Improvements in Floors for Ice Skating Rinks.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floors for Ice Skating Rinks.
I, EVERARD HESKETH, of Dartford Iron Works, Dartford, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to floors for ice skating rinks in which a refrigerating
agent passes into a space or spaces, beneath the surface on which water is frozen
to constitute the ice for skating upon. According to this invention we "dish"
the said surface, or incline it, in such a manner that the dishing, or elevation
due to the inclination, is greatest at the place, or corner, where the brine, or
refrigerating agent leaves, and least towards the place, or corner, where the
brine, or refrigerating agent, enters; there being no dishing, or the like, at the
There is therefore an
place where the brine, or refrigerating agent, enters.
increasing upward inclination of the surface from the place of entry to the place
of exit of the brine, or refrigerating agent, which flows beneath the said surface
generally in alternately opposite directions, caused by partitions in the said space
with communications at reversely opposite ends of the floor. There is, by reason
of the dishing, or inclination, aforesaid, always a tendency for air to move towards
and until it reaches the outlet. The partition, or partitions, which causes, or
cause, the brine, or refrigerating agent, to pass downwards again towards the end
of the floor at which it first entered has, or have, a perforation, or perforations,
through its or their upper part for the passage of air towards the outlet, Bo
that such air does not return with the return flow of the brine, or refrigerating
agent. This perforation, or these perforations, or each of these perforations,
may be provided with a helically formed clearer which will allow the air to pass
but can be operated to clear the said perforation, or perforations, from any
obstruction. The outlet pipe is carried up inside the space through which the
brine, or refrigeration agent, passes and into a communicating space above the
aforesaid surface, so that any air, which accumulates therein, is forced, by
the brine, or refrigerating agent, to pass out by the outlet pipe and away from
the space through which the brine, or refrigerating agent passes. For this
purpose the outlet pipe may be secured into a flaring mouthpiece which opens
into the said communicating space, which may be formed by a cover over an
opening in the surface, or floor, above the outlet pipe and flaring mouthpiece ;
the said cover of the opening being formed so that it has an annular space
around, and some little distance above, the edge of the said flaring piece, and a
central depression which depends thereinto, so as to constitute a guide for
facilitating the outlet flow of the brine, or refrigerating agent.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1895.

page_text: I, EVERARD HESKETH of Dartford Iron Works Dartford in the County of
Kent Engineer 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 relates to floors for ice skating rinks in which a refrigerating
agent passes into a space, or spaces, beneath the surface on which water is frozeů
to constitute the ice for skating upon. Such floors are sometimes made up of a
number of casings laid side by side, each being provided with an inlet and outlet,
and usually also with partitions as shewn in the plan of one of the casings in
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. Figures 2. 3. 4 and 5 are sections on the
lines 1. 1; 2. 2; 3. 3; and 4. 4. Figure 1 respectively. The upper part of the
casing, in these sections, is, in the drawing, presented in each case, towards
the plan. According to this invention I "dish" the said upper surface a, or
incline it, in such a manner that the dishing, or elevation due to the inclination of
the surface on which the ice is formed is greatest at the place, or corner, b, where
the brine, or refrigerating agent, leaves, and least towards the place, or corner c,
where the brine, or refrigerating agent, enters; there being no dishing, or
practically no dishing, or the like, at the place where the brine, or refrigerating
agent, enters.
There is therefore an increasing upward inclination of the surface a
on which the ice is formed, from the place of entry c to the place of exit 6 of the
brine, or refrigerating agent, which flows beneath the said surface a generally in
alternately opposite directions, caused by the partitions d in the said space, with
communications at reversely opposite ends of the floor. There is, by reason of
the dishing, or inclination, aforesaid, always a tendency for air to move towards,
and until it reaches, the outlet at b. The partition, or partitions, d which causes,
or cause, the brine, or refrigerating agent, to pass downwards again towards the
end of the casing at which it first entered has, or have, a perforation, or per-
forations, e, through its, or their, upper part for the passage of air towards the
outlet, b so that such air does not return with the return flow of the brine, or
refrigerating agent. This perforation, or these perforations, or each of these
perforations, may be provided with a helically formed clearer f shewn separately
in Figure 6 and in end view in connection with an opening in one of the partitions
in Figure 7 which clearer will allow the air to pass whilst by removing the cover
from over the outlet 6 the said clearer can be operated by means of the crank at
its end to clear the said perforation, or perforations, from any obstruction. The
outlet pipe 6 is carried up inside the space through which the brine or refrigeration
agent passes and into a communicating space g above the aforesaid surface as
shewn in the enlarged section in Figure 8 and in plan in Figure 9 so that any air
which accumulates therein is forced by the brine or refrigerating agent to pass
out by the outlet pipe and away from the space through which the brine or
refrigerating agent passes. For this purpose the outlet pipe may be secured into
a flaring mouth-piece h which opens into the said communicating space g which may
be formed by a cover i secured over an opening in the surface or floor a above the
outlet pipe 6³ and flaring mouth-piece h the said cover i being formed so that it has
an annular space around, and some little distance above, the edge of the said
flaring mouth-piece h and a central depression which depends thereinto so as to
constitute a guide for facilitating the outlet flow of the brine or refrigerating
agent. are snugs for the reception of a spanner for screwing on the outlet
mouth-piece.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In floors for ice skating rinks of the kind referred to, an upper surface,
inclined, or dished, so that air moves towards, and until, it reaches the outlet
substantially as herein before described.
2. In floors for ice skating rinks of the kind referred to, an upper surface
inclined, or dished, for the purpose described, and with a partition, or partitions,
perforated at its, or their, upper part; substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
3. In floors for ice skating rinks of the kind referred to, an upper surface
inclined, or dished, for the purpose described, and with a partition, or partitions,
perforated at its, or their upper part, and with clearers in the said perforations;
all substantially as, and for the purpose, herein before described.
4. The arrangement of casing for the floors of ice skating rinks inclined, or
dished, and provided with an outlet arranged as hereinbefore described, and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
5. The arrangement of outlet for brine and air substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn in Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of March 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.