Paper coating and drying machine

A paper coating and drying machine, comprising:

• a tinting module;
• a dryer module;
• said tinting and dryer modules being longitudinally spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance sufficient for a machine operator to visually inspect an underside of a web of wet paper exiting said tinting module;
• a plurality of rollers disposed in said tinting module for applying ink to both sides of said web of paper, a first set of rollers for applying ink to a first side of said web of paper and a second set of rollers for applying ink to a second side of said web of paper;
• motor means for driving said plurality of rollers disposed in said tinting module at a predetermined speed;
• a plurality of idler rollers associated with said dryer module for constraining said web of paper to follow a predetermined path of travel through said dryer module;
• a take-up means longitudinally spaced apart from said dryer module for coiling said web of paper as it exits said dryer module:
• motor means for operating said take-up means at a speed of operation substantially equal to said predetermined speed of said plurality of rollers disposed in said tinting module;
• a slack-detecting means associated with said take-up means, said slack-detecting means for increasing said speed of operation of said take-up means upon detection of a slack in said web of paper between said dryer module and said take-up means;
• said motor means for driving said plurality of rollers disposed in said tinting module and said motor means for operating said take-up means and said slack-detecting means and said idler rollers associated with said dryer module collectively forming an anti-tensioning means for causing said web of paper to pass through said machine at substantially zero tension so that said web of paper is substantially undistorted.