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FRANK J. ZAMBONI HONORED WITH INVENTORS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
PARAMOUNT, CALIFORNIA (April 3, 2007) – The National Inventors Hall of Fame announced today that Frank J. Zamboni has been selected for posthumous recognition of his inventions, including the Zamboni® ice resurfacing machine.
Beginning with his early days as a youth on the family farm in Pocatello, Idaho, Frank Zamboni was fascinated with the inner workings of mechanical contraptions. Surrounded by tractors and other farm equipment, Frank was able to turn his interest into a working knowledge of machinery. After moving to California in 1920, Frank attended Coyne Trade School in Chicago to learn the electric business. Upon his return, Frank joined his brother Lawrence to form an electrical business, which would become known as the Zamboni Bros. Co. Frank was approached by the New Way Electric Co. of Los Angeles to solve a problem for the firm. In 1924, Frank invented an adjustable electrical resister and obtained his first patent, No. 1,655,034 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Frank continued his mission of innovation and after building and opening Paramount Iceland skating rink in 1940, he received a patent (No. 2,411,919) for an ice rink floor system which eliminated the rippling effect often caused by the refrigeration pipe in the ice floors.
Over the course of Iceland’s first decade, Frank Zamboni dedicated countless hours to a technical problem which perplexed him since the opening of the rink. The process of manually resurfacing the ice took several men about an hour and a half to complete. Frank realized that there had to be a more effective form of resurfacing, as valuable ice time was being lost every day. After a number of failed attempts, Frank finally achieved success with his prototype, the Model A Zamboni ice resurfacing machine. On May 16, 1949, Frank applied for a U.S. patent for his invention: the world’s first self- propelled ice resurfacing machine.
Frank Zamboni was granted a total of fifteen U.S. patents and invented a number of machines for a variety of sport surfaces and other industrial applications.
Richard Zamboni, the president of the Zamboni Company and son of Frank J. Zamboni said: “My dad would be honored to know that he’s being recognized for his inventive spirit. He’s certainly joining an illustrious group of inventors with significant contributions to their respective fields.”
With a history that spans over 50 years, the Zamboni Company preserves its founder’s legacy through continuing innovation and its support of the ice sport industry. As the leader in ice resurfacing technology, Zamboni remains the overwhelming choice for ice rink operators throughout the world.
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