Abstract: A method of manufacturing a soft-cover book of the type having an opening relaxed position in which front and read cover sections may lay flat against a support surface. A collection of pages are perfect bound to form a book block having a spine which is deformable along an arc of 180.degree. without significantly affecting the bond strength of the book block. Preferably, the book block includes a thin flexible capping material across the spine and portions of the opposed sides of the book block. The book block is moved relative to a valved adhesive application station for selective extrusion of adhesive. The adhesive is extruded to form a plurality of adhesive application areas on the spine of the book block, with each application area being spaced apart from adjacent application areas by adhesive-free areas. A soft cover is then brought into contact with the adhesive application areas. Extrusion may be from an elongated outlet which intermittently applied adhesive across the width of the spine.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing hot-melt adhesive tailing in an adhesive pattern wherein material squirted or extruded from a nozzle in a desired pattern experiences tailing. The adhesive is released from a material passageway along a trajectory, with an array of gas passageways radially and symmetrically surrounding the material passageway in an inclined manner. A gradual flow of gas from the gas passageways is directed to strike the adhesive tailing, thereby urging the tailing to follow the intended deposition trajectory. Like the adhesive, the release of gas may be valved or, alternatively, the gas may be a steady flow.

Abstract: A method for applying adhesive to join two surfaces. A nozzle has a body member and a conical tip extending from an outlet face of the body member. A first pair of gas passageways is disposed on a side of the conical tip opposite a second pair of gas passageways. Each of the four gas passageways has a dispensing orifice at the outlet face of the nozzle body. The pairs of passageways are inwardly directed to project streams of gas, preferably air, parallel opposed sides of the conical tip. Thus, the streams of air converge at a distance from the outlet face beyond the apex of the conical tip. These streams of air cradle a stream of material issuing from the apex of the conical tip and cause an oscillatory asymmetric figure eight deposition of material. The deposition on a first surface has a resonant frequency and has smooth, controlled radius turns at its edges. A second surface is then brought into contact with the first surface while the adhesive is still in a fluid state.

Abstract: A method of joining surfaces involving dispensing of hot-melt adhesive onto one of the surfaces in a pattern of quasi-random dots splattered onto the surface. The dots are made by breaking a fluid stream of hot-melt adhesive into irregular globules near the tip of a nozzle. The globules are sufficiently massive to remain molten yet will travel in a directed trajectory. Coverage in a stripe pattern has a quasi-random coverage feature where there is a more than likely probability of encountering a dot along any line parallel to the stripe direction within a distance less than the width of the stripe.

Abstract: A nozzle and a method for applying adhesive to join two surfaces. The nozzle has a body member and a conical tip extending from an outlet face of the body member. A first pair of gas passageways is disposed on a side of the conical tip opposite a second pair of gas passageways. Each of the four gas passageways has a dispensing orifice at the outlet face of the nozzle body. The pairs of passageways are inwardly directed to project streams of gas, preferably air, parallel opposed sides of the conical tip. Thus, the streams of air converge at a distance from the outlet face beyond the apex of the conical tip. These streams of air cradle a stream of material issuing from the apex of the conical tip and cause an oscillatory zig-zag deposition of material. The deposition on a first surface has a resonant frequency and has smooth, controlled radius turns at its edges. A second surface is then brought into contact with the first surface while the adhesive is still in a fluid state.

Abstract: Apparatus for melting and dispensing very high viscosity material, such as butyl. A chamber with heated walls is provided with an internal conveyor and pump near the bottom wall of the chamber. The conveyor has sections which transfer rotational energy to material within the chamber, dragging high viscosity material to a pump inlet hole in the bottom wall of the chamber. Deflection plates mounted within the chamber push material down onto the conveyor, so that pump suction can be maintained. The plates also promote vertical as well as horizontal material mixing, thereby exposing new surfaces of the thermoplastic material to the heated walls of the chamber, increasing the rate of heat transfer from the walls to the material.

Abstract: Apparatus for dispensing thermoplastic material, such as hot melt glue, from a shipping container, such as a 55-gallon drum, including a heated follower and mechanism for urging the follower into the container against the surface of the thermoplastic material. A plurality of groups of conductive fins secured to the follower for transferring heat to the material so as rapidly to heat the material to a flowable condition. Each group of fins includes a plurality of parallel fins which define channels therebetween, the channels being oriented so as to afford fluid flow toward the center of the follower, a location at which the inlet of a pump is mounted in receiving relation to the heated material. The thickness of the fins and the width of the channels are established to expedite heat exchange between the heated follower and the material as well as provide a low impedance flow path for the material.