Apparatus for production of magnetic sound tape

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MAGNETIC SOUND-RECORDING AND SOUND-REPRODUCING TAPE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A COATING MACHINE HAVING A FEED-HOPPER WITH A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED DISCHARGE OPENING, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED TAPE BASE SUPPORT THEREUNDER, TENSIONING MEANS FOR KEEPING THE TAPE BASE TAUT LONGITUDINALLY AS IT PASSES OVER THE BOTTOM SUPPORT UNDER THE FEED-HOPPER, GUIDE MEANS FORWARDLY OF AND REARWARDLY OF THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF THE FEED-HOPPER POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF A RELATIVELY LONG AND NARROW TAPE BASE TO KEEP THE UNDER SIDE OF THE ADVANCING TAPE BASE IN TAUT SURFACE-TO-SURFACE SLIDING CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM SUPPORT, ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR FIXING AND MAINTAINING THE FEED-HOPPER AND THE TAPE BASE SUPPORT NORMALLY AT A PREDETERMINED MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM ONE ANOTHER TO PROVIDE A GAP FOR THE PASSAGE THERETHROUGH OF THE TAPE BASE AND FOR DEPOSITING A LAYER OF A LIQUID DISPERSION OF FREE-FLOWING MAGNETIC MATERIAL OF UNIFORM MINIMUM THICKNESS ONTO THE TOP SURFACE OF THE TAPE BASE AS IT MOVES UNDER TENSION OVER THE SUPPORT, YIELDING MEANS PERMITTING MOMENTARY INCREASE OF THE HEIGHT OF THE GAP BETWEEN THE SUPPORT AND THE HOPPER IN RESPONSE TO AND DIRECTLY BY AN OBSTRUCTION ON THE TAPE BASE JUST FAR AND LONG ENOUGH TO PERMIT THE OBSTRUCTION TO PASS BETWEEN THE HOPPER AND SUPPORT WITHOUT SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE TAPE BASE AND FOR DECREASING THE HEIGHT OF THE GAP TO ITS FORMER PREDETERMINED HEIGHT AS SOON AS THE OBSTRUCTION PASSES THERETHROUGH, A DRYING MACHINE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISCHARGE END OF THE MAGNETIC COATING MACHINE FOR DRYING THE FRESHLY COATED TAPE BASE, AND POWER DRIVEN MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE TAPE BASE THROUGH THE COATING AND DRYING MACHINES.