Apparatus for coating a moving web

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR COATING ONE SIDE OF A MOVING WEB INCLUDING A BACKING ROLL ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WEB AND A FLEXIBLE BLADE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE WEB AGAINST THE ROLL, THE COMBINATION OF A HOLDER BAR MEANS FOR CLAMPING THE BACK EDGE OF SAID BLADE WITH RESPECT TO THE BACKING ROLL WITH THE FRONT EDGE OF SAID BLADE PROJECTING BEYOND SAID BAR MEANS PARALLEL TO SAID BLADE AND SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE WEB, AND EXPANSIBLE PRESSURE TUBE SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID BLADE, A PLURALITY OF HOLDER UNITS MOUNTED ON SAID BAR MEANS ADJACENT EACH OTHER ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID BLADE FOR POSITIONING SAID TUBE TO APPLY PRESSURE TO ONE SIDE OF SAID BLADE AND URGE THE FRONT EDGE THEREOF TOWARD THE BACKING SURFACE, EACH SAID UNIT INCLUDING A BASE MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM A RIGID CONNECTION WITH SAID BAR MEANS AND HAVING A BOSS THEREON EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID BLADE, A TUBE HOLDER HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT EXTENDING THERETHROUGH WHICH RECEIVES SAID BOSS IN GUIDED SLIDABLE RELATION THEREWITH FOR POSITIONING SAID HOLDER PERPENDICULAR TO ONE SURFACE OF SAID BLADE, EACH SAID HOLDER HAVING A GROOVE IN ONE END THEREOF PARALLEL TO SAID BLADE FOR RECEIVING AND POSITIONING SAID TUBE, AND SAID GROOVE HAVING A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE SPACING OF SAID UNITS SO THAT SAID TUBE IS SUPPORTED SUBSTANTIALLY ENTIRELY ALONG ITS LENGTH, SPRING MEANS SECURING SAID HOLDERS TO SAID BASE MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BLADE, AND SEPARATE ADJUSTING MEANS ON EACH SAID UNIT RELEASABLY SECURED TO SAID BASE MEMBER AND THREADEDLY ENGAGING SAID TUBE HOLDER TO MOVE SAID HOLDER WITH RESPECT TO SAID BASE MEMBER IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO SAID ONE SURFACE OF SAID BLADE TO EFFECT LOCALIZED ADJUSTMENT OF THE PRESSURE EXERTED BY SAID TUBE ON SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID BLADE.