Flexible doctor blade coating apparatus

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR COATING ONE SIDE OF A MOVING WEB INCLUDING A BACKING SURFACE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WEB AND A FLEXIBLE BLADE HAVING A FRONT EDGE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE WEB AGAINST THE SURFACE, THE COMBINATION OF SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID BLADE INCLUDING A CARRIATE, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID CARRIAGE FOR GENERALLY HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID ROLL, A BRACKET MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR GENERALLY VERTICALLY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID CARRIAGE, A SUPPORTING ARM, MEANS FORMING A PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ONE END OF SAID ARM AND SAID BRACKET ON AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDING WITH SAID FRONT EDGE, A MAIN SUPPORTING MEMBER SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID ARM PARALLEL TO AND SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID BLADE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED MOUNTING UNITS ON SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND THE ROLL, A SUPPORT BAR SECURED TO SAID UNITS AND BEING COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, HINGE MEANS ON EACH OF SAID UNITS, A HINGE BAR COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID BLADE SECURED TO AND MOVABLE WITH SAID HINGE MEANS TO AND FROM WORKING POSITION WHEREIN SAID HINGE BAR ENGAGES SAID SUPPORT BAR ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF TO CLAMP SAID BLADE IN POSITION, A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL ADJUSTER ASSEMBLIES MOUNTED SIDEBY-SIDE ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID HINGE BAR FOR VARYING LOCALLY THE PRESSURE EXERTED BY SAID BLADE TOWARD SAID SURFACE, ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ADJUSTING SAID CARRIAGE IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID ROLL AND SAID BRACKET WITH RESPECT TO SAID CARRIAGE TO VARY THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF SAID FRONT EDGE AND SAID ROLL, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING CONTROLLED PIVOTED MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM WITH RESPECT TO SAID BRACKET TO VARY THE ANGULAR RELATION OF SAID ARM AND SAID BRACKET TO EFFECT A CORRESPONDING CHANGE IN THE ANGLE OF IMPINGEMENT BETWEEN SAID ROLL AND SAID BLADE.