ADHESIVE APPLICATOR, AND MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE

摘要

A machine for applying adhesive to a surface (6) of a workpiece comprises a support table (8) to support a workpiece, conveniently horizontally, and a gantry (13) mounted over the support table. Mounted on a horizontal arm (16) of the gantry is a carriage (18), which supports an adhesive applicator (28). The applicator comprises a body (30) which is fixed to the carriage (18), and an applicator head (40) mounted for rotation on the body. The body comprises first and second inlets (32, 34) adapted to be connected to supplies of constituents of an adhesive composition, and passages (33, 35) extending from the inlets through the body. The head (40) carries one or more outlet nozzles (60), said head (40) being rotated about a drive axis by a motor (72) carried by the carriage (18). The head is provided with one or more first passages (50a, 50) which are in communication with the first passage (33) in the body, and one or more second passages (52a, 52a) in communication with the second passage (35) in the body. Thus, as the head is rotated adhesive flows through the passages in the body and in the head, to be mixed in the outlet nozzles, and dispensed therefrom whilst the head rotates. During use of the machine, adhesive is thus dispensed from the applicator whilst the carriage is traversed back and forth along the gantry arm (16) under computer control, whilst the gantry moves lengthwise of the workpiece in the longitudinal direction.