Viscous solution processing device adapted for continuous operation

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE FOR PROCESSING A MOVABLE WEB BY APPLYING THERETO A VISCOUS PROCESSING SOLUTION FROM REMOVABLE, COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A HOPPER INCLUDING MEANS FOR EXTRUDING A UNIFORM LAYER OF VISCOUS PROCESSING SOLUTION ONTO THE SURFACE OF A WEB BEING TRANSPORTED THROUGH THE DEVICE; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE HOPPER AND INCLUDING A HOLLOW PROBE AT THE OTHER END SELECTIVELY CONNECTABLE WITH A REMOVABLE COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER OF VISCOUS PROCESSING SOLUTION TO PERMIT FEEDING OF THE SOLUTION FROM THE CONTAINER TO THE HOPPER, AND ON EMPTYING OF THE CONTAINER, CONNECTABLE WITH OTHER CONTAINER TO PROVIDE CONTINUOUS OPERATION; POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT METERING PUMP MEANS ON THE CONDUIT MEANS BETWEEN THE HOPPER AND THE PROBE TO CONTINUOUSLY FEED THE VISCOUS PROCESSING SOLUTION TO THE HOPPER AT A PREDETERMINED RATE; AND AIR TRAP MEANS ON THE CONDUIT MEANS BETWEEN THE PUMP MEANS AND THE PROBE, THE AIR TRAP MEANS INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A RESERVIOR PARTIALLY FILLED WITH THE VISCOUS SOLUTION, A FIRST CONDUIT EXTENDING AT ONE END TO THE RESERVOIR PORTION UNFILLED WITH THE PROCESSING SOLUTION AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED AT THE OTHER END TO THE PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT THE PROBE TO PERMIT VISCOUS SOLUTION TO FEED INTO THE RESERVOIR FROM THE CONTAINER, AND A SECOND CONDUIT HAVING ONE END IN THE FILLED RESERVOIR PORTION AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED AT THE OTHER END TO THE CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT THE PUMP MEANS TO PERMIT FEEDING OF SOLUTION FROM THE FILLED RESERVIOR PORTION TO THE HOPPER BY THE PUMP MEANS.