Bungler's Block (aka the Chinese Pendulum) Puzzle
I got this puzzle from eBay from a very good seller who was kind enough to give me some freebies. I don't know if he was really kindhearted or this was done to compensate for some little rusty elements on the metals, well anyway, I do appreciate his gesture. I definitely received more puzzles than I deserved- a whole box with no less than ten puzzles! I'll feature the other puzzles included in the box in my next blog.
The Bungler's Block, aka the Chinese Pendulum Puzzle, looks deceptively simple, but it is really a tricky puzzle involving several coordinated movements that's guaranteed to twist your brain. The long delay in my solving the puzzle ( 2 days) was attributed to a maneuver which I totally missed out.
The opening and closing loop has two movements--this is the key to solving it. The other moves include coursing the rings through the movable loop and passing the ring over the big hump- a maneuver thats only possible if you are aware of the movable loops other movement.
To finally release the ring out, one has to position it before the chained ring, so that it can pass unobstructed. A very good puzzle- a real brain teasing entertainment indeed!