Hockey game with magnetic control members

Claim 1

In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board having a relatively thin, substantially planar playing portion fabricated of a nonferrous material and having means on the upper surface thereof defining a playing area; a player piece slidably seated upon said upper surface of said playing portion and having a base portion, a striking portion extending laterally outwardly from said base portion along said playing portion of said game board and in contact with said upper surface thereof, said striking portion of said player piece comprising an elongated arm extending laterally along said upper surface of said playing portion from said base portion and having a flared configuration adjacent its free end provided by wing portions which extend outwardly from each side of said arm along said upper surface and which have curvilinear striking surfaces thereon, said striking surfaces diverging from one another and increasing in curvature toward said free end to control the direCtion of an object propelled thereby during play of the game, and a multipole permanent magnet having at least four alternating regions of opposite polarity disposed in said base portion with magnetic flux lines from each of said regions intersecting the plane of the upper surface of said game board in a direction generally normal thereto, said magnet of said player piece being of annular configuration and said base portion having a depending stud thereon projecting downwardly through the central aperture of said annular magnet and therebelow, said stud having an end of relatively small surface area and spacing the body of said player piece from said upper surface of the board to provide limited contact therewith, said player piece being supported upon said stud and said striking portion; and a control member slidably movable along the bottom surface of said playing portion, said control member comprising a handle element and a multipole permanent magnet having at least four alternating regions of opposite polarity disposed in said handle element with magnetic flux lines from each of said regions intersecting said bottom surface in a direction generally normal thereto, the flux lines of said magnets of said contact member and player piece extending through said game board playing portion and alignable to provide firm magnetic interengagement of the several opposite poles thereof, said control member being slidable beneath said playing portion to move said player piece therealong and being pivotable sharply to produce sharp pivoting of said player piece upon said upper surface, said magnets of said player pieces and control members both being of generally circular cross section with said alternating regions of polarity being positioned circumferentially thereabout and with the axes of said magnets being perpendicular to said playing portion.