Patent Publication Number: US-7587843-B2

Title: Portable ice resurfacing device and method

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   The present disclosure relates to ice resurfacing devices and, more particularly, to portable, self-contained ice resurfacing devices. The embodiments described herein are particularly well-suited for use in resurfacing relatively small ice rinks (for example, about 3,500 square feet or less) where other types of motorized or vehicle-type units are not practical due to the limited space they have to operate in. 
   One problem with practice rinks and other smaller ice surfaces is that they are commonly cleaned and resurfaced manually using brooms, hand scrapers, squeegees, and the like, and water is typically applied to the rink surface using a hose. Such manual resurfacing is very time consuming thereby reducing the ice time available for skating. Such manual resurfacing also leaves an ice surface which is not as desirable as those resurfaced by large vehicle-type resurfacers. 
   Another problem with resurfacing smaller scale ice surfaces is that repeated watering gradually increases the thickness of the ice, thus causing the refrigeration system to have to work harder to freeze water on the surface. To remove the excess ice thickness, the refrigeration system must be shut down and water removed as the ice melts. 
   Although the present embodiments are described herein primarily in connection with relatively small-scale ice rinks, it will be recognized that the embodiments herein may be employed in connection with any ice surface that would benefit from resurfacing, including indoor, outdoor, large scale, small scale, commercial, or private rinks. 
   Accordingly, the present disclosure contemplates a new and improved ice resurfacing device which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others. 
   SUMMARY 
   In one aspect, an apparatus for resurfacing an ice surface includes a chassis and a reservoir on the chassis for holding water to be dispensed. A dispensing tube having a plurality of spaced-apart apertures extends transversely relative to the chassis and is in fluid communication with the reservoir. A scraper assembly is attached to the chassis and includes a scraper blade extending transversely relative to the chassis and adapted to engage the ice surface. A first thrower is rotatably mounted to the chassis adjacent to the scraper blade and is rotatable about a first axis extending transversely relative to the chassis. A second thrower rotatably mounted to the chassis adjacent to the first thrower is rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis. A snow storage compartment has an opening adjacent the second rotating thrower. The first rotating thrower is adapted to remove ice or snow accumulated by the blade from the ice surface and to deliver such ice or snow to the second rotating thrower. The second rotating thrower is positioned to receive ice or snow delivered by the first rotating thrower and to deliver such ice or snow to the snow storage compartment. A motor is coupled to the chassis and a drive linkage is coupled to the motor for rotatably driving the first and second rotating throwers. 
   In another aspect, a method for resurfacing an ice surface, includes moving an ice resurfacing device over the ice surface, the ice resurfacing device including a chassis and a reservoir on the chassis for holding water to be dispensed. The surface of the ice is scrapped with a scraper assembly attached to the chassis, the scraper assembly including a scraper blade extending transversely relative to the chassis and adapted to engage the ice surface. Snow collected by the scraper assembly is removed from the ice surface with a first thrower rotatably mounted to the chassis adjacent to the scraper blade and rotatable about a first axis extending transversely relative to the chassis. Snow removed from the ice surface by the first thrower is delivered to a second thrower rotatably mounted to the chassis adjacent to the first thrower and rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis. Snow received by the second rotating thrower is delivered to a snow storage compartment having an opening adjacent the second rotating thrower. A volume of water is directed from the reservoir to a dispensing tube extending transversely relative to the chassis, the dispensing tube in fluid communication with the reservoir and having a plurality of spaced-apart apertures. 
   One advantage of the presently disclosed embodiment is that it can scrape, remove store snow, and deliver water all in one pass, thereby allowing resurfacing of a rink surface to be performed in a more timely manner relative to manual methods, therefore reducing down time and increasing available ice time. It has been found that resurfacing a typical small scale rink using the present development takes approximately 50-70% less time than the manual methods. For a commercial rink, this results in increased availability of ice rink rental time. 
   Another advantage of the present development is found in that it may be adapted to remove the same amount of ice as it puts down, thereby leaving the ice level constant over repeated resurfacings. 
   Yet another advantage of the present embodiment is that it provides proper cleaning and scraping of the ice surface and controlled water dispensing, resulting in a more uniform sheet of ice than can be obtained with the manual methods commonly employed for smaller rinks. 
   Other benefits and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the preferred embodiments. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used for like or analogous components throughout the several views, are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a right side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the ice resurfacing device. 
       FIG. 2  is a right side perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , with the outer housing removed. 
       FIG. 3  is a left side perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , with the outer housing removed. 
       FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , with the outer housing removed. 
       FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , with the outer housing removed. 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of exemplary rotating throwers employed herein. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   As used herein, unless specifically stated otherwise, relative terms such as upper, lower, top, bottom, and similar terms are used in reference to the orientation shown in the drawings; terms such as front, rear, forward, rearward, and the like are made in reference to the direction of travel of the apparatus during operation; and the terms left and right are in reference to an operator facing the front of the apparatus. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1-6 , an ice resurfacing apparatus  110  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes a frame or chassis  112 . The frame  112  may be formed of any desired material and is preferably a metal or alloy such as steel, aluminum or aluminum alloy, and so forth. The frame  112  may be formed of square tubing which can be welded or otherwise fastened together to form an assembly. 
   The frame  112  is supported on wheels  114 , preferably swivel caster wheels or the like. A handle  116  is attached to the frame  112  for pulling or pushing the unit  110 . In the depicted preferred embodiment, the handle  116  is pivotally attached to the frame  112  via pivot points  118  to allow the handle to be moved between an upright position (see  FIG. 1 ) for storage and a lowered position for operation. 
   In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , the handle is in a position to allow the operator to pull the unit by the handle. By pulling the unit  110 , the operator can avoid treading on the freshly resurfaced ice before it has had time to fully harden. However, it will be recognized that, if desired, the device  110  could readily be adapted for push-type operation, for example, by relocating the handle  116  from the front of the device (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) to the opposite, rearward side of the device. 
   A side handle  120  may also be provided for sideways movement. Preferably, the handle  120  is pivotally attached to the frame  112  to provide pivoting movement about a pivot axis  122  between a lowered stored position (see  FIG. 3 ) and an upright, operational position. 
   The frame  112  may also include left and right side skids  113  and front and rear skids  115 . The skids  113 ,  115  extend downwardly from the periphery of the frame base to protect the mechanics of the unit from damage if unit is being moved over an uneven surface. 
   A scraper assembly  124 , which is preferably formed of a metal such as a galvanized metal, includes a cutting or scraper edge  126  which bears against the ice surface to be resurfaced to scrape imperfections in the ice, as well as snow and ice shavings. The scraper assembly  124  is attached to a pivoting support block  128  which, in turn, is connected to a pair of arms  130 . Each arm  130  is connected at its proximal end to the pivot block  128  and at its distal end opposite the first end to a spring  132 . In the depicted embodiment a first end of each spring  132  is attached to a respective one of the arms  130  and at the opposite end to the frame  112 . 
   In the depicted embodiment, the springs  132  are coils springs, although other types of springs such as leaf springs could be used. The springs  132  urge the distal ends of the arms  130  in the upward direction, thereby rotatably urging the edge  126  of the scraper assembly  124  against the ice surface. 
   The scraper  124  may be raised and lowered by means of stop and run levers  134  and  136 , respectively, which are attached to a linkage plate  138  on the frame  112 . A control rod  140  is attached to one of the arms  130 . The control rod  140  is attached to a top hat  142  and engages the levers  134  and  136 . The control rod  140  provides a mechanical linkage between the levers  134 ,  136  and the scraper assembly  124 . In operation, engaging stop lever  134  causes control rod  140  to move downward. This, in turn, causes a downward pivoting of the arms  130  against the bias of the springs  132  and an upward pivoting of the scraper blade  126  away from the ice surface. In this manner, damage to the scraper blade or hanging up on any foreign objects can be avoided when the apparatus is not being used. The run lever  136  is used to release the stop lever  134 , thereby allowing the arms  130  to pivot upward and the scraper blade  126  to pivot downward to the operable position. 
   A first rotating thrower  142  is mounted to the frame  112  and extends transversely adjacent the scraper  124 . The thrower  142  includes two axially extending blades or fins  144 . In certain embodiments, the blades may be of squeegee type formed of rubber or other flexible or resilient material. In other embodiments the blades may be of a brush type, which may be formed of a flexible bristle material. A strip  146  of rigid material, preferably Lexan or other polymeric material may be provided to reinforce the blade  144 . If has been found that the use of a squeegee-type blade is preferable when there is excess water on the surface of the ice to be resurfaced. 
   The first rotating thrower  142  cleans the ice and delivers the snow and ice scraped from the ice surface by the scraper  124  up the curved surface of the scraper and delivers it to a second rotating thrower  150 . The second rotating thrower  150  is mounted to the frame  112  transversely, parallel to the first rotating thrower  142 . The second rotating thrower  150  may be either of the squeegee and brush types described above by way of reference to the first rotating thrower, and may be the same or different than the first rotating thrower  142 . 
