Adhesive wheel applicator device

An adhesive applicator device for use in combination with a machine for applying molten adhesive to a substrate comprising

• an open top reservoir, and reservoir having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposed end walls,
• means for heating said reservoir to maintain adhesive contained therein in a molten state,
• an applicator wheel mounted for rotation within said reservoir,
• a doctor blade adjustably mounted upon said rear wall of said reservoir, said doctor blade having a leading edge located in close proximity to said applicator wheel such that said blade is operative to control the thickness of a film of adhesive applied by said wheel to a substrate as the substrate is passed over the wheel, and
• means for maintaining a continuous flow of molten adhesive along the underside of said doctor blade when said applicator wheel is rotating within said reservoir and a pool of molten adhesive is present in the bottom of said reservoir, said last named means including return flow channels on the inside surfaces of each of said end walls, said return flow channels being so positioned as to receive molten adhesive from the lateral edges of the underside of said doctor blade and to direct said molten adhesive in the direction of rotation of the applicator wheel back to the bottom of said reservoir.

An adhesive applicator device for use in combination with a machine for applying adhesive to a substrate comprising

• an open top reservoir, said reservoir having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposed end walls,
• an applicator wheel mounted from rotation within said reservoir,
• a doctor blade adjustably mounted upon said rear wall of said reservoir, said doctor blade having a leading edge located in close proximity to said applicator wheel such that said blade is operative to control the thickness of a film of adhesive applied by said wheel to a substrate as the substrate is passed over the wheel, and
• means for maintaining a continuous flow of adhesive along the underside of said doctor blade when said applicator wheel is rotating within said reservoir and a pool of adhesive is present in the bottom of said reservoir, said last named means including return flow channels on the inside surfaces of each of said end walls, said return flow channels being so positioned as to receive adhesive from the lateral edges of the underside of said doctor blade and to direct said adhesive in the direction of rotation of the applicator wheel back to the bottom of said reservoir.

An adhesive applicator device for use in combination with a machine for applying adhesive to a substrate comprising

• an open top reservoir,
• a wheel mounted for rotation within said reservoir, said wheel having a plurality of annular grooves in the periphery thereof,
• a doctor blade adjustably mounted upon said reservoir, said doctor blade being operative to control the thickness of a film of adhesive applied by said wheel to a substrate as the substrate is passed over the wheel,
• a plurality of stripper fingers mounted upon said reservoir and extending over the top of said applicator wheel, each of said stripper fingers having a section thereof located within one of said plurality of annular grooves of said applicator wheel, said sections of said stripper fingers which are located within said grooves of said applicator wheel extending between said doctor blade and said applicator wheel, and
• a resilient tube surrounding each of said stripper fingers at least at the point at which said stripper fingers extend between said doctor blade and said wheel, said resilient tubes being operative to form a dynamic seal between the doctor blade and the annular grooves of said applicator wheel so as to preclude accumulation of molten adhesive about said stripper fingers at the top of said applicator wheel.