Sources page biographical material

5.A.2. THREE DIMENSIONAL VERSIONS
See Hordern, pp. 27, 156 160 & plates IX & X.
P. G. Tait. Note on the Theory of the "15 Puzzle". Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. 10 (1880) 664 665. "... conceivable, but scarcely realisable ..."

Charles I. Rice. US Patent 416,344 -- Puzzle. Applied: 9 Sep 1889; patented: 3 Dec 1889. 2pp + 1p diagrams. Described in Hordern, pp. 27 & 157 158, G2. 2 x 2 x 2 version with peepholes in the faces.

Ball. MRE, 1st ed., 1892, p. 78. Mentions possibility.

Hoffmann. 1893. Chap. X, No. 1: The John Bull political puzzle, pp. 331 & 357-358 = Hoffmann-Hordern, pp. 215-216. A 3 x 3 board in the form of a cylinder, with an extra cell attached to one bottom cell. Pieces can move back and forth around each level, but the connections from one level to the next are all parallel to one of the diagonals -- though this isn't really a complication compared to having vertical connections. The pieces have two markings: three colours and three letters. When they are randomly placed on the board, you have to move them so they form a pair of orthogonal 3 x 3 Latin squares. Fortunately there are such arrangements which differ by an odd permutation, so the puzzle can be solved from any random starting point. Two examples done. Says the game is produced by Jaques & Son.

Addison Coe. US Patent 785,665 -- Puzzle or Game Apparatus. Applied: 17 Nov 1904; patented: 1 Mar 1905. 4pp + 3pp diagrams. Mentioned in Hordern, pp. 158 159, G3. Gives a 3 x 5 flat version and a 3 x 3 x 3 cubical version with 3 x 3 arrays of holes in the six faces (in order to push the pieces) and a 3 x 5 cylindrical version.

Burren Loughlin & L. L. Flood. Bright-Wits Prince of Mogador. H. M. Caldwell Co., NY, 1909. The nine disks, pp. 29-34 & 60. Same as Hoffmann except pieces have colour and shape.

Guy thinks Hein patented Bloxbox, but I have not found any US patent of it -- ??CHECK.

Gardner. SA (Feb 1973). First mention of Hein's Bloxbox.

Daniel Kosarek. US Patent 3,845,959 -- Three-Dimensional Block Puzzle. Filed: 14 Nov 1973; patented: 5 Nov 1974. 3pp + 1p diagrams (+ 1p abstract). Mentioned in Hordern, pp. 158 159, G3. 3 x 3 x 3 box with 3 x 3 array of portholes on each face. Mentions 4 x 4 x 4 and larger versions.

Gabriel Nagorny. US Patent 4,428,581 -- Tri-dimensional Puzzle. Filed: 16 Jun 1981; patented: 31 Jan 1984. Cover page + 3pp + 3pp diagrams. Three dimensional sliding cube puzzles with central pieces joined together. A 3 x 3 x 3 version was made in Hungary and marketed as a Varikon Box. Inventor's address is in France and he cites earlier French applications of 19 Jun 1980 and 19 Nov 1980. He also describes a 3 x 4 x 4 version with the central areas of each face joined to a 1 x 2 x 2 block in the middle.