Abstract: A melter of a fluid delivery device includes a loading chamber, a hopper disposed beneath the loading chamber and connected to the loading chamber, and a positioning device disposed in the hopper extending to a first height from a bottom of the hopper. The positioning device is configured to penetrate an adhesive slug received in the hopper from the loading chamber. The positioning device may be formed as a rod having a proximal end and a distal end extending to the first height.

Abstract: A fluid delivery device is provided. The fluid delivery device includes a melter having a loading chamber and a hopper disposed in communication with the loading chamber, the loading chamber having one or more heating elements. The hopper includes a second heating element. The melter also includes a container handling system for lifting a container a predetermined height and moving the container from a position remote of the melter to a position within the loading chamber. The container includes contents stored within. The heating elements heat the contents so that the contents may be received in the hopper. The hopper may continue to heat the contents to provide a fluid. The fluid may be discharged from the hopper by way of a pump assembly. A pressure of fluid may be regulated at the pump assembly.

Abstract: A new and improved hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing system comprises two separate and independent rotary gear-type metering pumps with two separate and independent supply sources and fluid supply passageways, or two separate and independent sets of rotary gear-type metering pumps with two separate and independent supply sources and fluid supply passageways, which are able to independently output precisely metered amounts of the hot melt adhesive materials simultaneously onto a particularly substrate through suitable output devices so as to result in a multitude of different hot melt adhesive patterns and at different locations.

Abstract: A dispensing system for dispensing fluid onto a substrate includes a manifold having internal passageways for fluid flow and one or more driving gears, a drive arm mounted on the manifold, the drive arm movable between first and second positions, and having a drive motor configured to drive the one or more drive gears. The system further includes one or more pump assemblies mounted on a top surface of the manifold, each pump assembly formed as a rotary gear pump having a gear train including two gears. One of the gears is disposed in meshed relationship with a respective drive gear of the one or more drive gears. The system also includes a filter block for filtering the fluid, one or more nozzles for dispensing the fluid onto the substrate, an applicator or nozzle adapter, and one or more valve assemblies for controlling flow of the fluid to the one or more nozzles.

Abstract: A melter of a fluid delivery device includes a loading chamber, a hopper disposed beneath the loading chamber and connected to the loading chamber, and a positioning device disposed in the hopper extending to a first height from a bottom of the hopper. The positioning device is configured to penetrate an adhesive slug received in the hopper from the loading chamber. The positioning device may be formed as a rod having a proximal end and a distal end extending to the first height.

Abstract: A method of making an article having a substrate and two materials applied thereto includes providing a metered fluid dispensing system having first and second supply sources for supplying first and second fluids, respectively, an output device having at least one dispensing nozzle, and at least two pumps for pumping the first and second fluids from their respective supply sources to the at least one dispensing nozzle, the pumps being in close proximity to the dispensing nozzle. The dispensing system is configured to selectively control the passage of the first and second fluids from each one of the at least two pumps to the at least one dispensing nozzle.

Abstract: A dispensing system for dispensing fluid onto a substrate includes a manifold having internal passageways for fluid flow and one or more driving gears, a drive arm mounted on the manifold, the drive arm movable between first and second positions, and having a drive motor configured to drive the one or more drive gears. The system further includes one or more pump assemblies mounted on a top surface of the manifold, each pump assembly formed as a rotary gear pump having a gear train including two gears. One of the gears is disposed in meshed relationship with a respective drive gear of the one or more drive gears. The system also includes a filter block for filtering the fluid, one or more nozzles for dispensing the fluid onto the substrate, an applicator or nozzle adapter, and one or more valve assemblies for controlling flow of the fluid to the one or more nozzles.

Abstract: A foam heat exchanger, for use in connection with hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing applicators, comprises a foam having an open cell reticulated foam structure. Due to the open cell reticulated structure of the foam, the surface area of the foam heat exchanger, with which the air comes into contact, is significantly increased. In addition, the open cell reticulated structure of the foam heat exchanger will also cause the air flow to experience resistance and turbulence so as to in turn enhance the heating efficiency of the heat exchanger, through means of enhanced thermal energy transfer from the heat exchanger to the processed air stream, whereby a significantly larger volume of air can be heated as compared to a conventional heat exchanger of similar size.

