IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SURFACES FOR SKATING AND SLIDING UPON."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johannes Avetician Calantarients, of Scarborough, in the
County of York, Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SURFACES FOR SKATING AND SLIDING UPON."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johannes Avetician
Calantarients at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd
December 1876.
, JOHANNES AVETICIAN CALANTARIENTS, of Scarborough, in the County of York,
Doctor of Medicine. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SURFACES FOR
SKATING AND Sliding upON."
My Invention has for its object the construction of a surface to be used for
skating and sliding upon in substitution for ice, and consists in an improved
method of treating chrystalline substances for the production, renewal, and main-
tenance of such a surfaco.
The substances I use for the above purposes are chiefly salts of sodium, potassium,
and of similar metals, such as the carbonates, sulphates, hyposulphites, acetates, and
the like. I melt or otherwise reduce into a liquid the chrystalline substances above
referred to, either alone or mixed, and by covering a suitable floor with the substances
so liquified, and which readily solidify, I form an icelike surface for skating or sliding
upon in any weather. The surface so formed resembles ice in its slipperiness, and
also in the fact that ordinary skates can be used for skating thereon, the irons of
the skates biting or cutting into it as on ice.
A great advantage from the use of the above mentioned surface is that when much
cut or scratched with skates it can be readily renewed.
If desired colour may be given to the surface by tinting the floor with the
required colour before covering it with the substance that is to form the skating
surface. And elasticity may also be imparted to the surface by appropriate means,
such as by making the skating floor rest upon india-rubber cords or other elastic
substances.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Johannes Avetician Calantarients in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd June 1877.
JOHANNES AVETICIAN CALANTARIENTS, of Scarborough, in the County of York,
Doctor of Medicine. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SURFACES FOR
SKATING AND SLIDING UPON."
My Invention has for its object the construction of a surface to be used for
skating and sliding upon in substitution for ice, and consists in an improved
method of treating crystalline substances for the production, renewal, and main-
tenance of such a surface.
The substances I use for the above purposes are chiefly such of the crystalline
salts or compounds of sodium, potassium, magnesium, ammonium, aluminium, and
of similar metals, such as the carbonates, phosphates, sulphates, sulphites, hypo-
sulphites, nitrates, borates, acetates, tartrates, and the like as possess the following
physical properties:-The physical properties to which I have regard in the
selection of the above mentioned crystalline substances for this. purpose are, that
they should be solid at ordinary atmospheric temperatures, but should be capable
of being easily fused by heat into a liquid; that they should not be hygroscopic,
or only very slightly so; and that they should be capable of being made to assuine
a smooth and slippery surface. The salts which I have found suited for my
purpose are those of sodium; I give preference to those substances which contain
water of crystallization as being the best suited for the purpose.
The various compounds which form glass, such as those of boron, silicon, and
metophosphate of soda, and the salts or compounds which fuse but have no water
of crystallization, require too high a temperature for their fusion, and are too dense
and devoid of slipperiness to be practicable.
The manner in which I proceed to prepare my skating surface is as follows:-
In a covered building or tent I prepare a perfectly level water-tight floor of the
required dimensions, and of any suitable material, such as asphalte, cement, fine
concrete, galvanized or tinned sheet iron, sheets of zinc or lead soldered or rivetted
together, or a wooden floor may be used, the edges of the floor being raised to a
sufficient height to prevent the fluid running off. I then by means of heat melt the
crystalline substances above referred to, either singly or a mixture of any two or
more of them in any suitable vessel of the required size, made of such a material
as will not be affected by the chemical action of the contents, and thereby reduce
it into a liquid, frequently stirring until the fusion is complete. If there are any
impurities in the melted mass I strain them off and pour the liquid on the prepared
floor until it stands at the required height and thickness, such as from half an inch
to an inch or more; and by allowing it to congcal or solidify I form an ice-like surface
for skating or sliding upon in any weather. The surface so formed resembles ice in
its slipperiness, and also in the fact that ordinary skates can be used for skating
thereon, the irons of the skates biting or cutting into it as on ice.
If the congealed surface is not sufficiently smooth I either pour some more of
the melted crystals over it, so as to fill up the irregularities or the interspaces
between the crystals, or resort to the means which I shall describe for renovating
the surface when it is cut up by skating.
