US4054632A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for forming hot melt adhesives into a readily packageable form
Assignee: HB Fuller Licensing and Financing Inc
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Filing: 1972-07-26
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Granted: 1977-10-18
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Expires: 1992-07-26
Abstract
Abstract An improved method for handling of materials having characteristics such that they are normally solid at room ambient temperatures and are prepared and used at elevated temperatures to transfer the form of the material to a liquid. The improved method provides for handling of the material in liquid form and extruding it as a stream or continuous flow, cooling the outer surface of the same to solidify it and severing the stream of material with the hardened exterior and liquid interior such that the individual segments severed therefrom seal themselves and form individual pillow-like segments which can be then further cooled to a hardened state and readily handled, packaged, shipped and used.
Inventors
- 👤 Willard A. Franke
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 17:54
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B63/00; B65B63/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
248 words
The method of packaging a hot melt adhesive material having normally solid characteristics which becomes liquid at elevated temperatures, comprising the steps of: a. conveying said hot melt adhesive material in the form of a molten liquid stream through a cooling medium, said hot melt adhesive having a solidification temperature in the range of 125 to 450° F. and comprising a thermoplastic synthetic resin and a substantial amount of wax, whereby said hot melt adhesive material in said form is capable of forming a semi-hard, flexible outer surface while cooling down from the molten state; said conveying through said cooling medium being containued until the outer surface of said stream is solidified by the action of said cooling medium to form a partially solidified stream comprising a solidified, semi-hard, flexible outer surface, serving as a sealing coating, enveloping the still-liquid interior; said cooling medium having a density greater than said liquid or partially solidified stream of material thus causing said liquid or partially solidified stream of material to be supported by said cooling medium; b. severing said partially solidified stream into segments by pinching said partially solidified stream between a rotary cutting means and a cushioning means, so as to form a solid envelope or casing enclosing the liquid interior of each resulting segment; c. circulating said cooling medium so as to move the resulting segments further through the cooling medium until said segments are sufficiently further solidified to be resistant to breakage of the solid envelopes thereof.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
248 words
The method of packaging a hot melt adhesive material having normally solid characteristics which becomes liquid at elevated temperatures, comprising the steps of: a. conveying said hot melt adhesive material in the form of a molten liquid stream through a cooling medium, said hot melt adhesive having a solidification temperature in the range of 125 to 450° F. and comprising a thermoplastic synthetic resin and a substantial amount of wax, whereby said hot melt adhesive material in said form is capable of forming a semi-hard, flexible outer surface while cooling down from the molten state; said conveying through said cooling medium being containued until the outer surface of said stream is solidified by the action of said cooling medium to form a partially solidified stream comprising a solidified, semi-hard, flexible outer surface, serving as a sealing coating, enveloping the still-liquid interior; said cooling medium having a density greater than said liquid or partially solidified stream of material thus causing said liquid or partially solidified stream of material to be supported by said cooling medium; b. severing said partially solidified stream into segments by pinching said partially solidified stream between a rotary cutting means and a cushioning means, so as to form a solid envelope or casing enclosing the liquid interior of each resulting segment; c. circulating said cooling medium so as to move the resulting segments further through the cooling medium until said segments are sufficiently further solidified to be resistant to breakage of the solid envelopes thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
122 words
Method according to claim 1 wherein said step (b) comprises: d. initially pinching a first portion of said partially solidified stream between a knife edge and knife-engaging compressible plastic means on said cushioning means; e. simultaneously severing and sealing said partially solidified stream at said first portion to form the first sealed end of a solid casing surrounding said liquid interior; f. initially pinching a second portion of said partially solidified stream, upstream from said first portion, in the same manner as step (d) and severing at said second portion in the same manner as step (e), thereby providing a sealed segment comprising a liquid interior and a solid outer surface coating pinched off and sealed at opposite ends of the segment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
Method according to claim 1 wherein said cutting means is a rotary cutter having knives thereon and said cushioning means is a rotatable drum having knife-engaging, compressible plastic means thereon, said rotary cutter and said rotating drum being journaled for counter-rotation to provide pinching off of said partially solidified stream between said knives and said compressible plastic means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
Method according to claim 1 wherein said material is a hot melt adhesive comprising a thermoplastic, synthetic resin, said hot melt adhesive having a solidification temperature within the range of 125°-450° F., said hot melt adhesive further comprising a wax.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
Method according to claim 1 including the final step of removing and continuously conveying the segments from the cooling medium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of packaging a material of claim 1 in which the forming of a continuous stream of the material in liquid form includes forming a plurality of streams of material with the streams being directed in liquid form into a cooling medium to solidify the same and simultaneously severing the plurality of streams of material into segments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
A hot melt adhesive article, made according to the method of claim 1, comprising a segment of adhesive having a pillow shape with pinched severed extremities in which the adhesive is solidified on the surface and on the extremities to form a container and in which the interior of the container is comprised of adhesive at an elevated temperature in liquid form.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of packaging a material of claim 1 and including the step of cooling, drying and conveying the material to a point of packaging.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of packaging a material of claim 8 in which the step of conveying and drying is affected by blowing the material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
71 words
Method according to claim 1 in which the conveying of said material through said cooling medium is carried out by maintaining said material in liquid form above its melt temperature in an elevated temperature zone, and conveying said material in liquid form from said zone into a conduit means at least partially immersed in said cooling medium, to provide a continuous liquid stream of said material with a substantially uniform dimension.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
Method according to claim 10 in which the conveying of said material from said zone into said conduit includes the step of pumping said material in liquid form through an outlet pipe.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method of claim 11 wherein heat is applied to said pump and said outlet pipe to maintain said material in liquid form.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
Method according to claim 11 in which said conveying step includes valving the flow of liquid material from the pump to maintain the continuous stream.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-10-17 | 1981-04-18 | 1981-10-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-10-17 | 1985-04-18 | 1985-10-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-10-17 | 1989-04-18 | 1989-10-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |