Adhesive applying apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TO WORK PIECES COMPRISING AN INTAGLIO APPLICATOR WHEEL HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OPERATING SURFACE AND PROVIDED WITH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED RECESSES, A HEATED CASING FORMED TO PROVIDE A CHAMBER HAVING A CIRCULAR SHAPED WALL AND OPPOSITELY FACING SIDE WALLS, MEANS MOUNTING THE APPLICATOR WHEEL FOR ROTATION IN THE CASING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS AND WITH ITS PERIPHERAL SURFACE ADJACENT TO SAID CIRCULAR SHAPED WALL OF THE CHAMBER, A METERING BAR HAVING AN OPERATING EDGE MOUNTED ON THE CASING BETWEEN SAID CIRCULAR SHAPED WALL AND SAID CYLINDRICAL OPERATING SURFACE WITH SAID OPERATING EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY IN CONTACT WITH THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE APPLICATOR WHEEL AT THE LEAVING END OF SAID CHAMBER, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE WHEEL IN A DIRECTION SUCH THAT ITS OPERATING SURFACE MOVES ALONG THE CIRCULAR SHAPED WALL OF THE CHAMBER TOWARD SAID METERING BAR, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING MOLTEN ADHESIVE TO SAID CHAMBER IN A LOCATION CLOSELY ADJACENT TO SAID METERING BAR UNDER PRESSURE AND AT A MINIMUM RATE JUST SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF THE RATE IN WHICH MOLTEN ADHESIVE WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO A WORK PIECE FROM THE APPLICATOR WHEEL WITH THE RECESSES THEREIN FILLED SUBSTANTIALLY LEVEL WITH THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE WHEEL, AND MEANS FOR INCREASING THE RATE AT WHICH MOLTEN ADHESIVE IS SUPPLIED TO THE CHAMBER ABOVE SAID MINIMUM RATE TO CAUSE MOLTEN ADHESIVE TO ACCUMULATE IN THE CHAMBER REVERSELY FROM THE METERING BAR AGAINST ROTATION OF THE WHEEL AND PRESSURE OF THE MOLTEN ADHESIVE ADJACENT TO THE METERING BAR TO INCREASE, WHEREBY THE RECESSES IN SAID WHEEL ARE OVERFILLED WITH ADHESIVE, UNDER THE INCREASED PRESSURE, AND THE RATE OF TRANSFER OF ADHESIVE TO A WORK PIECE IS CORRESPONDINGLY INCREASED.