GB2144095A - An applicator for adhesive sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

An applicator for adhesive sheet material (4), which applicator comprises a store roller (12) on which the sheet material (4) is stored, a pressure roller (14) for applying pressure to dispensed sheet material (4), a drive roller (16) for driving the store roller (12) and the pressure roller (14). and fastener means (20) for fastening the three rollers together such that rotation of the drive roller (16) in one direction causes the store roller (12) and the pressure roller (14) to rotate in the opposite direction. The sheet material may be, for example, wallpaper or a plastics type material having a decorative pattern. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An applicator for adhesive sheet material This invention relates to an applicator for adhesive sheet material.

Decorative and clear adhesive sheet material is widely known and used. There is, for example, the plastics type adhesive sheet material that is provided with a decorative pattern, which provides a wipe clean surface and which is used for covering tables and work surfaces, especially in kitchens. There is also the paper type of decorative adhesive sheet material which is used as wallpaper and which is provided with an already pasted surface.

There is further the clear adhesive material that is used for protecting articles such for example as maps and book covers.

The adhesive surface of the sheet material may be unprotected, protected by a backing sheet, or may require the application of a liquid such as water before it becomes sticky.

In all cases, difficulty is often experienced in applying the sheet material to a chosen surface such that the sheet material is applied in a straight line without creases and/or bubbles.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an applicator for adhesive sheet material, which applicator reduces or obviates the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, this invention provides an applicator for adhesive sheet material, which applicator comprises a store roller on which the sheet material is stored, a pressure roller for applying pressure to dispensed sheet material, a drive roller for driving the store roller and the pressure roller, and fastener means for fastening the three rollers together such that rotation of the drive roller in one direction causes the store roller and the pressure roller to rotate in the opposite direction.

Usually, the drive roller will be rotated in use in an anti-clockwise direction, and the store roller and the pressure roller will be rotated in a clockwise direction.

The drive roller may be provided with a handle at one or both of its ends for facilitating the rotation.

The or each handle may be formed as an integral part of the drive roller. Alternatively, the or each handle may be formed separately from the drive roller.

The store roller may be provided with store roller securing means for securing one end of the sheet material to be dispensed.

The store roller securing means may be a slit which extends along the length of the store roller.

The drive roller may be provided with drive roller securing means for securing one end of a backing sheet for the sheet material.

The drive roller securing means may be a slit which extends along the length of the drive roller.

The fastener means may be an elastic band provided at each end of the three rollers.

The elastic bands may each run on a sleeve on the drive roller so that the drive roller can be rotated and the elastic bands will slip with respect to the drive roller.

The elastic bands may each run in locating grooves provided in the store roller and the pressure roller.

Alternatively, the elastic bands may run in locating grooves with the elastic bands each being so constrained that they are in a figure of eight configuration around the drive roller on the one hand and around the store and pressure rollers combined on the other hand.

The elastic bands may be provided with a cloth or other material covering to facilitate the elastic bands slipping.

In another embodiment of the invention the fastener means may comprise a plate which is provided at each end of the rollers and which is provided with one or more springs for fastening the three rollers together.

There may be three springs, and in this case each roller may be provided with a pin member for receiving one of the springs.

The applicator may include a direction applicator for facilitating the application of the sheet material in a straight line.

The direction applicator may be a part circular strip member.

Three rollers may be made from a variety of materials. For example, they may be made from a plastics material such for example as polyvinylchloride or polyethylene. Alternatively, the rollers may be made from a cardboard material and, if desired, the cardboard material may be covered by a film of a plastics material to render the cardboard material substantially impervious to water.

The rollers may be produced in various lengths and in various diameters depending upon the intended use of the applicator. For example, the applicator can be used to apply the above mentioned adhesive plastics material to work surfaces or the inside of drawers, or the wallpaper material to walls. In addition, the adhesive plastics material can be used, for example, for covering books, magazines and maps.

Advantageously, the three rollers are of different diameters so that they fit inside each other for storage purposes.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an applicator in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the applicator shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a store roller used in the applicator of Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 shows a direction applicator for use with the applicator illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an applicator 2 for applying adhesive sheet material 4 to a surface 6. The sheet material 4 comprises sticky sheet material 8 having an adhesive on the side adjacent the surface 6, and a backing sheet 10 for protecting the sticky surface of the sheet material 8.

The applicator 2 comprises a store roller 1 2 on which the sheet material 4 is stored. The applicator 2 also comprises a pressure roller 14 for applying pressure to the dispensed sheet material 8. Furthermore, the applicator 2 comprises a drive roller 1 6 for driving the store roller 1 2 and the pressure roller 14, and also for receiving the backing sheet 10. The drive roller 1 6 is provided with handles 18 and when the drive roller 1 6 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction, the store roller 1 2 and the pressure roller 1 4 are caused to rotate in a clockwise direction. This results in the sticky sheet material 8 being applied to the surface 6, and the backing sheet 10 being wound around the drive roller 16.Due to the pressure on the sheet material 8 from the pressure roller 14, the sheet material 8 can be applied to the surface 6 without creases and bubbles.

