Apparatus for applying a liquid to a support

An apparatus for applying a coating composition to an upper surface of a substrate to form a coated layer of a predetermined thickness thereon, said apparatus comprising:

• an extrusion head, means for mounting a substrate web for movement in a feed direction with respect to said extrusion head, such that said extrusion head is disposed above said web and including a front wall and a rear wall respectively located upstream and downstream with respect to the feed direction, a downwardly tapering coating composition slot defined by and between said front and rear walls, said slot being disposed transverse to said web and having a width which decreases approaching an exit end thereof, coating composition, means for supplying said coating composition to said slot, said front wall having a lower surface convexly curved toward said upper surface of said substrate and disposed in contact therewith, and said rear wall having a lower slot exit edge facing said upper surface and vertically raised above a rear edge of said front wall opposite the edge defining the exit end of said slot by a distance substantially greater than said predetermined thickness such that said exit edge of said rear wall does not limit or determine the thickness of the coated layer formed on the upper surface of the substrate.