Apparatus for dispensing adhesive

Claim 1

A VALVE APPARATUS COMPRISING: A NOZZLE HAVING A PASSAGE THEREIN AND AN OUTLET ORIFICE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGE; A VALVE MEMBER CONTAINED WITHIN SAID NOZZLE PASSAGE FOR MOVEMENT THEREIN BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID VALVE MEMBER IS REMOTE FROM SAID OUTLET ORIFICE AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID VALVE MEMBER IS IN OBSTRUCTING RELATION WITH SAID OUTLET ORIFICE; MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID VALVE MEMBER ALONG SAID PASSAGE IN A PATH THAT IS IN PARALLELING RELATIONSHIP TO AXIS OF SAID NOZZLE PASSAGE, SAID GUIDE MEANS BEING EFFECTIVE TO SO GUIDE SAID VALVE MEMBER DURING THE ENTIRE RANGE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE MEMBER BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS; A VALVE STEM LOCATED WITHIN SAID NOZZLE PASSAGE; MEANS PROVIDING A NON-RIGID CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID VALVE MEMBER AND SAID VALVE STEM TO EFFECT SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE MEMBER AND TO AS TO PERMIT A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MOTION BETWEEN SAID VALVE MEMBER AND VALVE STEM;