US1565830A

US1565830A - Spreader

Info

Publication number: US1565830A
Application number: US244849A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thoma Andrew
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1918-07-15
Filing date: 1918-07-15
Publication date: 1925-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1942-12-15

Description

A. THOMA SPREADER 4 Shets-Shoot 1 Original Filed July 15, 1918 |nvenTo11 AndrewT omq;

A. THOMA Dec. 15, 1925- SPREADER ox iginal Filed July 15, 1918 2 W m mm m t a mm T 4 x n m \l m d n Alw Dec. 15. 1925' 5 v A. THOMA SPREADER Original Filed July 15, 1918 4 Sheets-Shoot 3 Doc. 15, 1925- 1,565.83!) i A. THOMA SPREADER Original Filed July 15, 1918 4 Sheets-Shad 4 InvenTov.

Angrew Thloma bx I His Atiy,

Patented Dec. 15, 19 25 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW THOMA, or CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, assrenon TO ABRAHAM SYDEMAN, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPREADER.

Application filed July 15, 1918, Serial No. 2%;849. Renewed April 29, 1924.

To all 10. 10712, it may concern;

Be it known that I, l-XNDREW THoM/A a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer tain Improvements in Spreaders, of which the following description. in connection with the mrcompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

The present invention relates to Spreaders which are used in rubberi'zing factories to apply a coat of waterproof or other material to websof fabric.

These spreaders usually comprise an iron frame, a steam table for expelling the solvent, brackets and take-offs for cloth in the roll, rollers for supporting and guiding the cloth, and an adjustable horizontal knife under which the cloth passes. 1 Against this knife the coatin material is fed, only a thin film of which passes under the knife with the web. The portion of the web operated upon by the knife is supported by a rubber covered roll so that the knife and roll nip the web during the application of theweb thereto. Experience has demonstrated that this nipping of the web between the knife and the web-supporting roll causes the coating material to be driven deeply into the interstices of the fabric resulting frequently in the coating material striking through thus spoiling the appearance of the uncoated face of the fabric. In spreading machines cinbodying a knife for applying the coating material to the Web considerable frictional electricity is generated which is liable to produce a spark and thus ignite the volatile solvent, resulting in damage to the fabric being treated and even in a serious explosion or fire in the rubberizing factory. Here tofore, it has been necessary to avoid the production of a spark through the use of a curtain of steam projected upon the fabric and knife. This steaming of the cloth, or the use of water in any form, injures the appearance of the cloth.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a spreader with simplitied and in'iprove'd spreading devices whereby the fabric is coated in a reliable and eflicient manner without danger of spoiling the fabric either through the penetration of the coating material therethrough or through the use of steam to neutralize the frictional electricity.

To the accomplishment of this object a feature of the present invention contemplates the provision in a spreader, of means for coating the web and means for supporting the Web for the operation of the coating means, said coating and supporting means being constructed and arranged to coat and support the Web without nipping the web and relatively movable to engage and disengage the coating device and the web.

Broadly considered, the coating and supporting means may take any form found desirable or expedient. It is preferred, however, to employ a roll for applying the coat ing material and a plurality of the rolls for supporting the web for the operation of the coating roll. The supporting rolls constitute a two-point support for the web and the spreading roll operates upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the points of support. With this construction the web is drawn across the face of the spreading roll thus insuring that the coating material will be applied to the web without liability of driving the coating material deeply into the interstices of the fabric and thus cause it to strike through to the uncoated face of the web. By drawing the web across the spreading roll while the sup ports for the web are out of web-nipping contact with the spreading roll, the genera" tion of frictional electricity is reduced to such a point that no special means need be taken to prevent fire or explosion resulting therefroi A further object of the present invention is to produce a spreader which will operate in an eflicient manner upon webs of different thicknesses.

To this end a feature of the invention contemplates the provision in a spreader, of a two-point support for a web, a coating de' vice operating upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the points of support, and means for varying the operative relation between the support and the coating device to compensate for webs of dilTerent thicknesses.

Another object of the present invention is to produce a spreader which will apply a uniform coating of predetermined thickness to the web.

To the accomplishment of this object a feature of the invention contemplates the provision, in a spreader, of a receptacle for the coating material, spreading roll for applying the coating material to a web, and a gate for determining the thickness of the coating applied to the web by the roll.

