Viscous fluid dispensing apparatus

Dispensing apparatus for placing a viscous fluid to form a uniformly distributed layer of substantially constant thickness on an upwardly facing surface of an article being displaced through the apparatus along a longitudinal path in a horizontal direction comprising:

• an elongated fluid feedplate having a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the longitudinal path of the article having an upwardly facing surface disposed in a relatively steeply inclined relationship over which viscous fluid received on said feedplate surface flows in a downward direction along the longitudinal axis of said plate in a sheet-form layer at a predetermined rate of flow, said feedplate having an upper end portion for receiving of the viscous fluid thereon and a lower end portion terminating in a transversely extending, horizontally disposed bottom end edge from which the fluid is discharged,
• fluid feed means for application of a viscous fluid in a continuous stream onto said feedplate's upper end portion in a substantially uniformly distributed layer extending transversely across a predetermined width of said feedplate, and
• a first elongated, fluid-distribution roller of cylindrical configuration revolved at a predetermined speed and supported in horizontal, transversely extending relationship to said feedplate at its discharge end in underlying and parallel relationship to said discharge end edge for receiving of fluid discharging from said feedplate onto upwardly facing surface portions of said roller, said roller having a plurality of radially outward extending projections formed thereon in relatively spaced apart relationship and distributed around the periphery thereof in a predetermined pattern over at least the axial length of said roller receiving the fluid discharged thereon whereby fluid received from the discharge end edge of said feedplate is collected by said roller and its projections and carried around the circular path of movement of said projections to positions where said projections are directed in a generally downward direction and gravity, with the aid of centrifugal force, causes the fluid to be discharged from said roller and its projections and deposited onto the surface of said article to be coated with said fluid when the article is displaced under said roller.