阅读说明：本技术 连续棒馈送的胶枪 (Continuous rod fed glue gun ) 是由 J·M·德拉琴伯格 于 2020-01-10 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种胶枪和一种使胶枪中的胶棒前进的方法。前导胶棒被保持在馈送器组件的通道中,处于活动位置,而下一个胶棒定位成邻近活动位置。响应于使用者移动胶枪的触发器,馈送器组件在前进方向上馈送前导胶棒。当前导胶棒前进超出下一个胶棒的前端时,下一个胶棒自由地下降到活动位置中,并且从通过馈送器组件馈送前导胶棒到通过馈送器组件来馈送下一个胶棒的过渡仅通过重复的触发器致动来发生。在前导胶棒耗尽时,无需其它步骤或动作即可将下一个胶棒放置到活动位置中。(A glue gun and a method of advancing a glue stick in a glue gun. The leading glue stick is held in the channel of the feeder assembly in an active position, while the next glue stick is positioned adjacent to the active position. The feeder assembly feeds the leading glue stick in an advancing direction in response to a user moving a trigger of the glue gun. When the leading glue stick advances beyond the leading end of the next glue stick, the next glue stick is free to descend into the active position, and the transition from feeding the leading glue stick through the feeder assembly to feeding the next glue stick through the feeder assembly occurs only by repeated trigger actuations. When the leading glue stick is exhausted, no further steps or actions are required to place the next glue stick into the active position.)

1. A glue gun comprising:

a housing including a handle and a barrel, the handle having an upper end that mates with the barrel;

an outlet nozzle positioned at the front end of the housing for dispensing a gel;

a multi-stick cartridge configured to receive a plurality of stacked glue sticks including a leading glue stick held in a channel defining an active position and movable in an advancing direction toward the outlet nozzle and a next glue stick positioned adjacent the active position;

a heating element operable to melt the gel of the leading gel stick and then dispense from the outlet nozzle;

a trigger movably coupled to the housing and operable to advance the leading glue stick in the advancement direction; and

a feeder assembly coupled to the trigger and movable in response to movement of the trigger, wherein the feeder assembly is operable to feed the leading glue stick in the advance direction such that when the leading glue stick advances beyond a leading end of the next glue stick, the next glue stick is free to descend into the active position within the feeder assembly, thereby enabling transition from feeding the leading glue stick through the feeder assembly to feeding the next glue stick through the feeder assembly only by repeated trigger actuations.

2. The glue gun of claim 1, wherein the feeder assembly includes a feeder base, a feeder tray at least partially defining the channel, and at least one clamp deployable from a retracted position to a deployed position, and wherein the at least one clamp extends into the channel in the deployed position.

3. The glue gun of claim 2, wherein the at least one clamp is coupled to the feeder tray by a first pin joint and is separately coupled to the feeder base by a second pin joint.

4. The glue gun of claim 2, wherein the at least one clamp is coupled to both the feeder base and the feeder tray such that the at least one clamp is deployed from the retracted position to the deployed position by an advancing motion of the feeder base relative to the feeder tray.

5. The glue gun as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one clamp comprises two clamps positioned on opposite sides of the channel from each other.

6. The glue gun as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one jaw is movable between the retracted position and the deployed position in a plane perpendicular to a plane in which the trigger moves when actuated.

7. The glue gun of claim 2, wherein the feeder tray is coupled to the housing by a first spring and the feeder base is coupled to the housing by a second spring, and wherein the first spring has a spring constant that exceeds a spring constant of the second spring.

8. The glue gun of claim 7, wherein the spring constant of the first spring exceeds the spring constant of the second spring by a factor of at least 1.5.

9. The glue gun of claim 7, wherein the first and second springs extend parallel to each other and to the advance direction.

10. A glue gun comprising:

a housing including a handle and a barrel, the handle having an upper end that mates with the barrel;

an outlet nozzle positioned at the front end of the housing for dispensing a gel;

a multi-stick cartridge configured to receive a plurality of stacked glue sticks including a leading glue stick held in a channel defining an active position and movable in an advancing direction toward the outlet nozzle and a next glue stick positioned adjacent the active position;

a heating element operable to melt the gel of the leading gel stick and then dispense from the outlet nozzle;

a trigger movably coupled to the housing and operable for advancing the leading glue stick in the advancing direction; and

a feeder assembly coupled to the trigger and movable in response to movement of the trigger, wherein the feeder assembly comprises:

a feeder tray reciprocally movable within the housing, the feeder tray having an open top defining an unobstructed path for the next glue stick to freely descend into the active position,

a feeder base that is reciprocatable within the housing and selectively slides with respect to the feeder tray, an

At least one jaw coupled to the feeder base and the feeder tray such that when the feeder assembly is actuated by the trigger, the at least one jaw deploys from a retracted position to a deployed position, wherein the at least one jaw extends into the channel in the deployed position.

