Apparatus for coating a web

In apparatus for coating a web of material, such as paper or board web, moving through said apparatus comprising,

• a frame;
• an elongate smoothing member mounted on said frame havng a longitudinal dimension extending transversely to the direction of movement of the web through said apparatus, said smoothing member being flexible in its longitudinal direction;
• a counter member situated in opposed relationship to said smoothing member and forming a smoothing nip therebetween through which the web is adapted to pass;
• means for applying a coating substance onto the web prior to the web passing through said nip;
• and
• means for applying a linear load in said smoothing nip, said nip loading means including means for applying a load to said smoothing member along its longitudinal dimension;
• the improvement comprising:
• said elongate smoothing member includes an outer part having a substantially convex-shaped cross-section in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal dimension, said outer part of said smoothing member forming said smoothing nip with said counter member, said elongate smoothing member further including an arm portion projecting from said convex-shaped outer part, and wherein said arm portion is connected to said frame to thereby connect said elongate smoothing member to said frame;
• said outer part of said smoothing member forming said smoothing nip is substantially shaped as a segment of a circle and said smoothing member further includes reinforcing means cooperating with said circular segment outer part for reinforcing said outer part, said reinforcing means defining substantially planar bearing surface means;
• and
• said means for applying a load to said smoothing member comprise at least one internally pressurizable loading hose means engaging said planar bearing surface means defined by said reinforcing means or engaging an inner surface of said arm portion.