Tom O'Beirne's Cube
This remarkable dissection of only 6 pieces can make a cube in 2 ways but can also cycle from cube through 5 rectangular blocks back to a cube by splitting stepwise into symmetrical halves and moving one half in relation to the other.
For a full appreciation see
Brian Butler's article on John Rausch's web site.
Other original Packing Puzzles invented and made by Tom O’Beirne
which he gave to James Dalgety in 1978/79.
Four pieces in the box, fit in one more
Eight pieces in the box, fit in two more.
Grand Dragon.
Eighteen pieces in the box fit the Egg in as well.
The original O’Beirne's Cube which he kept in this 2-
The Dragon's Eggs
This is Tom O’Beirne's original. Four pieces and 3 Eggs (balls). All the Eggs must be hidden in the nest (box) by the blocks.
This version of “Dragon’s Nest” was designed by James Dalgety and approved by Tom in 1980 but it proved too expensive for the commercial product.
T.H.O’Beirne is a very underrated puzzle inventor. Author of "Puzzle and Paradoxes" published in 1965 he contributed to "New Scientist" for many years.
He had a very interesting approach to packing puzzles many of which were developed while thinking of the best shape to make standard cartons so that the biggest number could be fitted into a truck. I think he never considered how long it might take the average truck driver to actually load his truck to capacity.
