BULK ADHESIVE TRANSFER DEVICES, KNIFE GATE VALVE DEVICES, AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20150075625A1
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Inventors: Ganzer, Charles P., Slattery, Raymond J. III, Varga, Leslie J., Ramosevac, Enes, Ramspeck, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 9,810,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1031 Gate valves; Sliding valves
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1042 provided with means for heating or cooling the liquid or other fluent material in the supplying means upstream of the applying apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1047 Apparatus or installations for supplying liquid or other fluent material comprising a buffer container or an accumulator between the supply source and the applicator
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/11 Vats or other containers for liquids or other fluent materials
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 69/0091 using frames whereby the container is bottom supported
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/0281 Guillotine or blade-type valves, e.g. no passage through the valve member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/085 the axis of supply passage and the axis of discharge passage being coaxial and parallel to the axis of rotation of the plates
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 53/30 Heating of pipes or pipe systems
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/10 for taking out the product in the line sampling in general, examining the physical or chemical properties of materials G01N
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6416 With heating or cooling of the system

Abstract

A bulk adhesive transfer system for transferring adhesive particulate to a melter includes a bulk supply and a transfer device, which may define a hopper of the melter, a mobile bin, and/or a buffer unit. The transfer device is configured to receive unmelted adhesive particulate from the bulk supply and then be selectively docked with the melter to transfer the adhesive particulate to the melter. The bulk adhesive transfer system may also include a knife gate valve device, which includes a plurality of ports that sequentially open and close to control flow of the adhesive particulate towards the melter. The bulk adhesive transfer system simplifies refilling operations for a melter while enabling continuous operation of the melter, even when the transfer device is undocked for removal from the melter.

Claims

1. A knife gate valve device configured to be selectively operated so as to control a flow of adhesive particulate therethrough, the valve device comprising:

a first plate having a plurality of first apertures; and

a second plate having a plurality of second apertures, said first and second plates mounted for movement relative to one another to selectively align said pluralities of first apertures and second apertures to define a plurality of ports, said plurality of ports providing a plurality of flow paths for the adhesive particulate through the valve when said plurality of ports are open,

said first and second plates cooperating to sequentially open and sequentially close said plurality of ports as said first and second plates move relative to one another.

2. The knife gate valve device of claim 1, said plurality of first apertures each defining different opening sizes, and said plurality of second apertures each defining identical opening sizes.

3. The knife gate valve device of claim 1, said plurality of first apertures being radially arranged around a center of said first plate and said plurality of second apertures being radially arranged around a center of said second plate such that said second plate can be rotated relative to said first plate to selectively align said pluralities of first and second apertures.

4. The knife gate valve device of claim 3, said second plate further comprising a handle configured to enable an operator to manually rotate said second plate through a partial rotation relative to said first plate between an open position where said plurality of ports are open and a closed position where said plurality of ports are closed.

5. The knife gate valve device of claim 4, further comprising:

a collar fixedly coupled to said first plate around an outermost peripheral portion of said first plate, said collar and said first plate sandwiching an outermost peripheral portion of said second plate therebetween such that said second plate remains adjacent and abutting said first plate.

6. The knife gate valve device of claim 5, said handle defining a squeeze handle including a latching end that frictionally engages said collar to retain said second plate in position relative to said first plate, the squeeze handle being compressed to pivot said latching end upwardly away from said collar.

7. The knife gate valve device of claim 6, said collar including a locating notch configured to receive said latching end of said handle therein to positively lock said handle and said second plate in position when said plurality of ports are closed.

8. The knife gate valve device of claim 3, each of said plurality of first apertures and each of said plurality of second apertures defining a wedge-shaped opening or a frustum-shaped opening.

9. The knife gate valve device of claim 8, said plurality of first apertures being defined by first aperture side edges and said plurality of second apertures being defined by second aperture side edges angled differently from said first aperture side edges, such that as said first and second plates rotate relative to one another, said first and second aperture side edges pass over each other at an angle so as to define a scissor-like action for opening and closing said plurality of ports.

10. The knife gate valve device of claim 8, each of said plurality of first apertures defining a wedge-shaped opening spanning across an arc angle, said arc angle for each first aperture being different from said arc angle for each other first aperture, and each of said plurality of second apertures defining a frustum-shaped opening spanning across an arc angle, said arc angle for each second aperture being identical.

11. A bulk adhesive transfer system configured to deliver adhesive particulate to a melter of a hot melt adhesive dispensing system, the bulk adhesive transfer system comprising:

a bulk supply configured to contain unmelted adhesive particulate; and

a transfer device configured to move adhesive particulate from said bulk supply to the melter, said transfer device including the knife gate valve device according to claim 1.

12. A melter, comprising:

a melt section configured to heat unmelted adhesive particulate into liquid adhesive; and

a transfer device configured to move adhesive particulate from a bulk supply to the melt section, said transfer device including the knife gate valve device according to claim 1.

