----- Forwarded message # 1:

Date:     Fri, 20 Oct 89 8:35:47 EDT
From:     Peter Beck    <pbeck@pica.army.mil>
To:       PBECK@PICA.ARMY.MIL
cc:       pbeck@PICA.ARMY.MIL
Subject:  new cube puzzle
Message-ID:  <8910200835.aa11532@AC4.PICA.ARMY.MIL>

Are there any patent engineers out there?

Patent 4,872,682 by Kuchimanchi (U of Maryland PHD student) and Thekur
(UC santa cruz PHD student) is for a new cube puzzle.

From the NY Times 10/14/89 Patents column:

"... ,the new brain teaser is a cube divided into squares, nine on
each face. Each square can be rotated in both a horizontal and
vertical plane, creating billions of possible combinations. at the
outset, all squares on each side have the same color. the goal is to
mix up the colors and get them back in order.

In addition, however, the new puzzle contains one blank square, which
can be slid to any location on the cube. This makes the challenge
easier, because it gives the players another way to move squares from
one place to another."

So what do you think this puzzle is? Do cubies rotate or do cubie
faces rotate? Is this a sliding block puzzle on the equators like the
hungarian globe puzzle as sold by nature company etal? Is this just
sam lloyd 15 puzzle on the surface of a cube?

pete beck, <pbeck@ardec>

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