When the floor to be covered is too large for the size of my vessel, and it is
inconvenient to do it all at once, I lay it in portions as is usual in laying asphalte.
Sometimes when any particular floor is to be covered only temporarily, for the
sake of convenience I resort to the following expedient:-I have a number of pieces
of board, say half an inch thick, and of any convenient size, such as one foot
square, or 1 foot by 2 feet, so prepared that when laid flat on the floor side by side
they fit into one-another. I have also a few rims prepared of wood or metal that
can be temporarily fastened to the edges of the boards at right angles, so as to

page_text: form a number of small trays. I pour the prepared fluid into those, taking all the
precautions as above described, and when perfectly solid remove the edges or rims,
leaving the ice substitute adherent to the board. These then can be carried to any
room, laid side by side closely like tiles, the interspaces filled with the prepared
fluid, and smoothed; it is then fit for skating. When required to be removed they
can be lifted off one by one and stored away for further use.
Sometimes I find it advisable in order to produce a dense transparent surface to
warm the floor before pouring the liquid on.
After my skating surface is congealed and dry, in some cases I make a cold
saturated solution of the salt of which it is composed, and pour as much on the
surface as will get absorbed.
When dry I repeat the process until no more is absorbed, showing that it has
become perfectly dense.
When the crystals of carbonate and sulphate of soda are used alone it is desirable
to raise their temperature to the boiling point before pouring on the skating
floor.
About equal parts of sulphate and of sulphide of soda, treated as above described,
form an admirably dense and slippery skating surface, so likewise sulphite of soda
mixed with about equal parts of carbonate of soda, also sulphate of soda mixed with
about a fifth part of hyposulphite of soda, as also phosphate of soda alone or mixed
in any proportion with carbonate of soda; but at present the price of phosphate
of soda is too high as compared with the other chemical preparations I have
enumerated to render its use practicable or extensive. These proportions need not
strictly be adhered to; they may be varied to meet the requirements of economy.
With regard to carbonate of soda or sulphate of soda (Glauber's salts), if found
more economical, I would use the substances themselves, and by mixing them with
hot water produce the crystals wherever required. The same treatment may be
extended to such of the other salts as will crystallize in the same way.
A great advantage from the use of the above-mentioned surface is that when
much cut or scratched with skates it can readily be renovated. I consider this part of
the process of the greatest importance, as upon its effectiveness depends the con
tinuous success of the Invention.
The renovation of the skating surface consists in applying heat to the surface so as
to melt a fine layer of such surface, and with it the irregularities and powder formed
on it, whether by skating or efflorescence, and allowing it to solidify, which it
speedily does, and form a smooth surface.
The application of heat to the surface for the above purpose may be
effected in a variety of ways, a few of which I shall describe by way of illus-
tration.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, I have shewn a convenient means by which the heat of
steam may be used for this purpose. A boiler for generating steam being placed
outside in any convenient locality, the steam is conducted into the building where
the skating surface is to be acted upon by means of a flexible pipe or tube marked
A, which is fastened on to the metallic tube B. The tube B, which has a tap fitted
into it, branches at right angles, and opens into two horizontal tubes C, D, which
are closed at both ends, but have a very fine slit E, E, along the whole length,
facing downwards, through which the steam issues, and impinges directly against
the skating surface; these tubes are parallel and fixed about three inches from one
another. Their length may be 4 or 6 feet, or more, depending upon the extent of
surface to be renovated.
A box, F, G, H, K, Figure 2, is placed over the tubes and attached to them,
the sides reaching very nearly to the bottom so as to surround and increase the
effect of steam. At F, H, K, are seen small rollers or castors which support the box
and tubes, and keep them at a constant distance from the surface, the distance of
the tubes being about two or three inches; at L is represented the handle with
which the apparatus is moved about.

page_text: surfaces for skating or sliding upon from the materials or substances herein-before
mentioned or referred to.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johannes Avetician Calantarients, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHANNES AVETICIAN CALANTARIENTS. (L.S.)
.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Johannes Avetician Calan-
tarients, in the presence of
JOSEPH P. HILL,
13, Sherborne Lane,
London,
Solr.