Zamboni
Zamboni is the trademarked name for an ice resurfacer, a truck-like vehicle used to clean and smooth the surface of an ice rink. The Zamboni is named after Frank J. Zamboni who invented the device in 1949. The Zamboni Corporation and other companies manufacture ice resurfacing machines.
Ice resurfacers are needed because usage (such as ice hockey and figure skating) creates many pits and ridges in the ice. Before the Zamboni, resurfacing a rink was done with scrapers and hoses which took many workers over an hour to complete. An ice resurfacing machine drags blades and brushes along the ice to shave off and remove the top layer, then spreads warm or hot water to create a new layer of ice, all in one operation. Zamboni's device led to a great improvement in the speed and quality of ice resurfacing, thereby contributing greatly to the popularity of ice sports today.
External links
- http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1997/feb/02-20-97/arts/arts1.html
- http://www.zamboni.com/ Zamboni Ice Resurfacers