Abstract: A coater head for contacting a liquid coating material with a traveling web of paper or fabric. The coater head includes at least two chambers and an extended outflow bubble to increase the zone of contact between coating liquid and the traveling web. Improved, coating quality also results from controlled flow characteristics through the coater head having a feed zone length-to-depth ratio of four or more.

Abstract: A rigid metal housing is positioned downstream of a coating applicator. The housing supports a plurality of positionable contact elements formed of a low friction, high wear-resistant material, which extend inwardly from the housing to engage a slow speed rotating rod. At least one of the contact elements is adjustable to support the rod for stable rotation, and to retain an effective seal between the contact elements and the rod to thereby prevent leakage of clearing/lubricating fluid into the applied coating. The contact elements may be advanced inwardly as the elements and the rod wear, thereby extending the effective life of the rod holder apparatus. Screws may bear against a rear contact element through segmented backing plates allowing refinement of the coat weight along the width of the substrate. Furthermore, an air tube may be positioned between the housing and a rear fixture to adjust overall coating thickness.

Abstract: Apparatus for maintaining a relatively placid pool of liquid coating material in the trough between two nipped rolls comprises a pair of deckles, one disposed near either end of the nipped rolls, each of the deckles having an edge generally conforming to a segment of the adjacent roll to effectively form an end of the trough formed by the rolls. At least one of the deckles has one or more openings which permit the liquid coating material to flow laterally out of the trough and through the deckle at a rate proportional to the depth of the coating material in the trough. Controlling the lateral outward flow of material from the trough stabilizes both the turbulence of the liquid coating material in the trough and the surface condition of the coating material.