Abstract:
A practice hockey puck to be used by a young player to learn how to pick up a hockey puck off the ice with the blade of his hockey stick. The puck is like an ordinary puck but with a lower, outer, annular portion removed, thereby moving the outer perimeter of the bottom surface of the puck inwardly from the outer perimeter of the top portion of the puck. The outer perimeter of the bottom surface acts as a pivot edge. A portion of the puck lies outside this pivot edge. Pressing on this portion with the blade of the stick allows the player to easily pivot the puck about the pivot edge onto its side starting the process of picking the puck up with the stick.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    This invention is directed toward a hockey puck. The invention is more particularly directed toward a practice hockey puck to be used to practice picking up the puck on the blade of a hockey stick. 
         [0003]    2. Background Art 
         [0004]    Young boys playing hockey like to emulate the professional hockey players. They see the players picking up the puck on the blade of their stick, to hand it to the referee for example, and try to do the same but the pick-up is difficult to learn. 
         [0005]    To normally pick up the puck, a player places the front of the blade of his stick flat on the top of the puck on the ice. He then applies pressure to one side of the puck with the edge of the blade on that side to tip the puck up on its side. From its on-side position, with the blade now positioned flat against a flat side of the puck, the blade is moved against the puck while rotating the blade up to a horizontal position. This movement lands the puck flat on top of the blade. It is difficult for a young player to get a feel for the amount of pressure to be applied, and where and how the pressure should be applied, on the puck with the stick to tilt the puck onto its side. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The practice puck of the present invention is designed to make it easier for the player to get a feel for the correct pressure point and the amount of pressure needed to tilt the puck onto its side. The puck is designed to have an overhang past the pivot edge of the puck making it much easier to tilt the puck about the pivot edge onto its side. The overhang is achieved providing the puck with a cylindrical top portion and a bottom portion that lies within the perimeter of the top portion. The bottom portion can be cylindrical and concentric within the top portion. The bottom outer edge of the lower portion forms a bottom pivot edge and the bottom outer edge of the top portion forms a top pivot edge. It will be seen that the outer part of the top portion overhangs the bottom portion. Pressing down on the outer part of the top portion of the puck with the blade of a stick readily tilts it about the bottom pivot edge on the lower portion of the puck. The puck tilts till it abuts on the top pivot edge formed by the top portion of the puck. Continued pressure on the outer part of the top portion with the blade will further tilt the puck on its top pivot edge until the puck is on its side. Once a young player has practiced with the practice puck to build a feel for the amount of, and the location of, the pressure to be applied, he can more easily and quickly learn to pick up a regular puck. 
         [0007]    The invention is particularly directed toward a practice hockey puck having a cylindrical top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion has a top, circular surface and a top, cylindrical, side surface extending down from the outer perimeter of the top surface. The top portion is between three-eighths and five-eighths the thickness of the puck. The bottom portion has a bottom surface parallel to the top surface with the outer perimeter of the bottom surface spaced inwardly of the outer perimeter of the top surface. The bottom portion also has a bottom, side surface joining the outer perimeter of the bottom surface with the bottom edge of the top cylindrical side surface. The connection between the bottom, side surface and the top, cylindrical, side surface forms a top pivot edge for the puck while the connection between the bottom, side surface and the bottom surface forms a bottom pivot edge for the puck located below and inwardly of the top pivot edge. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing where pressure is applied to a regular puck to tip it onto its side; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing the puck moving onto its side; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing the on-side puck being rotated by the blade; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  shows the puck flat on the blade of the stick; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  shows a practice puck; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing where pressure is initially applied to the practice puck; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  shows the puck at a further pressure applying stage; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  shows the practice puck on its side; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  shows a modification of the practice puck; 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  shows the puck of  FIG. 9  tilted; 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  shows another modification of the practice puck; 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  shows a bottom view of the puck shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  shows a bottom view of another modified practice puck; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  shows a bottom view of yet another modified practice puck. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    In the prior art, an ordinary hockey puck  1 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , is a cylindrical disk three inches in diameter and one inch thick having a top circular surface  3  and a parallel bottom circular surface  5 . A cylindrical side surface  7  joins the top and bottom surfaces  3 ,  5 . To pick up the puck lying on the ice ‘I’ with his hockey stick, a player first places the front of the blade  9  of his stick flat on the top surface  3  of the of the puck. Through the handle of the stick, the player then applies pressure, as shown by the arrow ‘A’, through one side  11  of the blade  9  to the top of the puck adjacent its top edge  13  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The pressure is applied mainly downwardly but also slightly outwardly in a manner tending to rotate the puck about its bottom edge  15 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , to sit on its side surface  7  with the blade  9  now vertical and still adjacent the top surface  3  of the puck as shown in  FIG. 3 . The blade  9  of the stick is then used to sweep the upstanding puck up while rotating the blade to a horizontal position. The puck is swept up as shown by the arrow B in  FIG. 3 . with pressure applied against the bottom of the puck by the edge  11 . The blade  9  carries the puck to a horizontal position resting flat on the blade  9 , the blade now upside down from its initial position. The sequence shown through  FIGS. 1-4  occurs in one fluid motion. 
