Daniel B Suter

US Patent:

6350318, Feb 26, 2002

Filed:

Dec 17, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/213795

Inventors:

Kenneth J. Ruschak - Rochester NY
Daniel J. Suter - Penfield NY
Steven J. Weinstein - Fairport NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

B05C 500

US Classification:

118411, 118DIG 4

Abstract:

A versatile, multiple-slot, dual cavity, slide/extrusion hopper for assembling and coating a composite layer comprising a plurality of highly uniform, superposed compositions, and a method for determining the dimensions of the hopper are disclosed. The hopper is suitable for photographic applications and other applications requiring highly uniform layers. The hopper is versatile in that it can accommodate coating compositions that range from Newtonian to substantially shear thinning and in that fewer than the total number of elements may be supplied; the slide offsets between elements are suitable for both merging layers and for the top layer alone. The height of the secondary slot is preferably greater than the height of the primary slot. The method provides optimal cross-sectional shapes for the cavities. Versatility is achieved without greatly increasing the height or thickness of the elements.

US Patent:

6051065, Apr 18, 2000

Filed:

Sep 9, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/150415

Inventors:

David A. Wakefield - Canandaigua NY
Daniel J. Suter - Penfield NY
Douglas S. Finnicum - Webster NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

B05C 302

US Classification:

118410

Abstract:

A hopper bar having a longitudinal channel formed in the portion of the bar which normally would support a coating lip wherein a wall of the channel is a precision cylindrical locating pin, and has a replaceable hopper lip element, formed to fit within the channel, is provided with a precision round bushing for receiving the locating pin such that upon assembly of the element to the hopper there is no offset significant to the coating process between the slide surface of the hopper bar and the slide surface of the lip element. The lip element may be attached to the hopper wall along the remainder of their mutual length by either bolts or magnets to permit independent longitudinal thermal expansion of the hopper bar and lip element.