Device for melting a solid body of adhesive material

Device for melting a body of thermoplastic adhesive material and for effecting a dosed discharge of the molten material comprising a housing having a first end from which the molten material is discharged and a second end through which a solid body of the adhesive material is introduced into the housing, a melting chamber within said housing for supplying molten material for discharge from the first end of said housing, a feed apparatus within said housing between said melting chamber and the second end of said housing for step-wise feeding the solid body of adhesive material into the melting chamber, said feed apparatus including a carriage slidably mounted in said housing for movement in the direction between the first and second ends of said housing, a clamping device located within said housing and displaceable between a release position out of engagement with the solid body of the adhesive material and a holding position in clamping engagement with the solid body of adhesive material, a rocker lever pivotally mounted in said housing and disposed in engagement with said feed apparatus for displacing said clamping device into the holding position and for moving said feed apparatus, and means on said housing for pivoting said rocker lever, the improvement comprising that said clamping device includes a pair of symmetrical oppositely disposed clamping jaws, each said clamping jaw being articulated to said carriage, and an actuating arm attached to each said clamping jaw and in engagement with said rocker lever so that when said means pivot said rocker lever said clamping jaws are displaced into the holding position in clamping engagement with the body of adhesive material and said feed apparatus is displaced toward the first end of said housing, each said clamping jaw includes said actuating arm formed integrally with said clamping jaw and formed therefrom in a tab-like manner extending laterally outwardly away from the other said clamping jaw, and said arm being articulated to said rocker lever, each said clamping jaw includes a sharp-edged projection extending laterally inwardly from said clamping jaw toward the other said clamping jaw for engaging into the surface of the solid body for assuring gripping contact with the solid body when it is moved toward said melting chamber, said feeding apparatus includes a longitudinal guide secured to and extending outwardly from each of the opposite sides of said carriage, said housing having grooves therein into which said longitudinal guides project for guiding said feeding apparatus in the movement thereof between the first and second ends of said housing.