Sources page probability recreations

No. 1: The united hearts. (Isomorphic to 11.B.) Photo on p. 199 shows an undated example.

No. 2: The triangle. Photo on p. 199 shows an undated example.

No. 3: The snake and ring (= Ring and spring puzzle). Cf 11.K.1. Photo on p. 199 shows L'Anneau Prisonnier, with box, 1891-1905. Hordern Collection, p. 80, shows the same, dated 1880-1905.

No. 4: The hieroglyph. Photo on p. 201 shows an undated example. Hordern Collection, p. 81, shows two similar puzzles, La Balance de Thémis and Le Bon Geôlier, dated 1890-1910.

No. 5: The interlaced triangles. Photo on p. 201 shows an undated example.

No. 6: The double bow and ring (= Horseshoes puzzle). Photo on p. 201 shows an undated example. Hordern Collection, p. 82, shows two versions, La Question du Divorce and Les Anneaux Diaboliques, dated 1880-1905.

No. 7: The Egyptian mystery. Photo on p. 202 shows a version, with box and instructions, by J. Bland, 1855-1892. Hordern Collection, p. 83, shows a different version, just of the puzzle.

No. 8: The ball and spiral. Photo on p. 203 shows an undated example. Hordern Collection, p. 84, shows what seems to be the same example.

No. 9: The Unionist puzzle (the solution is labelled The two horse-shoes, but Hoffmann-Hordern changes it to agree with the problem). Photo on p. 205 shows Les Crochets du Diable, with box, 1890-1905. Hordern Collection, p. 85, shows the same and Comment Vous Separer, with box, both dated 1890-1910.

No. 10: The Eastern question (= Intertwined question marks = Double witch key). Photo on p. 205 shows an example, with instructions, by Hamley Bros., 1890 1900. Hordern Collection, p. 86, shows two examples of Question Romaine, with their boxes, by W. S. and R. T., both Paris, 1890-1910.

No. 11: The handcuff puzzle (four interlocked broken rings). Photo on p. 205 shows an example by Jaques & Son, 1860-1900. Hordern Collection, p. 87, shows a version with instructions and a three-ring version, both dated 1880-1890 -- this was included in Jaques puzzle boxes, c1900 (cf discussion at beginning of Section 11).

No. 12: The Stanley puzzle. Photo on p. 206 shows an example, dated 1890.

See also the J. Bland ad on p. 396.

Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalog N^o 57, Spring & Summer, 1895. Facsimile by Dover, 1969, ??NX. P. 237, item 25479, is a collection of 8 wire puzzles. The Chilian Puzzle is shown. Cf 1903.

Ernest C. Fincham. Street Toys. Strand Mag. 10 (1895) 765-773. Shows: bicycle puzzle (a circular version of Hoffmann No. 2); "Ally Sloper" puzzle (a caught heart, cf 11.K.8); gridiron puzzle (basically an elaborated version of the caught heart, cf 11.K.8); magnetic puzzle (involves placing three needles by use of a magnet); key puzzle (a cast puzzle of two interlocked keys); oriental ring (ordinary four strand puzzle ring, cf 11.K.4).

H. F. Hobden. Wire puzzles and how to make them. The Boy's Own Paper 19 (No. 945) (13 Feb 1896) 332-333.

Gridiron and tongs (similar to Hoffmann no. 2).

Hourglass and ring (= Horseshoes = Hoffmann no. 6).

Cupid's bow (similar to Hoffmann no. 1).

Saltspoon and eggwhisk (= Hoffmann no. 8).

Magic rings (= Chinese rings) with 10 rings, requiring 681 moves. (I think it should be 682.)

Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue. 1903. Reproduced in: Joseph J. Schroeder, Jr.; The Wonderful World of Toys, Games & Dolls 1860··1930; DBI Books, Northfield, Illinois, 1977?, p. 118. Shows one puzzle (Chilian Puzzle) from a set. Cf 1895. Slocum's Compendium also shows this.

Benson. 1904. Chap. VIII: Wire puzzles, pp. 236 240.

The interlaced ring puzzle. (= Hoffmann no. 11.)

The two hearts. (= Hoffmann no. 1.) (Isomorphic to 11.B.)

The bow and ring puzzle. (= Hoffmann no. 6.)

The two crooks. (= Hoffmann no. 10.)

The "X" puzzle. (= Hoffmann no. 7.)

The spiral and ring. (= Hoffmann no. 3.) Cf 11.K.1.

The triangular maze. (= Hoffmann no. 2.)

