Apparatus for manufacturing sheeting

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SHEETING COMPRISING A WHEEL, A CASTING SURFACE ON THE WHEEL, A HOPPER HAVING BLADES CLOSE TO BUT SPACED FROM THE CASING SURFACE, THE CASTING SURFACE MOVING PAST THE THE HOPPER AS THE WHEEL TURNS TO RECEIVE COATING COMPOSITION FROM THE HOPPER, A HOUSING EXTENDING TO BOTH SIDES OF THE HOPPER, THE HOUSING ON ONE SIDE COMPRISING A TOP WALL, SIDE WALLS AND AN END WALL FORMING WITH THE CASTING SURFACE A SUBSTANTIALLY AIRTIGHT ENCLOSURE AND THE HOUSING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOPPER COMPRISING SIDE WALLS, A TOP WALL AND FORMING WITH THE CASTING SURFACE A GENERALLY TUBULAR EXTENSION OPEN AT ONE END, MEANS FOR PROVIDING REDUCED PRESSURE IN THE SUBSTANTIALLY AIR-TIGHT HOUSING SECTION, SAID SECTION LYING PM THAT SIDE OF THE HOPPER TOWARD WHICH THE CASTING SURFACE APPROACHES THE HOOPER TO RECEIVE COATING COMPOSITION, THE SIDE WALLS OF THE HOUSING SECTIONS BEING CONTINUOUS AND LYING CLOSE TO THE ENDS OF THE HOPPER BLADES AND TO THE EDGES OF THE WHEEL, WHEREBY THE ENDS OF A RIBBON OF COATING COMPOSITION FLOWING FROM THE HOPPER BLADES TO THE CASTING SURFACE MAY LIE ADJACENT TO SIDE WALLS AND WHEREBY THE MEANS FOR PROVIDING A REDUCED PRESSURE IN THE SUBSTANTIALLY AIR-TIGHT HOUSING MAY HOLD THE RIBBON OF COATING COMPOSITION IN A SHEET DEPOSITING POSITION.