Patent ID: 7849813

Claim:
An apparatus for applying a liquid to a web moving in a predetermined web-travel direction, the apparatus comprising: an applicator element having a surface extending transverse to the direction and positioned to contact the moving web; means for applying the liquid to the surface such that the liquid is transferred to the moving web where the moving web contacts the surface; a support spaced in the web-travel direction from the applicator element; a plurality of guides on the support extending transverse to the web-travel direction, at least some of the guides overlapping others of the guides transverse to the web-travel direction, each of the guides being offset in the direction from at least one of the adjacent guides; respective clips slidable in the guides transverse to the direction and each movable transversely past an adjacent clip to a position overlapping the adjacent clip in the direction without colliding therewith; respective shields having upstream ends secured in the clips, the shields extending between the web and the surface, whereby where the shields extend between the moving web and the surface there is generally no transfer of the liquid from the surface to the moving web; and respective adjusters connected to the clips for shifting the clips in the respective guides and thereby shifting the shields between positions spaced from one another to positions at least partially overlapping one another.