How can I put together my puzzle rings (where four bands become one)?
geometry/puzzle.ring Added material
Problem
How can I put together my puzzle rings (where four bands become one)?
Show solution
There are several different designs for puzzle rings, but there is
hope: one particular design overwhelmingly predominates all of the
others. If your puzzle ring has four bands, then it is almost
certainly of the standard design.
1) Hold one band and shake. The ring should fall into 1-2-1. That is,
one band around your finger, that with two bands threaded through it,
and then a second band hanging below. You can then grab the bottom
band and bring it around, so you now have the ring as two sets of two
bands. The two bands that are together are parallel [i.e., not linked]
but the two together are linked through the other pair [which are also
not linked].
2) When you look at the two sets of two bands, you'll notice that they
have different patterns. One pair are 'V's. That is, the bands look
like:
----- --------
\ /
\ /
\/
The other pair look like S's. That is:
/\
/ \
------ / --------
\ /
\/
3) the key thing in solving the ring is that you have to get the
'parity' of the two pairs of rings right. Note that you can run one
ring "around" the other two so it comes up _behind_ its partner. This
is what I mean by parity: the ring will only go together if each of the
pairs is 'paired' properly. You want the 'V' bands oriented so they
make a diamond. That is, in one orientation, the two V bands will be
point-to-point and make sort-of an 'X'. In the other, the two bands
will be like:
/\ / \ / \ ----- -------- ----- --------
\ /
\ /
\/
This is the right way.
4) Once you set the orientation of the V bands, pick up the two S bands
and let the V bands drop together [being careful NOT to mess the
parity]. Now you're holding the S bands with the V bands hanging
below. Hold the S bands by the bottom [i.e., the 'non S' part], one
band in each hand. The S-parts are now under the V-bands. If it isn't
that way, rotate the V bands so the "V"s are at the very bottom, so the
place where the 'S' bands cross are just the straight band opposite the
'V's.
If you look carefully at the S-bands, you'll notice that one of the two
has a notch in the center on the inside of the band. Hold that one by
the side opposite the S and let the rings drop back into the 1-2-1
configuration [the S on the band you are holding will be under the two
V bands]. Now pick up the other S band by the side opposite the S [so
here, too, the 'S' part is inside the paired V bands]. Bring that band
around to the top. As you do so, give both S bands a quarter twist,
the 'S' parts will lie along the paired V bands [instead of crossing
them at right angles]. Try to nestle the band you're bringing up into
the first S band and form a _figure_eight_ around the V bands. If it
won't nestle [it'll go easily [and almost magically!] when you get it
right], then drop the band and bring it up around the _other_ way. One
of the two ways of bringing up the bottom S band will allow you to form
the figure eight. It is going to look something like this:
/\ /\
------ \ / \
------ \/ --------
\ /\ ----------
\/ \/
With the flat part of the bands of the V-bands threaded through the
two loops of the 'eight'.
5) If you've done this right, you can turn the ring over [so that the
'S-bands' are actually in the orientation they would be if you were to
put the thing on your finger] and the V-bands will be sticking up in
the air. Now comes the simple [but almost magic] part: if you *rotate*
the v-bands, you can bring the "V" part *through* the twin loops so
that it lays in position. Small diagram of one V-band in place:
_
X /\/ \ /\ Y
------ /\ / \
----- / \/ \ --------
/\ /\ ----------
----- \/ \/ \----------
Z
Can you see how the "V' crosses the loops of the '8' and how there is
just room for the other 'V' band to fit in [going from X to Z to Y]?
Then you do the same with the other V band and you're done. Unless the
second V band doesn't fit, in which case it should have been the first
V band. Undo both V bands and reverse the order of placement. Now,
you should be done.
6) The point about the parity is that you have to get:
1) the orientation of the 'S' bands right or they won't interlace to
make the '8'
2) the orientation of the 'V' bands right or they won't orient right
to lace through the loops of the '8'
3) the V bands laid in in the proper order. One has to go in place
and the other lays on top of it. If you put them in in the wrong
order, everything will look like it is going fine, but you won't
be able to get the band to 'lay flat' against the other three
bands -- it'll just stick out.
