Means to bias resilient doctor blade

Claim 1

A BLADE COATING APPARATUS IN WHICH A RESILIENT COATING BLADE OF UNIFORM THICKNESS IS HELD IN OPERATIVE POSITION IN PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH THE SURFACE TO BE COATED WITHOUT RIPPLE-PRODUCING CLAMPING ACTION ON THE BLADE ALONG THE REGION REMOTE FROM THE COATING EDGE COMPRISING A ROTATABLE BACKUP CYLINDER FOR GUIDING THE WEB TO BE COATED AROUND THE LOWER PERIPHERY THEREOF, A BLADE HOLDER MOUNTED BELOW THE ROTATABLE CYLINDER FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE ROTATABLE CYLINDER, MEANS DEFINING A SLOT IN THE BLADE TO BE ACCOMMODATED WIDER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE BLADE TO BE ACCOMMODATED THEREIN, THE SLOT BEING UPRIGHT SO THAT THE BLADE CAN BE DROPPED REAR-EDGE FIRST INTO THE SLOT AND REMAIN THEREIN DUE TO THE FORCE OF GRAVITY WHEN THE BLADE HOLDER IS IN INOPERATIVE POSITION RELATIVE TO THE ROTATABLE CYLINDER AND THE BLADE IS OUT OF PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ROTATABLE CYLINDER, BLADE REGISTERING MEANS DEFININNG THE BOTTOM OF THE SLOT AND REGISTERING THE COATING EDGE IN PARALLEL ALIGNMENT WITH THE ROTATABLE CYLINDER, THE DEPTH OF THE SLOT BEING SUCH THAT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE BLADE PROJECTS BEYOND THE SLOT, THE PORTION OF THE BLADE WITHIN THE SLOT BEING UNRESTRAINED FOR UNIFORM, RIPPLE-FREE DEFLECTION TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY THE WIDTH OF THE SLOT AND FREE OF RIPPLE-PRODUCING INFLUENCES EXERTED ON THE BLADE, A RIGID BLADE-ENGAGING SURFACE FORMING THE UPPER END OF THE SLOT AND ADJACENT THE SIDE OF THE BLADE WHICH FORMS AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH THE SURFACE TO BE COATED, SAID RIGID BLADE-EN GAGING SURFACE EGAGING A NARROW BAND OF THE COATING EDGE A DISTANCE FROM AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE COATING EDGE OF THE BLADE, THE BLADE ENGAGING SURFACE AND THE BACKUP CYLINDER DEFINING BETWEEN THEM A SPAN ACROSS WHICH THE BLADE IS UNSUPPORTED ON ONE SIDE, THE WIDTH OF THE SLOT AT THE RIGID BLADE-ENGAGING SURFACE BEING WIDER THAN THE BLADE SO THAT WHEN THE BLADE IS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SAID SURFACE THE SIDE OF THE BLADE DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE SAID