Patent ID: 7364240

Claim:
A method of resurfacing ice of the surface of an ice skating rink, which surface has a rut with a maximum depth of D, said method comprising: (a) providing an ice resurfacing machine including (i) a vehicle having a motor, wheels driven by the motor, and a steering mechanism for steering the wheels; (ii) a resurfacing attachment including (1) a snow box; (2) a scraping blade secured within the snow box; (3) a water distributor; (4) a water spreader towel; and (iii) a water supply system including a water supply tank and a water line connecting the water tank and the water distributor; (b) driving the machine across the surface of the ice, with the blade on the surface and the bottom of the snow box adjacent the surface; (c) scraping the ice surface near the rut with the blade to remove a thin top layer of ice having an average thickness substantially less than D, to remove any projections of ice, thereby producing snow; (d) collecting the snow in the snow box on the surface of the ice; (e) carrying the snow in the snow box so that the collected snow slides along the surface of the ice; (f) depositing some of the collected snow into the rut; (g) continuing to carry the remainder of the collected snow in the snow box so that the snow slides along the surface of the ice; (h) applying, via the water distributor, water to the rut and to the ice surface surrounding the rut; (i) wiping the ice surface with the towel, thereby spreading the water over the ice surface and into any space remaining in the rut; (j) allowing the water in the rut to melt the ice in the rut, so that the rut is filled with water; and (k) allowing the water in the rut to solidify, so as to fill the rut with solid ice, thereby eliminating the rut and providing the resurfaced ice with a smooth surface.