*DO*NOT*FORCE*ANYTHING*EVER*. If you bend a band, it can be virtually
_impossible_ to get the ring back together [even for someone who knows
what they are doing], so be VERY gentle and don't bend or force
anything.
Revision 3, 7 June 1994, BPC
--
Bernie Cosell bernie@fantasyfarm.com
Fantasy Farm Fibers, Pearisburg, VA (703) 921-2358
--->>> Too many people; too few sheep <<<---
Additional material
[ Editor: from the web page "Puzzle Rings - Assembly Instructions",
which ends with a note on ringmaker Lionel Pepper
(http://www.amulet.co.uk/); author and date not given. The page's
figures are not reproduced. ]
Assembling Four-Part Puzzle Rings
1. The basic design of Turkish puzzle rings consists of four bands
which lock together to form one ring. Each band is linked with two
OR three of the others. There are two variations, having the
central crossovers in opposite directions.
- In P1 each separate band links with all three of the others.
- In P2 each separate band links with two of the others.
- Type P1 is somewhat easier to assemble than P2.
2. In both types, there are two outer bands A and D whose Vee-shapes
cross over to form a central diamond or square, and two S-shaped
bands B and C which link to form a central figure Eight.
- One side of the central figure eight will be 'open', the other
side 'closed' by a crossover.
3. Before assembling,
- Identify whether the ring is type P1 or type P2.
- Identify the outer Vee-shaped bands A and D.
4. Place bands A and D back to back so as to form a diamond. Holding
the other two bands upside-down with the S-shaped squiggles at the
bottom, lower A and D together to hang underneath B and C.
5. Holding the rings B and C, take one in each hand between finger and
thumb and rotate them (around a vertical axis) 90 degrees in
opposite directions to face each other. With a little
manipulation, the bands B and C should notch together to form a
figure eight, with the shanks of bands A and D passing through both
holes of the figure eight.
- For a ring of type P1 this result should be relatively easily
achieved if the 90 degree counter-rotation has been done the
right way.
- If the ring is of type P2, then bands B and C may not notch
together so easily. Try passing one of the bands B (or C) around
the circle of A and D to the other side of C (or B) and again try
notching them together.
6. When the figure eight has been formed around the shanks of A and D,
then turn the ring right way up.
7. Holding B and C together and upright, slide bands A and D one at a
time so that their Vee points pass through the 'open' end of the
figure eight to be under the central crossover. To get the
point(s) through the hole, it may be necessary to slightly part B
and C at the 'open' end. Be careful to retain the notching.
8. Lastly, turn down band A, then band D to lie outside the other two
bands and complete the assembly of the puzzle ring.
Six, Eight and More Part Puzzle Rings
Other types of puzzle ring may have six, eight or more bands. The
basic method of assembly is similar, but two or four of the original
bands will have been doubled up with either parallel or crossing bands
that nest with them. The paired sets must each be identified before
starting assembly by a similar method to the above, but there are many
small variations of detail and pattern and linking.
Hence, the details of assembly of puzzle rings of more than four parts
are ........ for want of a better word - indescribable, as may be the
state of frustration they can cause. Considerable patience and
perseverance are required.
One of the failings of puzzle rings is that the multiple shanks all
lie side-by-side at the back of the ring and each shank is inevitably
thin. On many of the rings made in the Middle East, these shanks are
made much too thin and they soon wear out and break. The more shanks
there are, the thinner they are likely to be and the more difficult of
repair. Frustrated wearers often have all the shanks soldered
together.
[ Editor: a 1996 thread, started by Kat Street <scustret@reading.ac.uk>,
whose four-band ring had come apart; and a 1998 note on six-band
rings. ]
I have one that I've gotten very adept at solving quickly. The only
problems I can see here is that a) not all puzzle rings are alike; and
b) it's so much easier to *show* than to *write*.
