Method for applying a hot melt adhesive pattern to a moving substrate

Claim 1

In the application of a hot melt adhesive to a substrate in a pattern which includes adhesive lines that extend transversely to one another, the method of applying said hot melt adhesive in said pattern comprising, depositing one line of predetermined length of said hot melt adhesive from a stationary orifice onto said substrate while conveying said substrate past said orifice, said one line of adhesive extending parallel to the direction of movement of said substrate, and, while conveying said substrate in said direction, spraying a flat sheet of said hot melt adhesive from a stationary nozzle which presents a flat spray orifice so oriented that said flat sheet extends in a plane transverse to the direction of substrate movement, said flat sheet having lateral edges which diverge angularly as a fan as said sheet moves from said flat spray orifice toward said substrate, and terminating said spraying so quickly, in relation to the rate of substrate movement, that a transverse line of adhesive is deposited on said substrate, said transverse line having a width in the direction of substrate movement which is substantially less than its length, said transverse line extending transversely to said one line, said flat spray orifice being spaced from said substrate to establish a length of said transverse line which is substantially greater than the width of said flat spray orifice.