Applicator for coating filaments

Claim 1

AN APPLICATOR FOR APPLYING COATING MATERIAL TO FILAMENTS, SAID APPLICATOR COMPRISING MEANS FORMING A RECEPTACLE FOR A POOL OF COATING MATERIAL, A FIRST ROLL POSITIONED TO BE PARTLY IMMERSED IN THE POOL, A SECOND ROLL HAVING AN AXIS ABOVE AN AXIS OF THE FIRST ROLL, SAID SECOND ROLL BEING SPACED FROM THE POOL AND SPACED FROM SAID FIRST ROLL BY A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT, A THIRD ROLL HAVING AN AXIS ABOVE THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST ROLL, SAID THIRD ROLL SPACED FROM THE POOL AND SPACED FROM SAID SECOND ROLL BY A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT, SAID THIRD ROLL HAVING A PORTION LYING IN A VERTICAL PLANE WHICH IS TO ONE SIDE OF ALL OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLS, A FIRST GEAR CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST ROLL, A SECOND GEAR CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND ROLL AND MESHING WITH SAID FIRST GEAR, A THIRD GEAR CONNECTED TO SAID THIRD ROLL AND MESHING WITH SAID SECOND GEAR, SAID GEARS BEING SIZED SO THAT SAID THIRD ROLL HAS A PERIPHERAL VELOCITY FROM 20 TO 35 PERCENT LESS THAN THAT OF SAID SECOND ROLL AND SAID SECOND ROLL HAS A PERIPHERAL VELOCITY FROM APPROXIMATELY 10 TO APPROXIMATELY 30 PERCENT IN EXCESS OF THAT OF SAID FIRST ROLL, MEANS FOR DRIVING ONE OF SAID GEARS, AND MEANS FOR CIRCULATING COATING MATERIAL THROUGH SAID RECEPTACLE.