13. A method of controlling flow of adhesive particulate using a knife gate valve device including a first plate having a plurality of first apertures and a second plate having a plurality of second apertures, the method comprising:

closing the knife gate valve device by moving the second plate relative to the first plate to a closed position in which the pluralities of first and second apertures are misaligned with each other, thereby blocking flow of the adhesive particulate; and

opening the knife gate valve device by moving the second plate relative to the first plate to an open position in which each of the plurality of first apertures is aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of second apertures, thereby defining a plurality of ports through which adhesive particulate can flow; and

sequentially opening and sequentially closing the plurality of ports defined by the pluralities of first and second apertures as the second plate moves relative to the first plate between the closed and open positions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second plate includes a handle projecting outwardly beyond the first plate, and moving the second plate relative to the first plate between open and closed positions further comprises:

rotating the second plate relative to the first plate by moving the handle along a periphery of the first plate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first apertures are defined by first aperture side edges and the plurality of second apertures are defined by second aperture side edges, and rotating the second plate relative to the first plate further comprises:

passing second aperture side edges over corresponding first aperture side edges at transverse angles so as to define a scissor-like action for opening and closing the plurality of ports during opening and closing the plurality of ports.

16. A transfer device configured to move adhesive particulate from a bulk supply to a melter, the transfer device comprising:

a container configured to hold a supply of the adhesive particulate from the bulk supply; and

an outlet associated with said container and configured to be opened and closed to control flow of the adhesive particulate out of said container, said outlet defined by a docking structure configured to selectively dock to at least one of;

a part of the melter and an intermediate storage device proximate to the melter,

said container and said outlet collectively defining a moveable unit configured to be moved by an operator to the part of the melter or the intermediate storage device to selectively supply adhesive particulate to the melter and configured to be moved away from the part of the melter or the intermediate storage device, such as when said container is emptied of adhesive particulate by the melter.

17. The transfer device of claim 16, said container defining a hopper of the melter when selectively docked to the part of the melter.

18. The transfer device of claim 17, said hopper being removable from the part of the melter while the melter continues operating to melt adhesive particulate and supply liquid adhesive.

19. The transfer device of claim 16, further comprising:

a valve device located at said outlet and configured to move between open and closed positions to open and close said outlet and control flow of the adhesive particulate from said container.

20. The transfer device of claim 16, further comprising:

a feeder element located at said outlet and configured to selectively agitate flow of the adhesive particulate through said outlet to thereby open and close said outlet and control flow of the adhesive particulate from said container.

21. The transfer device of claim 16, wherein the melter includes a melt section contained within an enclosure, and said moveable unit defined by said container and said outlet is sized to fit within the enclosure when said docking structure is docked to the melt section.

22. The transfer device of claim 16, further comprising:

a framework supporting said container and including at least one wheel configured to enable rolling movement of the transfer device along a surface to move said container between the bulk supply and the melter,

said container, said outlet, and said framework collectively defining a mobile bin configured to move adhesive particulate between the bulk supply and the melter without requiring manual lifting of the adhesive particulate by an operator.

23. The transfer device of claim 22, said framework further including a handle for an operator to push or pull said mobile bin into position at the bulk supply or at the melter.

24. The transfer device of claim 22, said framework elevating said container above the surface such that said container is configured to be moved into position above an inlet of a melt section or the intermediate storage device, thereby enabling docking of said outlet to the inlet of the melt section or the intermediate storage device.

25. The transfer device of claim 22, wherein the bulk supply includes a bulk supply outlet, said container including an inlet configured to be selectively coupled to the bulk supply outlet for refilling said container with adhesive particulate when said mobile bin is moved to the bulk supply.

26. A bulk adhesive transfer system configured to deliver adhesive particulate to a melter, the bulk adhesive transfer system comprising:

a bulk supply configured to contain unmelted adhesive particulate; and

a transfer device according to claim 16, said transfer device configured to move adhesive particulate from said bulk supply to the melter.

27. The bulk adhesive transfer system of claim 26, said bulk supply further comprising a storage container supported on a framework so as to provide sufficient clearance underneath said storage container for said moveable unit to be positioned adjacent a bulk supply outlet defined by said storage container, to thereby be replenished with the adhesive particulate from said bulk supply.

28. The bulk adhesive transfer system of claim 26, further comprising:

a buffer unit operatively coupled to the melter and configured to receive the adhesive particulate from said transfer device and to hold a supply of the adhesive particulate for delivery to the melter, said buffer unit being located at a distance away from said bulk supply such that said transfer device must be moved by an operator between said bulk supply and said buffer unit after receiving the adhesive particulate from said bulk supply.

