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US3787054A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Hidden maze puzzle contained ball

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-01-07
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Granted: 1974-01-22
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Expires: 1992-01-07
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Abstract

Abstract A puzzle having a maze through which a contained ball traverses. A cubicle main body is provided with nontransparent outer walls with a plurality of inner walls mounted therein defining a single noncontinuous tortuous passage having a start and finish without any dead end passages. A pair of transparent windows mounted to the outer walls of the main body are positioned at the start and finish of the passage. A ball is positioned within the main body and is movable from the start window through the passage to the finish window. The ball is unremovable from the main body. In one embodiment, the inner walls are nontransparent thereby preventing visual determination through the windows of the tortuous passage. In another embodiment, some of the inner walls are transparent allowing a person to visually determine through the windows a portion of the tortuous passage. In another embodiment, all of the inner walls are transparent.

Inventors

  • 👤 D Stafford

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 01:29
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F9/00; A63F9/0078; A63F7/00; A63F7/04; A63F7/042

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim 295 words
A puzzle device comprising a ball, a cubicle main body containing said ball being completely closed without exterior openings for said ball to escape, said main body having outer walls and a plurality of inner walls, said inner walls being arranged to define a single noncontinuous tortuous passage having a start and finish, said outer walls of said main body being nontransparent with the exception that said outer walls having at least two transparent windows mounted thereto with one of said windows being positioned at said start and the other of said windows being positioned at said finish, said inner walls being arranged so said ball moves only through said single noncontinuous tortuous passage with said inner walls not forming any dead end passage other than said single noncontinuous tortuous passage, said tortuous passage having a generally squarish cross section from start to finish, said ball being sized to pass freely through said passage from said start to said finish, said main body including a top tray, a middle tray and a bottom tray secured together with said inner walls being positioned on each tray forming said single noncontinuous tortuous passage which extends between said top tray and said middle tray and back and forth between said middle tray and said bottom tray and said passage traversing directly back to said top tray from said bottom tray with both said start and said finish located on said top tray, said device further including a transparent plate extending between said top tray and said middle tray allowing visual observation through said windows and said plate into said middle tray to enable visual observation of multiple portions of said single noncontinuous tortuous passage beneath both windows, all of said inner walls except for said plate being nontransparent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 295 words
A puzzle device comprising a ball, a cubicle main body containing said ball being completely closed without exterior openings for said ball to escape, said main body having outer walls and a plurality of inner walls, said inner walls being arranged to define a single noncontinuous tortuous passage having a start and finish, said outer walls of said main body being nontransparent with the exception that said outer walls having at least two transparent windows mounted thereto with one of said windows being positioned at said start and the other of said windows being positioned at said finish, said inner walls being arranged so said ball moves only through said single noncontinuous tortuous passage with said inner walls not forming any dead end passage other than said single noncontinuous tortuous passage, said tortuous passage having a generally squarish cross section from start to finish, said ball being sized to pass freely through said passage from said start to said finish, said main body including a top tray, a middle tray and a bottom tray secured together with said inner walls being positioned on each tray forming said single noncontinuous tortuous passage which extends between said top tray and said middle tray and back and forth between said middle tray and said bottom tray and said passage traversing directly back to said top tray from said bottom tray with both said start and said finish located on said top tray, said device further including a transparent plate extending between said top tray and said middle tray allowing visual observation through said windows and said plate into said middle tray to enable visual observation of multiple portions of said single noncontinuous tortuous passage beneath both windows, all of said inner walls except for said plate being nontransparent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 83 words
The puzzle device of claim 1 wherein said windows are located at different corners of said main body with each window extending only around the same edge of said main body, said inner walls are integrally connected to said outer walls and form said passage with said cross section which is generally squarish, said ball is round and is sized considerably smaller than said cross section so said ball will rattle against said inner walls as it traverses the length of said passage.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US456826A Cited
US458297A Cited
US1294013A Cited
US2261804A Cited
GB752110A Cited
FR1146275A Cited
US2998973A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1977-01-21 1977-07-23 1978-01-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1981-01-21 1981-07-23 1982-01-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1985-01-21 1985-07-23 1986-01-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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