Coating machine for applying and drying photosensitive emulsion on a plastic film

A coating apparatus suited for applying a photographic emulsion coating on a backing sheet comprising,

• a framework having a table thereon for supporting a piece of flexible sheet material to be coated,
• a carriage mounted on the framework for rectilinear movement from a starting position along a path that is parallel to the surface of the sheet when the sheet is supported on the table,
• a coating applicator disconnectably mounted upon the carriage for spreading the coating onto the sheet material when the carriage is advanced in a first direction across the framework along the rectilinear path parallel to the table,
• a coating dryer supported on the apparatus to apply heat to the coating for drying applied coating material,
• a drive unit connected to the carriage for advancing the carriage across the table supporting the sheet that is being coated,
• the carriage being moveable in a reverse direction to the starting position whereby the coating can be applied by the applicator when the carriage moves in the first direction and the carriage is then able to be moved in said reverse direction to the starting position.

An apparatus for applying and drying an emulsion coating on the surface of a flexible sheet of material, said apparatus comprising,

• a supporting framework having a worktable for supporting a sheet of said sheet of material to be coated,
• a carriage moveably mounted on the framework,
• said carriage having an applicator thereon for spreading the coating onto the surface of the sheet of material supported on the framework and
• a heater on the carriage proximate to the applicator for progressively heating successive portions of the coating after the coating has been applied to thereby dry the coating.