   In the depicted embodiment, both the first and second rotating throwers  142  and  150  are driven by a common motor  152 . A timing belt  154  and pulleys  156  and  158  are employed to couple rotational movement of the motor drive shaft  155  to the second rotating thrower  150 . Alternately, the timing belt and pulleys could be replaced with a timing chain and gears or sprockets. Each of the throwers  142  and  150  are rotatably supported on the frame  112  at each end via bearing assemblies  159 . Rotational movement of the second rotating thrower  150  is coupled to the first rotating thrower  142  using a timing belt of chain  161  engaging appropriate gears, sprockets, or pulleys. 
   The motor  152  is preferably waterproof. The motor  152  includes a rotating drive shaft  155  which is rotatably supported at its end by a support bearing  157 . 
   In the depicted preferred embodiment, the radial extent of the fins of the first and second rotating throwers is such that each thrower defines a path of movement which is overlapping with the other. Thus, the pulleys, gears, or sprockets are such that the first and second throwers rotate in timed relation so as to avoid collision. 
   In certain embodiments, the first and second rotating throwers rotate at the same rate. In other embodiments, the rate of the second rotating thrower is a multiple of the rate of the first rotating thrower. In preferred embodiments, the second rotating thrower rotates at a rate which is twice the rotational rate of the first rotating thrower. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first rotating thrower rotates at a rate of about 850 rpm and the second rotating thrower rotates at a rate of about 1700 rpm. 
   Although a belt or chain driven system is illustrated in the depicted embodiments, it will be recognized that one or both of the chain or belt drive mechanisms could be replaced with a gear train. 
   The snow and ice delivered by the first rotating thrower  142  is thrown to the rear of a snow storage compartment  160  by the second rotating thrower  150 . Although the volumes defined by the rotational path of the first and second throwers are overlapping, the first and second throwers are synchronized via the timing mechanism so as to avoid collision of the blades of the first and second throwers. Thus, the radius of the scraper  124  in conjunction with the first rotating thrower  142  provides for the snow movement from the ice surface to the path of the second thrower  150 . The timing between the thrower  142  and  150  allows for delivery of the removed snow to a storage compartment  160 . 
   The snow storage compartment  160  is defined by a floor panel  162 , rear door panels  164 , left side wall housing panel  166  and right side wall housing panel  168 . The left and right side exterior panels  166 ,  168 , as well as front exterior panel  169  may be formed of any suitable sheet material, and are preferably aluminum or a plastic, e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. 
   The doors  164  may be opened by the operator to facilitate removal of collected ice and snow after a resurfacing operation has been completed. The doors are mounted with a hinge  170  and may include a door hook or latch  172 . A deflector panel  174  is provided above the second thrower  150  to ensure that snow launched by the second thrower will be directed toward the rear of the snow storage compartment  160 . 
   The snow storage compartment  160  of the depicted embodiment also includes spring guards  176  which protects the tension springs  132  and prevents inadvertent contact therewith when snow is removed from the compartment  160  via the door opening following a resurfacing operation. Also appearing in the compartment  160  are pulley, cog gear, or sprocket guards  178 , which may be provided for safety reasons. 
   In the depicted preferred embodiment, the motor  150  is powered by a direct current electrical system including a battery  180 , such as a 12-volt battery. A battery charger  182  may be provided to recharge the battery  180  when not in use, e.g., by plugging into a 110-volt AC outlet. The battery charger  182  may be housed within the apparatus  110 . A safety circuit breaker  184  may also be provided for added protection for the equipment. 
   The motor  152  may be selectively turned on and off via a switch  186 . The switch  186  is preferably a keyed switch requiring a key  187  to operate the unit. 
   One or more interlock or safety devices may optionally be provided to prevent operation of the apparatus when a hazardous or unsafe condition exists. For example, the illustrated embodiment includes an optional limit switch  171  electrically coupled to the motor  152  and the battery  180 . The limit switch  171  is mounted to the frame  112 , e.g., via mounting bracket  173 , adjacent the control rod  140 . The control rod  140  engages the switch  171 , e.g., via a protruding trip member  141  which opens the switch  171  when the scraper  124  is moved to the raised position. Thus, the motor  152  cannot start when the blade is in the elevated position, thereby preventing the first rotating thrower  142  from crashing into the scraper. The switch trip  141  closes the switch  171  when the scraper  124  is moved to the lowered, operable position, thereby enabling operation of the motor  152  only when the scraper is moved to the lowered, operable position. 
