Hello!
This puzzle recently came to me. I was wondering if someone could confirm for me that it's actually possible to separate the two loops? I've been having more problems with this than most of the puzzles of a similar style I have.
If anyone recognises it, can they give me some idea of a 'difficulty rating' ?

I've not seen this before, but here's my guess (given that the loops on the right look more elongated than those on the left):

1. Set the puzzle down as you have it shown in the picture
2. Flip the right set of loops over 180 degrees to lie on top of the left set
3. Slide these loops all the way to the right
4. Then slide these loops back to the left so that the bottom one of these loops can pass between the two loops on the left/bottom set (which should stay put throughout this sequence).

I think they should then come apart...

the angle and the way they're joined means you cannot lie one over another. they won't 'flip' into each other. I thought it was something like that originally for a while but there's no way (i've found) to get them the same way round, instead of opposite.

Then try doing step 3 at the same time as step 2 - slide to the right as you flip em over to the left ...

Dremel/blowtorch/Chuck Norris.



Solved.



EDIT: Try lifting up the right one about 45* and pushing it through the left one. That's just my guess, I'm sure it can't be that easy...

Here is a solution from the original patent:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=cyZfAAAAEBAJ

Very interesting, where did you find it?

Now that's cheating ... but also VERY resourceful, I'm impressed!

AH!

That explains alot, the first move, bringing the larger over the smaller is quite stiff, I always assume that puzzles like this will have quite easy solutions with no 'forced' moves and I just have to find them.
it came from Village Games In Camden, London. I try to always pick up a metal puzzle when i'm in the area.

How on earth did you find the patent? I did a fair amount of searching trying to find out more about it but never found anything.

Does anyone know if this is available anywhere else? I have a huge collection of wire puzzles, but somehow don't have that one and would love to add it to the collection.

-d

I didn't see it anywhere online when I was looking for more information about it,
you could try giving village games a call : +44 20 7485 0653, the people who work there are very nice.

When I got the puzzle it was one of the ones hanging from the hooks on the ceiling, and called 'handcuffs'

oh, I just found an email address : sales@villagegames.com

I hope that helps.

This puzzle is usually called "C and U."
In Dick Hess' Compendium, it is listed as F030.

I show it on my Tanglements page, in the Hard Wire section (scroll down to F030) and give a link to the patent there.
http://robspuzzlepage.com/tanglement.htm#hardwire

It is included in a tanglement set available from Torito:
http://torito.jp/shopping/_big-chienowa1.shtml

And also available individually:
http://torito.jp/shopping/_teaserring-cu.shtml

I forgot all about that Dick Hess book, I should really dig it out and flip through it some more. Thanks for reminding me of that Rob.

-d