Abstract: A cross flow knife coater includes a coating station through which a surface passes and a trough which extends transversely across the desired width of the coating. The trough has an opening through which coating fluid exits onto the surface without using a slot, and first and second transverse ends. The coating fluid is fed directly into the trough at a first transverse end, and is moved from the first transverse end of the trough, across the trough, and toward the second transverse end to cause the coating fluid to flow across the width of the trough while coating fluid exits the opening. The coater creates a spiral flow of coating fluid across the width of the trough which carries debris, bubbles, and other undesirables across the trough to a second traverse end where they can be vented. The perpendicular distance between the trough opening and the surface, and likewise between the knife and the surface, can be adjusted.

Abstract: A reel-to-reel tape cartridge includes two tape guides for guiding the tape to and from respective tape reels. The tape guides have a large radius of curvature and are flanged to form a long trough to guide and align the tape to improve tape tracking. The tape guides are formed of two flange pieces separated by a tape surface piece and a post. Each flange piece is generally semi-circular and includes three notches which receive tabs on the tape surface piece to secure the tape surface piece. The tape surface piece is formed as a type of leaf spring that is loaded when it is assembled between the flange pieces. The post can be cylindrical or flat.

Abstract: The method of coating a substrate with plurality of layers of coatings includes moving the substrate along a path through the coating station. A composite layer is formed of first and second coating fluids. The substrate contacts the flowing composite layer to interpose the first coating fluid between the substrate and the second coating fluid. The composite layer is doctored with a gas from a gas knife to remove some portion of the composite layer from the substrate.

Abstract: An integral one-piece reel lock located in the base lower wall of a videocassette between two reels includes two locking pawl portions, a release lever portion, and connecting arms. The two locking pawl portions are connected to the release lever portion through the connecting arms. The release lever portion has a base and arms. The arms serve as an axis around which the release lever portion can pivot. Each locking pawl portion is mounted on a post on the lower wall of the base adjacent a respective reel, and each locking pawl portion is biased by the connecting arms to engage its respective reel lower flange teeth to lock the reel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of flowing a fluid onto an incline planar surface across the entire with of the slot has a slot capillary number less than 0.04. The slot exit gap S is selected to be less than ##EQU1## where S is the slot gap in cm, .mu. is the fluid viscosity measured in poise, .rho. is the liquid density measured in gm/cm.sup.3, .sigma. is the liquid surface tension measured in dyne/cm, and N.sub.re is the Reynolds number as defined by N.sub.re =4M/.mu., where M is the liquid flow rate per unit of width measured in gm/sec-cm. The expression for a is defined as 0.981+0.3406 log N.sub.re.sup.0.3406. The fluid is flowed through a slot exit.

Abstract: A parallelepipedal storage container is formed of at least two sections. Each section is foldable to separate the section into a central base wall and two side walls. The adjacent base and side walls can be oriented at right angles to each other. The storage container is formed by mating the sections so that the side edges of the side walls on one section are disposed adjacent the side edges of the side walls of the other section to form edges of the storage container. The sections are secured together using a tongue and groove connection to mate the sections along respective edges. Three and four section containers can be formed.

Abstract: A spring includes a central mounting portion mounted to an inner surface of a cassette housing and elongated pressure portions extending from the mounting portion to engage the cassette reels. Each pressure portion includes a central base and a pair of spring portions. The spring portions extend from the base at an angle to define a channel. Each spring portion has a free edge which engages the inner surface of the housing and forces the pressure portion into engagement with the reel. The spring portions can engage raised portions of the housing inner surface to divide the total spring force between two regions of the housing.

Abstract: A piston check valve for use in a system which conveys abrasive materials includes a gland nut which connects the valve to the piping system, a valve body mounted on the gland nut, a valve seat mounted on the valve body, and a piston mounted within the valve body. The piston can translate within the through bore of the valve seat and has a shaft and a head which contacts the first end of the valve seat when the valve is closed. A coil spring is located within the through bore of the valve seat and biases the valve closed. A first O-ring is mounted on the first end of the valve seat and is sufficiently wide to prevent sufficient quantities of chips from becoming lodged within the surface of the inner O-ring to form a hard bridge across the resilient O-ring, allowing erosion of the valve sealing surfaces. The first end of the valve seat has an O-ring groove which receives the O-ring. A second O-ring can be mounted on the first end of the valve seat at the outer periphery of the valve seat.

Abstract: A videocassette tape reel hub includes an outer cylinder having a receptacle formed as a recessed portion of the outer surface on the inside of the outer cylinder. A clamp is receivable in the receptacle to fasten tape to the reel hub. A balancing mass is formed within the outer cylinder to balance the increased mass of the clamp and receptacle.

Abstract: A resealable cartridge for sheets of photographic film includes a one-piece, photo-inert and optically opaque polymer tray. The tray has a generally planar bottom wall and front, back and side walls with upper edges and outwardly extending lips. The lip extending from the front wall includes a series of spaced cut-outs. A flexible, photo-inert and optically opaque foil laminate cover for the tray has front, back and side edges. The front edge of the cover includes spaced opening/closing mechanism-engaging apertures which overlie the cutouts in the front lip of the tray. Photo-inert and optically opaque adhesive segments on the lips of the tray provide a resealable opaque seal between the edges of the cover and lips of the tray.

Abstract: An easily controllable method to adjust a die slot exit gap to produce an accurately controlled flow from the slot exit across the width of a die provides movable back seats at the back of the die that cause front and back portions of die plates to move simultaneously to produce a change in the die slot exit gap. At least one actuator is located between the front and back seats of the die to increase or reduce the actuator length to bend the first plate around the front seat thereby to increase or decrease the first exit gap.