         [0023]    The manner of applying pressure with the blade of the stick to a puck lying on the ice to rotate it upright is difficult to learn. To help a young player learn, a practice puck is provided having a construction making it easier to rotate the puck from a flat position on the ice onto its side using a hockey stick blade. The practice puck is provided with a first bottom pivot edge located inwardly of the side of the puck. The puck has an overhang outwardly of the bottom pivot edge. The overhang makes it easier to initially tilt the puck about the bottom pivot edge with the blade of the stick applying pressure to the top surface of the puck adjacent its side. This pressure is applied outwardly of the bottom pivot edge making it easy to tilt the puck. The puck is first tilted about the bottom pivot edge until a top pivot edge, provide by the overhang and located above and outwardly of the bottom pivot edge, touches the ice. The application of pressure is continued with the blade to now continue tilting the puck about the top pivot edge until the puck is upright on its side. The pressure applied is still outwardly of the top pivot edge making it easy to continue tilting the puck to an upright position. 
         [0024]    In more detail, the practice hockey puck  101  of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 5  is in the shape of a modified cylindrical disk and has a top portion  103  and a bottom portion  105 . The top portion  103  has a thickness ranging from about three-eighths to five-eighths the thickness of the puck. Preferably, the top portion is about half the thickness of the puck. The top portion  103  is cylindrical in shape and has a circular top surface  107  and a circular bottom  109 . A cylindrical top side surface  111  joins the top surface  107  and the bottom  109 . The bottom portion  105  has the shape of an inverted, right-truncated, cone and has a circular bottom surface  113 , parallel to the top surface  107 , a larger circular top  115 , and an angled bottom side surface  117  joining the bottom surface  113  and the top  115  of the bottom portion  105 . The top  115  of the bottom portion  105  is the same size as the bottom  109  of the top portion  103  and is integral with it. The bottom surface  113  obviously has a smaller perimeter than the perimeter of the top surface  107  and is centrally located with respect to the top surface. The bottom side surface  117  extends at an angle to the bottom surface  113  at around forty five degrees but the angle can range between thirty and sixty degrees, the lower range normally being used when the top portion is around five-eighths the thickness of the puck and the upper range normally being used when the top portion is around three-eighths the thickness of the puck. 
         [0025]    The joint between the bottom surface  113  of the bottom portion  105  and the angled bottom side surface  117  forms a bottom pivot edge  121 . The joint between the angled bottom side surface  117  and the cylindrical top side surface  111  of the top portion forms a top pivot edge  123 . The angled side surface  117  forms an undercut  125  in the lower outer portion of the puck leaving an overhanging portion  127  over the undercut  125  formed by a upper, outer portion of the puck. The bottom pivot edge  121  is spaced inwardly, and downwardly, of the top pivot edge  123 . 
         [0026]    In using the practice puck  101 , with the puck flat on the ice ‘I’ on the bottom surface  113  of its bottom portion  105 , the player places the blade  131  of his hockey stick flat on the top surface  107  of the puck, as shown in  FIG. 6  and with an edge  133  of the blade  131  presses down on the puck adjacent its side surface  111  as shown by the arrow ‘C’. The pressure is applied by the edge  133  of the blade on the overhanging portion  127  of the puck which lies outside of the bottom pivot edge  121  causing the puck to easily tilt about the bottom pivot edge  121  onto the angled surface  117  as shown in  FIG. 7 . In this position the puck is already half upright. Continued pressure by the edge  133  of the blade  131  on the puck adjacent its side surface  111  causes the puck to easily continue pivoting upright about the top pivot edge  123  until it rests on its side surface  111  as shown in  FIG. 8 . The downward pressure applied by the edge  133  of the hockey stick, as shown by the arrow ‘D’, is at or just outside the top pivot edge  123  making the puck pivot easily upright. 
         [0027]    Once on its side surface  111 , the player can then sweep the puck sideways and up with the blade of the stick as shown by the arrow ‘E’, in  FIG. 8 , to complete the pick-up in the same manner the regular puck is picked up as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . After a player practices with the practice puck  101  he gets a feel for the manner in which, and where, the pressure must be applied to tilt the puck upright and he can transfer this feel to tilting a regular pick upright. 
