Adhesive bin and method of storing and moving adhesive particulate to an adhesive melter

A method of storing and moving adhesive particulate to an adhesive melter using a transfer pump with a pump inlet communicating with a container, the method comprising:

• receiving adhesive particulate in an interior space of the container;
• maintaining an open space within the interior space of the container proximate the pump inlet, the open space entraining gas from an exhaust gas conduit to be drawn by the transfer pump, and the open space not being filled with the adhesive particulate;
• and
• actuating the transfer pump to generate a vacuum at the pump inlet to cause removal of the adhesive particulate from the container for delivery to the adhesive melter.

A method of storing and moving adhesive particulate to an adhesive melter, the method comprising:

• filling an interior space of a supply hopper with adhesive particulate;
• actuating a transfer pump to generate a vacuum at an inlet of the transfer pump to actuate removal of the adhesive particulate from the supply hopper;
• maintaining a consistent depth of the adhesive particulate located directly above the inlet with a shroud located within the interior space of the supply hopper and an open space at least partially defined by the shroud, the consistent depth being less than a variable total depth of adhesive particulate within the supply hopper;
• exhausting a gas supply proximate to the inlet of the transfer pump to increase an additional amount of a make-up gas located around the adhesive particulate proximate to the inlet;
• operating a vibrator connected to the gas supply with gas from the gas supply;
• and
• routing the gas from the vibrator to exhaust proximate to the inlet of the transfer pump.

A method of storing and moving adhesive particulate to an adhesive melter using a transfer pump with a pump inlet communicating with a container, the method comprising:

• receiving adhesive particulate in an interior space of the container;
• maintaining an open space within the interior space of the container proximate the pump inlet, the open space entraining gas to be drawn by the transfer pump, and the open space not being filled with the adhesive particulate;
• actuating the transfer pump to generate a vacuum at the pump inlet to cause removal of the adhesive particulate from the container for delivery to the adhesive melter;
• agitating the adhesive particulate in the interior space proximate to the pump inlet to reduce compaction and thereby fluidize the adhesive particulate proximate the pump inlet;
• vibrating the adhesive particulate with an air-driven vibrator operatively coupled to the container;
• and
• exhausting a gas supply used to operate the vibrator into the open space for increasing an additional amount of make-up gas located around the adhesive particulate proximate to the pump inlet.