Thermoplastic material conveyance and handling process

Claim 2

Thermoplastic material conveyance structure, comprising a base, means mounting the base for ground-traversing movement, means including insulated walls defining a reservoir carried by the base for holding thermoplastic material, heat-generating means carried by the base, first heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heatgenerating means to thermoplastic material in the reservoir, dispensing means for dispensing molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir, the dispensing means including meter means for measuring the amount of molten thermoplastic material dispensed from the reservoir, and second heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heatgenerating means to the meter means to prevent hardening of thermoplastic material in the meter means.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1, including drain means for draining molten thermoplastic material from the meter means upon termination of dispensing.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 1, including recirculating means for recirculating molten theremoplastic material in the reservoir, pumping means for molten thermoplastic material in the reservoir, and means including valve means for selectively communicating the meter means and the recirculating means with the pumping means.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 1, the first heat transfer means including a hot fluid tube in heat exchange relationship with the reservoir, the second heat transfer means including a housing enclosing the meter means, and duct means communicating the hot fluid tube with the housing.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 4, the heat-generating means including a burner, the burner discharging hot, gaseous products of combustion into the hot fluid tube.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 1, the first heat transfer means including a hot fluid tube in heat exchange relationship with the reservoir, the second heat transfer means including a housing enclosing the meter means, the housing being in heat exchange relationship with the reservoir.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 1, the meter means having input and output sides, and including first drain means for draining molten thermoplastic material from the meter means input side upon termination of dispensing, and second drain means for draining molten thermoplastic material from the meter means output side upon termination of dispensing.

Claim 9

Thermoplastic material conveyancE structure, comprising a base, means mounting the base for ground-traversing movement, means including insulated walls defining a reservoir carried by the base for holding thermoplastic material, heat-generating means carried by the base, heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heat-generating means to thermoplastic material in the reservoir, dispensing means for dispensing molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir, the dispensing means including meter means for measuring the amount of molten thermoplastic material dispensed from the reservoir, and drain means for draining molten thermoplastic material from the meter means upon termination of dispensing, the drain means including trap means for trapping molten thermoplastic material to prevent fume access to the meter means.

Claim 10

Thermoplastic material conveyancE structure, comprising a base, means mounting the base for ground-traversing movement, means including insulated walls defining a reservoir carried by the base for holding thermoplastic material, heat-generating means carried by the base, heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heat-generating means to thermoplastic material in the reservoir, dispensing means for dispensing molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir, the dispensing means including meter means for measuring the amount of molten thermoplastic material dispensed from the reservoir, and drain means for draining molten thermoplastic material from the meter means upon termination of dispensing, the drain means including trap means for trapping molten thermoplastic material to prevent fume access to the meter means.

Claim 11

Thermoplastic material conveyance structure, comprising a base, means mounting the base for ground-traversing movement, means including insulated walls defining a reservoir carried by the base for holding thermoplastic material, heat-generating means carried by the base, heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heat-generating means to thermoplastic material in the reservoir, dispensing means for dispensing molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir, the dispensing means including meter means for measuring the amount of molten thermoplastic material dispensed from the reservoir, the meter means having input and output sides, recirculating means for recirculating molten thermoplastic material in the reservoir, pumping means for molten thermoplastic material in the reservoir, means including valve means for selectively communicating the meter means and the recirculating means with the pumping means, and drain means for draining molten thermoplastic material from the meter means input side upon termination of dispensing, the drain means including trap means for trapping molten thermoplastic material to prevent fume access to the meter means, the valve means communicating the meter means with the trap means when communicating the pumping means with the recirculating means.

Claim 12

Thermoplastic material conveyance structure, comprising a base, means mounting the base for ground-traversing movement, means including insulated walls defining a reservoir carried by the base for holding thermoplastic material, heat-generating means carried by the base, heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heat-generating means to thermoplastic material in the reservoir, dispensing means for dispensing molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir, the dispensing means including meter means for measuring the amount of molten thermoplastic material dispensed from the reservoir, the meter means having input and output sides, recirculating means for recirculating molten thermoplastic material in the reservoir, pumping means for molten thermoplastic material in the reservoir, means including valve means for selectively communicating the meter means and the recirculating means with the pumping means, and drain means for draining molten thermoplastic material from the meter means input side upon termination of dispensing, the drain means including trap means for trapping molten thermoplastic material to prevent fume access to the meter means, the valve means communicating the meter means with the trap means when communicating the pumping means with the recirculating means.

Claim 13

The structure of claim 9, the recirculating means, the valve means, and the trap means being located within the reservoir.

Claim 14

The structure of claim 9, including second drain means for draining molten thermoplastic material from the meter means output side upon termination of dispensing.

Claim 15

The structure of claim 11, the dispensing means including dispensing conduit means communicating with the meter means output side, the second drain means including drain conduit means communicating with the dispensing conduit means and with the reservoir, and second valve means for opening and closing the drain conduit means to flow to molten thermoplastic material.

