APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND MAINTAINING ICE SKATING RINKS

• US 3,636,725 A
• Filed: 12/02/1969
• Issued: 01/25/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Calvin D. Maccracken
• Original Assignee: Calvin D. Maccracken
• Inventors: MacCracken, Calvin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perlin, Meyer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Capossela, Ronald C.
• Application Number:
  US04/881,474
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 62/235,74,66,261
• US Class Current: 62/235
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 3/02 for ice rinks

Abstract

An apparatus for preparing and maintaining ice skating rinks in which air is refrigerated to a temperature in the range below 10* F. and preferably below 5* F. and above a lower limit of approximately 0* F. and is supplied at a low velocity from multiple outlets spaced around the major portion of the periphery of the skating area at a level closely adjacent to the surface of the ice to create an abruptly stratified blanket of cold air in contact with the ice. The velocity of the refrigerated air discharged from these outlets onto the ice is held to a low level which in one successful embodiment is about 5.0 feet per second to avoid the entrainment of ambient air from above, and the return air is drawn from a level below 8 inches and preferably below 6 inches above the surface of the built-up ice, so as to be withdrawn from the blanket mass thus maintaining an abruptly stratified blanket of cold air of low-moisture content in contact with the ice. It is not necessary to shave the ice to keep it less than 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, as is required in conventional rinks using subfloor piping grid refrigerating systems, and in fact the ice is allowed to build up to a thickness of at least 3 inches and preferably in the range from 3 to 8 inches thick. Conveniently portable modular dasher boards are interconnected to form the rink and layout the supply ducts and grilles for the refrigerated air. A special air-refrigerating coil and moisture-removing arrangement is disclosed, and an airsupported enclosure may be used to house the rink.

Claims

1. Apparatus for supplying refrigerated air to create an abruptly stratified blanket of refrigerated air on an ice skating rink comprising a system of modular dasher board units, each of said dasher board units including latch means for detachably connecting them together in end-to-end relationship defining a peripheral wall for the skating rink, an upstanding wall adapted to face the rink area, said wall having a long low air outlet opening near the bottom and having a height of no more than 8 inches, a grille covering said outlet opening, a bench facing away from the rink area, a large insulated air duct section extending longitudinally beneath the bench, a connection from said duct to said outlet opening, means for supplying refrigerated air to said duct section at a temperature below 10* F., and adjustable means for controlling the airflow out of said outlet opening.

2. Apparatus for an ice skating rink as claimed in claim 1, in which said bench facing away from said rink area is adjacent to said upstanding wall and said bench has a substantial horizontal width, one of said latch means being near said upstanding wall and another being near the front edge of said bench for providing an effective stiff beam to resist horizontal deflection of said upstanding wall under impact of hockey players against said peripheral wall when said modular dasher board units are latched together in end-to-end relationship.

3. Apparatus for an ice skating rink as claimed in claim 1, in which said insulated air duct section includes gasket means at the end adapted to make an airtight connection between The respective duct sections when said modular dasher board units are latched together in end-to-end relationship.

4. Apparatus for an ice skating rink as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said modular dasher board units is 8 feet long, with a pair of said modular dasher board units being located at each end of the skating rink and having a return opening for withdrawing air from the edge of said abruptly stratified blanket, said return openings having the same height as said outlet openings, and said return openings extending substantially the entire length of the respective modular dasher board unit containing said return openings.

5. Apparatus for an ice skating rink as claimed in claim 4 in which said modular dasher board units are arranged to define a pair of supply ducts each extending in a U-shaped pattern around a respective end of the skating rink with the legs of the respective U-shaped patterns extending part way along the side of the rink toward the midpoint of the side.

6. A modular dasher board unit for installation adjacent to the perimeter of an ice slab for cooperation with other similar units for providing an abruptly stratified blanket of refrigerated air resting upon the ice slab, said dasher board unit being 8 feet long and 4 feet high and including an upright wall on the side thereof to face the ice slab, a bench extending along the outside of said upright wall to face away from the ice slab, a plurality of disengageable latch means at each end of said modular unit for detachably connecting said unit in end-to-end relationship with similar units, one of said latch means being located near said wall, another of said latch means being located near the front edge of said bench, a large-diameter insulated air duct section positioned outside of said wall and beneath said bench and extending the length of said modular unit, said insulated air duct section being adapted to carry refrigerated air at a temperature below 10* F., said wall having an elongated outlet supply opening near the bottom thereof, a removable grille extending across said outlet opening, said duct section being connected to said outlet opening, damper means for controlling the flow of refrigerated air from said duct section through said outlet opening, a control handle for said damper means accessible through said outlet opening, said opening having a height of several inches, and the top of said opening being no higher than the top of a skater'"'"''"'"'s shoe for creating an abruptly stratified blanket of refrigerated air resting upon said ice slab with the top of said blanket no higher than the top of a skater'"'"''"'"'s shoe as seen by mixing the smoke from a smoke bomb with the refrigerated air in said duct section.

7. A system for creating and maintaining an abruptly stratified blanket of refrigerated air on an ice skating slab comprising a peripheral wall several feet high surrounding said slab, a bench extending along the lower portion of the exterior of said peripheral wall, an insulated air duct extending along beneath said bench, said duct being adapted to conduct refrigerated air at a temperature below 10* F., said peripheral wall having a multiplicity of elongated outlet supply openings each being connected to said insulated air duct, manually adjustable damper means for adjusting the airflow from said supply openings, each of said supply openings having a low height to create an abruptly stratified blanket of refrigerated air on said slab having an upper level below the top of a skater'"'"''"'"'s shoe, said outlet supply openings being located at spaced points along both sides of said ice slab, a plurality of said openings being located at the ends of said slab, said peripheral wall having an elongated return opening at the center of each end, said return openings having substantially the same height as said supply openings for withdrawing air from said abruptly stratified blanket, and air refrigeration and blower means connected to said returN openings for withdrawing air therefrom, said air refrigeration and blower means being adapted to refrigerate the withdrawn air to a temperature below 10* F. and being connected to said supply duct for supplying the refrigerated air thereto at a temperature below 10* F.

8. A system for creating and maintaining an abruptly stratified blanket of refrigerated air on an ice skating slab as claimed in claim 7, in which said air refrigeration and blower means includes a refrigeration coil having a depth in the direction of airflow of more than 12 coils.

9. A system for creating and maintaining an abruptly stratified blanket of refrigerated air on an ice skating slab as claimed in claim 8, in which said air refrigeration and blower means has a capacity in cubic feet per minute approximately equal to the surface area of said ice skating slab in square feet.

10. A system for creating and maintaining an abruptly stratified blanket of refrigerated air on an ice skating slab as claimed in claim 7, in which said air refrigeration and blower means has a revolving drier wheel containing dessicant material for reducing the moisture content of the refrigerated air to below 10 grains of moisture per pound of dry air.