Bulk adhesive transfer devices, knife gate valve devices, and related systems and methods

A method of providing adhesive particulate in a hot melt adhesive dispensing system using a transfer device that includes a container and an outlet, the container configured to hold a supply of the adhesive particulate and to operate as a removable hopper of a melter, the method comprising:

• moving the transfer device towards a melter of the hot melt adhesive dispensing system when the container is filled with adhesive particulate;
• aligning the transfer device to an inlet of the melter and releasably docking the transfer device to the melter by connecting the outlet of the transfer device to the inlet of the melter;
• opening the outlet of the transfer device to direct the adhesive particulate from the hopper to the melter so that unmelted hot melt adhesive particulate flows out of the outlet of the transfer device and into the inlet of the melter;
• and
• closing the outlet of the transfer device and removing the hopper from the melter.