PURPOSE: To make a small-sized coater having good work efficiency, by unlinearly locating a plurality of guide rolls, each axis of which is parallel together, between an uncoiling roll and a coiling roll, and arranging a coating means and a drying means to a web passage.

CONSTITUTION: A web 1 to be coated is uncoiled from an uncoiling roll 2 located at the central position and coiled round a coiling roll 24 through guide rolls 3W10. This spirally running web 1 passes through a knife edge-type coater head 15 attached to a support stand 14, and paint located in a space defined by guide plates 16 and a knife edge 17 is applied to the web 1. The paint-applied web surface 18 is introduced into a drying duct 20 and dried, without coming in contact with other bodies.