Improvements in Floors of Frozen Skating Rinks.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floors of Frozen Skating Rinks.
We WILLIAM BERNARD GODFREY and ALEXANDER MARCET of 23 St.
Swithin's Lane London Engineers and JOHN STUART ELLIS DE VESIAN and
ALFRED HUGH TYLER of 5 Crown Court Cheapside Loudon Engineers do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the provision of an improved method of making
floors of ice skating rinks. Hitherto it has been customary to use a pipe or pipes
laid upon or near to the bottom of a shallow tank containing the water to be frozen.
Through the said pipe or pipes cold brine or other freezing medium is caused to
flow, water being poured into the tank to a sufficient depth to cover the pipes and
so to completely envelop them in ice. By our invention we dispense entirely with
the pipes in the ice tank, the brine or freezing medium being caused to flow under
the tank-bottom, a space being formed for that purpose. This space may either
extend over the whole floor of the rink or be sub-divided into a number of spaces
of any convenient shape, pipe connections leading the brine or cooling medium in
any desired manner. In order to provide access to the pipe joints we provide suitable
means for removing portions of the tank bottom.
Or as an alternative the brine space under the ice tank may be provided with
circulating pipes through which the freezing medium is caused to flow and so cool
the brine. In either case we provide pipes for the escape of air and regulating
valves for controlling the flow of the brine or freezing medium as may be found
necessary.
J. S. E. DE VESIAN.
A. H. TYLER.
W. BERNARD GODFREY.
ALEX. MARCET.
Improvements in Floors of Frozen Skating Rinks.
We, WILLIAM BERNARD GODFREY and ALEXANDER MARCET both of
23 St. Swithin's Lane in the City of London, Engineers, and JOHN STUART
ELLIS DE VESIAN and ALFRED HUGH TYLER both of 5 Crown Court,
Cheapside, in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to provide an improved construction of floors
for ice skating rinks. Hitherto it has been customary to use a pipe, or pipes, laid
upon, or near to, the bottom of a shallow tank containing the water to be frozen,
cold brine, or other freezing medium, being passed through the said pipe or pipes,
the water to be frozen in the tank covering the pipe or pipes, so that it is, or they
are, enveloped in the ice formed, and so that there is a thickness of ice above the
pipe or pipes. This necessitates a considerable depth of water which takes a long
Price I

page_text: time to freeze, and when the pipe is, or pipes are, formed (as they have hitherto
been) with bends the ice has to be prevented from forming first in the bends as the
expansion of the ice in formation between the bends would cause distortion and
injury to the joints. Another objection is that the surface of ice formed on such a
floor being at its different parts at varying distances from the brine pipes the ice
produced is not homogeneous but varies in quality. By this invention these
objections are overcome as we dispense entirely with the pipe, or pipes, in the
water to be frozen and we form beneath the tank bottom or the surface on which
the ice is to be formed, a space or spaces, so that the brine or freezing medium is
caused to flow underneath the bottom of the tank, thus obtaining a flat cold surface
for the formation of ice of equal or practically equal thickness throughout. The
space under the surface on which the ice is formed may be one space or shallow
tank, extending under the whole floor of the rink (that is under the entire bottom
of the tank, or surface in or on, which the ice is formed) or it may be sub-divided
into a number of spaces, or shallow tanks, of any convenient shape connected by
pipes leading the brine or freezing medium, in any desired manner through the said
spaces or tanks. In order to give access to the pipe joints we provide above them
openings and removeable portions or covers in the tank bottom or surface, on which
the ice is formed. Pipes or passages are provided for the escape of air from the
space or spaces, and valves may be provided for regulating or controlling, the flow
of the brine or freezing medium as required to various parts of the floor.
In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated arrangements according to
this invention.
Figures and 2 are sections at right angles to each other of a part of a floor
consisting of a flat surface A with a casing or tank B formed under it and in
connection with it. The surface A may be without sides and the ice be formed
gradually upon it by distributing water over it gradually, so that it freezes as it is
supplied, or the said surface A may have projecting sides (preferably sloping as
shown) to retain the body of water during freezing. Through this casing or
tank B brine, or other cooling medium, is passed, the inlet pipe for which is shewn
at b. The cooling of the brine or freezing medium before it is introduced into the
space B, or the cooling in the said space B, may be effected in any convenient
way.
In Figure 3 we have shewn an arrangement wherein a coil or piping 62 is in the
space B the said coil or piping 2, being to enable the cooling of brine in the
casing, or tank B, to be effected, for example, by the expansion of CO₂ in
the coil 6².
In Figures 4 and 5 we have shewn in transverse section and plan (with part of
the tank bottom broken away) a part of a floor constructed in accordance with this
invention in which lines of casings or tanks B2, are used beneath the floor they
being arranged side by side, in series extending from side to side of the floor, the
spaces within each line or series of such casings, or tanks, communicating with each
other by pipes 63.. C is a pipe for the inlet of the freezing medium which passes
therefrom by the pipes e to the first casing or tank B2 of each series and thence
from casing or tank to casing or tank in each series by the pipes 63 it passing from
the last casing, or tank, of each series, by a pipe c2 into the outlet pipe C² to be
again refrigerated and resupplied to the pipe C. care valves to regulate the
quantity of freezing medium supplied to each portion of the floor over each series
of tanks as required. a are covers which are screwed or fit tightly into or over
openings in the surface on which the ice is formed. They can be removed to give
access to the joints of the pipes b³.
The casings, or tanks B³, are mounted upon rafters, or beams e, to which they
are secured in any suitable way; for example, by screws f, passed through plates f
lapping over the flanges of the casings or tanks B³.
In arrangements, as described, according to our invention, the freezing is very
rapidly and efficiently effected and there is but little strain upon the floor due to
variation in temperature and the floor owing to its construction is not objectionably

page_text: rigid as is the case with many floors as hitherto made. Moreover ice can be formed
thereon which is homogeneous, or of like quality throughout.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A skating rink or floor consisting of the combination with a flat surface upon
which ice of equal, or practically equal, thickness throughout can be formed; of
series of casings, or shallow tanks beneath, through which the freezing medium is
passed by means of pipes provided with valves, so that the passage of freezing
medium can be regulated as required at the different parts of the rink, or floor,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A skating rink or floor consisting of a flat surface upon which ice of equal, or
practically equal thickness throughout, can be formed and series of casings, or
shallow tanks beneath, and means for supplying cooling medium thereto and
communicating pipes between the casings or shallow tanks of each series and
openings in the floor closed by plugs, or covers, by which access to the ends of the
pipes can be obtained substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. A skating rink or floor consisting of or comprising a flat surface on which
ice of equal thickness throughout can be formed, and a casing or shallow tank, or
casings, or shallow tanks, beneath, and means for supplying freezing medium
thereto and passing it therethrough either into aud through the casing, or tank
itself, or casings or tanks themselves, or into and through pipes situated therein,.
substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1895
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.