Patent ID: 8297222

Claim:
An apparatus for dispensing a flowable material onto a workpiece comprising: an orifice member having first and second surfaces and a bore therethrough between the first and second surfaces; a chamber adjacent the orifice member first surface for flowable material; a punch having a face movable through the orifice member bore; a support for supporting a workpiece a desired distance from the orifice member second surface; and a controller having a set of instructions for controlling movement of the punch between upper, intermediate and lower positions, whereby via the set of instructions the controller positions the punch in the upper position which is outside the orifice member bore such that the punch face is spaced from the orifice member first surface to allow a flow of a desired amount of the flowable material onto the punch face and then moves the punch to the intermediate position so that the desired amount of flowable material flows onto the punch face through the orifice member bore until the punch face extends beyond the orifice member second surface to contact the workpiece with the desired amount of flowable material while still on the punch face, and once the desired amount of flowable material is deposited onto the workpiece, moves the punch to the lower position at which the punch face is substantially coplanar with the orifice member second surface.