a catch pan apparatus for starting and stopping coating is disclosed for coating a downwardly moving receiving surface by curtain coating . the catch pan device includes an intercepting pan that intercepts the curtain when coating is stopped and a substantially horizontal intercepting surface that intercepts the curtain only when the catch pan moves to start or stop coating . the intercepting pan and horizontal intercepting surface intersect to create a volume that retains in the catch pan excess liquids that would otherwise spill onto the coating receiving surface as the catch pan is retracted to a non - intercepting position . the catch pan is controllably retracted at high speed through the curtain using linear servomotors such that the releasing edge of the horizontal intercepting surface passes close to the coating receiving surface at the point of curtain release . flushed edge guides maintaining curtain width are positioned outside the lateral edges of the catch pan . the lateral edges of the intercepting pan have side walls that intercept edge portions of the curtain . the side walls project outward and upward and terminate with horizontal severing edges spaced closely to the edge guides . edge portions of the curtain are thereby directed partly onto the intercepting pan and partly onto the edge guides for evacuation by the edge guide suction removal means .