Grant G Mcguffey

6375099, Apr 23, 2002

Jun 21, 2000

09/598166

Grant McGuffey - Springfield TN

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B05B 114

2395535, 239124, 239296, 239135, 2395905, 239596

A hot melt adhesive dispensing nozzle or die assembly spans two adjacent adhesive material valved inlets. One of the valved inlets is blocked off by means of the nozzle or die assembly, while the other adhesive material input or valved inlet is in effect split into two equal laterally separated output arrays of dispensing nozzles so as to provide for a void in the dispensing or deposition pattern at a predeterminedly desired location. The nozzle or die assembly comprises unique structure for ensuring that the hot melt adhesive material is able to be conducted to the remote one of the laterally separated array of dispensing nozzles. In addition, the two laterally separated arrays of output dispensing nozzles together comprise the same number of conventional non-split output dispensing nozzles operatively associated with each adhesive material input or valved inlet such that the volume flow rate through each one of the individual dispensing nozzles remains the same. In this manner, the aforenoted pattern void is achieved while preserving the desired ratio of heated air to adhesive material whereby the hot melt adhesive material being dispensed retains its proper fluidic properties, and undue waste of the adhesive material is not incurred.

6601741, Aug 5, 2003

Nov 28, 2001

09/994881

Grant McGuffey - Springfield TN

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B67D 506

222504, 222318, 222330, 2221462, 239135, 137884

A hot melt adhesive material flow control system comprises an input manifold for receiving a supply of adhesive material, a plurality of flow control valves from which the adhesive material is discharged, an output manifold for heating the adhesive material and conducting the hot melt adhesive material to the flow control valves, a pair of multiple outlet pumps for supplying the adhesive material to the flow control valves, and a recirculation pump for recirculating adhesive material back from the flow control valves to the pair of multiple outlet pumps. A distribution plate and a recirculation plate are interposed between the input and output manifolds and have separate and independent fluid circuits or flow paths defined upon opposite surfaces thereof. In this manner, the number of plates required to define the flow paths is significantly reduced. In addition, the output manifold, the flow control valves, the recirculation pump, and the multiple outlet pumps are independently mounted upon the input manifold so as to simply disassembly and reassembly of the components in connection with maintenance, cleaning, replacement, or repair operations.

6607104, Aug 19, 2003

May 24, 2001

09/864601

Grant McGuffey - Springfield TN

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B65D 5854

222318, 222109

A metered output hot melt adhesive dispensing system comprises a plurality of hot melt adhesive dispensing valve assemblies, and a multiple outlet metering gear pump for supplying hot melt adhesive material to the plurality of valve assemblies. Return ports of the valve assemblies are fluidically connected to the intake side of the multiple outlet metering gear pump through a plurality of return conduits and a common return line. A single output return metering gear pump is disposed within the common return line and has operatively associated therewith a recirculation bypass loop within which a spring-biased one-way check valve is disposed. The system relieves excess pressure buildup within the valve assemblies so as to substantially prevent the occurrence of bursting and stringing phenomena attendant cyclically intermittent OPENED and CLOSED states of the plurality of valve assemblies.

6688498, Feb 10, 2004

Dec 12, 2002

10/316935

Grant McGuffey - Springfield TN

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B65D 8854

222333, 418175

A new and improved gear pump assembly, and a new and improved hot melt adhesive dispensing assembly having a plurality of the new and improved gear pump assemblies incorporated therein, wherein each gear pump assembly is mounted upon the dispensing assembly in an entirely independent manner such that each gear pump assembly can be individually removed from the dispensing assembly, and replaced back onto the dispensing assembly, as may be necessary in connection with, for example, repair or maintenance procedures. The independence of each gear pump assembly also effectively prevents damage to or failure of one gear pump assembly from experiencing additional damage as well as from adversely affecting the operation of the other gear pump assemblies. Furthermore, in view of the fact that a driven gear of each gear pump assembly projects radially outwardly through an end face of the gear pump assembly so as to operatively engage a common drive shaft of the applicator assembly, as opposed to having the common drive shaft of the applicator assembly pass through side portions or faces of all of the gear pump assemblies, not only is the aforenoted independent mounting of the plurality of gear pump assemblies upon the dispensing assembly facilitated, but in addition, the need for all external rotary dynamic shaft seals, normally necessarily provided between the common drive shaft and one of the gear members of each gear pump assembly, is eliminated.

