David John Pipkin
Engineers at Colgate Dr, Longmont, CO

4327130, Apr 27, 1982

Nov 17, 1980

6/207590

David J. Pipkin - Longmont CO

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

B05D 312

427209

Method and apparatus for coating both sides of a moving web and for independently controlling the coatings' width, thickness and uniformity of thickness along the length of the web. A moving web is supported on a backing surface. Two stationary and pliant smoothing films are positioned one adjacent each surface of the web, including the web surface which is supported by the backing surface. A coating liquid is metered to each side of the web at the confluence of the web and the two smoothing films, the respective metering rates being selected to produce a desired respective coating width. A pliant pressure generating means, in the form of a membrane holds a length of one smoothing film against the moving web with a static force whose magnitude is selected in accordance with a desired coating thickness. The relative position of the backing surface and the pressure generating means determines the length of coincidence of the moving web, coating liquid, stationary smoothing films and pressure generating means. This length is selected, by virtue of selecting a relative position, to thereby apply a high hydrodynamic force to the coating liquid for at least a critical time interval, such that slight variation of this time interval no longer produces appreciable variation in coating thickness along the length of the web, and uniformity of coating thickness is thus achieved.

4345543, Aug 24, 1982

Nov 17, 1980

6/207571

David J. Pipkin - Longmont CO

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

C05C 312, C05C 318

118106

Method and apparatus for coating a moving web and for independently controlling the coating's width, thickness and uniformity of thickness along the length of the web. A back-up roller supports the moving web on a portion of the roller's periphery. A stationary and pliant smoothing film is positioned adjacent the exposed surface of the web which is supported by the back-up roller. A coating liquid is metered to the confluence of the web and the smoothing film, the metering rate being selected to produce a desired coating width. A pliant pressure generating means, in the form of a membrane or a force web, holds a length of the smoothing film against the moving web with a static force whose magnitude is selected in accordance with a desired coating thickness. The relative position of the back-up roller and the pressure generating means determines the length of coincidence of the moving web, the coating liquid, and stationary smoothing film. This length is selected, by virtue of selecting a relative position, to apply high hydrodynamic pressure to the coating liquid for at least a critical time interval, such that slight variation of this time interval does not produce appreciable variation in coating thickness along the length of the web, and lineal uniformity of coating thickness is thus achieved.

4299186, Nov 10, 1981

Jun 26, 1980

6/163366

David J. Pipkin - Longmont CO
Donald W. Schaefer - Lakewood CO

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

B05C 104, B05C 318

118407

A method and apparatus for applying a viscous fluid to a moving substrate is disclosed. The invention includes providing a die assembly from a pair of plates which are separated by shim means to define a fluid passage. The fluid passage communicates with a fluid reservoir having an opening bounded by smooth surfaces for contacting the substrate. The supply of ink is metered to the passage. The substrate is moved in contact with the smooth surfaces and the fluid is applied thereto by the reservoir. The trailing or downstream edge of the smooth surface is formed with an acute angle. Other features are also disclosed.

4387124, Jun 7, 1983

Oct 29, 1981

6/316367

David J. Pipkin - Longmont CO

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

B05D 312, B05D 512, C05C 312, C05C 318

427356

A wide traveling web is coated on one side thereof by passing the web through a pool of non-Newtonian coating liquid. The pool is replenished by a conduit manifold having at least one inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports. The outlet ports communicate directly with the pool. The inlet port and the outlet ports are interconnected by a plurality of branching conduits. All branching conduits subject the coating liquid to substantially identical flow rheology in that the branching conduits are of substantially equal length and substantially equal fluid shear characteristic.

4142010, Feb 27, 1979

Jan 17, 1977

5/759972

David J. Pipkin - Longmont CO
Donald W. Schaefer - Lakewood CO

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

B05D 312

427355

A method and apparatus for applying a viscous fluid to a moving substrate is disclosed. The invention includes providing a die assembly formed from a pair of plates which are separated by shim means to define a fluid passage. The fluid passage communicates with a fluid reservoir having an opening bounded by smooth surfaces for contacting the substrate. The supply of ink is metered to the passage. The substrate is moved in contact with the smooth surfaces and the fluid is applied thereto by the reservoir. The trailing or downstream edge of the smooth surface is formed with an acute angle. Other features are also disclosed.

4357899, Nov 9, 1982

Nov 27, 1981

6/325243

Dennis P. Jones - Tucson AZ
David J. Pipkin - Longmont CO

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

B05C 318

118665

A wide moving web is coated on one side thereof by passing the web through an elongated pool of non-Newtonian coating liquid. The pool is contained at its opposite ends by walls or dams, these dams being spaced a distance less than the width of the web, such that the side edges of the web are not coated. The dams are constructed and arranged such that the coating liquid approaches the adjacent web edge in an amount which increases as the depth of the pool of coating liquid increases. Monitoring means view the opposite side edges of the coated web. When the coating begins to retreat toward the center of the web, pool replenishment is increased. When the coating begins to approach the edges of the web, pool replenishment is decreased. The sensor whose coating is closest to the web edge is in control of the pump. If the coating reaches an edge of the web, the coating apparatus is stopped.