In order to maintain the three rollers 12,14,16 in the triangular formation shown in Figures 1 and 2, the applicator 2 includes fastener means in the form of two elastic bands 20. The drive roller 1 6 is provided with a pair of sleeves 22 on which the elastic bands 20 run so that the drive roller 1 6 can be rotated with the elastic bands 20 slipping with respect to the drive roller 1 6. The elastic bands 20 run in locating grooves provided in the store roller 1 2 and the pressure roller 14.

As shown in Figure 3, the store roller 1 2 is provided with store roller securing means in the form of a slit 24. The slit 24 extends in the longitudinal direction of the store roller 1 2 and one end of the sheet material 4 can be located and held in the slit 24. The drive roller 1 6 is provided with a similar slit (not shown) for receiving the leading edge of the backing sheet 10 to ensure that this backing sheet 10 wraps around the drive roller 1 6.

Also forming part of the applicator 2 is the direction applicator 26 shown in Figure 4.

The direction applicator 26 comprises a part circular strip member that will usually be made from the same material as the material used for the three rollers 1 2,14,1 6. The end of the sheet material 8 is initially secured along the direction applicator 26 and the direction applicator 26 can then be moved about over the surface 6 until a straight line has been obtained. The sheet material 8 can then be unwound and pressed on to the surface 6 in the knowledge that the sheet material 8 will extend in the desired straight line.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, a different type of fastener means may be employed to the elastic bands 20. For example, the fastener means may be a plate which operates with three springs, one for each of the three rollers 12,14,16, to hold the three rollers in the illustrated triangular formation.

Also, although the rollers are usually made of a plastics material, they can be made of other materials if desired. Further, the rollers 1 2,14,1 6 can be made in varying lengths to suit the intended use of the applicator 2.

Further, for the direction applicator 26, the pressure roller 1 4 may have calibration lines down its longitudinal length to ensure that a straight line is obtained. One of the handles 1 8 may be removed from the drive roller 1 6 to make the applicator 2 easier to use for applying sheet material 4 to the inside of the drawers or wallpapering in the corners of rooms.

Claims (14)

1. An applicator for adhesive sheet material, which applicator comprises a store roller on which the sheet material is stored, a pressure roller for applying pressure to dispensed sheet material, a drive roller for driving the store roller and the pressure roller, and fastener means for fastening the three rollers together such that rotation of the drive roller in one direction causes the store roller and the pressure roller to rotate in the opposite direction.

2. An applicator according to Claim 1 in which the drive roller is rotated in use in an anti-clockwise direction, and the store roller and the pressure roller are rotated in use in a clockwise direction.

3. An applicator according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the drive roller is provided with a handle at one or both of its ends for facilitating the rotation.

4. An applicator according to Claim 3 in which the or each handle is formed as an integral part of the drive roller.

5. An applicator according to Claim 3 in which the or each handle is formed separately from the drive roller.

6. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims in which the store roller is provided with store roller securing means for securing one end of the sheet material to be dispensed.

7. An applicator according to Claim 6 in which the store roller securing means is a slit which extends along the length of the store roller.

8. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims in which the drive roller is provided with drive roller securing means for securing one end of a backing sheet for the sheet material.

9. An applicator according to Claim 8 in which the drive roller securing means is a slit which extends along the length of the drive roller.

10. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims in which the fastener means is an elastic band provided at each end of the three rollers.

11. An applicator according to Claim 10 in which the elastic band runs on a sleeve on the drive roller so that the drive roller can be rotated and the elastic bands will slip with respect to the drive roller.

12. An applicator according to Claim 10 or Claim 11 in which the elastic bands run in locating grooves provided in the store roller and the pressure roller.

1 3. An applicator according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 in which the elastic bands run in locating grooves with the elastic bands each being so constrained that they are in a figure of eight configuration around the drive roller on the one hand and around the store and pressure rollers combined on the other hand.

14. An applicator according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 in which the fastener means comprises a plate which is provided at each end of the rollers and which is provided with one or more springs for fastening the three rollers together.

1 5. An applicator according to Claim 14 in which there are three springs, and in which in each roller is provided with a pin member for receiving one of the springs.

1 6. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims and including a direction applicator for facilitating the application of the sheet material in a straight line.

1 7. An applicator according to Claim 1 6 in which the direction applicator is a part circular strip member.

1 8. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims in which the three rollers are of different diameters so that they fit inside each other for storage purposes.

1 9. An applicator for adhesive sheet material, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.