11. The glue gun of claim 10, wherein the at least one clamp is coupled to the feeder tray by a first pin joint and is separately coupled to the feeder base by a second pin joint.

12. The glue gun of claim 10, wherein the at least one clamp is coupled to both the feeder base and the feeder tray such that the at least one clamp is deployed from the retracted position to the deployed position by an advancing motion of the feeder base relative to the feeder tray.

13. The glue gun as recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one clamp comprises two clamps positioned on opposite sides of the channel from each other.

14. The glue gun as recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one jaw is movable between the retracted position and the deployed position in a plane perpendicular to a plane in which the trigger moves when actuated.

15. The glue gun of claim 10, wherein the feeder tray is coupled to the housing by a first spring and the feeder base is coupled to the housing by a second spring, and wherein the first spring has a spring constant that exceeds a spring constant of the second spring.

16. The glue gun of claim 15, wherein the spring constant of the first spring exceeds the spring constant of the second spring by a factor of at least 1.5.

17. The glue gun as recited in claim 15, wherein the first spring and the second spring extend parallel to each other and to the advance direction.

18. A method of advancing a glue stick in a glue gun, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of stacked glue sticks including a leading glue stick held in a channel of a feeder assembly in an active position, the leading glue stick being moved by the feeder assembly in an advancing direction towards an outlet of the glue gun, and a next glue stick positioned adjacent the active position; and

in response to a user moving a trigger of the glue gun, the feeder assembly feeds the leading glue stick in the forward direction, whereby the next glue stick is free to descend into the active position within the feeder assembly as the leading glue stick advances beyond a leading end of the next glue stick, and a transition from feeding the leading glue stick through the feeder assembly to feeding the next glue stick through the feeder assembly occurs only by repeated trigger actuations, the next glue stick being placeable into the active position without any further steps or actions as the leading glue stick is depleted.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the feeder assembly includes a feeder base, a feeder tray at least partially defining the channel, and at least one gripper deployable from a retracted position to a deployed position, wherein a tip of the at least one gripper extends into the channel, wherein the feeder base moves in the advancing direction relative to the feeder tray within an initial range of trigger actuation to place the at least one gripper to the deployed position, and wherein the feeder tray and the feeder base move together as a unit in the advancing direction during continued actuation of the trigger beyond the initial range.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the trigger moves in a first plane, and wherein the at least one jaw moves between the retracted position and the deployed position in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a hand-held, cordless or corded adhesive dispenser, commonly referred to as a glue gun, that is powered to melt adhesive from a stick for controlled discharge.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect, the present invention provides a glue gun comprising a housing, an outlet nozzle, and a multi-stick cartridge. The housing includes a handle and a barrel, the handle having an upper end that mates with the barrel. An outlet nozzle is positioned at the front end of the housing for dispensing the gel. The multiple rod stock cartridge is configured to receive a plurality of stacked glue sticks including a leading glue stick and a next glue stick, the leading glue stick being retained in a channel defining an active position and being movable in an advancing direction towards the outlet nozzle, the next glue stick being positioned adjacent the active position. The heating element is operable to melt the gel of the pre-gel stick and then dispense from the outlet nozzle. A trigger is movably coupled to the housing and operable to advance the leading glue stick in an advancement direction. The feeder assembly is coupled to the trigger and is movable in response to movement of the trigger. The feeder assembly is operable to feed the leading glue stick in an advancing direction such that when the leading glue stick advances beyond a leading end of the next glue stick, the next glue stick is free to descend into an active position within the feeder assembly. Thus, it is possible to transition from feeding a leading glue stick through the feeder assembly to feeding a next glue stick through the feeder assembly, simply by repeated trigger actuations.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a glue gun comprising a housing, an outlet nozzle, and a multi-stick cartridge. The housing includes a handle and a barrel, the handle having an upper end that mates with the barrel. An outlet nozzle is positioned at the front end of the housing for dispensing the gel. The multiple rod stock cartridge is configured to receive a plurality of stacked glue sticks including a leading glue stick held in a channel defining an active position and movable in an advancing direction toward the outlet nozzle and a next glue stick positioned adjacent the active position. The heating element is operable to melt the gel of the pre-gel stick and then dispense from the outlet nozzle. A trigger is movably coupled to the housing and operable to advance the leading glue stick in an advancement direction. The feeder assembly is coupled to the trigger and is movable in response to movement of the trigger. The feeder assembly includes a feeder base, a feeder tray, and at least one clamp. The feeder tray is reciprocally movable within the housing and has an open top defining an unobstructed path for the next glue stick to fall freely into the active position. The feeder base is reciprocable within the housing and selectively slidable relative to the feeder tray. The at least one jaw is coupled to the feeder base and the feeder tray such that the at least one jaw deploys from a retracted position to a deployed position when the feeder assembly is actuated by the trigger. The at least one jaw extends into the channel in the deployed position.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of advancing a glue stick in a glue gun. A plurality of stacked glue sticks are provided including a leading glue stick held in the channel of the feeder assembly in the active position that the feeder assembly will move in the forward direction toward the outlet of the glue gun, and a next glue stick positioned adjacent the active position. The feeder assembly feeds the leading glue stick in an advancing direction in response to a user moving a trigger of the glue gun. When the leading glue stick advances beyond the front end of the next glue stick, the next glue stick is free to descend into the active position of the feeder assembly, and the transition from feeding the leading glue stick through the feeder assembly to feeding the next glue stick through the feeder assembly occurs only by repeated trigger actuations. When the leading glue stick is exhausted, no further steps or actions are required to place the next glue stick into the active position.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a glue gun according to one embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the glue gun of fig. 1 with the multi-stick cartridge of the glue gun removed from the rear housing opening.

