Patent attributes
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.
