David A Wakefield

US Patent:

6524660, Feb 25, 2003

Filed:

Mar 5, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/799377

Inventors:

Robert R. Quiel - Penfield NY
Fernando Ramos, Jr. - Rochester NY
Daniel C. Lioy - Rochester NY
David A. Wakefield - Canandaigua NY
Mark C. Zaretsky - Rochester NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

B05D 126

US Classification:

427472, 427420, 427428

Abstract:

A coating method and apparatus are taught for coating a liquid composition onto a surface of a moving web. A coating hopper for delivering the liquid composition to the surface of the moving web is provided with a rotatable backing roller. The moving web is wrapped around a portion of the rotatable backing roller with the rotatable backing roller supporting the moving web through a dynamic wetting line. The rotatable backing roller includes a plurality of circumferential grooves therein at a groove pitch of at least two per millimeter. An electrostatic field generated across the gap between the moving web and the liquid composition immediately prior to the dynamic wetting line. The method and apparatus permit either coating at a higher speed or higher viscosity than may be achieved in the prior art, or greatly reduced groove line nonuniformity at a given coating speed and viscosity.

US Patent:

6866715, Mar 15, 2005

Filed:

Jan 27, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/765555

Inventors:

Kenneth J. Ruschak - Rochester NY, US
Rukmini B. Lobo - Rochester NY, US
Jess A. Anderson - Windsor CO, US
Richard A. Gilkey - Greeley CO, US
David A. Wakefield - Canandaigua NY, US

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

B05C001/08

US Classification:

118211, 118212, 118244, 118256, 118 63, 101157, 101169

Abstract:

A method and apparatus is disclosed for gravure coating a liquid reactive with the atmosphere onto a web. The gravure apparatus comprises an engraved gravure cylinder, an impression roller backing the web and pressing it onto the gravure cylinder to form a nip, a curtain or jet formation means to wet the surface of the gravure cylinder, and a doctor blade means for wiping excess coating liquid from the surface of the gravure cylinder prior to the nip. A shroud encompassing the gravure cylinder and the curtain or jet formation means creates a first zone between the nip and a partitioning baffle extending from the shroud, a second zone between the partitioning baffle and the doctor blade means, and a third zone between the doctor blade means and the nip. A gas non-reactive with the coating liquid is supplied to each zone by a gas distribution means such that the reaction rate of the coating liquid with the atmosphere is greatly reduced and the curtain or jet is not disrupted. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the gravure apparatus and shroud are enclosed by solid walls and doors.

US Patent:

7449216, Nov 11, 2008

Filed:

Nov 12, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/988242

Inventors:

Rukmini B. Lobo - Rochester NY, US
James P. Heetderks - Webster NY, US
David A. Wakefield - Canandaigua NY, US
Roger D. Beam - Albion NY, US
Mikel S. Hill - Honeoye Falls NY, US
Alan R. Bentz - Bergen NY, US
Charles S. Christ - Rochester NY, US
Ralph P. Schultz - Pittsford NY, US

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

B05D 1/26

US Classification:

427256, 427288, 42742806

Abstract:

A gravure method for applying a discrete patch () of uniform coating to a moving web () includes defining a nip area () between a gravure roller () and a backing roller (), moving the gravure roller to the nip to a precise lengthwise location on the web, and moving the gravure roller from the nip. The method is improved by controlling the speed of movement of the gravure roller to the nip, and controlling the speed of movement of the gravure roller from the nip thereby producing a discrete patch.

US Patent:

20050163934, Jul 28, 2005

Filed:

Nov 24, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/998272

Inventors:

Kenneth Ruschak - Rochester NY, US
Rukmini Lobo - Rochester NY, US
Jess Anderson - Windsor CO, US
Richard Gilkey - Greeley CO, US
David Wakefield - Canandaigua NY, US

International Classification:

B05D001/30

US Classification:

427420000, 118211000

Abstract:

A method and apparatus is disclosed for gravure coating a liquid reactive with the atmosphere onto a web. The gravure apparatus comprises an engraved gravure cylinder, an impression roller backing the web and pressing it onto the gravure cylinder to form a nip, a curtain or jet formation means to wet the surface of the gravure cylinder, and a doctor blade means for wiping excess coating liquid from the surface of the gravure cylinder prior to the nip. A shroud encompassing the gravure cylinder and the curtain or jet formation means creates a first zone between the nip and a partitioning baffle extending from the shroud, a second zone between the partitioning baffle and the doctor blade means, and a third zone between the doctor blade means and the nip. A gas non-reactive with the coating liquid is supplied to each zone by a gas distribution means such that the reaction rate of the coating liquid with the atmosphere is greatly reduced and the curtain or jet is not disrupted. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the gravure apparatus and shroud are enclosed by solid walls and doors.

US Patent:

58856609, Mar 23, 1999

Filed:

Jan 22, 1998

Appl. No.:

/010671

Inventors:

Kenneth J. Ruschak - Rochester NY
Rukmini B. Lobo - Webster NY
Barry A. Fitzgerald - Holley NY
Richard A. Gilkey - Greeley CO
David A. Wakefield - Canandaigua NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

B05D 130
B05C 500

US Classification:

427420

Abstract:

An apparatus for coating surfaces consists of a basin, open to the atmosphere, divided into two channels by a wall running perpendicular to the coating direction. Liquid is supplied to the primary channel, the channel farther from the curtain. A continuous, adjustable gap between the dividing wall and the bottom of the basin offers resistance to flow but passes the coating composition from the primary to the secondary channel. The secondary channel has an edge that is horizontal and relatively low so that the coating composition overflows it to form a free-falling curtain. The dividing wall, by providing flow resistance, assists in distributing the supplied coating composition along the length of the primary channel, and reduces any flow disturbances caused by the entering coating composition. The secondary channel promotes additional evening of the flow distribution before the curtain forms.

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.

US Patent:

61172367, Sep 12, 2000

Filed:

Mar 18, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/040868

Inventors:

Kenneth J. Ruschak - Rochester NY
Jeffrey K. Kroon - Rochester NY
David A. Wakefield - Canandaigua NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

B05C 500
B05D 130
B05D 136
B05D 724

US Classification:

118300

Abstract:

An inexpensive and versatile method for creating a curtain of continuously adjustable width for the purpose of coating portions of a receiving surface to form one or more layers of coating composition comprises a distributor which has a horizontal lip from which the layers detach to form a free-falling curtain. A trough adjacent and below the lip is provided to intercept and divert some portion of the curtain and an edge guide is provided to maintain the width of the remaining portion of the free-falling curtain.