Roller coating apparatus

Apparatus for applying a coating to a web of material, the apparatus comprising:

• a coating application system means for controlling the evenness of the coating applied to the web of material, and comprising:
• a rotatable applicator roll, and
• a rotatable backing roll disposed adjacent said rotatable applicator roll to form a nip through which the web of material is passed;
• a coating metering system means for controlling the weight of the coating applied to the web of material independently of the control of evenness by said coating application system, and comprising:
• a rotatable gravure roll dipping into a bath of liquid coating material for picking up said liquid coating material, and
• a rotatable transfer roll that is in contact with and receives coating material from said gravure roll;
• said gravure roll being operable to apply a predetermined amount of coating liquid material to said transfer roll;
• said transfer roll being in contact with said applicator roll and operable to transfer liquid coating material to said coating applicator roll;
• and
• said rotatable coating applicator roll having drive means such that said applicator roller is driven in contact with said transfer roll for rotation in the same direction as said backing and transfer rolls and independently of the speed of rotation of said transfer and gravure rolls,
• whereby the metering system comprised of said gravure roll and said transfer roll is operable to control the speed of pick-up of coating material independently of the speed at which the web is coated by the application system comprised of said applicator roll and said backing roll so that wet, low weight coats are evenly applicable to the web.