Here goes, though:
My puzzle ring has two rings that look sorta like this, looked at from
the top:
_
_/ \_
/ \
----- -----
and two others that are different, which I won't even try to reproduce
in ASCII.
The way to solve it is to take the two similar pieces (like the
picture), and, with the other two dangling, put them flat against each
other, so the curvy parts are facing outward.
Now, holding those two together with one hand, use the other hand to
take the more curvy of the other two pieces (the other should have a
straight part in the middle), and turn it so the ring part of it is in
line with the two original rings (you may have to turn the whole thing
around or flip the curvy piece over the first two to do this). Then
take the final piece and put it on top of, and in line with, the third
piece, so these two lock over the rings of the first two (you may have
to flip the final piece over the first two to do this).
Now hold on to the second two pieces and let the first two dangle.
Turn the first two so that the curvy parts go through the "knot" made
by the second two, then pull them down so the rings are flat against
one-another. (One of the rings will have to go first, then the other,
but it should be obvious if you try the one that should go second--it
just won't work.)
Hopefully, this will work. It's really a lot simpler than it sounds.
And I could show you how to do it in a minute.
-- Matthew A Blum <mblum@world.std.com>
An excellent description, Matthew! Let me try to add some minor
clarification (gee I'm glad I didn't have to type this description in
from scratch :-) I also don't have my ring in front of me, which doesn't
help the cause.
[ Editor: on the two similar pieces: ]
One has one "bump" on each side, the other has two.
[ Editor: after the first step: ]
Looking down from the top, it'll look something like this:
/||\
< || >
\||/
where the vertical lines in the diagram above are the outside edges of
the main circular parts. This is the top view. The side view is
circular.
[ Editor: on the second step: ]
In this step, the more jagged of the two remaining pieces is the
first one that you try to align along the plane of the two rings that
you placed back to back in step one. One of the notches in this jagged
piece should fit along the bottom of the first two rings, to line up as
described above (the jagged piece should be hanging below, but
interlocked with, the first two pieces). Then the smooth (4th) piece
should fit over notches in the jagged piece to create an X, with the two
original pieces sticking up through holes in the X.
Try to imagine the following as a circle, as the side view of the first
two rings:
__ top (look down on this to see the picture I drew above)
/ \
\__/ bottom
After the above step, you would see on this side view two interlocking
circles (kinda like the Olympic rings :-).
__
/ \ <-- rings 1 and 2
\__/ <-- the X between pieces 3 and 4 is here (top of rings 3 and 4)
/--\ <-- bottom of rings 1 and 2
\__/ <-- rings 3 and 4
(Ring 1 is behind ring 2, and ring 3 is behind ring 4 in this view.)
[ Editor: on the last step, "the second two pieces" are ]
the bottom two (3 & 4)
[ Editor: and "turn the first two so that the curvy parts go through
the knot" means: ]
Rotate these pieces through the X formed by pieces 3 and 4.
/----\ rotate top piece (1 or 2)
/ __ \
/ / \ |
| \__/ V
\ /--\
\__/
[ Editor: to "I could show you how to do it in a minute": ]
Absolutely.
-- Colin R. Leech <ag414@FreeNet.Carleton.CA>
[ Editor: Leech's comments were interleaved with Blum's text in the
original; they are gathered here after it. ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
} I could definitely use a solution for a 6 band puzzle ring. Help!!!!
Go check the rec.puzzles archives. There is a solution there for a
four-band ring, and there are two flavors of six-band rings, but the
solution is still the same [since the fundamental interlace of the ring
is the same]: in one style, the crossed bands are doubled and in the
other [the more common one] there are two side-bands on each side. You
probably have the latter [you'll be able to tell because the ring will
have four 'v' bands and two 's' bands]. If so, align the V bands into
two sets of two [as in the archives], then make the figure-8, then when
you rotate in the v bands, do it with the larger-v's first then the
smaller ones toward the center.
-- Bernie Cosell <bernie@fantasyfarm.com>