Resurfacing ice skating rinks
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ice resurfacing machine for small and medium-size indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks comprises a light towing vehicle, a resurfacing attachment, and a lifting and leveling assembly connecting them. To eliminate ruts in the ice, the machine removes only a thin layer of ice by scraping, fills the ruts with “snow” created by the scraping, skating, and precipitation, and adds water to fill the rut. The cold from the base ice and/or the atmosphere freezes the water and thus eliminates the rut. The machine may also be used to remove heavy snow or reduce the thickness of the ice.
38 Citations
40 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A method of resurfacing ice of the surface of an ice skating rink, which surface has a rut with a maximum depth of D, said method comprising:
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(a) providing an ice resurfacing machine including (i) a vehicle having a motor, wheels driven by the motor, and a steering mechanism for steering the wheels;
(ii) a resurfacing attachment including (1) a snow box;
(2) a scraping blade secured within the snow box;
(3) a water distributor;
(4) a water spreader towel; and
(iii) a water supply system including a water supply tank and a water line connecting the water tank and the water distributor;
(b) driving the machine across the surface of the ice, with the blade on the surface and the bottom of the snow box adjacent the surface;
(c) scraping the ice surface near the rut with the blade to remove a thin top layer of ice having an average thickness substantially less than D, to remove any projections of ice, and to level the surface of the ice, thereby producing snow;
(d) collecting the snow in the snow box on the surface of the ice;
(e) carrying the snow in the snow box so that the collected snow slides along the surface of the ice;
(f) depositing some of the collected snow into the rut;
(g) continuing to carry the remainder of the collected snow in the snow box so that the snow slides along the surface of the ice;
(h) applying, via the water distributor, water to the rut and to the ice surface surrounding the rut;
(i) wiping the ice surface with the towel, thereby spreading the water over the ice surface and into any space remaining in the rut;
(j) allowing the water in the rut to melt the ice in the rut, so that the rut is filled with water; and
(k) allowing the water in the rut to solidify, so as to fill the rut with solid ice, thereby eliminating the rut and providing the resurfaced ice with a smooth surface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An ice resurfacing machine for use in resurfacing ice of the surface of an ice skating rink, which machine comprises
(a) a vehicle having a motor, wheels driven by the motor, a steering mechanism for steering the wheels, and a standard hitch receiver; -
(b) a resurfacing attachment having (i) a snow box support frame;
(ii) an open-bottomed snow box attached to the frame;
(iii) a scraping blade secured within, extending across the width of, and surrounded by the snow box;
(iv) a water distributor mounted at the rear of the snow box; and
(v) a removable water spreading towel mounted at the rear of the snow box; and
(b) a lifting and leveling assembly connected to the vehicle and to the resurfacing attachment, which assembly is a three-point hitch with three arms whose lengths are adjustable. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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36-1. An ice resurfacing machine according to claim 35 wherein the lifting and leveling assembly comprises further
(a) a substantially vertical post attached at its lower end to the drawbar and along its length to the forward end of the central support arm; -
(b) lever links pivotally connected at one end to the upper end of the post, at its other end to the upper end of the central support arm, and in between to the upper end of the cylinder; and
(c) support bars pivotally connected at their forward ends to the drawbar and at their rear ends to the lower end of the snow box support frame.
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Specification