Three-dimensional sliding element puzzle

Claim 1

A three-dimensional sliding element puzzle comprising a spherical center support including means forming at least three crossing tracks wherein each track forms a complete circle in the support and includes a pair of outer lips extending toward each other to define a narrow outer slot and inner enlarged sliding path, said narrow outer slots having a width less than one-sixteenth of the circumference of the support, a plurality of at least fourteen outer members wherein one of the outer members is fixed on the support and the other outer members are slidable on the support, legs mounted on the slidable outer members and extending through the narrow slot of the corresponding tracks, disk-like feet which are substantially round in circumference being mounted on inner ends of the respective legs for sliding in the inner sliding paths and for being engaged by inner surfaces of the lips to slidingly retain the slidable members on the support, said outer members forming a shell completely enclosing the spherical support with edges of each outer members, said outer members when in one relative position defining at least three pairs of hemispherical shells wherein one hemispherical shell of each pair of the pairs of hemispherical shells is rotatable relative to the corresponding other hemispherical shells of each pair of hemispherical edges of the hemispherical shells of each pair of hemispherical shells sliding relative to each other, and wherein the fourteen outer members are in a cuboctahedron arrangement, six of the outer members defining six generally square faces, and the other outer members defining generally equilateral triangular faces.