Ion film regulating device

Claim 1

Apparatus for regulating thickness of a non-conductive liquid film comprising in combination: a. a cylindrical surface adapted to support a layer of nonconductive liquid film; b. a first station including coating means to coat a layer of non-conductive liquid film to said surface located at said first station; c. a second station including a corona discharge electrode fixedly located at a second station which will produce an ion curtain which impinges upon a layer of non-conductive liquid film between the corona discharge electrode and a ground electrode when a corona generating potential is applied across the two electrodes, the corona discharge electrode comprising at least one conductive strand positioned in close spatial relationship with said surface; d. a third station including imaging means located at said third station; e. means to rotate said surface in a continuous path of travel through saId first station adjacent a lowermost portion of its path of travel; then through said second station on an upper quadrant not beyond the uppermost portion of its path of travel; then through said third station, the rate of motion of said surface, and the distance between said corona discharge electrode being sufficient to provide an ion curtain which impinges upon the layer of non-conductive liquid film which wipes only a portion of the layer of non-conductive liquid film from said surface and permits a predetermined quantity of liquid film to pass to the imaging means and cooperate with the forces of gravity to preclude excess liquid film to pass thereby.