The ball puzzle. (= Hoffmann no. 8.)

The mysterious loop. (= Hoffmann no. 4.)

M. Adams. Indoor Games. 1912. Pp. 337 341.

The gridiron and tongs. (c= Hoffmann no. 2.)

The hourglass and ring. (= Hoffmann no. 6 = horseshoes puzzle.)

Cupid's bow. (c= Hoffmann no. 1.) (Isomorphic to 11.B.)

The saltspoon and eggwhisk. (= Hoffmann no. 8.)

The magic rings. (= Chinese rings, 7.M.1.)

The heart and link. (= Cupid's bow, c= Hoffmann no. 1.) (Isomorphic to 11.B.)

The gridiron and shovel (c= Cupid's bow, c= Hoffmann no. 1.) (Isomorphic to 11.B.)

The double gridiron.

The cross and double links.

The tandem and luggage.

The double link. (= Loony Loop or Satan's Rings.) See 7.M.5. This has a loop of string and is isomorphic to the Chinese rings, 7.M.1.

Bartl. c1920. Vexier- und Geduldspiele, pp. 305-312, shows 43 wire puzzles.

Western Puzzle Works, 1926 Catalogue. Shows about 65 wire puzzles.

Collins. Book of Puzzles. 1927. Some good metal puzzles, pp. 52-53. Shows: The devil's ring; The teaser; The three-in-one rings; The link and rings; The union puzzle. Pp. 44-54 cover other wire puzzles: The Twin Hearts (= Hoffmann no. 1, 11.K.8); The eternal triangle (= Hoffmann no. 2); The bead and spiral (= Hoffmann no. 8); The snake and ring (= Hoffmann no. 3, 11.K.1); The great seven-ring puzzle (= Chinese rings, 7.M.1); The eastern question (= Hoffmann no. 10, Double witch key, 11.K.6).

Ch'ung-En Yü. Ingenious Ring Puzzle Book. 1958. Op. cit. in 7.M.1.

Pp. 18-19 discusses the 'horseshoes puzzle' which is called 'Jade Interlocked Ring Puzzle' and is "the simplest and easiest puzzle of the Incomplete Ring Type". Yü then discusses more complex versions of the puzzle.

P. 21 shows the interlocked nails puzzle.

P. 26 shows a single heart, similar to Hoffmann 1, but with a doubled second part, called Recessed Handle Ring Puzzle. (Isomorphic to 11.B.)

Richard I. Hess. Compendium of Over 7000 Wire Puzzles. 5th ed., published by the author, Rancho Palos Verdes, Mar 1991, 259pp. 7090 wire, entanglement and cast iron puzzles classified in 17 categories. There is an 53 page index and then 205 pages of reduced photocopies of the actual puzzles. The pictures come out almost as good as drawings. Some of the more obvious combinations do not have pictures. The naming of the puzzles has a certain poetry about it. A118: Type 2 trapeze with baffle, horseshoes, lock and 1-ring key. A226: Cascaded double compound trapeze with baffled heart. B053: Hong Kong house with semicircles (Hard 2-story). C226: Bug (3-ring) with triple cross. D105: Triple Finnish diddle. (Previous editions: 2nd ed, 1982, c500 puzzles; 3rd ed, 1985, c1400 puzzles; 4th ed, 1988, c2600 puzzles.)
11.K.1. RING AND SPRING PUZZLE
A ring is on a spring with sealed ends.
I have seen this illustrated in Wizard's Guide, a catalogue of magic apparatus by W. J. Judd, 1882. ??NX.

Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue. 1886. Reproduced in: Joseph J. Schroeder, Jr.; The Wonderful World of Toys, Games & Dolls 1860··1930; DBI Books, Northfield, Illinois, 1977?, p. 24. Slocum's Compendium also shows this.

Peck & Snyder. 1886. P. 162: Universal pocket puzzle.

Hoffmann. 1893. Chap. VIII, no. 3: The snake and ring (= ring and spring puzzle) = Hoffmann-Hordern, p. 199. Photo on p. 199 shows L'Anneau Prisonnier, with box, 1891-1905. Hordern Collection, p. 80, shows the same, dated 1880-1905.

Benson. 1904. Chap. VIII: Wire puzzles, pp. 236 240. The spiral and ring. (= Hoffmann's no. 3.)

I have seen a French example, called L'anneaux prisonnier, dated 1900-1920, but see above.

Slocum. Compendium. Shows many later examples: 1913, 1915, 1915, 1919, etc.

Bartl. c1920.