Puzzle

Claim 2

A family of at least two three-dimensional puzzles, each puzzle having six identical pieces, each piece comprising: a pair of members, each member defining a prismatic shape of equilateral triangular cross-section; said members being arranged so that their longitudinal axes are askew, and with a longitudinal edge line of one of said prismatic members substantially intersecting a longitudinal edge line of the other of said prismatic members at an angle of approximately 109.5*; said prismatic members being oriented so that their surfaces which are opposite their intersecting edges are substantially parallel to each other; an intermediate member connecting said prismatic members to secure said prismatic members together, said intermediate member having selected surfaces which are engageable with corresponding surfaces of intermediate members of the other pieces of said puzzle to facilitate orientation and mating of said puzzle pieces with each other; each intermediate member of each piece of each of said puzzles being substantially identical in shape and each piece of each of said puzzles being of the same dimensional scale, the pieces from each of said puzzles being interchangeable with the pieces of the other of said puzzles; the ends of each of the prismatic members in the pieces of a particular puzzle being cut off along the planes defining an oblique angle with the axis of said prismatic member; and the ends of the prismatic members in the puzzle pieces of one of said puzzles being cut off along oblique planes which are different from the oblique planes along which the ends of the prismatic members of other pieces of the other puzzles in said family are cut off.

Claim 3

A family of at least two three-dimensional puzzles, each puzzle having six pieces, each piece comprising: a pair of members, each member defining a prismatic shape of equilateral triangular cross-section; said members being arranged so that their longitudinal axes are askew, and with a longitudinal edge line of one of said prismatic members substantially intersecting a longitudinal edge line of the other of said prismatic members at an angle of approximately 109.5*; said prismatic members being oriented so that their surfaces which are opposite their intersecting edges are substantially parallel to each other; an intermediate member connecting said prismatic members to secure said prismatic members together, said intermediate member having selected surfaces which are engageable with corresponding surfaces of intermediate members of the other pieces of said puzzle to facilitate orientation and mating of said puzzle pieces with each other; each intermediate member of each piece of each of said puzzles being substantially identical in shape and each piece of each of said puzzles being of the same dimensional scale, the pieces from each of said puzzles being interchangeable with the pieces of the other of said puzzles; said intermediate member comprising means integral with said prismatic members and defining an oblate octahedron in which one apex of the octahedron coincides with said intersection point; and an additional double piece formed from a pair of integral puzzles pieces having a common intersection point and having oblate octahedral intermediate members lying along a common axis of symmetry which intersects the intersection point of each of said joined puzzle pieces, the prismatic members of each of said joined members in said double piece being severed along oblique planes which define, on each side of said axis of symmetry, a V-shaped groove which intersects the common points of intersection of the joined pieces, said double piece being constructed and arranged to interlock with a pair of puzzles in said family thereof.

Claim 4

A family of at least two three-dimensional puzzles, each puzzle having six pieces, each piece comprising: a pair of members, each member defining a prismatic shape of equilateral triangular cross-section; said members being arranged so that their longitudinal axes are askew, and with a longitudinal edge line of one of said prismatic members substantially intersecting a longitudinal edge line of the other of said prismatic members at an angle of approximately 109.5*; said prismatic members being oriented so that their surfaces which are opposite their intersecting edges are substantially parallel to each other; an intermediate member connecting said prismatic members to secure said prismatic members together, said intermediate member having selected surfaces which are engageable with corresponding surfaces of intermediate members of the other pieces of said puzzle to facilitate orientation and mating of said puzzle pieces with each other; each intermediate member of each piece of each of said puzzles being substantially identical in shape and each piece of each of said puzzles being of the same dimensional scale, the pieces from each of said puzzles being interchangeable with the pieces of the other of said puzzles; said intermediate member comprising means integral with said prismatic members and defining an oblate octahedron in which one apex of the octahedron coincides with said intersection point; and an additional double piece formed from a pair of integral puzzles pieces having a common intersection point and having oblate octahedral intermediate members lying along a common axis of symmetry which intersects the intersection point of each of said joined puzzle pieces, the prismatic members of each of said joined members in said double piece being severed along oblique planes which define, on each side of said axis of symmetry, a V-shaped groove which intersects the common points of intersection of the joined pieces, said double piece being constructed and arranged to interlock with a pair of puzzles in said family thereof.

Claim 5

A family of puzzles as defined in claim 2 further comprising: aN additional puzzle having six pieces, each of said pieces comprising one of said double pieces.

Claim 6

A three-dimensional puzzle having six pieces, each piece comprising: a pair of members, each member defining a prismatic shape of equilateral cross-section; said members being arranged so that their longitudinal axes are askew, and with a longitudinal edge line of one of said prismatic members substantially intersecting a longitudinal edge line of the other of said prismatic members at an angle of approximately 109.5*; said prismatic members being oriented so that surfaces which are opposite their intersecting edges are substantially parallel to each other; an intermediate member connecting said prismatic members to secure said prismatic members together and to facilitate orientation and mating of said puzzle pieces with each other, said intermediate member being of generally planar, substantially parallelogram configuration and lying substantially in a plane which coincides with the plane defined by the intersecting edges of said prismatic member, said intermediate member having forwardly facing edges which lie in a plane which make an angle of approximately 60* with said plane defined by said intersecting edges of said prismatic members, the forwardmost portion of said intermediate member defining a point which, in cooperation with the intersection point, defines an axis of symmetry of the puzzle piece.

Claim 7

A three-dimensional puzzle having six pieces, each piece comprising: a pair of members, each member defining a prismatic shape of equilateral cross-section; said members being arranged so that their longitudinal axes are askew, and with a longitudinal edge line of one of said prismatic members substantially intersecting a longitudinal edge line of the other of said prismatic members at an angle of approximately 109.5*; said prismatic members being oriented so that surfaces which are opposite their intersecting edges are substantially parallel to each other; an intermediate member connecting said prismatic members to secure said prismatic members together and to facilitate orientation and mating of said puzzle pieces with each other, said intermediate member being of generally planar, substantially parallelogram configuration and lying substantially in a plane which coincides with the plane defined by the intersecting edges of said prismatic member, said intermediate member having forwardly facing edges which lie in a plane which make an angle of approximately 60* with said plane defined by said intersecting edges of said prismatic members, the forwardmost portion of said intermediate member defining a point which, in cooperation with the intersection point, defines an axis of symmetry of the puzzle piece.

Claim 8

A puzzle as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said puzzle pieces further comprises: each of said prismatic members extending rearwardly beyond the point of intersection of said edges.