Table hockey game

A table game apparatus for four players comprising:

• a game board including a generally planar playing surface and side walls extending around said playing surface;
• four goals distributed evenly around the perimeter of said playing surface;
• four sets of four playing members only each capable of propelling a projectile across said playing surface and each playing member having its own vertical shaft extending down through a slot in said playing surface, said four sets constituting four terms that are visually distinguishable from each other;
• one of the playing members in each set being a goalie member positioned in front of one of the goals and movable sideways across the front of the goal;
• a number of axially movable and rotatable rods extending generally parallel to said playing surface and capable of moving said playing members along their respective slots;
• and
• means for operatively connecting each rod to a respective vertical shaft so that rotation of the rod about its longitudinal axis causes rotation of the shaft connected thereto.

A table hockey apparatus comprising:

• a game board having a generally flat playing surface and two pairs of opposing sides with each side having a goal opening for receiving a small movable object;
• four sets of movable game playing members forming four teams that are visually distinguishable from one another;
• each set of game playing members comprising a goalie member positioned in front of one of the openings and at least three additional members adapted to manipulate said movable object over said playing surface;
• a vertical shaft extending at least from each of said additional members and down through said playing surface;
• a number of substantially horizontal rods provided for moving said additional playing members along respective slots formed in said playing surface, said rods being axially movable and rotatable;
• means for operatively connecting each rod to a respective vertical shaft so that rotation of the rod about its longitudinal axis causes rotation of the connected shaft;
• wherein at least some of said horizontal rods for moving the playing members of each of said sets project horizontally from a respective one of the four opposing sides whereby a game can be played by four persons each positioned at one of said opposing sides and playing a respective one of the four sets.