To increase the strength and water resistance of a joint between two slabs of building materials, an interface for inserting bonding material between the joins of two interlocking members is used. The interface has two interlocking slabs, a tongue ridge, a groove slot, a fill channel, and a quantity of adhesive. The two interlocking slabs are the pieces of building material that are joined by the interface. To accomplish this, the tongue ridge connects to the first interlocking slabs, and the groove slot traverses into the second interlocking slab. The tongue ridge engages the groove slot to form an interlocking connection. The fill channel traverses through the tongue ridge along the length of the tongue ridge so that the quantity of adhesive can be deposited into the interlocking connection between the tongue ridge and the groove slot.

To increase the strength and water resistance of a joint between two slabs of building materials, an interface for inserting bonding material between the joins of two interlocking members is used. The interface has two interlocking slabs, a tongue ridge, a groove slot, a fill channel, and a quantity of adhesive. The two interlocking slabs are the pieces of building material that are joined by the interface. To accomplish this, the tongue ridge connects to the first interlocking slabs, and the groove slot traverses into the second interlocking slab. The tongue ridge engages the groove slot to form an interlocking connection. The fill channel traverses through the tongue ridge along the length of the tongue ridge so that the quantity of adhesive can be deposited into the interlocking connection between the tongue ridge and the groove slot.

An applicator is disclosed for applying sealant to a moving substrate. The applicator includes a wheel having a periphery. A plurality of spaced apart footprints extends around the periphery of the wheel and each footprint has a sealant receiving feature. A reservoir is provided for containing a supply of sealant to be applied to the moving substrate. The wheel is rotatably mounted at least partially in the reservoir such that as the wheel rotates, each of the spaced apart footprints repeatedly moves through a supply of sealant in the reservoir to pick up a charge of sealant, around one side of the wheel toward the moving substrate, adjacent the moving substrate to transfer the sealant charge to the substrate, and around the other side of the wheel back toward the supply of sealant. At least one stop is formed on each of the footprints for inhibiting sealant picked up by the footprint from being urged rearwardly on the footprint by high speed rotation of the wheel. A backstop may be formed at a trailing end of each footprint and mid-stops may be formed between a leading end of each footprint and the trailing end.

An applicator is disclosed for applying sealant to a moving substrate. The applicator includes a wheel having a periphery. A plurality of spaced apart footprints extends around the periphery of the wheel and each footprint has a sealant receiving feature. A reservoir is provided for containing a supply of sealant to be applied to the moving substrate. The wheel is rotatably mounted at least partially in the reservoir such that as the wheel rotates, each of the spaced apart footprints repeatedly moves through a supply of sealant in the reservoir to pick up a charge of sealant, around one side of the wheel toward the moving substrate, adjacent the moving substrate to transfer the sealant charge to the substrate, and around the other side of the wheel back toward the supply of sealant. At least one stop is formed on each of the footprints for inhibiting sealant picked up by the footprint from being urged rearwardly on the footprint by high speed rotation of the wheel. A backstop may be formed at a trailing end of each footprint and mid-stops may be formed between a leading end of each footprint and the trailing end.

A system for applying sealant material from a cartridge includes a cartridge fixture storing a plurality of cartridges each cartridge including unique identification information and containing sealant material, a cartridge robot for removing a selected one of the cartridges from the fixture, and a dispense robot for receiving the selected cartridge from the cartridge robot and applying the sealant material contained therein to a workpiece. A controller is connected to the cartridge robot and the dispense robot for operating the robots and a plurality of sensors are connected to the controller for generating the unique identification information for the selected cartridge, sealant usage per workpiece, sealant dispense pressure, sealant dispense temperature; and sealant usage from the selected cartridge.

A system for applying sealant material from a cartridge includes a cartridge fixture storing a plurality of cartridges each cartridge including unique identification information and containing sealant material, a cartridge robot for removing a selected one of the cartridges from the fixture, and a dispense robot for receiving the selected cartridge from the cartridge robot and applying the sealant material contained therein to a workpiece. A controller is connected to the cartridge robot and the dispense robot for operating the robots and a plurality of sensors are connected to the controller for generating the unique identification information for the selected cartridge, sealant usage per workpiece, sealant dispense pressure, sealant dispense temperature; and sealant usage from the selected cartridge.

In a liquid material discharge apparatus, attachment/detachment of a liquid contact unit (2) and a main body unit (15) is more safely and easily performed. The apparatus includes the liquid contact unit (2) provided with a housing (6) including a nozzle (3) and a discharge member (5), and with a storage container (4) fluidly connected to the housing with the aid of a mounting member, and a main body unit provided with a holder (19) to which the housing is detachably attached, and with a drive unit (16) for actuating the discharge member that is detachably coupled to the drive unit, the apparatus further includes a movable member (12) being movable in an up-down direction along the housing while the movable member remains attached to the housing, and the discharge member and the drive unit are attachable with movement of the movable member in the up-down direction.

In a liquid material discharge apparatus, attachment/detachment of a liquid contact unit (2) and a main body unit (15) is more safely and easily performed. The apparatus includes the liquid contact unit (2) provided with a housing (6) including a nozzle (3) and a discharge member (5), and with a storage container (4) fluidly connected to the housing with the aid of a mounting member, and a main body unit provided with a holder (19) to which the housing is detachably attached, and with a drive unit (16) for actuating the discharge member that is detachably coupled to the drive unit, the apparatus further includes a movable member (12) being movable in an up-down direction along the housing while the movable member remains attached to the housing, and the discharge member and the drive unit are attachable with movement of the movable member in the up-down direction.

An adaptive hot melt feed system includes a melt system, a feed system, a gas control device, a sensor, and a controller. The melt system includes a heated vessel. The feed system is configured to deliver a solid material to the vessel of the melt system for melting. The gas control device is configured to control a supply of gas provided to the feed system to drive the solid material from the feed system to the melt system. The sensor can be configured to detect an amount of material in the vessel of the melt system. The controller is in electronic communication with the gas control device and is programmed to signal the gas control device to vary the supply of gas to the feed system based on a fill metric determined by the controller.

An adaptive hot melt feed system includes a melt system, a feed system, a gas control device, a sensor, and a controller. The melt system includes a heated vessel. The feed system is configured to deliver a solid material to the vessel of the melt system for melting. The gas control device is configured to control a supply of gas provided to the feed system to drive the solid material from the feed system to the melt system. The sensor can be configured to detect an amount of material in the vessel of the melt system. The controller is in electronic communication with the gas control device and is programmed to signal the gas control device to vary the supply of gas to the feed system based on a fill metric determined by the controller.