Brunswick Billiards Air Hockey
It has always surprised me that Brunswick Billiards invented Air Hockey in the 1960's. The Wiki entry is as follows:
Air hockey was invented by a group of Brunswick Billiards employees from 1969 to 1972. In 1969, a trio of Brunswick engineers – Phil Crossman, Bob Kenrick and Brad Baldwin – began work on creating a game using a frictionless surface. The project stagnated for several years until it was revived by Bob Lemieux, who then focused on implementing an abstracted version of ice hockey, with a thin disk, two strikers, and slit-like goals equipped with photo-detectors. It was then decided that the game might appeal to a larger market and air hockey was marketed and sold to the general public. The original patents reference Crossman, Kendrick and Lemieux.[2][3] It should also be noted that the air table proper had already been patented before Brunswick's project, though for unrelated purposes.[4]
The main concern in the construction and maintenance of the air hockey table is the surface and the motor. The surface should be protected with a cover to reduce the amount of dust and particulate that can build up inside the blow-holes.
The motor is the obvious maintenance concern because if it goes out, you just have a "slide-hockey" table. I prefer to work with companies who can replace the motor, offer a warranty of at 3 months (Brunswick offers a 90-Day warranty), and have a dealer support system. For the family recreation room, Brunswick offers a quality product for a family-friendly price:
Brunswick Wind Chill Air Hockey Table: $775 (Include White-glove delivery for $150)
- Sleek contemporary styling
- Dual abacus scorers
- Sturdy pedestal base
- Constant flow UL blower
- Dimensions: 83.875" L x 32.5" H x 41.125" W
- Seven-foot table size
- Two mallets and four pucks included with each table kit
Brunswick V-Force Air Hockey Table: $1,300 (Include White-glove delivery for $150)
- Exciting table top graphics and logo
- State-of-the-art imbedded abacus scoring system
- Super slick, scuff-proof "“ice"” provides exceptional play
- Cool black mallets are easy to control for precise shots on goal
- Durable aluminum rails with powder-coated metal corners
- Adjustable leg levelers guarantee a perfectly horizontal playing field
- Dimensions: 83" L x 30.5" H x 41" W
- Seven-foot table size
- Two mallets and four pucks included with each table kit
