Frank Zamboni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Zamboni
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| Born |
Frank Joseph Zamboni Jr.
January 16, 1901 Eureka, Utah, U.S.
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| Died | July 27, 1988 (aged 87) Paramount, California, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Invention of ice resurfacer and founder of Zamboni Company |
Frank Joseph Zamboni Jr. (born January 16, 1901 – died July 27, 1988) was an American inventor and engineer. He is most famous for inventing the modern ice resurfacer. These are the big machines that smooth out the ice at hockey rinks and ice skating places! The name "Zamboni" is actually a trademark for these machines. However, many people use it to describe any ice resurfacer, no matter who made it.
Contents
Biography
Frank's Early Life and Family Business
Frank Zamboni was born in 1901 in Eureka, Utah. His parents were immigrants from Italy. Soon after, his family bought a farm in Idaho, where Frank grew up.
In 1920, Frank moved with his parents to Los Angeles. His older brother George already had an auto repair shop there. After Frank went to a trade school in Chicago, he and his younger brother Lawrence opened an electrical supply business in 1922. This was in Hynes, a suburb of Los Angeles that is now part of Paramount.
Frank got married the next year and later had three children. In 1927, he and Lawrence started an ice-making plant. They sold large blocks of ice.
Opening an Ice Rink
By 1939, Frank and Lawrence saw that selling ice blocks wouldn't last. This was because electric refrigerators were becoming popular. So, they decided to use their extra cooling equipment to open an ice rink nearby.
In 1940, the brothers, along with their cousin Pete Zamboni, opened the Iceland rink. It became very popular. Frank had figured out a way to make the ice surface perfectly smooth. He removed the ripples caused by the pipes that kept the rink frozen. He even got a patent for this idea in 1946. The rink is still open today and is still owned by the Zamboni family.
Inventing the Ice Resurfacer
Back then, resurfacing an ice rink was a huge job. It took five people about 90 minutes to do it by hand! Frank wanted to make this process much faster and easier.
So, in 1949, he invented a machine that changed everything. This machine could resurface the ice in just 15 minutes, with only one person! His first machine used parts from different places. It had a hydraulic cylinder from an old airplane, a frame from an oil derrick, a Jeep engine, and a wooden bin to collect ice shavings.
Frank's son, Richard, said it took his dad nine years to create the machine. People told him he was "crazy" for trying, but he kept going. Frank didn't expect to sell many of these machines. But after seeing it, famous ice skater Sonja Henie immediately ordered two! Then, the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team also placed an order.
Frank applied for a patent in 1949 and received it in 1953. He then started his company, Frank J. Zamboni & Co., in Paramount to build and sell the machines.
How the Zamboni Machine Works
The Zamboni machine works by shaving a thin layer of ice off the surface. It collects these shavings, washes the ice, and then spreads a thin layer of fresh water. This leaves a perfectly smooth, new ice surface.
In the early 1950s, Zamboni built his machines on top of Jeep CJ-3Bs. Later, from 1956 to 1964, he used stripped-down Jeep chassis. The demand for the machine grew so much that his company opened another factory in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. They also opened an office in Switzerland.
Even though "Zamboni" is a trademark, the name is often used by people to mean any brand of ice resurfacing machine.
Other Inventions and Legacy
In the 1970s, Frank Zamboni invented other machines. These included machines to remove water from outdoor artificial turf fields. He also made machines to remove paint stripes and to roll up and lay down artificial turf in large stadiums. His last invention, in 1983, was an automatic edger. This machine removed ice buildup from the edges of ice rinks.
Frank Zamboni passed away in July 1988 at the age of 87. He died from heart problems and also had lung cancer. His company has sold more than 10,000 of its famous Zamboni Ice Resurfacers. The 10,000th machine was delivered to the Montreal Canadiens hockey team in 2012. The Zamboni company is still owned and run by Frank's family today.
Frank Zamboni received many honors for his inventions. He was inducted into several Halls of Fame, including the Ice Skating Institute's Hall of Fame in 1965. He was also honored by the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007 and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Frank J. Zamboni School in Paramount, California, is named after him.
Patents
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Frank Zamboni received many patents for his inventions. These included patents for his ice rink floor design and, of course, for his famous ice resurfacing machines. He also patented machines for handling artificial turf and an ice edger.
See also
In Spanish: Frank Zamboni para niños