         [0028]    The practice puck can have different shapes to provide the undercut and overhanging portion. As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the practice puck  201  can have a modified cylindrical shape with a cylindrical top portion  203  and a smaller cylindrical bottom portion  205 . Again, the top portion  203  has a thickness ranging between three-eighths and five-eighths the thickness of the puck but preferably around one half the thickness of the puck. The bottom portion  205  is concentric within the top portion  203 . The top portion  203  has a top circular surface  207  and a bottom, annular surface  209  joined by a top, cylindrical side surface  211 . The bottom portion  205  has a circular top  213  and a bottom circular surface  215  joined by a bottom side surface  216 . The bottom side surface  216  comprises a cylindrical, side surface portion  217  joining the top  213  and bottom surface  215  and the annular bottom surface  209  of the top portion  203 . The top  213  of the bottom portion  205  is integral with the top portion  203 . 
         [0029]    The practice puck  201  has an undercut  219  about its lower, outer portion and an overhang  221  about its upper portion over the undercut  219 . The joint between the cylindrical side surface portion  217  of the bottom side surface  216 , and the bottom surface  213  in the bottom portion  205  forms a bottom pivot edge  223  while the joint between the top side surface  211  and the annular surface  209  of the top portion  203 , forming part of the bottom side surface  216 , forms a top pivot edge  225 . As with the puck  101 , a blade  231  of a hockey stick is laid flat on the top  203  of the puck and pressure is applied along one edge  233  of the blade as shown by the arrow ‘F’ to tilt the puck first about the bottom pivot edge  223  until the top pivot edge  225  hits the ice I, and then about the top pivot edge  225 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , until the puck rests on its top side surface  211 . The pressure is applied on the overhang  221  outside of the bottom and top pivot edges  223 ,  225  to make it easy to move the puck to an upright position. 
         [0030]    The bottom cylindrical portion  205  of the practice puck  201  could be replaced with a bottom cylindrical ring portion, as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , to provide a practice puck  301 . The puck  301  has a top cylindrical portion  303  and a bottom ring portion  305 . The ring portion  305  is smaller in diameter than the top cylindrical portion  303  but concentric within it. The top cylindrical portion  303  has a top circular surface  309 , a bottom circular surface  311  and a top, cylindrical side surface  313  joining the top and bottom surfaces  309 ,  311 . The ring portion  305  has a top ring surface  325  and a bottom ring surface  327 . The top ring surface  325  is integral with the bottom surface  311  of the cylindrical top portion  303 . A bottom side surface  328  comprising a bottom, outer, cylindrical surface portion  329  joining top and bottom ring surfaces  325 ,  327 , and an annular outer portion  330  of bottom surface  311 , connects the outer edge of the bottom ring surface  327  with the bottom edge of the top side surface  313 . A bottom, inner cylindrical surface  331  connects the inner edges of the top and bottom ring surfaces  325 ,  327  together. A bottom pivot edge  335 , where the bottom side surface  328  joins the outer edge of the bottom ring surface  327 , is provided about which the puck  301  can be initially pivoted by an edge of the blade. A top pivot edge  337 , spaced above and outwardly of the bottom pivot edge  335 , is provided where the top side surface  313  joins the bottom side surface  328 . The puck  301  has a cylindrical undercut  341  in its lower outer portion with a cylindrical overhang  343  in its upper outer portion overhanging the undercut  341 . 
         [0031]    If desired, the ring portion  305 ′ could be discontinuous composed of ring segments  345  as shown in  FIG. 13 . A discontinuous ring portion  305 ″ could instead be provided with a ring of small protuberances such as small cylindrical posts  347  as shown in  FIG. 14 . The posts  347  project from the bottom surface  311 ′ of the top cylindrical portion  303 ′. The outer peripheral portion  349  of the posts  347  form a bottom, discontinuous, cylindrical side surface portion  329 ″. The bottom of the side surface portion  329 ″ forms the bottom pivot edge  335 ″ on the ring portion  305 ″. 
         [0032]    It will be obvious that other shapes or forms could be provided for the bottom portion of the puck. The bottom portion could, for example, be octagonal or hexagonal in shape. The only criteria for the bottom portion is that it must be smaller than the top portion, generally centered with respect to the top portion and provide a bottom pivot edge located within the outer diameter of the cylindrical top portion of the puck. The bottom side surface ( 117 ,  216 ) joining the bottom surface of the bottom portion of the puck to the top cylindrical side surface of the top portion of the puck can have other shapes as well. The bottom side surface could have a curved cross-section for example, curving gradually up and out from the outer edge of the bottom surface of the bottom portion to the bottom edge of the top, cylindrical, side surface. It could also angle up and out from the outer edge of the bottom surface to the bottom surface of the top portion, and then continue outwardly to the bottom edge of the top, side surface. 
         [0033]    If desired, the top surface of the top portion of the puck could be roughened to make it easier for the edge of the blade to grip the top surface to apply pressure to the puck to tilt it with less chance of slipping.