Douglas Bruce Engel

US Patent:

7309064, Dec 18, 2007

Filed:

Feb 18, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/061251

Inventors:

Douglas A. Engel - Littleton CO, US

International Classification:

A63F 9/08

US Classification:

273153S, 273155

Abstract:

A puzzle that provides for rearranging different pieces to form a pattern formed from the pieces is disclosed. The puzzle includes at least one generally trilateral piece having three sides, and at least one generally quadrilateral piece. At least two of the sides of the quadrilateral piece have been adapted for engaging the friction enhancing surface on the trilateral piece, so that by surrounding the fixed hub with the trilateral pieces that are separated by the quadrilateral pieces, a continuous round gear surface is formed, that can be used to rotate the trilateral and the quadrilateral pieces together.

US Patent:

44151586, Nov 15, 1983

Filed:

Sep 21, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/304092

Inventors:

Douglas A. Engel - Englewood CO

Assignee:

General Symmetrics, Inc. - Englewood CO

International Classification:

A63F 908

US Classification:

273153S

Abstract:

Puzzles, including both two dimensional and three dimensional versions, are comprised of movable segmented segments on a base. In various embodiments the base is a sphere. The segmented sections form geometric figures and each geometric figure has a common segmented section with another geometric figure. In the two-dimensional version the geometric figure is in the form of a circle. In the three-dimensional versions the geometric figure is in the form of a sphere; a square, with the segmented sections forming a cube; a triangle, with the segmented sections forming tetrahedron; or a pentagon, with the segmented sections forming a dodecahedron.

US Patent:

50941321, Mar 10, 1992

Filed:

Oct 15, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/597563

Inventors:

Douglas A. Engel - Englewood CO

International Classification:

B25B 712

US Classification:

81363

Abstract:

A tool is comprised of a combination of a vice grip brand adjustable clamping pliers and a parallel jaw adjustable wrench such that the parallel jaws have been mounted on the end of the adjustable clamping pliers and the handle of the parallel jaw adjustable wrench has been discarded and the jaws of the clamping pliers has been discarded resulting in a new and novel tool with some capabilities of both tools and in addition many new uses.

US Patent:

44874170, Dec 11, 1984

Filed:

Sep 28, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/425224

Inventors:

Douglas A. Engel - Englewood CO

International Classification:

A63F 704

US Classification:

273115

Abstract:

An amusement device for selectively interchanging or transferring coded pieces from one storage element to a second adjacent storage element is disclosed. The two storage elements are connected to each other for relative rotation. The coded pieces are transferred by aligning one or more storage space or cavity containing a coded piece, in one storage element with like storage spaces or cavities in the adjacent storage element and inverting the device. The storage cavities are configured to allow a prearranged relationship between coded pieces upon rotational alignment of storage cavities lying on the same radius from the axis of rotation. Self-contained games and multiple puzzle configurations are achievable by sequential rotation, alignment and inversion of storage cavities.

US Patent:

61098183, Aug 29, 2000

Filed:

Jul 7, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/111488

Inventors:

Douglas A. Engel - Englewood CO

International Classification:

B25G 318

US Classification:

4033222

Abstract:

A recombinator for connecting and recombining sections of material. The recombinator including a cylindrical sleeve formed from at least two semi-cylindrical sections having edges and an internal arcuate surface. A first cylindrical hub is used to cooperate with the cylindrical sleeve. The cylindrical hub is formed from at least two semi-cylindrical hub sections, each semi-cylindrical hub section including an external arcuate surface adapted for mating with the internal arcuate surface of the cylindrical sleeve and having edges adapted for alignment with at least one of the edges of at least one of the semi-cylindrical sections. The semi-cylindrical hub sections also include at least one facet surface joining the edges of the external arcuate surface of the semi-cylindrical hub section. Each facet surface has been adapted for mating with the facet surface of another semi-cylindrical hub section. Slideable engagement and rotation of the cylindrical sleeve with and about the cylindrical hub is provided, so that rotation of the cylindrical sleeve about the cylindrical hub to a position where at least one edge of the cylindrical sleeve is aligned with at least one edge of the semi-cylindrical hub section allows separation of one of the semi-cylindrical hub sections together with one of the semi-cylindrical sleeve sections and another of the semi-cylindrical hub sections together with another of the semi-cylindrical sleeve sections.

US Patent:

47354186, Apr 5, 1988

Filed:

Mar 6, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/022406

Inventors:

Douglas A. Engel - Englewood CO

International Classification:

A63F 908

US Classification:

273155

Abstract:

Puzzles are comprised of linked loops, where the loops are made by first making flat strips of equilateral triangles by hinging the triangles together at their edges and then folding the strips at the hinges and then connecting the end triangles together to form a twisted loop that has the overall form of a flattened hexagon known in the literature of recreational mathematics as a hexaflexagon. The linked loops are linked hexaflexagons and the loops can be shifted and folded into many different 2 and three dimensional positions with respect to the loops they are linked to. The resulting linked loop puzzles have been now named as slipagons since they can be shifted by sliding loops with respect to the loops they are linked to as well as by folding. The loops can be linked in many ways to form puzzles of greatly varying difficulty where the object of the puzzle can be to get from one shifted geometric form to another or to get a figure drawn on the loops of the puzzle into some given arrangement.

US Patent:

D3966585, Aug 4, 1998

Filed:

Oct 28, 1997

Appl. No.:

D/078509

Inventors:

Douglas A. Engel - Englewood CO

International Classification:

1101

US Classification:

D11 12

US Patent:

51060930, Apr 21, 1992

Filed:

Jan 7, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/638564

Inventors:

Douglas A. Engel - Englewood CO

International Classification:

A63H 3308

US Classification:

273160

Abstract:

A puzzle is comprised of cubically shaped pieces having 5 square holes centered on 5 of the cube faces and 1 square protrusion on the center of the sixth face. The protrusion is fitted with a spring loaded cog or catch so that the protrusion may be inserted into a square hole of another piece and will lock in place. The locked piece may be released only by inserting another piece in the correct orientation in another square hole in the same piece the first piece was inserted in. The release is effected by pressing the secondly inserted piece in all the way thereby releasing the catch of the first inserted piece but not allowing the release of the catch of the secondly inserted piece.