Fig. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view showing two portions of the glue gun housing separated in a lateral direction.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the trigger, hot end and feeder assembly exploded from a portion of the housing of the glue gun.

Fig. 5 is an exploded assembly view of the trigger, feeder assembly and intermediate coupling linkage therebetween.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the feeder assembly.

Fig. 7 is a partially exploded assembly view of the feeder assembly.

Fig. 8 is another exploded assembly view of the feeder assembly.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the feeder assembly, a portion of which is made transparent to show the internal spring connections.

Fig. 10-12 are perspective views with the housing portion removed to show the interior of the glue gun when the feeder assembly engages the glue stick therein.

Detailed Description

Before any aspects of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

Fig. 1 shows a glue gun 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Glue gun 20 includes a housing 24 having a handle 26 and a barrel 28. Barrel 28 is typically positioned on top of handle 26 such that the upper end of the handle mates with barrel 28. The handle 26 and barrel 28 form separate, distinguishable portions of the housing 24 and may be separately or integrally manufactured. In the illustrated construction shown in fig. 3, the housing 24 is provided by two separate lateral portions, each forming a portion of both the handle 26 and the barrel 28 (e.g., left and right halves, respectively). The two housing portions may be joined by a plurality of (e.g., threaded) fasteners 30 as shown, or may be secured by other alternative means, such as an integral snap latch, adhesive, or the like. An outlet nozzle 34 is provided at the forward end of the housing 24 for dispensing liquid glue from the glue gun 20. At the rear of the housing 24, there is an opening 38 for receiving a multi-stick cartridge 40, the multi-stick cartridge 40 including a plurality of horizontal positions for holding at least two solid glue sticks, one of which is a movable glue stick and one or more of which is held as one or more spare glue sticks. With glue gun 20 held in a vertical orientation, cartridge 40 is shown holding a stick of glue in a vertically stacked orientation, as shown in fig. 1. Opening 38 may be angled with respect to both the direction of extension of handle 26 and the direction of extension of barrel 28. In this way, opening 38 may be closer to tip or outlet nozzle 34 at the top of opening 38 than to the bottom of opening 38. As shown in fig. 2, cartridge 40 is removable, for example to be reloaded. A releasable latch 44 selectively secures the cartridge 40 to the housing 24. The cartridge 40 also includes an aperture 48 at its rear end. The user may load an additional stick or sticks through port 48 while cartridge 40 is still engaged with glue gun 20. The aperture 48 may also be used to allow at least partial viewing of the contents of the cartridge 40. However, in some constructions, cartridge 40 is made of a transparent or translucent material such that the contents of cartridge 40 are externally visible through cartridge 40. Housing 24 also supports a bracket 46 adjacent outlet nozzle 34, bracket 46 being adapted to be selectively deployed to an operative position holding support housing 24 to maintain outlet nozzle 34 above a support surface when a user needs to lower glue gun 20 down from time to time.

