Adjustable nozzle for coating equipment

Abstract

A fluid nozzle for use in coating a traveling web has an elongated nozzle body formed by a first rigid boxlike section having a pair of converging walls and a second less rigid section pivotally mounted on the first section. A pair of lips are mounted on the nozzle body sections and define a nozzle opening through which fluid is discharged from a fluid chamber formed within the first body section and directed against the web. One of the lips is mounted on one of the converging body walls and the other lip is mounted on a support plate forming part of the second body section for adjusting the size of the fluid discharge opening. The support plate and attached nozzle lip of the second section are pivotally moved with respect to the first section by a plurality of levers which are moved in unison by pressure actuated cylinders or by two continuous pressure actuated tubes mounted between the support plate and nozzle body. The cylinders or tubes move the pivotally mounted lip away from the other lip to increase the size of the discharge opening for cleaning the nozzle lips and return the lips to the coating position without requiring any change to the lip settings. One or more spaced adjustment wedges also may be slidably mounted between the nozzle body wall and slide plate for adjusting the size of the discharge opening while the nozzle is 'on line'. The pair of nozzle body sections are provided with mating surfaces which are clampingly engaged when in the coating position.