Broadly considered the receptacle, roll and gate may have any desirable arrangement; cooperating to apply the desired thickness of coating to the fabric. It is preferred, however, to mount the roll and gate so that they may be independently raised and lowered and to mount the receptacle upon the gate.

In some weaves of cloth he selvage is more tightly woven or thicker at one edge than at the other and another object of the invention is to provide means for applying a uniform thickness of coating to the fabric across the width of the web notwithstanding variations in thickness along the opposite edges of the web. To the accomplishment of this object a feature of the invention contemplates the provision, in a spreader, of means for feeding the web, and means applying a uniform thickness of coating across the width of the web notwithstanding varia tions in thickness along the opposite edges of the Web. In its broadest aspects this feature of the invention may take any form found desiralz ie or expedient. It is pre ferred to provide the spreader with means for differentially idjusting the height of the 0pposite ends of the gate. This adjustment forms an important feature of the present invention.

In using coating materials of difierent consistency it is found desirable to adjust the gate which co-operates with the spreading roll to different positions with relation to the cal radial plane of the spreading roll. instance, if heavy or thick composition is used the gate is positioned in advance of the vertical radial plane of the spreading roll. In such a case the gate acts more in nature of a knife to out the excess film from the body of the composition as it adres to the spreading roll. If a composition of medium consistency is used the gate may be positioned in substantially the vertical radial p ane the roll and in that position the gate acts as a scraper to determine the thickness of the iilm adhering to the roll. hen a thin composition is used the gate. is placed beyond the vertical radial plane of the roll wher it serves to smooth the thin composition on the roll.

Accordingly another feature of the invention contemplates the provision in a spreador, having a spreading roll and a gate, of means for adjusting the ate relatively to the vertical radial plane or the roll.

Further features of the invention contemplate the provision of simplified and improved devices for independently driving the spreading roll and the web feeding means whereby the spreading roll may be driven at a difierent peripheral speed than the speed of travel of the web and may rotate while the web is stationary; the provision of simplified and improved devices for supporting and adjusting the spreading roll, the support for the web, and the gate, and in certain devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts tending to improve and simplify the operation of spreaders and other. coating machines and enable them to operate with certainty and without liability of breakage of parts. The advantages of these devices, combinations and arrangement of parts will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

The various features of the present invention will be best understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings illustrating the best form of the invention at present devised, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a spreader for coating webs of fabric;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the front end of said machine;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation partly in section, showing the spreading devices and the path of the web of fabric therethrough and across a drying apparatus to the wind-up roll upon which the coated fabric is finally wound;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail through the receptacle which holds the coating material, the spreading roll and the supports for the fabric which support it for the operation of the spreading roll;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4; showing the supports for the web of f'a..)ric in a position in which the fabric is out of contact with the spreading roll.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a desirable form of speed change mechanism which may be utilized to move the fabric at different. predetermined speeds and which also provides means for independently rotating the spreading roll during the stoppage of the mechanism for moving the web of fabric; and

Fig. '7 is a detail, partly in section, showg the plates for adjusting the width of the receptacle which supports a mass of 1 coating material in contact with the spreading roll.

The preferred form of apparatus disclosed in the accompanying drawings comprises a frame having posts 1, 2, a (Fig. which are connected by suitable bars 5, 6 to form rigid rectangular side frames. These side frames are connected by suitable transverse girders including a. front girder 7 (Fig. 1) having a box-like extension for supporting the posts which form the head of the machine which carries the spreading mechanism. The box-like frame or girders comprise a top horizontal section 8 (Fig. 2) a vertical section 9, a lower horizontal sect on 10 and a vertical section 11. These boxhke extensions of the girder 7 are supported upon substantially Z-shaped straps one end 1.2of each of which rests upon a supplemental post or strut 13 which is secured to the side frame.

A vertical arm 14 of said Z-shaped strap extends downwardly along side of the supalemental post 13 and between it and the vertical section 9 of the girder extension. A continuation 15 of said Z-shaped member extends horizontally beneath the section 10 of said box-like extension and rests upon the post 1, the end 16 of said Z-shaped member being turned downwardly and secured to the side of said post.

