of said assembled puzzle, each of said lands cooperating with the other of said lands to define a hollow dodecahedron at the center of said puzzle.

Claim 17

A puzzle as defined in claim 12 wherein three pieces of said puzzle are interengageable to define a self-supporting cradle in which each piece in said cradle is disposed at an angle to each of the other pieces in said cradle.

Claim 18

A puzzle as defined in claim 13 wherein the lands of each piece within said cradle are of rhomboid configuration and are disposed adjacent each other at the center of said cradle, said lands defining a portion of a hollow rhomb-dodecahedron.

Claim 19

A puzzle as defined in claim 13 wherein said three pieces defining said cradle comprise all the pieces of said first set of puzzle pieces.

Claim 20

A puzzle as defined in claim 13 wherein said three pieces defining said cradle comprise two pieces from said first set and one piece from said second set of puzzle pieces.

Claim 21

A puzzle as defined in claim 13 wherein said three pieces defining said cradle comprise one piece from said first set and two pieces from said second set of puzzle pieces.

Claim 22

A puzzle as defined in claim 13 wherein said three pieces defining said cradle comprise three pieces from said second set of puzzle pieces.

Claim 23

A puzzle as defined in claim 1 in which the pieces in each group are of identical color, the colors of each group being different from the color of each of the other groups.