Patent ID: 8387896

Claim:
A self cleaning header assembly for use in spraying an adhesive comprising: a header housing; a plurality of spray guns mounted within said header housing for spraying a mix of air and liquid, said spray guns having an exterior surface, an interior cavity, and a spray nozzle, said spray guns further each having an internal wash passageway for cleaning the spray gun interior cavity; one or more external wash nozzles fixedly mounted within said header housing for receiving wash water and for cleaning the spray nozzles; at least one air inlet for receiving atomizing air and cylinder air for said spray guns; at least one adhesive supply inlet for receiving adhesive to be supplied to the spray guns during spraying; at least one water supply inlet for receiving water to be supplied to the spray guns and the one or more external wash nozzles, and said plurality of spray guns each being mounted in said header housing for rotation relative to said header housing while said header housing remains in a fixed position for movement within said header housing between a spray position in which the spray gun nozzles are presented to a target surface to be sprayed and a cleaning position in which the spray gun nozzles are rotated away from the target surface and towards said wash nozzles such that the direction of water from said wash nozzles cleans the spray gun spray nozzles.