Curtain coating machines

Claim 1

IN A CURTAIN COATING MACHINE OF THE TYPE USED TO APPLY A THIN UNIFORM COATING TO FLAT STOCK, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A COATING HEAD FOR DEVELOPING A GRAVITATING CURTAIN OF THE COATING COMPOSITION; (B) A TROUGH POSITIONED BELOW THE COATING HEAD FOR RECEIVING THE COATING COMPOSITION; (C) A PAIR OF CONVEYORS POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE GRAVITATING CURTAIN FOR MOVING THE FLAT STOCK THROUGH THE GRAVITATING CURTAIN IN A PLANE EXTENDING THROUGH THE CURTAIN BETWEEN THE COATING HEAD AND THE TROUGH; AND (D) A GRATE POSITIONED IN THE TROUGH AND PROVIDING A PERFORATE SUPPORTING SURFACE IN COPLANAR ALIGNMENT WITH THE PLANE OF MOVEMENT OF THE FLAT STOCK THROUGH THE GRAVITATING CURTAIN FOR SUPPORTING THE STOCK AS IT MOVES THROUGH SAID GRAVITATING CURTAIN, SAID GRATE COMPRISING: (1) A SUBSTRUCTURE RESTING IN SAID TROUGH, SAID SUBSTRUCTURE COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF VERTICALLY EXTENDED RIGID LEGS AT EACH END OF SAID TROUGH; AND (B) HORIZONTAL CONNECTING MEMBERS INTERCONNECTED WITH THE LEGS OF SAID PAIRS AND MAINTAINING THE SPACING OF SAID LEGS FROM EACH OTHER; AND (2) A PLURALITY OF STOCK-SUPPORTING ELEMENTS SECURED TO SAID HORIZONTAL CONNECTING MEMBERS AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID STOCKSUPPORTING ELEMENTS EACH TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER EXTREMITY IN THE PLANE OCCUPIED BY THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID STOCK AS IT MOVES THROUGH SAID CURTAIN.