29. The bulk adhesive transfer system of claim 28, said buffer unit including a buffer bin configured to contain the supply of the adhesive particulate such that said transfer device can be undocked from said buffer bin and moved to said bulk supply for refilling said container while the melter continues receiving adhesive particulate from said buffer bin, so as to continue operating to melt adhesive particulate and supply liquid adhesive.

30. The bulk adhesive transfer system of claim 29, said buffer unit further comprising a platform and a lift mechanism operatively coupling said platform and said buffer bin, said lift mechanism moving said buffer bin upwardly to engage and be selectively docked with said transfer device and downwardly to allow said transfer device to be moved away from said buffer bin.

31. A melter, comprising:

an inlet defining a docking structure configured to selectively dock to an outlet of a transfer device for receiving adhesive particulate; and

a melt section configured to receive adhesive particulate from said inlet and configured to apply heat to the adhesive particulate to melt the adhesive particulate into liquid adhesive,

said docking structure enabling disconnection and removal of the transfer device from said inlet so that the transfer device can be replaced or refilled while said melt section continues operating to melt the adhesive particulate into liquid adhesive.

32. The melter of claim 31, said inlet and said docking structure being collectively defined by a feeder element configured to selectively supply a flow of the adhesive particulate received from the outlet of the transfer device to thereby control flow of the adhesive particulate from the transfer device.

33. The melter of claim 31, further comprising:

a hopper defined by the transfer device such that said hopper is selectively removable from said melt section when said hopper requires replacement or refilling with adhesive particulate.

34. The melter of claim 31, wherein the transfer device is a hopper.

35. The melter of claim 34, wherein the hopper is unheated.

36. A method of providing adhesive particulate in a hot melt adhesive dispensing system from a bulk supply to a melter using a transfer device that includes a container configured to hold a supply of the adhesive particulate and an outlet, the method comprising:

moving the transfer device from the bulk supply towards the melter when the container is filled with adhesive particulate; and

aligning the transfer device to an inlet of the melter and opening the outlet of the transfer device such that the outlet of the transfer device directs the adhesive particulate from the container towards the melter.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the outlet of the transfer device is defined by a docking structure, and aligning the transfer device to the melter further comprises:

docking the transfer device to the melter using the docking structure and opening the outlet of the transfer device such that the outlet of the transfer device directs the adhesive particulate from the container towards the melter.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

closing the outlet of the transfer device and undocking the transfer device from the melter to enable movement of the transfer device away from the melter when the container is in need of adhesive particulate;

moving the transfer device to the bulk supply to replenish the container with additional adhesive particulate; and

docking the transfer device containing the additional adhesive particulate to the melter and opening the outlet of the transfer device such that the outlet of the transfer device directs the additional adhesive particulate from the container towards the melter.

39. The method of claim 37, the container of the transfer device defining a hopper of the melter, and the method further comprises:

selectively removing the hopper from a melt section of the melter and replenishing the hopper with adhesive particulate.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

continuing to operate the melt section of the melter during removal of the hopper from the melt section.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

closing the outlet of the transfer device and undocking the transfer device from the melter to enable movement of the transfer device away from the melter when the container is in need of adhesive particulate;

replacing the transfer device with a second transfer device including a container configured to hold an additional supply of the adhesive particulate, the second transfer device configured to be docked with the melter to provide the additional supply of adhesive particulate to the melter after undocking of the transfer device with the container in need of adhesive particulate.

42. The method of claim 37, the melter including a melt section contained within an enclosure, and the method further comprises:

positioning the transfer device within the enclosure with the melt section so that the container and the melt section are within the enclosure when the docking structure docks the transfer device to the melter.

43. The method of claim 37, the transfer device also including a framework supporting the container and having at least one wheel such that the transfer device collectively defines a mobile bin, and moving the transfer device further comprises:

rolling the mobile bin along a surface extending between the bulk supply and the melter using the at least one wheel, such that the container is moved without requiring manual lifting of the adhesive particulate by an operator.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein a buffer unit is operatively coupled to the melter and is configured to hold a supply of the adhesive particulate for delivery to the melter, and docking the transfer device to the melter further comprises engaging the mobile bin with the buffer unit such that adhesive particulate in the mobile bin may be delivered from the outlet into the buffer unit.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

selectively removing the mobile bin from the buffer unit and replenishing the container of the mobile bin with adhesive particulate while the melter continues to operate, the buffer unit continuing to supply adhesive particulate into the melter during this selective removal of the mobile bin.

46. The method of claim 37, the transfer device further including a valve device located at the outlet, and opening and closing the outlet of the transfer device further comprises:

operating the valve device between open and closed positions to selectively allow the adhesive particulate to flow out of the transfer device.

47. The method of claim 37, the transfer device further including a feeder element located at the outlet, and opening and closing the outlet of the transfer device further comprises:

agitating the adhesive particulate with the feeder element to selectively generate a flow of the adhesive particulate out of the transfer device.