Claim 16

The structure of claim 9, including a single output conduit for the pumping means, and a single input conduit for the meter means, the valve means including twin valves, each valve communicating with the pumping means output conduit and with the meter means input conduit, the recirculating means including twin recirculating conduits, each recirculating conduit communicating with one of the valves and with the reservoir, the trap means including twin trap conduits, each trap conduit communicating with one of the valves and with the reservoir.

Claim 17

The structure of claim 13, including means for simultaneously operating the twin valves to selectively communicate the meter means and the reciculating means with the pumping means.

Claim 18

Asphalt handling process, comprising providing a conveyance having an insulated reservoir for holding molten asphalt, supplying molten asphalt to the reservoir, heating molten asphalt in the reservoir to maintain the asphalt in molten condition, transporting the molten asphalt sequentially to a plurality of job sites, pumping a quantity of molten asphalt from the reservoir into a container at each job site, metering the quantity of molten asphalt pumped from the reservoir at each job site, the step of metering the molten asphalt being performed with aid of meter means, and heating the meter means to prevent hardening of molten asphalt in the meter means.

Claim 19

Asphalt handling process, comprising providing a conveyance having an insulated reservoir for holding molten asphalt, supplying molten asphalt to the reservoir, heating molten asphalt in the reservoir to maintain the asphalt in molten condition, transporting the molten asphalt sequentially to a plurality of job sites, pumping a quantity of molten asphalt from the reservoir into a container at each job site, metering the quantity of molten asphalt pumped from the reservoir at each job site, the step of metering the molten asphalt being performed with aid of meter means, and heating the meter means to prevent hardening of molten asphalt in the meter means.

Claim 20

The process of claim 15, including the step of draining molten asphalt from the meter means upon completion of the step of pumping a quantity of molten asphalt into the container at each job site.

Claim 21

The process of claim 15, the step of heating the molten asphalt in the reservoir including passing hot, gaseous products of combustion in heat exchange relationship with molten asphalt in the reservoir, the step of heating the meter means including passing hot, gaseous products of combustion in heat exchange relationship with the meter means.

Claim 22

The process of claim 15, the step of heating the meter means including heat exchanging hot fluids in the reservoir with the meter means.

Claim 23

Thermoplastic material handling process, comprising providing a conveyance having an insulated reservoir for holding molten thermoplastic material, supplying molten thermoplastic material to the reservoir, heating molten thermoplastic material in the reservoir to maintain the thermoplastic material in molten condition, transporting the molten thermoplastic material sequentially to a plurality of job sites, pumping a quantity of molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir into a container at each job site, metering the quantity of molten thermoplastic material pumped from the reservoir at each job site, the step of metering the molten thermoplastic material being performed with aid of meter means, and heating the meter means to prevent hardening of molten thermoplastic material in the meter means.

Claim 24

Thermoplastic material handling process, comprising providing a conveyance having an insulated reservoir for holding molten thermoplastic material, supplying molten thermoplastic material to the reservoir, heating molten thermoplastic material in the reservoir to maintain the thermoplastic material in molten condition, transporting the molten thermoplastic material sequentially to a plurality of job sites, pumping a quantity of molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir into a container at each job site, metering the quantity of molten thermoplastic material pumped from the reservoir at each job site, the step of metering the molten thermoplastic material being performed with aid of meter means, and heating the meter means to prevent hardening of molten thermoplastic material in the meter means.

Claim 25

Thermoplastic material conveyance structure, comprising a base, means mounting the base for ground-traversing movement, means including insulated walls defining a reservoir carried by the base for holding thermoplastic material, heat-generating means carried by the base, dispensing means for dispensing molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir, the dispensing means including meter means for measuring the amount of molten thermoplastic material dispensed from the reservoir, and heat exchange means for transferring heat from the heat-generating means to thermoplastic material in the reservoir and to the meter means to prevent hardening of thermoplastic material in the reservoir and in the meter means.

Claim 26

Thermoplastic material conveyance structure, comprising a base, means mounting the base for ground-traversing movement, means including insulated walls defining a reservoir carried by the base for holding thermoplastic material, heat-generating means carried by the base, dispensing means for dispensing molten thermoplastic material from the reservoir, the dispensing means including meter means for measuring the amount of molten thermoplastic material dispensed from the reservoir, and heat exchange means for transferring heat from the heat-generating means to thermoplastic material in the reservoir and to the meter means to prevent hardening of thermoplastic material in the reservoir and in the meter means.

Claim 27

The structure of claim 20, the heat exchange means including first and second heat transfer means, the first heat transfer means including a hot fluid tube in heat exchange relationship with the reservior, the second heat transfer means including a housing enclosing the meter means, and duct means communicating the hot fluid tube with the housing.

Claim 28

The structure of claim 20, the heat exchange means including first and second heat transfer means, the first heat transfer means including a hot fluid tube in heat exchange relationship with the reservoir, the second heat transfer means including a housing enclosing the meter means, the housing being in heat exchange relationship with the reservoir.