Fluid applicator

Claim 1

A FLUID-APPLICATOR SYSTEM HAVING, IN COMBINATION , A WHEEL FOR RECEIVING FLUID ALONG THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE THEREOF MEANS FOR ROTATING THE WHEELS TO CONTACT SURFACESTO-BE-COATED BY THE FLUID, A BLOCK HOUSING A FLUID-CONTAINING CAVITY THROUGH WHICH THE SUCCESSIVE PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF THE WHEEL MAY PASS DURING ROTATION OF THE WHEEL, AND A DOCTOR BLADE SUPPORTED BY THE BLOCK AND DISPOSED ADJACENT THE WHEEL SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE END OF THE CAVITY FROM WHICH THE SUCCESSIVE PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE WHEEL EMERGE DURING THE SAID ROTATION,THE DOCTOR BLADE HAVING A CUTTER EDGE ORIENTED TO SLICE THE FLUID CARRIED THERETO TO A PREDETERMINED THICKNESS THE BLADE HAVING A DUCT PRECEDING THE CUTTER EDGE TO RECEIVE THE SLICED FLUID ND RE-DELIVER THE SAME TO THE WHEEL PERIPHERAL SURFACE AHEAD OF THE CUTTER EDGE, SAID BLADE BEING SUPPORTED ON SAID BLOCK FOR WHEEL SAID CUTTER EDGE HAVING A PROJECPERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL SAID CUTTER EDGE HAVING A PROJECTION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIAL TO SAID WHEEL AT SAID END OF THE CAVITY AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE INTO SAID DUCT, SAID DUCT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION WHICH EXTENDS FROM SAID EDGE PROGRESSIVELY FARTHER AWAY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL AND THEN PROGRESSIVELY CLOSER TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL.