Abstract: Apparatus for melting and dispensing thermoplastic material including a hopper for receiving solid thermoplastic material, a flow-through grid melter secured to the bottom of the hopper and a heated reservoir mounted beneath the grid melter. The reservoir has a bottom discharge opening through which molten thermoplastic material is supplied to a pump. To control the temperature of molten material supplied to the pump, there is a deflector shield over the bottom discharge opening of the reservoir. This shield has downwardly and outwardly sloping top surfaces operable to force molten material falling onto the shield to flow outwardly over the top surface of the shield and then downwardly and inwardly over the top surface of the bottom wall of the reservoir before flowing into the outlet opening of the reservoir. To input desired temperatures for the grid and reservoir into the apparatus and to read out temperature data, there is a control console mounted atop the housing of the apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus for melting and dispensing thermoplastic material including a hopper for receiving solid thermoplastic material, a flow-through grid melter secured to the bottom of the hopper and a reservoir mounted beneath the grid melter. A pump is mounted in the bottom of the reservoir and is connected to the reservoir outlet via a flow passage which contains a gate valve operable to enable the passage to be blocked and the pump removed for repair or replacement without the need to first drain the reservoir of molten material. The pump is driven by a motor which is mounted upon a pivotally supported plate such that the motor may be easily and quickly disconnected from the pump to further facilitate quick repair or replacement of the pump.