Spinning top game

Claim 1

GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A PLAYING BOARD HAVING A HANDLE PORTION ALONG AN EDGE THEREOF PROVIDING THE SOLE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE BOARD BY A PLAYER, SAID BOARD INCLUDING A GENERALLY SMOOTH SURFACE PORTION AND RAISED PORTIONS DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION ABOUT SAID BOARD DEFINING OBSTACLES TO THE PASSAGE OF A PLAYING PIECE ACROSS THE BOARD, EACH OF SAID OBSTACLES INCLUDING A PARTIALLY ENCLOSED, SMOOTH SURFACE WHICH IS GENERALLY COPLANAR WITH AND ACCESSIBLE FROM SAID SMOOTH CENTER SURFACE PORTION, A PLAYING PIECE IN THE FORM OF A SPINNING TOP INCLUDING A SPINDLE PORTION, MEANS IN SAID HANDLE PORTION FOR RECEIVING THE SPINDLE PORTION OF SAID TOP AND FOR CAUSING SAID TOP TO BE ROTATED AND EJECTED AS DESIRED, WHEREBY SAID SPINNING TOP CAN BE PLACED ON SAID PLAYING BOARD AND CAUSED TO MOVE RELATIVE TO SAID OBSTACLES AND INTO AND OUT OF SAID PARTIALLY ENCLOSED SURFACE PORTIONS THEREOF BY MANIPULATION OF THE BOARD, A GOAL DEVICE ON SAID BOARD IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID HANDLE PORTION AND MOVABLE FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A GOAL INDICATING POSITION, SPRING MEANS FOR BIASING SAID GOAL DEVICE TOWARD SAID GOAL INDICATING POSITION, AND A LATCH DEVICE FOR NORMALLY RETAINING SAID GOAL DEVICE IN SAID FIRST POSITION, SAID LATCH DEVICE BEING RESPONSIVE TO ENGAGEMENT BY SAID SPINNING TO TO RELEASE SAID GOAL DEVICE AND CAUSE SAID SPRING MEANS TO MOVE SAID GOAL DEVICE GENERALLY VERTICALY WITH RESPECT TO SAID BOARD.