Abstract: The amount of coating dispensed by a metering rod type applicator such as used on size press coater for applying coating onto the size press rolls can be reduced by vibrating the metering rod. Such vibration of the metering rod has been found to reduce the thickness of the film passing through the metering nip of the coating applicator for a given metering nip rod pressure.

Abstract: A coater head for applying coating to a size press roll of a size press coater, the coater head has a flow passage with a metering device at its outlet end and a metering chamber immediately adjacent to the metering end. A shear developing passage delivers coating to the metering chamber and a mixing passage leading into the metering chamber mixes fresh coating with return coating on the surface of the roll to carry the fresh coating to the outlet end of the metering chamber. The metering chamber is dimensioned to form a stable vortex within the chamber thereby to improve the uniformity of the coating wet film.

Abstract: A pilot coater for applying a coating on a moving web sample is formed by a backup roll, a transfer roll and a coating flow metering system metering coating flow onto the transfer roll. A pneumatic actuating system holds the transfer roll in a ready position until a sensor detects a specific portion of the web is moving into a nip found between the backing roll and transfer roll and triggers movement of the transfer roll and coating metering system to move to a coating position with the transfer roll pressed onto the paper supported on the backing roll. After a preselected period of time, the transfer roll is moved from the paper to terminate the coating operation.

Abstract: A system for detecting web flutter of a web leaving a nip utilizes a proximity of sensor preferably a plurality of proximity sensors arranged transversely of the web to locally measure the distance between the web and the sensors at a distance no greater close to the nip so that the proximity sensor determines roll the web is following leaving the nip in each area sensed by each detector so that this information may be used to monitor or control the coating system.