Timothy Sumner

Apparatus For Forming Adhesive Cartridges

Application

#6533564 Mar 18, 2003

Filed

Feb 10, 1999

Inventor

Gerhard H. Haas (High Point, NC) · Anthony Saenz (Greensboro, NC) · Timothy R. Sumner (Trinity, NC)

Appl. No.

09/248012

Assignee

Jowat Corporation (High Point, NC)

International Classification

B65B 3102

U.S. Classification

425 721, 53432, 53435, 53440, 425112, 425113, 425308, 4253261, 4253781

Abstract

An apparatus for continuously forming thermoplastic adhesive cartridges. A molten thermoplastic adhesive supply provides a supply of molten adhesive to a pump downstream from the molten thermoplastic adhesive supply. The pump then provides a molten thermoplastic adhesive melt stream which passes through a screen filter downstream from the pump to prevent the discharge of impurities in the molten thermoplastic adhesive melt stream from the pump. A temperature-controlled conduit downstream from the pump then lowers the temperature of the molten plastic melt stream to closely above its softening point. A continuous molder located downstream from the melt pump for receives the molten plastic melt stream from the melt pump to form the thermoplastic adhesive cartridge continuously.

Claim

We claim: 1. An apparatus for forming a continuous plastic body with a hardened tube of mold material surrounding a molten core of plastic, said apparatus comprising: (a) a molten plastic supply; (b) a pump downstream from said molten plastic supply for providing a molten plastic melt stream, for forming said molten core; (c) a temperature-controlled conduit downstream from said pump for lowering the temperature of said molten plastic melt stream to above its softening point, wherein said temperature-controlled conduit includes at least a first heat zone at the inlet of said conduit and a second heat zone at the outlet of said conduit and the temperature of said temperature-controlled conduit is controlled by a tubular heat exchanger surrounding said conduit; (d) a continuous molder downstream from said pump for receiving said molten plastic melt stream from said pump including a molten mold material supply and a crosshead die for receiving said molten mold material and forming a continuous mold; and (e) a first cooling zone upstream from the discharge of said melt pump and downstream from said die head for cooling said molten mold material below its softening point temperature to form said continuous mold wherein said first cooling zone includes a vacuum chamber for receiving said molten mold material from said crosshead die and expanding the outer wall of said continuous mold outwardly, a calibrator assembly surrounding said continuous mold for controlling the outward expansion of the outer wall of said continuous mold, and a cooling fluid surrounding said molten mold material. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calibrator assembly includes a plurality of axially spaced guide rings. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of axially spaced guide rings are variaby spaced to provide additional support to the upstream portion of the outer wall of said continuous mold. 4.