Patent ID: 7754052

Claim:
A slurry feed apparatus for depositing a slurry upon a moving web having a direction of travel, comprising: a metering roll; a companion roll disposed in closely spaced relation to the metering roll to form a first nip therebetween; and a gate mounted to the slurry feed apparatus and disposed adjacent to the metering roll to form a second nip between an upper portion of the metering roll and the surface of the gate, the nip arranged for retaining a supply of the slurry, the rolls and gate being disposed generally transversely to the direction of travel of the web; a vibrator for vibrating the gate; a reciprocating slurry delivery mechanism constructed and arranged for providing slurry to the first nip; means for adjusting the nip gap between the gate and the metering roller; and means for driving the rollers so slurry retained in the nip progresses in the direction of travel of the web over an upper outer peripheral surface of the metering roll through the second nip, and then to be deposited upon the web.