The head of the machine which carries the spreading mechanism is supported upon the box-likc frame and comprises end posts 18, 1.9 (Fig. 2) made of cast iron and having bottom flanges 20, 21 bolted to the upper horizontal wall 8 of said box-like frame. The posts 18, 19 are spaced apart to provide waysfor the journal box of the spreading roll or cylinder and for the journals which carry the trunnions of the gate that co-operates with the spreading roll. The tops of the posts 18, 19 are connected by a cross girder 22 (F ig. 2) which is provided at its end with downwardly extending flanges 23 which. embrace the sides of the posts 18, 19, said girder22 being secured to said posts by suitable bolts. The framework thus described affords a convenient means for adjustably mounting the various parts of the mechanism which co-operate to spread the coating material upon the moving web of fabric so that said mechanisms can be ad justed to co-operate properly in applying either a thick or a thin coating to the moving fabric.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the web 24 (Fig. 3) of uncoated fabric is carried upon a roller 25 which is removably supported upon a squared shaft 26 (Fig. 1) which is rotatably journalled in suitable hearings in brackets 27 secured to the posts 1 of the frame. One end of the squared shaft 26 is provided with a pulley 28 over which a suitable brake strap 29 (Figs. 1 and 2) passes, said brake strap 29 being secured to the floor or any suitable support. A loop 30 slidably mounted upon the brake strap affords a convenient means for varying the effective braking power of the strap as it may be moved toward or from the pulley 28 to cause the brake strap to exert a greater or less frictional engagement with said pulley The web 24 of fabric is led from the roller 25 a ound a suitable idle roller 31 to the

operative supporting rollers

32, 33 which are spaced apart and are pivotally mounted in such a manner as to be movable toward and from the roll 34 which applies the coating material to the travelling web. The roll 34 forms a closure for a receptacle 35 which supports a mass of coating material in engagement with said roll as will be hereinafter more fully described. Upon referring to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be apparent that the

rollers

32 and 33 form a two-point support for the travelling web. This arrangement permits the spreading roll 34 to operate upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the rollers 32 and This construction permits the web to be fed at a high rate of speed through the machine without danger of the coating material being driven through the fabric and with a reduction to a minimum of the static electricity heretofore referred to. The supporting

rollers

32, 33 are carried upon arms 36 (Figs. 4 and of a rock shaft37 which may be angularly adjusted to position the supporting

rollers

32, 33 toward and from the spreading roll 34 so as to sustain the fabric in contact therewith or to permit it to be removed therefrom. The web of fabric passes over the supporting roller 33 to the drying mech anism which, as illustrated in Fig. 3 comprises a series of steam pipes 38 which serve to vaporize the solvent in the coating thence around a drum 39 mounted upon a shaft- 40 at the end of the drier and downwardly beneath the machine to the wind-up roll 41 uponwhich the dried and finished fabric is wound.

The wind-up roll 41 is removably mounted upon a squared shaft 42 (Fig. 1) which is journalled in suitable brackets 43 secured to the front posts 1 of the frame. The shaft has at one end a pulley 44 which is positively driven by a belt 45 from a pulley 46 (Fig. 2) which may be rotated in any desirable manner but preferably is driven by power transmitting mechanism which will hereinafter be described by means of which the fabric may be advanced at different speeds or its movement arrested without stopping the rotation of the spreading roll.

By the construction above described the positive rotation of the shaft 42 and the wind-up. roll 41 will draw the web of fabric off of the roll 25, across the spreading roll 34 against which it is sustained by the supporting

rollers

32, 33. By adjusting the frictional engagement of the brake strap 29 by moving the loop 30 toward or from the pulley 28 any desired tension may be imposed upon the fabric. The moving fabric may thus be sustained in contact with the spreading roll under any desired tension.

By adjusting the positions of the supporting

rollers

32, 33 relatively to the spread- &

ing roll 34 the area of contact between the moving web of fabric and the surface of the spreading roll may be adjusted at will so that the effective pressure of the spreading roll upon the web may be maintained notwithstanding the different thicknesses in the material of the webs coated by the machine.

