Apparatus and method for melting and dispensing thermoplastic material

An apparatus for melting and dispensing thermoplastic material, comprising:

• an un-heated hopper having an inlet for receiving particles of a thermoplastic material and an outlet for discharging the particles, said hopper further including a longitudinal axis;
• a device effective for moving the particles of the thermoplastic material around and along said longitudinal axis of said hopper and through said outlet of said hopper;
• a heated manifold including at least one cavity formed therein, said at least one cavity having an inlet communicating with said outlet of said hopper for receipt of the particles of the thermoplastic material from said hopper, said hopper being disposed external of said heated manifold, said at least one cavity further including an outlet communicating with a pump supply passage, and further including a pump discharge passage, said heated manifold effective for melting the particles into molten thermoplastic material therein;
• a pump including an inlet and an outlet, said inlet of said pump being in fluid communication with said pump supply passage and with said outlet of said at least one cavity, and said outlet of said pump being in fluid communication with said pump discharge passage;
• and
• a dispenser including an inlet and an outlet, said pump discharge passage of said heated manifold being in fluid communication with said inlet of said dispenser for delivering molten thermoplastic material to said dispenser, said outlet of said dispenser effective for dispensing the molten hot melt adhesive therethrough.