Abstract: A dual, variable volume hot melt adhesive dispensing nozzle or die assembly is provided with a pair of choke slots within a first fluid control plate. The provision of the choke slots within the first fluid control plate effectively restricts and retards the flow of the fluid through such choke slots whereby volumes of the fluids are effectively built up and stored upstream of the choke slots so as to effectively delay the reaction of pressure spikes upon the fluid flows under both positive and negative conditions. This buildup in pressure and volume is then dispensed over time so as to cause the fluid flow to smoothly transition between positive and negative spiked fluid flow conditions and normal fluid flow conditions. Accordingly, the pressure spikes do not adversely affect the resulting fluid flows whereby, for example, under conventional negative pressure spike conditions, gaps in the dispensed hot melt adhesive would otherwise occur.

Abstract: A fluid application device for applying fluid to a strand of material, a slot die applicator and a guide form for the fluid application device are provided. The fluid application device includes an applicator head and a slot die applicator secured to the applicator head configured to discharge the fluid onto the strand of material. The slot die applicator includes the guide form. The guide form includes a guide slot configured to receive the strand of material. The guide slot includes a strand inlet, a strand outlet and a positioning section between the strand inlet and strand outlet. A transverse dimension of the positioning section decreases along a direction from the strand inlet to the strand outlet.

Abstract: A hot melt adhesive material dispensing system comprises two separate and independent rotary, gear-type metering pumps, or two separate and independent sets of pumps, which are able to output precisely metered amounts of hot melt adhesive material. The hot melt adhesive materials discharged are able to be independently outputted through suitable output devices onto a substrate to result in different outputted volumes of the hot melt adhesive material in accordance with predeterminedly desired patterns, or at predeterminedly desired locations. The hot melt adhesive materials may also have their volumetric outputs combined such that the discharged or outputted volumes of the hot melt adhesive material onto the substrate may be, for example, twice the outputted volumes of the hot melt adhesive outputted onto the substrate from only one of the two pumps, or from only one of the two pumps.

Abstract: A fluid delivery device is provided. The fluid delivery device includes a melter having a loading chamber and a hopper disposed in communication with the loading chamber, the loading chamber having one or more heating elements. The hopper includes a second heating element. The melter also includes a container handling system for lifting a container a predetermined height and moving the container from a position remote of the melter to a position within the loading chamber. The container includes contents stored within. The heating elements heat the contents so that the contents may be received in the hopper. The hopper may continue to heat the contents to provide a fluid. The fluid may be discharged from the hopper by way of a pump assembly. A pressure of fluid may be regulated at the pump assembly.

Abstract: A metering pump or segment, and a metering pump assembly comprising a plurality of the metering pumps or segments, are disclosed. The drive shaft assembly for driving the pump gears of each metering pump or segment is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the pump or segment, as is the fluid inlet. The single drive shaft assembly is utilized to drive all of the metering pumps or segments comprising the metering pump assembly, and the different metering pumps or segments are fluidically connected together by means of a common fluid passageway. In addition, the different metering pumps or segments can be interchanged or exchanged so as to permit different metered fluid output volumes to be outputted at different predetermined locations, and the dispensing volumes can also be added together.

Abstract: A dual, variable volume hot melt adhesive dispensing nozzle or die assembly is provided with a pair of choke slots within a first fluid control plate. The provision of the choke slots within the first fluid control plate effectively restricts and retards the flow of the fluid through such choke slots whereby volumes of the fluids are effectively built up and stored upstream of the choke slots so as to effectively delay the reaction of pressure spikes upon the fluid flows under both positive and negative conditions. This buildup in pressure and volume is then dispensed over time so as to cause the fluid flow to smoothly transition between positive and negative spiked fluid flow conditions and normal fluid flow conditions. Accordingly, the pressure spikes do not adversely affect the resulting fluid flows whereby, for example, under conventional negative pressure spike conditions, gaps in the dispensed hot melt adhesive would otherwise occur.

