Patent ID: 7980446

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a solder reservoir; and a portion of compliant material, said portion comprising four walls defining a slot, said slot having a relatively large cross-section end in fluid communication with said solder reservoir, said slot having a relatively small cross-section end opposed to said relatively large cross-section end, said slot having a generally elongate rectangular shape when viewed in plan, with: a length perpendicular to a scan direction, a width, parallel to said scan direction, associated with said relatively large cross section end, and a width, parallel to said scan direction, associated with said relatively small cross section end, said slot being configured in said portion of compliant material such that said relatively small cross-section end of said slot normally remains substantially closed, but transitions to sufficiently open to dispense solder from said reservoir when a pressure from a workpiece substantially decreases while said slot is under fluid pressure, wherein said apparatus further comprises a dross-removing knife disposed for vertical motion in said slot.