Bulk unloader of solidified thermoplastic material from pails and drums

An apparatus for unloading solidified thermoplastic material, such as hot-melt, from a container, comprising,

• a heated platen having a means for pumping melted thermoplastic material from a container,
• a vertically movable platen carriage, said platen carriage supporting said platen,
• a vertically movable advancing means having a balance means and a pressure means, said balance means associated with a variable upward bias for urging said platen carriage upwardly, said pressure means associated with a variable downward bias for urging the platen downward, opposed in motion to said balance means, and
• a limiting means for restricting movement of said advancing means relative to the platen carriage to preselected incremental advancements.

An apparatus for unloading solidified thermoplastic material from a container comprising,

• a vertically movable heated platen assembly having a platen adapted to enter a container for contacting thermoplastic material therein, said platen having an upper surface and a lower surface and a means for heating, melting and pumping melted material from the lower surface through the upper surface,
• a pressure means coupled with said platen assembly for urging the platen assembly downwardly with a variable downward force,
• a balance means coupled with said platen assembly for urging the platen assembly upwardly with a variable upward force,
• an advancing means coupled with said pressure means and said balance means for varying said downward force and simultaneously varying said upward force, thereby determining th direction of platen assembly movement, and
• a limiting means coupled with said advancing means, said limiting means restricting variations of said downward force and said upward force to preselected incremental advances.