Device and method for applying adhesive to materials such as strands

A device for dispensing a liquid adhesive to materials used in the manufacture of nonwoven products, comprising:

• a valve body including an adhesive input passage including a valve mechanism operative to selectively allow and prevent adhesive flow through said adhesive input passage,
• a nozzle body coupled to said valve body, said nozzle body having a liquid supply passage in fluid communication with said adhesive input passage to selectively receive the adhesive flow and a first liquid discharge orifice in fluid communication with said liquid supply passage, said first liquid discharge orifice extending along a first axis and configured to discharge a first bead of the adhesive,
• first and second pattern air discharge orifices in said nozzle body and associated with said first liquid discharge orifice, said first and second pattern air discharge orifices arranged 180° apart on opposite sides of said first liquid discharge orifice and configured to direct pressurized pattern air at the first bead of adhesive discharged through said first liquid discharge orifice thereby vacillating the first bead of adhesive back and forth in a vacillation plane containing the first and second pattern air discharge orifices, and
• first and second cleaning and stabilizing air discharge orifices in said nozzle body and associated with said first liquid discharge orifice, said first and second cleaning and stabilizing air discharge orifices arranged 180° apart on opposite sides of said first liquid discharge orifice and positioned 90° from said first and second pattern air discharge orifices, said first and second cleaning and stabilizing air discharge orifices configured to direct pressurized cleaning and stabilizing air in a direction parallel to said first axis to clear airborne contaminants away from said first liquid discharge orifice and to stabilize the first bead of adhesive in said vacillation plane.

A method of applying an adhesive bead from a nozzle onto a strand of material, the nozzle including a liquid discharge orifice, first and second pattern air discharge orifices associated with the liquid discharge orifice and first and second cleaning and stabilizing air jet orifices associated with the liquid discharge orifice, the method comprising:

• moving the strand of material in a linear direction,
• positioning the liquid discharge orifice of the nozzle spaced apart from the strand of material,
• extruding the adhesive bead from the liquid discharge orifice toward the strand of material,
• discharging first and second pattern air jets respectively from the first and second pattern air discharge orifices of the nozzle with the first and second pattern air discharge orifices placed 180° apart in a vacillation plane which is perpendicular to the linear direction,
• vacillating the adhesive bead back and forth in the vacillation plane with the pattern air jets discharged from the first and second pattern air discharge orifices while the adhesive bead attaches to the strand of material, and
• discharging cleaning and stabilizing air jets from the first and second cleaning and stabilizing air jet orifices positioned 180° apart in a plane which is perpendicular to the vacillation plane, the cleaning and stabilizing air jets clearing airborne contaminants away from the liquid discharge orifice and stabilizing the vacillating bead of adhesive in the vacillation plane.