Any suitable means may be utilized for adjusting the spreading roll at and the supporting

rollers

32 and 33. In the preferred mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings the shaft 47 (Fig. 2) of the roll is journalled in boxes 48 which are adjustably mounted in the ways provided by the adjacent edges of the post 18, 19. Straps or plates 19, 50 secured. respectively, to the posts 18, 19 and overlying the ends of the boxes serve to retain them in place in their guideways. Any suitable means may be provided for adjusting the boxes 4-8 which carry the spreading roll vertically in said ways. A preferred means which is illustrated herein comprises shafts 51 (Fig. 1) rigidly secured at their lower ends in bosses 59, the shafts 51 being screw threaded at their upper ends and engaging corresponding screw threads in rotatable nuts 53 which are provided with bevelled gear faces 54rwhich engage complementary bevelled gears 55 upon shafts 56 which are mounted in

bearings

57, 58 carried by

brackets

59, 60 extending upwardly from the girder 22. The shafts 56 are provided at their inner or adjacent ends with bevelled gears 61 which mesh with a complementary bevelled gear 62 carried by the shaft 63 of a hand wheel 64, the shaft 63 being mounted in a suitable bracket carried by the girder 22.

It will be observed that the adjusting means for both ends of the roll are identical and are both operated simultaneously by the hand wheel 64 so that the spreading roll will be adjusted vertically, without modification of the horizontal position of its axis, by the rotation of the hand wheel 64. This adjustment of the spreading roll permits it to be raised toward and from the gate of the receptacle so that a film of coating material of greater or less thickness may be taken up by the roll.

The spreading roll may be made of any desirable material, of wood or metal, or of composition and its surface may be smooth, corrugated, pitted or roughened as may be found desirable for use in connection with different kinds of coating.

In order to provide for adjusting the supporting

rollers

32, 33 toward and from the spreading roll 34 to compensate for the different thickness in the webs and also to provide means whereby the web may, if desired, be removed entirely from contact with the spreading roll an easily operable means is provided for adjusting the rock shaft 37. The prefer ed means illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises a lever 65 (Fig. 2) rigidly secured to the end of said rock shaft and having a pawl 66 pivotally secured to it adapted to engage the teeth of a sector 6'? carried by brackets 60 secured to the posts 18, 19. The pawl (36 desirably is held in contact with the ratchet by a coiled spring 69 pressing against an abutment T0 of the lever 65 and an ear 71 on said pawl, said pawl being removed from such engagement by means of a hand grip lever 72 connected by a rod 73 to the ear 71 of said pawl.

In order to provide for the adjustment of the gate which co-operates with the cylinder to determine the thickness of the film of compound transferred by the cylinder to the web of fabric, means are provided for vertically and laterally adjusting said gate and with it the receptacle for the compound.

In the preferred mechanism disclosed herein the gate is in the form of a plate 7% (Figs. 4% and 5) secured to a bar 75 which is provided at its ends with trunnions 76 which are rotatably mounted in bearings 7 7 (Fig. 2) mounted in the guidewa-ys between he posts 18 and 19 and secured therein by plates 7 8.

The gate 7c is reduced at its upper end to provide a relatively thin section 79 adapted to co-operate with the roll but of suflicient stiffness to avoid vibration during such co-operation. The bottom 80 of the compound receptacle or pan is supported upon the gate 74 preferably being provided with a down-turned end which engages and is secured to said gate by a retaining bar 81 which is screwed to said gate. Brackets secured to the bottom of the pan and also to the gate 7 1 and bar 75 further serve to form a rigid connection between the receptacle and the gate 74.

It is desirable as has heretofore been stated that the gate 74 be independently adjustable at its ends so that the thickness of the film of compound applied to the spreading roller may be varied at either end in case it should be necessary to do so because of the different thicknesses of the fabric at one edge from the other or because of a different weave in the fabric adjacent one edge from the remaining portion of the fabric. Means are therefore provided for independently adjusting the journal boxes 77 which support the bar 75 carrying the knife 7 1. The preferred mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings for accomplishing this purpose comprises shafts 82 (Fig. 1) rigidly secured in bosses 83 extending downwardly from journal boxes 77, said shafts having screw threaded end portions which engage complementary screw threads in the hubs of gears 84 which are rotatably mounted and supported in the horizontal member 8 of the box-like girder which supports the posts 18, 19.

