Hot melt dispensing apparatus having offset hopper

An apparatus for converting solid thermoplastic material to molten thermoplastic material and for dispensing the molten thermoplastic material, said apparatus comprising

• a solid thermoplastic material receiving hopper having side walls and a bottom opening,
• a feed chute mounted beneath said opening in said hopper, said chute having an open upper end for receiving solid material from the bottom opening of said hopper, said chute having a discharge end opening laterally offset from the vertical plane of said hopper,
• means for vibrating said chute so as to effect movement of solid thermoplastic material along said chute and out of said discharge end opening of said chute,
• a reservoir mounted beneath said discharge end opening of said chute, said reservoir being open at the top for receiving solid thermoplastic material from said discharge end opening of said chute, means for heating said reservoir so as to convert said solid thermoplastic from a solid to a molten state,
• said hopper being laterally offset from said heated reservoir so as to prevent heat from said reservoir from melting solid thermoplastic material contained within said hopper, and
• said discharge end of said chute being enclosed within a hood, which hood has a bottom open to the open top of said reservoir.