022—Lancaster Faming, Saturday, September 20,1980 Puzzling resoia. In my August 30 column, I ran a request from R.G. Rauhauser, Box 766 Tbomasville, PA 17364 for help in solving a puzzle. Since that time, I have received taro letters where folks have written in with advice on how to get the contraption apart. As a matter of fact, one of oqr Lancaster Farming employees read the column and brought in the gadget for me to see and to tempt me into picking it up and trying to solve it. Let me first share with R.G. and the rest of our readers the letters on how to solve the puzzle. Then I’m going to tackle this heap of rings and wood all pieced together with leather ... even if it takes me all week. - Here’s a letter from Nancy A. Fay, 28 tf Egypt Road, Norristown, PA. She writes: I believe I can solve the puzzle described in Lan caster Farmlng.l have been a victim of this little monster in the past, but I think I have mastered it. In the drawing, the puzzle is shown with 8 rings and the puzzle I have only has 7. But it really makes no difference once you find the pattern for FRANK A. FILLIPPO, INC. - WANTED - DISABLED & CRIPPLED COWS f BULLS & STEERS - Competitive Prices Paid I Slaughtered under government inspection Brief answers to short questions Sheila's Shorts By Sheila Miller taking me rings o^T. It helps if you hold the large horizontal loop in your right hand, sliding it back and forth and working the rings with your left hand. • Shut with ring 2. Bring unattached end up over end of large loop so the ring rests above the bars of the large loop. Then slip the ring sideways down through the loop so the entire ring is below the bars of the large loop. Do the same thing with ring 1 so both rings are below the large loop. Then slide the large loop back and remove ring 4 the same as you did ring 2. Now you have rings 1,2, and 4 below the huge loop. Pick up rings I and 2 by slipping them sideways up through the large loop and dropping unattached ends over the end of the large, loop. Now only ring 4 is down. Drop ring 1, then ring 3. Pick up ring 1 and drop rings 2 and 1. Now the first four rings are down and that's the easy part. Drop ring 6 and pick up rings 1 and 2; drop ring 1, pick up ring 3; pick up ring 1, drop rings 1 and 2; pick up' ring 4, pick up rings 1 and 2, Call: drop ring 1, drop ring 3; pick up ring 1 and drop rings 1 and 2, drop ring 5; pick up ring 1 and 2, drop ring 1 and pick up ring 3; pick up ring 1, drop rings 1 and 2, drop ring 4; pick up rings 1 and 2, drop ring 1, drop ring 3; pick up ring 1, drop rings 1 and 2, and drop ring 8. Obviously to get the last ring is most difficult and time consuming, If anyone comes up with a short cut, please enlighten mb. Okay, from drop ring 8, here’s is the last step y ip solving the puzzle. I’m going to abbreviate drop as “D” and pick up as “P”, followed by the ring numbers to make the directions easier. Here goes Pl&2, Dl, P 3, PI, Dl&2, P 4, Pl&2, Dl, D 3, PI, Dl&2, PS, Pl&2, Dl, P 3, PI, Dl&2, D 4, Pl&2, Dl, D 3, PI, Dl&2, P 6, Pl&2, Dl, P 3, PI, Dl&2, P 4, Pl&2. Now all but ring 8 are on the loop. From here Dl, D 3, PI, Dl&2, D 5, Pl&2, Dl, P 3, PI, Dl&2, D 4, Pl&2, Dl, D 3, PI, Dl&2, D 7, Pl&2, Dl, P 3, PI, Dl&2, P 4, Pl&2, Dl. D 3, PI, Dl&2, P 5, Pl&2, Dl, P3.PI. Rings 7 and 8 are off. It’s a piece of cake from here Dl&2, D 4, Pl&2, Dl, D 3, PI, Dl&2, D 6, Pl&2, Dl, P 3, PI, Dl&2, P 4, Pl&2, Dl, D 3, PI, Dl&2, D 5, Pl&2, Dl, P 3, PI, Dl&2, D 4, Pl&2, Dl, D 3, PI, Dl&2. You have now taken the puzzle apart. If you’ve been able to follow this, it’s like knitting. The pattern comes through —really. If you’ve gotten this far and you want to put it back together, it’s a little easier ... but not much. To get ring 8 on, start with 2 and work ail rings on. You still have: to drop and pick up everything about. „8 times until ring 8 is on. Then start with ring 1 to get ring 7 on, then 2 to get ring 6, 1 to get ring 5 and from4dowh, it’s easy. As I said before, if there are any quicker ways to do this, I’d like to know. But then again, there aren’t any short cuts for knit 1, purl 2 arethere? (Thanks, Nancy, for the directions. Let’s hope no one mistakes these for a pattern for an afghan or sweater can you imagine what that would look like!) Next we havea letter freon John W. Foster, Sr. R 3 Foster Road, Middletown, N.Y., who writes; This is a very old puzzle in the same category as scrimshaw to a seaman something to pass the time before the advent of television. This type of puzzle has passed down through our family for several generations. Now, the way to get it apart is to count the number of rings in your case 8. This is an even number. Drop off 1 and 2 and 4. Replace 1 and 2. Drop off 1 and 3. Replace 1. Drop off 1 and 2. 6 is now able to be dropped off.. Replace all except 6. This leaves an odd number. Drop off 1 and 3. Replace 1 and 2. Drop off 1,2, and 5. Replace 1,2,3,4. Drop off I,2,and 4. Replace land 2. Drop off 3. Now repeat for 7 and 8 by dropping 8, replacing all back. Then drop 7, replacing all back. Then 6, and so on. I’ve seen a couple of guys remove and replace an 8 ring unit in about a minute and a half. STEEL FUEL STORAGE TANKS Capacity Dia. Gauge Price 285 36" 550 48" 550 48” 1000 48” 1000 48” 2000 64” PH-t-ltlTB / • \ Model 112 ROTARY HAND PUMP *7s’ * Additional $25 off when purchased with a tank PRICES FOB QUARRY VILLE HOWARD E. GROFF CSX Fuel OH, Gasoline,andCoal $- ' 111 E. State Street Qoarryville, PA 17566 Phone: 717^786-2166 Just a bit of a side line my dad was a machinist dur ing the time of the depression, the men in the machine shops used to make up these puzzles as a way to occupy their spue time. Dad told me that one fellow made one up that had SO rings and took about 3 hours to take apart. Also, in one of the old bouses in this area, there was one of these puzzles on a mantle for well over 100 years. Everyone had tried to take it apart but no one could. Dad had occassion to be at the house and showed the owner the “key”. I’ve forGRAIN STORAGE CALL 215-593-2157 ROBERT McCOMSEY RDICOCHRANVILLE, PA 19330 , HUSKilllblLT QUALITY FARM BUILDINGS no 205 250 300 370 570 12 10 ; 10,000 120’” j. 15,000 126” 20,000 126" I 30,000 126" Model NP-701 ELECTRIC PUMP *3ls' often "wondered if they remember it. As you can see I’ve not given the whole instructions. But I’m sure that I’ve given enough for moat any one to figure out the “impossible puzzle.” (Thanks, Mr. Foster for the most interesting story and directions. Don’t be too sure though that they were enough for this “someone” to solve the puzzle. I may be at this for weeks!) Anyone else have a problem or a question that necd’jran answer? Send It In to Sheila’s Shorts and I’ll see if I can help. Capacity Dia. Gauge 64” 10,000 96” 5/16" 5/16” 3/8” Model 786-5 || DIAPHRAM HAND pump *7O Y Price 950 2495 2250 3825 4790 8390 1 /4"
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers