Air table handball game apparatus

Claim 1

A game apparatus capable of generating an air cushion for supporting a movable playing piece thereon, and for affording fast and generally continuous play action movement of the playing piece, said apparatus comprising: a. a member having a generally flat upper surface defining a playing surface having a front rebound end and a rear player end, said surface being inclined downwardly from said rebound end toward said player end, b. means defining a plurality of apertures through said playing surface, c. means located beneath said member and secured thereto to form an air chamber in communication with said apertures, d. means operatively associated with and connected to said apparatus for providing air under pressure into said air chamber so that air is emitted through said apertures to provide an air cushion above said playing surface to support a play piece for movement across the playing surface, e. a pair of opposed side walls extending upwardly from said playing surface, each having a forward end adjacent said front rebound end, a rearward end adjacent said rear player end, and having inwardly presented side rebound surfaces, f. a front wall extending upwardly from said playing surface and having an inwardly presented front rebound surface, g. means including said inward side and front rebound surfaces extending around the periphery of said playing surface except for at least a portion of said rear player end, h. an elongated upstanding divider means disposed generally centrally of said playing surface and extending from said rear player end toward said forward rebound end a portion of the distance between said front and rear ends of the playing surface so as to divide the player end of said playing surface into a pair of transversely spaced player goal areas, said divider means defining a pair of upstanding outwardly presented side rebound surfaces each spaced opposite the inwardly presented side rebound surface of one of the side walls, i. corner bumper means disposed in operative relation to said playing surface and providing a corner rebound surface at the forward end of each of said inward side rebound surfaces and at the rearward end of each of at least two of the side rebound surfaces, one in each of said player goal areas, said rebound corner surfaces extending at an obtuse angle to the side wall adjacent thereto. j. a play piece slidable over the playing surface, and k. a pair of striker members for use by the players of the game to alternately stroke the play piece to propel it over the playing surface and against the rebound surfaces toward the goal area of the other player.