Method of blade-coating utilizing high angles of flexible blades

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A COATED PAPER WEB ON CONTINUOUS BASIS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) DRIVING IN COUNTER-ROTATION A COATING APPLICATOR ROLL AND A RESILIENTLY COVERED BACKING ROLL WHICH IS DISPOSED VERTICALLY ABOVE THE COATING APPLICATOR ROLL AND FORMS WITH THE COATING APPLICATOR ROLL AN OPEN GAP; (B) SUPPORTING A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY, UNCOATED PAPER WEB, WHICH IS OF INSUFFICIENT THICKNESS TO CLOSE SAID GAP, ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE SAID BACKING ROLL AND PASSING THE WEB THROUGH SAID GAP WHILE APPLYING AN EXCESS OF AN AQUEOUS MINERAL COATING COMPOSITION WITH SAID APPLICATOR ROLL TO SAID WEB IN THE GAP; (C) DISPOSING A FLEXIBLE BLADE WITH A TIP THEREOF ON THE BACKING ROLL-SUPPORTED WEB ALONG A LONGITUDINAL LINE OF BLADE CONTACT WHICH IS 30 TO 45* BELOW A HORIZONTAL RADIUS OF THE BACKING ROLL AND AT LEAST 45* ROLL ROTATION FROM THE SAID GAP; (D) DISPOSING SAID FLEXIBLE BLADE ALONG SAID LINE OF BLADE CONTACT SUCH THAT IN THE UNPRESSED CONDITION OF THE FLEXIBLE BLADE THE ANGLE FORMED BETWEEN A TANGENT TO THE BACKING ROLL AT THE LINE OF BLADE CONTACT AND THE UNPRESSED BLADE IS GREATER THAN 58* AND LESS THAN ABOUT 75*;