US3854726A

US3854726A - Screened photograph puzzle

Info

Publication number: US3854726A
Application number: US00412182A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Balder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-11-02
Filing date: 1973-11-02
Publication date: 1974-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-17

Abstract

A puzzle includes a plurality of similarly physically shaped puzzle pieces. Each piece reveals a portion of a black and white photograph which has been modified by a photographic screening and enlargement process. The resulting processed portion of the photograph on each piece reveals only black and white configurations of varying edges and densities. These edges and densities must be mated with those of other puzzle pieces in a correct relationship to reveal the entire processed photograph. In a method of making the puzzle, a screened photograph is taken of a conventional photograph so that screen lines appear on the screened photograph. The screened photograph is enlarged whereby the screen splits the photograph into spaced components aligned in the direction of the lines of the screen. The enlarged screened photograph is then cut, along the screen lines, or therebetween, into a selected number of pieces which form the puzzle pieces. Stiffner backing may be provided for the pieces.

Description

[451 Dec. 17,1974

[ SCREENED PHOTOGRAPH PUZZLE shaped puzzle pieces. Each piece reveals a portion of a black and white photograph which has been modilnventor: Alton Parker Balder, 7902 Seven Mile Ln., Baltimore, Md. 21215 Nov. 2, 1973 fied by a photographic screening and enlargement process. The resulting processed portion of the photo- [22] Filed:

graph on each piece reveals only black and white configurations of varying edges and densities. These edges [21] Appl. No.: 412,182

and densities must be mated with those of other puzzle pieces in a correct relationship to reveal the entire processed photograph.

[52] U.S. 273/157 R, 96/45 Int. Cl.

A63f 9/10 In a method of makin g the puzzle, a screened Field of Search......................... 273/l55, 157 R photograph is taken of a conventional photograph so that screen lines appear on the screened photograph. The screened photograph is enlarged whereby the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS screen splits the photograph into spaced components 273/157 R X aligned in the direction of the lines of the screen. The 2 5 R X enlarged screened photograph is then cut, along the screen lines, or therebetween, into a selected number 2,328,281 Jones.......................... 3,596,380 Williams of pieces which form the puzzle pieces. Stiffner backing may be provided for the pieces.

4 Claims, 7 DrawingFigures ABSTRACT A puzzle includes a plurality of similarly physically 5 U N S7 2 mm TM m w. W D. P". A.m a R. Om So m W0 T A6 fi NH @H E R1 m m 7 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Attorney, Agent, or FirmWalter G. Finch PATENTEL SEC l 7 I974 SHEH 2 0F 2 PIC-3.3

FIG-4 FIG. 5

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SCREENEI) PHOTOGRAPH PUZZLE This invention relates to a puzzle and particularly pertains to a puzzle having similarily shaped pieces which are assembled on the basis of the configurations displayed on the pieces.

In conventional puzzles, the puzzle pieces are usually configured of varying physical shapes which are designed to mate, and sometimes interlock, with adjacent pieces. While the pattern of the image on each piece combines with that of other pieces to form the composite display of the puzzle, it is the physical shapes of the pieces which provide the clues for the proper placement of the pieces to form the display.

Other types of puzzles require the assembly of wire pieces or blocks in a peg board scheme to form the resultant image.

In each of the foregoing puzzle arrangements, there is no test of ones skills at analyzing only the display on the puzzle piece to determine its relationship to other pieces independently of the shape of the pieces.

It is an object of this invention to provide a puzzle which will stimulate interest based on the challenge of assembling puzzle pieces having mating image portions rather than preshaped-piece edges which interlock.

Another object of this invention is to provide a puzzle having similarly shaped pieces with each piece having a configuration formed thereon and defined by contrasting shades to reveal edges and densities thereof, the proper combination of the configuration forming a distorted, discernible, composite image.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing puzzle pieces embodying certainprinciples of the invention and combined to reveal a composite of a photographed image modified to reveal screen lines which define physical edges of the puzzle pieces;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a cross section of one puzzle piece assembled with a stiffner backing;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing one method of preparing a photograph having screen lines formed thereon;'

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another method of preparing a photograph having screen lines formed thereon;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the manner of enlarging the screened photograph;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the manner of assembling the enlarged, screen-lined photograph with a stiffner backing; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the manner of cutting the screen-lined photograph into puzzle pieces.

