Surface coating machines, and the like

Claim 1

A SURFACE COATING MACHINE INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A TROUGH HAVING A BACK AND END WALLS, AND A VERTICAL FRONT WALL OF LESS HEIGHT THAN SAID BACK AND END WALLS AND CONSTITUTING AN OVERFLOW WEIR, THE TOP EDGE OF SAID FRONT WALL LYING IN A PLANE AND THE FRONT OUTSIDE SURFACE OF SAID FRONT WALL LYING IN A PLANE AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF SAID TOP EDGE, MEANS TO INTRODUCE COATING LIQUID INTO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID TROUGH AT SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID LIQUID ALONG THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE TROUGH, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A CONDUIT EXTENDING ALONG THE LOWER PORTION OF THE TROUGH AND PROVIDED WITH COATING LIQUID DELIVERING OPENING MEANS ALONG ITS LENGTH CONSTITUTED TO DELIVER THE COATING LIQUID AT SUCH UNIFORM RATE OF INTRODUCTION INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE TROUGH THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE TROUGH, MEANS TO SUPPORT THE TROUGH WITH THE TOP EDGE OF THE FRONT WALL SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF SUCH FRONT WALL SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL, MEANS TO SUPPLY LIQUID COATING MATERIAL TO THE CONDUIT AT UNIFORM RATE WITH PRODUCTION OF A UNIFORM RATE OF OVERFLOW OF THE COATING MATERIAL OVER THE LENGTH OF THE TOP EDGE OF SAID FRONT WALL TO AND OVER THE FRONT OUTSIDE SURFACE OF SAID FRONT WALL TO THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID SURFACE, THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID FRONT WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH A BACKWARDLY AND UPWARDLY SLANTING SURFACE JOINING THE LOWER EDGE OF THE FRONT WALL SURFACE ON A SLIGHTLY ROUNDED EDGE, THE COATING MATERIAL FLOWING DOWN OVER THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF THE FRONT WALL TO SAID SLIGHTLY ROUNDED EDGE OF THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FRONT WALL, AND WITH FREE FALL FROM SAID SLIGHTLY ROUNDED EDGE IN THE FORM OF A CURTAIN OF THE COATING MATERIAL, TOGETHER WITH CONVEYOR MEANS TO DELIVER PANELS IN SUCCESSION INTO AND THROUGH SAID CURTAIN.