The gears 84 mesh with complementary gears 85 upon the endsof shafts 86 which are mounted in suitable bearings in the wall 11 of the box-like girder which form the ends of the box-like structure. .I-Iand wheels 87 upon the shafts 86 serve to provide means for rotating the shafts 86 and con sequently the gears 85 and 84 to adjust the boxes 77 vertically, each of these boxes being independently adjustable, as will be seen from inspection of Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to provide for properly applying the film of coating to the spreading roll so that it will be satisfactorily transferred to the moving web of fabric it is found desirable to provide means for laterally adjusting the position of the gate so that it may be positioned in the vertical radial plane of the cylinder or obliquely thereto upon either side of said radial plane. A convenient means for accomplishing this purpose which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises arms 87 (Fig. 2) rigidly secured to the extensions 76 of the bar 75 which support thegate 74, means being provided for pivotally adjusting the arms 87. The adjusting means shown in the drawing consists of screw threaded sleeves 88 which pass through and engage complementary screw threads in lugs 89 extending upwardly from boxes 77, said .sleeves 88 being provided with hand wheels 90 (Figs. 1 and 2). The sleeves 88 abut at the ends against the arms 87 and are secured thereto by rods 91 passing axially through said sleeves and having at one end nuts 92 enga ing the rear sides of the arms 87, said rods eing also providedwith knurled nuts 93 which engage the hubs of the hand wheels. g

In order to pivotally adjust the knife therefore, it is necessary tounscrew the knurled nuts 93 sufficiently to release the clamping action of the rod 91 upon the sleeve 88, the hand wheel 90 may then be rotated to adjust the sleeve 88 until the de' sired position of the gate is obtained, whereupon the knurled nuts 93 may again be tightened to clamp the arm 87 in contact with the end of the sleeve 88 and lock it rigidly against further movement. By reason of this adjustment the gate may be positioned so as to cut a thick film of compound which adheres to the roller if the gate is positioned in advance of a plane extending through the axis of the cylinder and the pivot of said gate; or it may be adj usted to radial position when-a composition of medium thickness is used in which position it will act as a sort of a scraper in regulating the thickness of the film or the gate ma be adjusted obliquely beyond the radialp ane when a thin composition is used In order to provide for coating of fabrics of different widths the compound applying receptacle desirably is provided with adjustable end plates. The end plates, as illustrated herein and in detail in Figs. 5 and '7, comprise metallic plates 94 having circu lar recesses in their ends to conform to the surface of the spreading; cylinder, said curved surfaces being provided with facings 95 of leather or other soft material, which will not score the roller. These plates 94 desirably are secured to rods 96 which projectthrough apertures 97 in the posts 19 and are positioned adjustably toward and from said posts by nuts 98 adapted to bear upon the inner faces of said posts.

In order to prevent the coating material from travelling along the surface of the roller beyond the edges of the fabric the bottom of the receptacle 85 desirably is provided with apertures near the ends of the roll through which any material passing beyond the end plates will drop. In order to maintain the material in proper condition it is desirable that the spreading roll be constantly rotated, notwithstanding thest0ppage of the mechanism for moving the fabric. In Figs. 2 and 6 of the accompanying drawings a convenient mechanism is illustrated" which provides for independently driving the spreading roll and the mechanism for advancing the fabric, said means also including mechanism for advancing the fabric at different speeds. In the preferred driving mechanism power is applied through a driving pulley 99 (Fig. 1) which is secured upon the shaft 47 of the spreading roll. A sprocket wheel 100, also on the shaft over a sprocket wheel 102 upon a countershaft 103.

The countershaft 103 is provided with a series of gears 104, 105 and 106 (Fig. 6) of differentdiameters which are adapted to mesh, respectively, with

gears

107, 108 and 109 carried by a hub 110 which is slidably feathered upon the shaft 111 which carries the pulley 46, that drives the receiving or winding roller 41. The hub 110 which carries these gears is provided with a groove 112 into which pins 113 of a shifting lever 114 project. By moving the lever 114 any one of the gears 107 108 and 109 may be caused to mesh with its proper co-operating gear 104, 105 or 106.

The

gears

107, 108, desirably are spaced apart a sufiicient distance so that the hub may be shifted to a neutral position in which no gears will be engaged. Under such conditions the free rotation of the spreading cylinder may be maintained while the action of the mechanism which moves the fabric is arrested.

