Apparatus for making and preserviing an outdoor frozen surface

Abstract

An apparatus for creating and preserving an improved, high performance outdoor frozen surface by covering a defined outdoor ground surface area with a layer of white base paper after clearing debris, litter, and other objects from the defined outdoor ground surface area. The layer of white base paper is saturated with water at near freezing or under freezing conditions to allow the water to freeze and hold the white base paper to the defined outdoor ground surface area. Thereafter, additional water is dispensed to build up a predefined thickness ice layer on the defined outdoor ground surface area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for creating and preserving an outdoor frozen surface on a predetermined outdoor surface area, the apparatus comprising:
 a movable vehicle;   a roll of white base paper supported on the vehicle for dispensing the base white paper for covering the predetermined outdoor surface area with at least one layer of white base paper;   water carried by the vehicle, the water for saturating the at least one layer of white base paper covering the predetermined outdoor surface area under freezing conditions such that the water will freeze into a first layer of ice to hold the at least one layer of white base paper to the predetermined outdoor surface area; and   wherein the water may be dispensed under freezing conditions onto the white base paper laid out on the predetermined outdoor surface area to build up a predefined thickness ice layer on the predetermined outdoor surface area.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a pair of spaced cantilevered arms extending from a body of the vehicle; 
 a rod mounted between the pair of spaced cantilevered arms at one end thereof; and 
 wherein the roll of white base paper is mounted on the rod whereby as the vehicle moves on the outdoor surface area, the roll of white base paper is unrolled to create adjacent rows of dispersed white base paper to cover the predetermined outdoor surface area. 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a water container supported on the body of the vehicle; and 
 a dispenser member coupled to the water container, the dispenser member extending over at least the width of one row of unrolled white base paper whereby as the vehicle moves, water from the water container is dispensed onto each new row of the white base paper to saturate each row of the white base paper located on the outdoor frozen surface. 
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a clearing device for clearing debris, litter, and stones from the predetermined outdoor surface area whereby protrusions which may present a hazardous condition in an ice surface are cleared from the predetermined outdoor surface area. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the vehicle is a motorized vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the motorized vehicle is a front-end loader. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the vehicle is a motorized vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the motorized vehicle is a tanker truck. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for creating and preserving an outdoor frozen surface, the apparatus comprising:
 means for covering the defined outdoor surface area with at least one layer of water saturated white base paper;   means for continuously dispersing water under freezing conditions onto the defined outdoor surface area to build up a predetermined thickness layer of ice on the defined outdoor surface area.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the means for covering further comprises:
 a vehicle having a body, a pair of spaced cantilevered arms extending from the body; 
 a freely rotatable axle rod mounted between the pair of spaced cantilevered arms at one end thereof; 
 a roll of white base paper supported on the freely rotatable axle rod; 
 wherein when the vehicle traverses the outdoor surface area, the roll of white base paper is unrolled to create adjacent rows of dispersed white base paper to cover the outdoor surface area with at least one layer of white base paper; 
 a source of water attached to the body of the vehicle; and 
 a dispenser member in communication with the source of water for dispensing the water, the dispensing member extending over the white base paper whereby water is dispersed from the source of water onto each row of white base paper to saturate the white base paper on the outdoor surface area. 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the vehicle is a motorized vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the motorized vehicle is a tanker truck. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a device coupled to the vehicle for clearing debris, litter, and stones from the outdoor surface area. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the apparatus is designed for use on an outdoor surface area comprising a dirt base. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the apparatus saturates the dirt base of the outdoor surface area with the water to form a layer of frozen dirt and the apparatus locates the layer of white base paper on the frozen dirt.