An ice resurfacer is a vehicle or hand-pushed device used to clean and smooth the surface of a sheet of ice, usually in an ice rink. The first ice resurfacer was developed by American inventor and engineer Frank Zamboni in 1949 in the city of Paramount, California. As such, an ice resurfacer is often referred to as a "Zamboni" as a genericized trademark. History The first ice resurfacer was invented by Frank Zamboni, who was originally in the refrigeration business. Zamboni created a plant for making ice blocks that could be used in refrigeration applications. As the demand for ice blocks waned with the spread of compressor-based refrigeration, he looked for another way to capitalize on his expertise with ice production. In 1939, Zamboni built the Iceland Skating Rink in Paramount, California. In order to resurface the skating rink, 3 or 4 workers had to scrape, wash, and squeegee the ice. A thin layer of water was then added for the fresh ice. This process was extremely time-consuming, and Zamboni wanted to find a more efficient way to resurface the ice. From 1942 to 1947, he worked to develop a vehicle that could cut down on resurfacing time. In 1947, he built a machine that would shave, wash and squeegee the ice. This machine was mounted on an army surplus Willys Jeep chassis. A blade was mounted on the machine, which would shave the ice; the ice would then receive a thin layer of water creating a smooth sheet of ice. The prototype had a tank that held the ice shavings, which were carried to the tank via a conveyor belt. Zamboni abandoned this model in late 1947 because of deficiencies with the blade and handling. A new machine was developed using another army surplus vehicle chassis. This machine had four-wheel drive as well as all-wheel steering. By 1949, the Model A Zamboni Ice Resurfacer was developed. Further modification to the Model A included the addition of a wash water tank and a cover for the snow-holding tank (for ice shavings). The all-wheel steering feature was reduced to only front-wheel steering because the machine constantly got wedged against the boards. The Zamboni ice-resurfacer was patented in 1953. The Model B was the next ice resurfacer made by Zamboni. The Zamboni Model C was also built on the same frame, but more design changes were applied. The driver's position was raised