Abstract: A foam heat exchanger, for use in connection with hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing applicators, comprises a foam having an open cell reticulated foam structure. Due to the open cell reticulated structure of the foam, the surface area of the foam heat exchanger, with which the air comes into contact, is significantly increased. In addition, the open cell reticulated structure of the foam heat exchanger will also cause the air flow to experience resistance and turbulence so as to in turn enhance the heating efficiency of the heat exchanger, through means of enhanced thermal energy transfer from the heat exchanger to the processed air stream, whereby a significantly larger volume of air can be heated as compared to a conventional heat exchanger of similar size.

Abstract: A hot melt adhesive material dispensing system comprises two separate and independent rotary, gear-type metering pumps, or two separate and independent sets of pumps, which are able to output precisely metered amounts of hot melt adhesive material. The hot melt adhesive materials discharged are able to be independently outputted through suitable output devices onto a substrate to result in different outputted volumes of the hot melt adhesive material in accordance with predeterminedly desired patterns, or at predeterminedly desired locations. The hot melt adhesive materials may also have their volumetric outputs combined such that the discharged or outputted volumes of the hot melt adhesive material onto the substrate may be, for example, twice the outputted volumes of the hot melt adhesive outputted onto the substrate from only one of the two pumps, or from only one of the two pumps.

Abstract: A hot melt adhesive metering pump assembly, and an integral reservoir tank fluidically connected thereto and the hot melt adhesive metering pump assembly comprises a plurality of rotary, gear-type metering pumps which are arranged in a compact, longitudinally spaced manner upon a drive gear manifold. All of the driven gears of pumps are respectively driven by manifold pump drive gears which are rotatably mounted upon a common motor-driven rotary drive shaft rotatably disposed within the drive gear manifold, and a first side wall member of a base portion of the reservoir tank is integrally connected to a side wall portion of the drive gear manifold, while a second side wall member of the base portion of the reservoir tank is provided with a plurality of hose connections to which hot melt adhesive delivery hoses are to be connected so as to respectively convey the precisely metered amounts of the hot melt adhesive material toward the applicator heads.

Abstract: A new and improved hot melt adhesive material dispensing system comprises two separate and independent rotary, gear-type metering pumps, or two separate and independent sets of rotary, gear-type metering pumps, which are able to output precisely metered amounts of hot melt adhesive material. The hot melt adhesive materials discharged from the two separate and independent rotary gear pumps, or from the two separate and independent sets of rotary gear pumps, are able to in fact be independently outputted through suitable output devices onto a particular substrate so as to result in different outputted volumes of the hot melt adhesive material in accordance with predeterminedly desired patterns, or at predeterminedly desired locations.

Abstract: A method of making an article having a substrate and a material applied thereto includes providing a metered fluid dispensing system having a supply of fluid to be dispensed, an output device having at least one dispensing nozzle, at least two pumps for pumping fluid from the supply to the at least one dispensing nozzle. The pumps are in close proximity to the dispensing nozzle. Output supply passageways interconnect the pumps and the dispensing nozzle, and flow control elements selectively control the passage of the fluid from the pumps to the nozzle. The substrate is conveyed past the fluid dispensing system in a machine direction and fluid is applied to the substrate in a plurality of segments. Each segment has a volume per unit length and is applied in a length in the machine direction to define a pattern.

Abstract: A hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material metering system has different output assemblies interchangeably mounted thereon in a modular manner. In this manner, if it is desired to effectively convert a particular metering system from one type of metering system to another type of metering system, a particular output assembly can be exchanged for a different output assembly. In addition, if a particular output assembly needs to be replaced or repaired, the particular output assembly can be simply removed and a new similar output assembly can be simply installed.