Abstract Apparatus for melting and dispensing heat softenable thermoplastic material such as adhesives, including a main body portion having therein a melting chamber, an inlet passageway leading into one end of the chamber, and a discharge passageway in communication with said chamber and at the other end thereof. The melt chamber has a cross section which progressively diminishes from the inlet end toward the discharge end. The main body portion includes a collecting manifold disposed generally parallel to the melting chamber and opening into the discharge passageway, at the discharge end of the main body portion. A plurality of by-pass conduits disposed in the main body portion and operably connected between the melting chamber and manifold permit the melted thermoplastic material to exit from the melt chamber as it becomes liquefied by passing through the by-pass conduit means and further traversing the collecting manifold to be delivered to the discharge passageway at the discharge end of the melting chamber.
Apparatus for melting and dispensing heat softenable thermoplastic material comprising a main body portion having therein a melting chamber, inlet passageway means leading into one end of said chamber, and discharge passageways means in communication with the other end of said chamber, said melting chamber having a cross section which progressively diminishes from said inlet end toward said discharge end, said main body portion also having a collecting manifold disposed generally parallel to said melting chamber and opening into said discharge passageway means, said melting chamber and said manifold having a plurality of by-pass channel means operably connected therebetween and said walls of said melting chamber including a plurality of transverse collecting grooves disposed for communication at spaced intervals with said by-pass channels whereby, during the melting of said thermoplastic material as it traverses said melting chamber, melted liquefied material may exit from said chamber through said by-pass conduit channels to said collecting manifold and traverse said manifold to said discharge passageway.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
162 words
Apparatus for melting and dispensing heat softenable thermoplastic material comprising a main body portion having therein a melting chamber, inlet passageway means leading into one end of said chamber, and discharge passageways means in communication with the other end of said chamber, said melting chamber having a cross section which progressively diminishes from said inlet end toward said discharge end, said main body portion also having a collecting manifold disposed generally parallel to said melting chamber and opening into said discharge passageway means, said melting chamber and said manifold having a plurality of by-pass channel means operably connected therebetween and said walls of said melting chamber including a plurality of transverse collecting grooves disposed for communication at spaced intervals with said by-pass channels whereby, during the melting of said thermoplastic material as it traverses said melting chamber, melted liquefied material may exit from said chamber through said by-pass conduit channels to said collecting manifold and traverse said manifold to said discharge passageway.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 including a plurality of collecting manifolds disposed generally symmetrically around said melting chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said cross section of said melting chamber progressively diminishes along said melting chamber between successive by-pass conduit means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said cross section of said melting chamber between successive by-pass conduit channels remains substantially constant and wherein said cross section of said melting chamber progressively diminishes from section to section.