   Likewise, a safety limit switch  181  which is electrically coupled to the power supply  180  and motor  152  may be provided to prevent operation of the motor  152  when the rear clean out doors  164  are not in the closed position. 
   An optional ice shaving system may also be provided. The ice shaving system positioned forward of the scraper blade  124  and is advantageous in that it removes a thin layer of ice and thereby prevents the gradual build up of ice thickness upon repeated resurfacing of the ice surface. 
   The ice shaving system includes a drum or cylinder  190  having ice shaving or cutting points, teeth, or the like  192 . The drum  190  is connected to the frame  112  by a linkage  194  and is rotatably supported at each end by bearings  196 . The cutters  192  may be made of carbide or high speed steel. In the depicted embodiment, the ice shaving system is powered by a second motor  200 . A belt or timing belt or chain  202  transmits rotational motion from the second motor  200  via appropriate gears, sprockets, pulleys, or the like. 
   The second motor  200  may be powered by battery  180 , or, by a dedicated power supply. The second motor may have a separate switch (not shown), or may be controlled by the switch  186 . It is recognized that in embodiments wherein the optional ice shaving system is provided, it may be desirable to perform a resurfacing operation without using the shaving system to shave the surface of the ice. Thus, in certain embodiments, the switch  186  may be a three-way switch movable between a first, “off” position, a second, “on” position wherein only the first and second throwers are employed, and a third “on” position wherein both the first and second throwers and the cylinder  190  are employed. 
   In the illustrated embodiment the linkage  194  includes pivot arms  204  at each end for pivotally attaching the cutting cylinder  190  to the frame  112 . A transverse member  206  extends between the pivoting arms  204 . 
   The pivoting movement of the cylinder  190  may be controlled via a number of methods. In the depicted embodiment, an externally threaded rod  210  bears against the transverse member  206 . The threaded rod  210  is moved in the direction along its axis by rotating the shaft in a complimentary, internally threaded hole or bore  212  formed in or attached to the apparatus  110 . In this manner, the cylinder  190  can be lowered or raised by extending or retracting the rod  210 . In this manner, the cylinder  190  can be moved to a raised position when the apparatus  110  not in use or even during use when ice shaving is not desired. 
   In certain embodiments, the bearing end of the threaded rod  210  may be rotatably attached to the transverse member  206 , e.g., using a pin-type or other rotatable fastener. Alternatively, one or more tension springs (not shown) may be provided to bias the cylinder  190  in the raised position and wherein the threaded rod  206  may be used to urge the cylinder  190  downward to the cutting position. 
   In the illustrated embodiment, a handle or knob  214  is provided for manually rotating the rod  210 . Other means for rotating the threaded rod  210  are contemplated as well. In operation, the cutting cylinder  190  is lowered to a desired depth of cut by rotating the threaded rod  210 . When storing or transporting the device during periods of nonuse, the cutting cylinder  190  is raised by rotating the threaded rod  210  in the opposite direction. 
   In reducing the present invention to practice, it has been found that the unit can be pulled by the operator using very little effort due to the rotational contact with the ice surface by the rotational contact of the first rotating thrower and the optional ice cutter, which helps propel the unit in the proper direction. However, the use of an additional propulsion system is also contemplated. 
   A watering system is provided to dispense water onto the ice and includes a water holding receptacle or tank  220  (e.g., a 26-gallon tank in the depicted embodiment). The tank  220  includes an inlet  222  having closure  224  that is removable to allow the tank to be refilled when necessary. The tank  220  also includes an outlet  226  which is fluidically coupled via a conduit  228  to a dispensing tube  230  which extends transversely across the base of the frame  112 . The tank  220  is preferably fastened or secured to the unit  110 . In the depicted embodiment, the tank  220  is held in place using eye-bolts  232  and straps  234 . 
   The flow of water from the tank  220  to the dispensing tube  230  is controlled by a valve  236 , which may be selectively opened to allow water to flow under the influence of gravity to the dispensing tube  230  and closed when the unit is not in use. The dispensing tube  230  has a series of spaced-apart holes through which water passes onto the ice. The amount of water which is dispensed onto the ice surface may be regulated by the degree of valve opening and/or by the size and/or spacing of the holes in the transverse tube  230 . The dispensed water is then spread out evenly by mat  238 , which is dragged behind the unit. The mat  238  may be a natural or synthetic, woven or non woven material and is preferably a towel, felt strip, or the like. 
   The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.