The trigger 50 is movably coupled to the housing 24 and is operable to advance the movable glue stick in an advancing direction a (see fig. 5-9) toward the outlet nozzle 34. As will be understood from the other description below, trigger 50 is operable to cause glue stick 42 to be in a leading position of cartridge 40 (e.g., a bottommost position in the case of cartridge 40 shown)₁And (5) advancing. Which will be referred to hereinafter as leading glue stick 42₁To make the front rubber rod 42₁The next glue stick above is called the next glue stick 42₂. Operation of trigger 50 does not directly cause the next glue stick 42₂And (5) advancing. As shown in fig. 3, the trigger 50 is coupled to a feeder assembly 54, at least a portion of which physically engages the lead glue stick 42₁To feed it forward in the forward direction a. Feeder assembly 54 feeds leading glue stick 42 toward or through the heating assembly in response to depression of the trigger₁The heating assembly is referred to as a hot end 58 having an electrically powered heating element therein that is operable to melt the gel to be dispensed from the outlet nozzle 34. Power is supplied to the hot end 58 through a power cord 60, a portion of the power cord 60 being shown at the bottom of the handle 26 in fig. 1. Inside the cartridge 40, a glue stick 42 is now leading₁In the active position, the next glue stick 42₂Directly on the leading glue stick 42₁The above.

As described above, fig. 3 shows the housing 24 separated to expose the feeder assembly 54. Fig. 4 additionally shows the trigger 50 and feeder assembly 54 removed (along with the hot end 58) from the housing 24. As can be appreciated from fig. 3 and 4, both the trigger 50 and the feeder assembly 54 are movably supported by the housing 24 independently of each other. For example, the trigger 50 may be pivotally supported relative to the housing 24 by a pivot 62. Alternatively, the trigger 50 may be supported for translation or provide combined rotation and translation. Trigger 50 moves back and forth within plane P1 shown in fig. 5. In the illustrated construction, the feeder assembly 54 is slidably supported by the housing 24, for example, by a plurality of flat guide surfaces 64 (fig. 4) defining a housing channel within which the feeder assembly 54 reciprocates during use as the trigger 50 is operated and released. Although only one side of the housing 24 is shown in fig. 4, it will be understood that the opposite side of the housing 24 may have a similar or identical guide surface 64. Alternatively or additionally, the cartridge 40 may be provided with one or more guide surfaces for guiding the feeder assembly 54. As described in more detail below, the feeder assembly 54 is guided to perform a reciprocating back and forth sliding stroke with each pulling and releasing movement of the trigger 50. As best shown in fig. 5, the coupling link 66 establishes an effective drive connection for actuating the feeder assembly 54 in response to movement of the trigger 50. The coupling link 66 may be pivotably coupled at opposite ends thereof to the trigger 50 and the feeder assembly 54, respectively, (e.g., by a pin joint).