The method of making the puzzle pieces may be accomplished in any one of several ways. In each way, however, the first step requires the taking of a picture of a selected subject. For example, the subject could be a frontal view of a human face. A photographic print of the human face is made by use of any camera and conventional processing to obtain the print. The print is then screened by a process such as, for example, line conversion. There are two photo-mechanical techniques for screening a print by line conversion. A third technique involves hand-rendering of the photomechanical effect.

In the first photo-mechanical technique, the print is placed before a large professional commerical graphic camera. A screen of a selected pattern is placed between the print and the film, where the film is within the graphic camera. Preferably the screen is in direct contact with the film in the graphic camera behind the lens thereof. The original print is then photographed through the screen in a through the camera shot. The film is then developed and a negative is made. The resultant effect is that the lines of the screen now appear merged with the subject image of the original print.

In a second photo-mechanical technique, an unscreened, original negative of the subject is combined with a transparency of any screen by superimposition of one on the other. A contact print is made with standard photographic contact frame. The resulting contact print of the subject, with the screen superimposed, will then have picked up the configurations created by the screen.

By using any of a variety of screens having many different screen patterns, or combinations thereof, the continuous tone of the photographed image is broken into patterns determined by the pattern of the screen. However, no matter what type of screen pattern is used, the image of the original subject remains basically intact and clearly discernible.

After the screening of the print, by using any of the above techniques, the screened photograph is enlarged to any size by use of standard enlargement procedures. An examination of the enlarged photograph reveals that the pattern of the screen has split the photograph into component parts with each part including a line of the screen pattern. The total of the component parts are combined into the composite image of the subject.

When the screening process has been completed, the lines of the screen merge with corresponding density portions of the image. When the screened photograph is enlarged, the lines are thereby enlarged and, in those portions which merge with the portions of corresponding density of the image, there appears irregular patterns of bulges with irregular edges. The irregular patterns which occur along any given line do not appear to provide any clue regarding its relative position with the other lines to form the composite image. However, the combined, irregularly shaped lines form the clearly discernible image even though the image is distorted due to the screening and enlargement thereof.

After the enlargement of the screened photograph, the photograph, in print form, is transferred to a rigid backing. This can be accomplished by any printing or reproduction process, or by lamination. The rigid backing could be, for example, stiff chipboard, paperboard, wood, plastic or any material having stiffening properties.

The rigidly backed, enlarged, screened picture is then .cut into a number of pieces of any length or width. The cuts should follow the lines of the screen or go between the lines, or they may follow the configurations of the screen patterns.

The individually cut pieces form the pieces of the puzzle which, in use, are mixed, tumbled and shuffled to completely disorganize the pieces from the oriented alignment necessary to form the composite image.

The object of the puzzle is to reassemble the pieces so that the pictorial image is complete. Each piece has its perfect matching relationship with certain other pieces with the puzzle. When each piece is placed adjacent to its matching companions, the subject is reconstructed in a composite entity and the puzzle is successfully completed.

In assembling the puzzle pieces, the assembler, or player, can only rely on the edges of the patterns formed on each piece as well as the contrasting densities of the printed configurations. These are the only clues which lead the assembler to position mating pieces in juxtaposition.

In some instances, the puzzle pieces are cut into longitudinal, rectangularly shaped pieces, or sticks, with longitudinal cut lines being either spaced between adjacent ones of the screen lines or coincidentally with the screen lines. However, as noted above, the screen lines can be formed in any one of a variety of patterns, in which case the cut lines would follow such patterns. An example of such other patterns would include concentric circles, diagonal lines, etc.

In an example of a contrasting color scheme for the puzzle, black and white photographic prints provide a sufficient contrast. Almost all black and white photographs are halftoned by being made up of black and white components. These halftones are usually imperceptible to the naked eye but become obvious when the picture is greatly enlarged.

When the image of the conventional size print is screened with, for example, straight lines, the lines appear as a series of apparently disconnected, unrelated black and then white abstract shapes. These separate patterned black and white shapes, when enlarged, appear as oblong and wobbly in form with the black silhouetting against the white which appears to expand and contrast from end to end.

However, these abstract patterns clearly do not interlock physically, because their physical edges are straight and provide no hint of interlocking, but by mating configurations of the portion of the total image appearing on each puzzle piece.

