Puzzle, TRI'-N'-DO-IT
Puzzle, TRI'-N'-DO-IT
- Description
- John D. Boyle (1891-1968), an English-born New York advertising executive who lived in Greenwich, Connecticut, patented several mechanical puzzles.. At least two of these were produced, including this one, which sold under the name TRI'-N'-DO-IT. The puzzle consists of three wooden cylinders held together by three wooden dowels and a shaped metal piece. The goal of the puzzle is to take apart the pieces.
- A mark on one of the cylinders reads: TRI'-N'-DO-IT (/) TR.MK. (/) US PAT 2207778 (/) IT COMES APART (/) WITHOUT FORCE. Boyle applied for a patent for this puzzle August 30, 1939, and received it July 16, 1940.
- Compare MA.333295 and MA.333289.
- References:
- John D. Boyle, “Puzzle,” U.S. Patent 2,207,778, August 30, 1939.
- “John D. Boyle, 77, Ex-Head of an Advertising Agency,” New York Times, May 30, 1968, p. 25.
- Jerry Slocum and Jack Botermans, Puzzles Old & New: How to Make and Solve Them, Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1986, p. 52.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- puzzle
- Puzzle
- puzzle
- date made
- ca 1940
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- metal (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 2 cm x 8.25 cm x 7.5 cm; 25/32 in x 3 1/4 in x 2 15/16 in
- ID Number
- MA.335295
- catalog number
- 335295
- accession number
- 314637
- Credit Line
- Gift of Edith R. Meggers
- subject
- Mathematics
- Mathematical Recreations
- See more items in
- Medicine and Science: Mathematics
- Science & Mathematics
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.
Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.