As described in further detail below, the feeder assembly 54 is spring biased relative to the housing 24 to indirectly bias the trigger 50 to the outward or non-depressed position. The feeder assembly 54 includes several main components, including first and second feeder bodies 72, 74 and at least one clamp 76 (e.g., a pair of opposed clamps 76) supported by at least one of the feeder bodies 72, 74. The first and second feeder bodies 72, 74 are movable relative to each other, and both are movable relative to the housing 24 (e.g., together as a unit). The first feeder body 72 is formed for receiving the leading glue stick 42₁And will be referred to as a feeder tray 72 hereinafter. The second feeder body 74 is hereinafter referred to as a feeder base 74. The feeder tray 72 defines an opening 80 or open side of the feeder assembly 54 once the leading glue stick 42 is applied₁Having passed sufficiently in the advancing direction a, this opening 80, or open side, is open to freely receive the next glue stick 42₂(i.e., once leader gel stick 42 is applied₁Advance, for the next glue stick 42₂There will be an unobstructed path to the level of the clamp 76). Opposite the opening 80, the feeder tray 72 defines a base 82, a live feed glue stick, initially the leading glue stick 42₁Against which it rests. As shown, the base 82 may be a bottom surface with reference to a vertical orientation and a direction established throughout the glue gun 20 (the barrel 28 forming a top and the handle 26 extending below the barrel 28). This allows the next glue stick 42, provided that the glue gun 20 is held in a vertical orientation, or at least primarily in a vertical orientation, as shown in fig. 1₂It can fall to the base 82 in the direction D (fig. 6) by gravity alone. The direction D is perpendicular to the advancing direction a. The direction D is also perpendicular to the plane P2 (fig. 5 and 9) in which the jaws 76 are deployed and retracted. As shown in FIG. 5, the clamp plane P2 is perpendicular to the trigger plane P1. When glue gun 20 is held in a vertical orientation as shown in fig. 1, clamp plane P2 is horizontal in the illustrated configuration. These features are particularly advantageous for providing automatic glue stick replacement when used with vertically stacked cartridges 40 as shown. However, the feeder assembly 54 can be used in other orientations within the glue gun 20 in other configurations, for example, if it is desired that subsequent glue sticks be loaded in a bottom-up direction or from the side to an active position. Such a configuration may be achieved by requiring a different orientation of use, a designated reload motion, or a spring bias to the glue stick within the cartridge 40. Each of the feeder tray 72 and the feeder base 74 is connected to the housing 24 by a corresponding spring 86, 88, respectively. The springs 86, 88 provide resilient bias to the feeder tray 72 and the feeder base 74. The springs 86, 88 may be coil springs as shown or other types of springs, such as elastic bands or the like. The springs 86, 88 may also differ from each other in structure and/or spring constant. For example, the spring 86 of the feeder tray 72 may have a spring constant higher than that of the spring 88 of the feeder base 74. In some constructions, the spring constant of the feeder tray spring 86 exceeds the spring constant of the feeder base spring 88 by a factor of at least 1.5, at least 2.0, or at least 2.5. In one non-limiting example, the spring constant of the feeder tray spring 86 is 0.285N/mm (1.6)3lbf/in) +/-20%, while the feeder base spring 88 has a spring constant of 0.109N/mm (0.62lbf/in) +/-20%. The feeder tray 72 and the feeder base 74 include spring hooks 90, 92 for connecting with the springs 86, 88, respectively. As shown, the feeder tray spring 86 and the feeder base spring 88 extend parallel to each other and parallel to the advancing direction a.

The feeder base 74 has a trigger connection portion 96 at its front end, for example. As shown, the trigger connection portion 96 is indirectly connected to the trigger 50 through the coupling link 66, although the trigger connection portion 96 may be directly coupled to the trigger 50 in other configurations. The feeder base 74 is the only part of the feeder assembly 54 that is directly actuated by the trigger 50, while other parts of the feeder assembly 54 are indirectly actuated by the trigger 50 through the feeder base 74. The feeder tray 72 and the feeder base 74 are actuated by the trigger 50 against the bias of the springs 86, 88, which normally bias the feeder assembly 54 to a rest or home position, which is the most rearward position within the housing 24. Although the feeder base 74 is slidable relative to the feeder tray 72 parallel to the advancing direction a, the feeder tray 72 is effectively driven in the advancing direction a by the feeder base 74. In particular, the feeder tray 72 and the feeder base 74 are coupled together by a clamp 76. As shown, each clamp 76 defines a pin junction with each of the feeder tray 72 and the feeder base 74. The pin linking portion with the feeder tray 72 is positioned laterally inside the pin linking portion with the feeder base 74 with a narrow spacing therebetween. The pin joint between the clamp 76 and the feeder tray 72 is provided by a first set of pins 100 which engage with respective holes 102A, 102B of the feeder tray 72 and the clamp 76. The pin connection between the clamp 76 and the feeder base 74 is provided by a second set of pins 104 that engage respective holes 106A, 106B of the feeder base 74 and the clamp 76. The holes 106B are elongated rather than circular and form slotted pin joints that allow for different ranges of relative motion or "lost motion" therebetween.

