US3744798A - Split tube cord and bead puzzle - Google Patents

Abstract

The puzzle includes a cord with a spiral weave, a plurality of beads of different colors, one of said beads attached to each end of the cord, at least one additional bead threaded with a sliding fit on the cord, and an elongated tube element with a longitudinal split narrower than the cord diameter. The puzzle resides in the difficulty encountered in placing the cord within the split tube or removing it therefrom.

Description

O United States Patent 1 [111 3,744,798 Schmid July 10, 1973 SPLIT TUBE CORD AND BEAD PUZZLE Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle [76] Inventor. Henry S. Schmld, 7800 W. Vienna Avenue, Milwaukee, Wis. 53222 Attorney-Gerald welch [22] Filed: Feb. 7, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.2 224,126

The puzzle includes a cord with a spiral weave, a plurality of beads of different colors, one of said beads at- [52] US. Cl. 273/159 tached to each end of the cord, at least one additional [51] ll!!- Cl. A63 9/08 bead threaded with a sliding i on the cord and an [58] Field Of Search 273/159; 24/115 H, elongated tube element with a longitudinal Split 24/129 129 B rower than the cord diameter. The puzzle resides in the 1 Refer es Cited difficulty encountered in placing the cord within the FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 6/1957 Denmark 24/115 H split tube or removing it therefrom.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 SPLIT TUBE CORD AND BEAD PUZZLE BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The puzzle includes an elongate split tube with a short red sleeve also split on one end of the tube and a similar short blue split sleeve on the opposite end of said tube. A cord with a spiral weave and of greater diameter than the split in the tube has a blue bead affixed to one end and a red bead affixed to the other end.

A white bead is threaded freely on the cord which is a little more than three times as long as the split tube.

When the puzzle is presented to a person unacquainted with the secret, he is given the cord and beads as a separate assembly and is asked to insert the cord into the tube. It seems impossible to tuck the cord into the split element as the diameter of the former is larger. After a period of experimentation, if he is lucky, he finds that he must depend on the spiral weave to work the cord into the tube by pulling it against the split portion at one end of the tube and toward the opposite end of said tube whereby the spiral weave will catch in the split and draw the cord within the tube. The cord may be manipulated to change the sequence of the colors as to the bead arrangement with or without the colored sleeves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the split tube element.

FIG. 2 is an end view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view of the assembled cord and beads.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cord on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A split tube has the split 11, and at one end has the short red sleeve 12 snugly embracing sald end and a short blue also split sleeve 13 embracing the opposite end of the tube. The splits in the sleeves register with the split in the tube. The cord 14 slides freely within the tube 10, once it has been inserted, and has a spiral weave as shown. As shown a red ball 15, actually a diametrically bored head is fixed to one end 16 of the cord 14, and a white bead 17 is slidable on the cord 14 next to the blue sleeve 13. Thus the red bead 15, the white bead l7 and the blue sleeve 13 form the sequence red, white and blue, and other sequences may be arrived at by manipulation of the cord.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the U.S.,

l. A puzzle including an elongate substantially rigid split tube, a spiral weave cord having a diameter greater than the spread of the split in said tube, and varied colored beads having a diameter greater than the diameter of the tube fixed on each end of said cord, and at least one bead freely slidable on the cord.

2. A split tube as in claim 1, a short split sleeve of one color embracing one end of said tube, and a short split sleeve of another color embracing the opposite end of said tube, the split openings of the sleeves being in registry with the split of the tube.

3. A puzzle as in claim 1, and a white bead freely slidable on said cord.

4. A split tube as in claim 1, a portion of the end of said tube marked with one color, and a portion of the opposite end of said tube marked with another color.

Claims (4)

1. A puzzle including an elongate substantially rigid split tube, a spiral weave cord having a diameter greater than the spread of the split in said tube, and varied colored beads having a diameter greater than the diameter of the tube fixed on each end of said cord, and at least one bead freely slidable on the cord.

2. A split tube as in claim 1, a short split sleeve of one color embracing one end of said tube, and a short split sleeve of another color embracing the opposite end of said tube, the split openings of the sleeves being in registry with the split of the tube.

3. A puzzle as in claim 1, and a white bead freely slidable on said cord.

4. A split tube as in claim 1, a portion of the end of said tube marked with one color, and a portion of the opposite end of said tube marked with another color.

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