7770760, Aug 10, 2010

Feb 12, 2007

11/705060

Grant McGuffey - Springfield TN, US
Daniel D. Bourget - Hendersonville TN, US
Christof Schotten - Straelen, DE

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B65D 88/54

222333, 222255, 137884

A modular system, for delivering hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic materials, comprises a modular metering assembly, having a plurality of metering stations disposed therein, which is able to be attachably and detachably mounted upon a modular tank or supply assembly. Alternatively, one or more of the plurality of metering stations may be disposed externally of the modular metering assembly, and alternatively still further, one or more additional modular metering assemblies may be attachably and detachably connected to the first modular metering assembly. In this manner, the entire modular system exhibits enhanced versatility and flexibility in order to effectively implement different material application procedures that may be required for different end-user customers.

7874456, Jan 25, 2011

Mar 23, 2007

11/727211

Grant McGuffey - Springfield TN, US
Mairi MacLean - Hendersonville TN, US

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B67D 1/00

222 55, 222 1, 222 61, 222 63, 2221462, 2221465, 222255, 222333, 137884

A modular system, for delivering hot melt adhesive materials, comprises a modular metering assembly, having metering stations disposed therein, that is able to be attachably and detachably mounted upon a modular tank assembly. Alternatively, one or more of the metering stations may be disposed externally of the modular metering assembly, and alternatively still further, one or more additional modular metering assemblies may be attachably and detachably connected to the first modular metering assembly. Also disclosed is a closed-loop fluid pressure control system, for independently controlling the pressure of the hot melt adhesive material being conveyed to the metering devices, whereby the working pressures of the hot melt adhesive materials being conveyed to the metering devices can have different working pressures.

8070020, Dec 6, 2011

Sep 18, 2006

12/083309

Grant McGuffey - Springfield TN, US
Mel Steven Lesley - Villia Hills KY, US
Daniel D. Bourget - Hendersonville TN, US

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B67D 7/70

222255, 2221462, 222330, 222333, 137884

A new and improved remote, hot melt adhesive metering station (), for supplying predetermined or precisely metered volumes of hot melt adhesive material toward applicator head or dispensing nozzle structures, comprises a plurality of rotary, gear-type metering pumps () which are arranged in a compact, longitudinally spaced manner upon an axially elongated drive gear manifold () such that the rotational axes of the plurality of rotary, gear-type metering pumps () are disposed parallel and adjacent to one side of the axially elongated drive gear manifold (). Hot melt adhesive material is supplied from a remotely located adhesive supply unit (ASU), to the drive gear manifold (), by an inlet supply port hose connection (), and all of the pump driven gears () of the plurality of rotary, gear-type metering pumps () are respectively driven by manifold pump drive gears () which are all rotatably mounted upon a common, motor-driven drive shaft () rotatably disposed within the drive gear manifold (). The drive gear manifold () is also provided with a plurality of outlet port hose connections () to which hot melt adhesive delivery hoses are to be connected.

8413848, Apr 9, 2013

Mar 30, 2009

12/385046

Grant McGuffey - Springfield TN, US

Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Glenview IL

B67D 7/80

2221465, 239548, 222504

A hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material metering system has different output assemblies interchangeably mounted thereon in a modular manner. In this manner, if it is desired to effectively convert a particular metering system from one type of metering system to another type of metering system, a particular output assembly can be exchanged for a different output assembly. In addition, if a particular output assembly needs to be replaced or repaired, the particular output assembly can be simply removed and a new similar output assembly can be simply installed.