Claims
- 1. A modular applicator for dispensing liquid comprising:a plurality of manifold segments coupled in side-by-side relation, each manifold segment having a liquid supply passage and a liquid discharge passage, a plurality of pumps respectively mounted in a removable manner to said plurality of manifold segments, each of said pumps including an inlet communicating with said liquid supply passage, an outlet communicating with said liquid discharge passage and a pumping mechanism for pumping the liquid from said inlet to said outlet, and a drive motor coupled to each of said pumps for operating each of said pumping mechanisms.
- 2. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 1, wherein said pumping mechanism further comprises a plurality of gears mounted within each of said pumps.
- 3. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 2, further comprising a shaft coupled to said drive motor and to at least one of said gears of each pumping mechanism.
- 4. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of dispensing modules respectively coupled with said plurality of manifold segments, each dispensing module operating to selectively dispense the liquid.
- 5. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 1, wherein said dispensing modules further comprise pneumatically operated valves and said manifold segments further include air distribution passages for delivering pressurized control air to operate each of said valves.
- 6. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 5, further comprising at least one air control valve, said air control valve mounted to one of said plurality of manifold segments and adapted to be connected with a supply of the pressurized control air operative to selectively supply the pressurized control air to at least one of said pneumatically operated valves.
- 7. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 1, wherein said pumps are removable from said manifold segments without decoupling said manifold segments from one another.
- 8. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 7, wherein said manifold segments further include opposed side surfaces and liquid distribution passages for delivering the liquid from one of said manifold segments to another of said manifold segments through said opposed side surfaces.
- 9. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 1, wherein said manifold segments further include opposed side surfaces and liquid distribution passages for delivering the liquid from one of said manifold segments to another of said manifold segments through said opposed side surfaces.
- 10. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 9, further comprising a heater extending through said plurality of manifold segments.
- 11. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 9, wherein said manifold segments further include opposed side surfaces and process air distribution passages for delivering process air from one of said manifold segments to another of said manifold segments through said opposed side surfaces.
- 12. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 11, further comprising two heaters extending through said plurality of manifold segments, one of said heaters primarily operating to heat the liquid and the other of said heaters primarily operating to heat the process air.
- 13. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 12, further comprising a thermal insulator positioned between said two heaters in each of said manifold segments to form a liquid heating zone and a process air heating zone capable of being held at two different operating temperatures respectively by said heaters.
- 14. A modular applicator for dispensing liquid comprising:a plurality of manifold segments having a plurality of edge portions and opposed side surfaces disposed between said edge portions, said manifold segments coupled together in side-by-side relation with said side surfaces of adjacent manifold segments directed toward one another, and each of said manifold segments having a recess communicating with at least one of said edge portions, a liquid supply passage and a liquid discharge passage within each manifold segment, a plurality of pumps each mounted in said recess of one of said manifold segments and being removable from said recess without decoupling said manifold segments from one another, each of said pumps including an inlet communicating with said liquid supply passage, an outlet communicating with said liquid discharge passage and a pumping mechanism for pumping the liquid from said inlet to said outlet, and a drive motor coupled to each of said pumps for operating each of said pumping mechanisms.
- 15. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 14, wherein said pumping mechanism further comprises a plurality of gears mounted within each of said pumps.
- 16. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 15, further comprising a shaft coupled to said drive motor and to at least one of said gears of each pumping mechanism.
- 17. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of dispensing modules respectively coupled with said plurality of manifold segments, each dispensing module operating to selectively dispense the liquid from said manifold segments.
- 18. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 17, wherein said manifold segments further include liquid distribution passages for delivering the liquid from one of said manifold segments to another of said manifold segments through said opposite faces.
- 19. The liquid dispensing applicator of claim 18, wherein said manifold segments further include process air distribution passages for delivering process air from one of said manifold segments to another of said manifold segments through said opposite faces.
- 20. A modular applicator for dispensing liquid comprising:a plurality of manifold segments having a plurality of edge portions and opposed side surfaces disposed between said edge portions, said manifold segments coupled together in side-by-side relation with said side surfaces of adjacent manifold segments directed toward one another, and each of said manifold segments having a recess communicating with at least one of said edge portions, a liquid supply passage and a liquid discharge passage within each manifold segment, a plurality of positive displacement gear pumps each mounted in said recess of one of said manifold segments and being removable from said recess without decoupling said manifold segments from one another, each of said pumps including an inlet communicating with said liquid supply passage, an outlet communicating with said liquid discharge passage and a plurality of gears for pumping the liquid from said inlet to said outlet, a drive motor having a rotatable drive shaft extending through at least one of said gears of each pump to simultaneously operate each of said pumps, and a plurality of recirculating dispensing modules each having an ON condition and an OFF condition, each of said plurality of dispensing modules respectively coupled with one of said plurality of manifold segments and capable of dispensing the liquid from a corresponding one of said manifold segments when in an ON condition and recirculating the liquid back into said corresponding manifold segment when in an OFF condition.
- 21. A modular applicator for dispensing liquid comprising:a plurality of dispensing modules each having a liquid inlet for receiving liquid, a liquid outlet, and a valve positioned between said liquid inlet and said liquid outlet, said valve operative to selectively dispense liquid from said liquid outlet; and a plurality of manifold segments each coupled to a corresponding one of said dispensing modules; each of said manifold segments having opposed side surfaces, a liquid distribution passage extending between said side surfaces, and a liquid supply pathway coupling said liquid distribution passage with said liquid inlet of with said corresponding dispensing module said manifold segments attached together in side-by-side relation with said side surfaces of adjacent manifold segments directed toward one another and said liquid distribution passage of one of said manifold segments coupled in fluid communication with said liquid distribution passage of another of said manifold segments.
- 22. The modular applicator of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of pumps, said pumps respectfully mounted in said manifold segments, each of said pumps operative for pumping the liquid through said corresponding liquid supply pathway to said corresponding dispensing module.
- 23. The modular applicator of claim 22 wherein each of said pumps is removable from said corresponding liquid supply pathway without decoupling said manifold segments from one another.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/141,959, filed Aug. 28, 1998 (pending) which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/063,651, filed Apr. 20, 1998 (abandoned). The disclosures of these two related patent applications are hereby fully incorporated by reference herein.
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Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
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68534594.6 |
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
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09/141959 |
Aug 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/702520 |
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US |
Parent |
09/063651 |
Apr 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/141959 |
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US |