In order to provide for the positive rota tion of the wlnd-up roll 41 suitable belt tightening mechanism may be provided for maintaining a proper tension upon the belt 45 through which the pulley 44 is driven from the pulley 46. A convenient means which is illustrated herein comprises a roller 115 (Fig. 2) mounted upon a stud 116 at the end of a lever 117 which is pivoted upon a stud 11S carried by a bracket 11.9 suitably secured to the horizontal member 15 of the Z-shaped strap which supports the box-like girder. The opposite end of the lever is retained in adjusted position by a pin 120 which may be inserted in any one of a series of holes 121 in a plate 192 secured to the flange 21 of the post 19 and the horizontal section 8 of the box-like girder by a bolt 123.

It will be understood that the mechanism described herein is of an illustrative char acter and is not restrictive and that the invention mav be embodied in various other forms within the meaning and scope of the following claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. A spreader, having, in combination, a

two-point support for a web, a coating device operating upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the points of support, and a carrier for the support movable to bring the web into and out of engagement with the coating device.

7 2. A spreader, having, in combination, a two-point support for a web, a coating device operating upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the points of support, a carrier for the support, and means for moving the carrier to bring the web into and out of engagement with the coating device comprising a rock shaft for the carrier and an arm connected to the rock shaft.

3. A spreader. having, in combination, a two-point support for a web, a coating device operating upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the points of support. a carrier for the support, means for moving the carrier to bring the web into and out of engagement with the coating device comprising a rock shaft for the carrier and an arm connected to the rock shaft, and means for locking the arm comprising a stationary rack and a pawl carried by the arm 4-. A spreader. having, in combination, a two-point support for a web, a coating roll operating upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the points of support, means for feeding the web. means for rotating the coating roll, and independent means for operating the webfeeding and roll-rotating means whereby the rotation of said spreading roll may be maintained during the stoppage of the web-feeding means.

5. A, spreader, having. in combination, a two-point support for a web, a positively driven rotatable coating roll operating upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the points of support, means for feeding the web, and means for changing the speed o movement of the web relative to the speed of? rotation of the spreading roll.

6. A. spreader, having, in combination. a two-point support for a web, a rotatable coating roll operating upon the web between and out of web-nipping contact with the points of support, means for positively rotating the roll, and means for feeding the web to cause its surface to travel in the same direction the spreading roll but at a diffcrent speed.

7. A spreader, having, in combination, a receptacle for coating material inclined to cause the material to flow out one end, and a closure for the said end of the receptacle comprising a spreading roll and a gate arranged normal to the bottom of the receptacle.

8. A spreader, having, in combination, a receptacle for coating material inclined to cause the material to flow out one end, a closure for the said end of the receptacle comprising a spreading roll and a gate, and means for raising and lowering the spreading roll.

9. A spreader, having, in combination, a receptacle for coating material inclined to cause the material to flow out one end, a closure for the said end of the receptacle comprising a spreading roll and a gate arranged normal to the bottom of the receptacle, and means for raising and lowering the gate.

10. A spreader, having, in combination, a receptacle for coating material inclined to cause the material to flow out one end, a closure for the said end of the receptacle comprising a spreading roll and a gate, and independent means for raising and lowering the spreading roll and gate, respectively.

11. A spreader, having. in combination, a receptacle for coating material. a spreading roll for applying the coating material to a web, and a gate arranged normal to the bottom of the receptacle for determining the thickness of the coating applied to the web by the roll.

12. A spreader. having, in combination, a spreading roll for applying the coating material to a web. a gate for determining the thickness of the coating applied to the web by the roll. and means for adjusting the gate relative to a vertical plane radial to the spreading roll.

13. A. spreader, having, in combination, a spreading roll for applying the coating material to web, a gate for determining the thickness of the coating applied to the web by. the roll. means for adjusting the gate relative to the vertical plane radial to the spreading roll, and means for differentially adjusting the height of the opposite ends of the gate.

14. A spreader, having, in combination, a spreading roll for applying the coating material to a Web, a gate for determining the thickness of the coating applied to the Web by the roll, trunnions for the gate, journals for the trunnions, and means for angularly adjusting the trunnions in the journals.

15. A spreader, having, in combination, a spreading roll for applying the coating material to a Web, a gate for determining the thickness of the coating applied to the web by the roll, trunnions for the gate, journals for the trunnions, means for angnlarly adjusting the trunnions in the journals, and means for adjusting the height of the journals.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ANDREW THOMA.