In operation, the glue stick 42 is advanced₁And the next glue stick 42₂Are all loaded into the cartridge40, a leading glue stick 42₁In the active position, this means that the glue stick is located in the channel of the feeder tray 72 alongside the substrate 82 and in position for engagement and feeding by the clamp 76. As shown in fig. 2, cartridge 40 may be open at the front bottom portion, forming a notch 108 or cut-out. Thus, leading glue stick 42 in the active position₁Or any glue stick in a position to be in movable engagement with the feeder assembly 54 without exiting or leaving the cartridge 40. In addition, the top portion of cartridge 40 above recess 108 is positioned to extend over (overlap in plan view) clamp 76 when coupled to glue gun 20. Prior to actuation of the trigger 50, the feeder assembly 54 is in the condition best shown by fig. 6 and 11, with the clamp 76 retracted from the channel and housed in the receptacle alongside the channel formed by the feeder tray 72. As the trigger 50 is pulled or pressed toward the housing 24, it pulls the feeder base 74 forward in the advancing direction a by the coupling link 66. Accordingly, the feeder base 74 starts to move from the home position against the bias of the spring 88. Since the resistance of the spring 86 is larger than that of the spring 88, the feeder tray 72 lags behind the feeder base 74 in the advancing movement. Relative movement of the feeder base 74 relative to the feeder tray 72 corresponding to the initial preset stroke (e.g., extension) of the spring 88 drives the clamp 76 open. In particular, the clamp 76 is deployed so that its sharpened tip 76A extends into the channel of the feeder tray 72 to engage the leading glue stick 42₁Interfere to press or poke into it. The sharpened tips 76A move inwardly toward each other as they spread apart. During deployment, the clamp 76 pivots about the pins 100 relative to the feeder tray 72 and is accommodated by a slotted pin joint at the pins 104. The jaws 76 are deployed by pivoting the sharpened tip 76A rearwardly relative to the advancement direction a, and the deployment rotation direction is represented by arrow B, C in fig. 8. Positioning clamps 76 directly across the channel from one another to cooperatively clamp leader gel stick 42 at a single longitudinal location thereof₁. Other deployment configurations are optional, and there may be one or more than two clamps 76 in other arrangements as shown. FIG. 7 shows the clamp 76 fully deployed, thereby by abutting the bottom of the stop 110 of the clamp 76The mating surface of the feeder base 74 prevents further travel. Once the clamps 76 are deployed, the lead glue stick 42₁It physically engages the feeder assembly 54 and moves with the feeder assembly in the forward direction a as the trigger 50 is pressed further. Thus, the feeder assembly 54 will guide the glue stick 42₁Fed into an upstream or rear portion of the hot end 58. In some examples, the jaws 76 are deployed or "set" within the first 10%, 20%, or 30% of the trigger stroke relative to the full available stroke of the trigger, such that a majority of the trigger stroke is available to push the glue stick forward in the forward direction a.

When the user releases the trigger 50 at or before the full stroke of the trigger 50, the spring 88 first retracts the feeder base 74 an initial preset amount relative to the feeder tray 72, causing the clamp 76 to retract to guide the glue stick 42 from the front₁Disengaging the engagement. As the grippers 76 retract, the entire feeder assembly 54 continues to return toward the home position while the leading glue stick 42₁Remaining in the advanced position. Front glue stick 42 is fed by feeder assembly 54₁The above-described method of feeding into the hot end 58 does not act on the next glue stick 42₂It remains in a static position within cartridge 40. However, once the leader glue stick 42 is applied₁Over the next glue stick 42 in the forward direction a₂The position of the front end of the adhesive stick 42, the next adhesive stick₂Is passively moved (e.g., by gravity only) into an active position in which the feeder assembly 54, and in particular the clamp 76 thereof, can engage the next glue stick 42₂To feed the trigger 50 towards the hot end 58 each time it is actuated. Thus, there is no other step or action necessary to advance the glue stick 42 other than pulling and releasing the trigger 50₁When depleted (i.e., reaching the point where the feeder assembly 54 has already dispensed the leading glue stick 42₁The rear end feed of the gripper 76 beyond the limit of travel of the gripper 76) will next glue stick 42₂Placed in the active position. This is particularly advantageous for glue guns, even those with multiple stick cartridges, which typically require a physical manipulation of the glue stick or the loading element of the cartridge by the user to place the next glue stick in the trigger feedThe glue gun is sent to continue to use the active state of the glue gun.

Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.