Apparatus and method for uniformly coating an irregular web

Apparatus for coating a web of material with a coating medium comprising:

• a frame;
• a vertically moving pressure table carried by said frame for supporting said web being coated in up or down vertical directions;
• a transfer roll carried adjacent said pressure table for applying said coating medium to said web passing over said pressure table;
• application means for applying said coating medium to said transfer roll;
• a vertically adjustable scrape blade carried by said frame downstream of said transfer roll adjacent said pressure table for contacting said web to cause spreading of said coating medium over said web and penetration into said web;
• said pressure table generally coextending beneath said transfer roll and said scrape blade means in length and across at least the width of said web in a manner that said pressure table uniformly urges said web against said scrape blade and said transfer roll;
• adjustable counterbalance means including a counter balanced linkage arm pivotably connected to said pressure table and said frame for exerting a constant uniform counterbalancing force on said pressure table in said up or down vertical directions in a manner in which a web having thickness and density variations traveling over said pressure table is held against said scrape blade and said transfer roll with constant and uniform pressure regardless of whether said pressure table moves vertically up or down in response to said thickness and density variations and surface irregularities in said web;
• a weight assembly connected to said counterbalanced linkage arm in a manner that a desired amount of said counter balancing force may be applied to said pressure table in a counter balancing manner,
• whereby a smooth and uniform coating is applied to said web regardless of said variations and irregularities.