As an example and referring now to the FIG. 1, there is revealed a modified composite photograph of a locomotive. The photograph 10 shows screen lines 12 which have been superimposed on a photograph of the locomotive. The resulting screen-lined photograph has been enlarged to create a pattern between each adjacent pair of screen lines 12. Each pattern reveals irregular bulges with irregular edges in the areas where the screen lines are superimposed with the image and is displayed in at least two contrasting colors such as, for example, black and white. Thus each pattern between each pair of adjacent screen lines 12 show varying random-appearing densities and edges which are combinable with the other patterns in a predetermined alignment to form the discernible composite image of the locomotive.

Referring to FIG. 3, a photographic print 14 is made in any conventional manner and is screened by use of a large professional commercial camera 16 which contains a screen therein. The screen is placed between the lens of the camera and the film in the camera and a through-the-camera shot is taken of the print 14. The resulting negative will reveal the image of the print 14 with the screen lines superimposed thereon.

Referring to FIG. 4, in another screening technique, a negative 18, which could have been used to produce the print 14, is placed back to back with a transparency 20 of a screen. This assembly is placed on a standard photographic contact frame 22 with photographic print paper 24 placed thereover so that the negative 18 is sandwiched between the screen transparancy 20 and the print paper. The resulting contact print will reveal the screen lines superimposed over the image of the negative 18.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the screened photograph made by any method, such as those referred to with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, is then enlarged by use of a standard enlarger 26 to transpose the enlarged screened image onto a print 28.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, the enlarged screen print 28 is secured to a stiffner backing 30 by use of an adhesive 32. Referring to FIG. 7, the backed print 28 is then cut into a selected pattern such as in long rectangular sections or sticks 34 by use of a conventional cutter 36. The sticks 34 form puzzle pieces having the'distorted patterns thereon as discussed hereinabove.

It is noted that the print 28 may be cut anywhere, though they must follow the screen lines, or go between the screen lines. Of course, if other screen configurations, other than lines, are used, the cuts should follow the configurations of the selected screen pattern.

The individual puzzle pieces are mixed, tumbled and shuffled. Thereafter the object of the puzzle, to reassemble the pieces to make the composite image whole again, is attempted by the puzzle user. As the puzzle user will attempt to discover, each piece has its perfect matching relationship with certain ones of the other puzzle pieces. When each piece is placed next to its contrasting matching companions so as to reconstruct the subject into a whole composite image, the puzzle is successfully finished.

Thus, no matter what the pattern of cutting the image initially, the puzzle player, or user, has only the edges and densities of the portion of the printed configuration on each piece to look for clues as to their correct relationship with their specific notes.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is: v

1. A puzzle, comprising a plurality of puzzle pieces the combination of which forms an enlarged discernible composite photographic image including screen lines, enlargement of the original photographic image to produce the discernible composite photographic image on the pieces causing of plurality of shades of distorted and varying random-appearing densities to exist on the pieces, the puzzle pieces being defined physically along their edges by the screen lines, each puzzle piece having a substantially identical physical configuration as the other pieces, each puzzle piece having a specific pattern thereon forming a portion of the discernible composite photographic image, the pat- 3 ,854,726 5 6 2. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 wherein the physical 4. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 and further comprisconfiguration of each piece is rectangular. ing means for supporting and providing backing for the 3. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 wherein said pluralpuzzle pieces.

ity of contrasting shades are black and white.

Claims

1. A puzzle, comprising a plurality of puzzle pieces the combination of which forms an enlarged discernible composite photographic image including screen lines, enlargement of the original photographic image to produce the discernible composite photographic image on the pieces causing of plurality of shades of distorted and varying random-appearing densities to exist on the pieces, the puzzle pieces being defined physically along their edges by the screen lines, each puzzle piece having a substantially identical physical configuration as the other pieces, each puzzle piece having a specific pattern thereon forming a portion of the discernible composite photographic image, the pattern on each piece being defined by the plurality of shades, the shades having varying degrees of quality and being distorted to provide random-appearing densities of the shades on the pieces, the patterns on the pieces and the edges of the pieces defined by the screen lines being combinable in a predetermined alignment by matching the shades on the surfaces of the pieces and along the edges thereof to allow proper location of each piece within the puzzle to reveal the nature of the enlarged composite image.

2. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 wherein the physical configuration of each piece is rectangular.

3. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of contrasting shades are black and white.

4. A puzzle as recited in claim 1 and further comprising means for supporting and providing backing for the puzzle pieces.