GB2282124A - Tape applicator - Google Patents

Abstract

A band of tape is applied to a package 12 using an applicator 4 having at least one articulated arm 14 each of which provides support for a "soft touch" applicator roll 118 for ensuring close contact to be maintained across the width of the roll and a package 12 to thereby ensure that substantially the whole of the tape across its width and along its length adheres to the package. The package 12 may be a shrink-wrapped stack of concrete roofing tiles, the tape bearing indicia indicating the nature of the tiles. The roll 118 is moulded from polyurethane in the shape of a wheel with spirally-oriented spokes 118a so as to be readily deformable under load. The (or each) articulated arm 14 comprises an upper arm portion 20 pivotally mounted at 22, an elbow joint at 26 and a forearm portion 28, the article 12 being rotated by a turntable 8 about an axis parallel to the pivotal axes at 22 and 26. <IMAGE>

Description

Improved Tape Applicator This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to a tape applicator and especially, through not exclusively, the invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to a tape applicator assembly adapted for use in the application of banding tapes to spun or shrink wrapped packages of roof tiles of the like.

By "tape" where used herein it is meant any convenient strip or band of material which may be applied to or wholly about an article. Such tape may be an adhesive tape or one that lends itself to heat sealing techniques in order to fix it in place on or about an article By "article" where used herein it is meant any box-like package or the like; particularly it is meant a spun or shrink wrapped package of roof tiles or the like.

The spun or shrink wrapping of roof tiles and other building products, viz bricks, blocks, etc is practised on a large scale with the advantages that such products are less likely to be damaged in transit and to some degree they are protected from the elements until they are used.

Marking of spun or shrink wrapped packages is also resorted to in order to identify the products; however, such marking may also indicate the origin of the product, i.e. the particular tile plant where they were made and the time and date of manufacture. Such data is obviously of great benefit if the tiles suffer any defects during manufacture since appropriate remedial action may be taken without delay.

While spun wrapped material is usually clear of any markings, shrink wrapped material is usually provided with some indicia pre-printed thereon indicating the name of a manufacture and the house mark or logo used by said manufacturers; however, because various ranges of products will be shrink wrapped at different times using the same material it is difficult to append appropriate indica in relation to the product type and its date of manufacture. Such details may be appended manually; however, this is a tedious and costly exercise.

Of late, the applicant has made use of branding tapes which are manually applied to or wrapped around spun or shrink wrapped packages using hand held applicators. Such branding tapes are pre-printed with the names by which the products are identified.

Thus, only one pre-printed spun or shrink wrap material may conveniently be utilised with the branding tape being chosen to match the products produced at the time of manufacture.

As with the manual application of relevant indicia the manual application of the branding tapes using hand held applicators is a tedious and costly exercise.

The present invention seeks to mitigate or overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and conveniently provides a tape applicator comprising at least one articulated arm comprising a "soft-touch" applicator roll as herein defined associated with each articulated arm, said roll being rotatable, to apply a band of tape wholly or substantially so about an article addressed by the applicator and which roll may conveniently be of moulded polyurethane or the like.

Conveniently the invention also provides a tape applicator comprising at least one articulated arm provided with tape retention means for effecting, when the applicator is in use and an articulated arm thereof is in a rest condition, retention of a leading end portion of a tape until an article, to which tape is to be applied thereby, is addressed by the articulated arm of the applicator.

Preferably the retention means is provided by a suction device which, when the articulated arm is a rest condition, facilitates the retention of a leading end portion of a tape as aforesaid.

Each articulated arm of the applicator may conveniently provide support for a tape cutting means operation of which, when the applicator is in use and the articulated arm is in an operative condition in which tape is to be applied, cuts said tape, whereupon said articulated arm returns to a rest condition in which the tape retention means is again effective in the retention of a leading end portion of a tape.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the applicator conveniently comprises a pivotable mounting for each articulated arm, the articulated arms each comprising: a) a upper arm portion; b) an elbow joint; and c) a forearm portion; said pivotal mounting and elbow joint being pivotable, when the applicator is in use, in the same plane about mutually parallel or substantially mutually parallel axes respectively to apply a band of tape wholly or substantially so about an article addressed by the applicator.

The applicator according to the last preceding paragraph may comprise first drive means associated with each articulated arm for causing, when the applicator is in use, relative pivotal movement of each arm on an associated pivotable mounting, second drive means associated with each articulated arm for causing, when the applicator is in use, relative pivotal movement between said upper arm portions and associated forearm portions for effecting, when the applicator is in use, the application of a band of tape wholly or substantially so about an article addressed by the applicator.

Preferably the forearm portion of the articulated arm may comprise a planar portion extending therealong which planar portion is provided with apertures across which, when the applicator is in use and the articulated arm thereof is in a rest condition, the suction device is effective to create a pressure differential to cause retention of a leading end portion of a tape as aforesaid.

Conveniently the tape cutting means may be mounted in the forearm portion of an associated articulated arm of the applicator, which tape cutting means may be provided by a rotatable knife attachment having a control device operable, when the applicator is in use, to cause rotating motion of the knife attachment whereby a tape is cut thereby.

Conveniently the applicator provided by the present invention comprises two arms arranged in spaced relationship on associated pivotable mountings the respective axes of which mountings are contiguous or substantially so one with the other whereby, when the applicator is in use, the applicator applies two bands of tape wholly or substantially so about an article addressed thereby, means also being provided for synchronising the operation of the two arms to facilitate the concomitant application of the two bands of tape to an article as aforesaid.

The applicator may also conveniently comprise a scanning device for identifying, when the applicator is in use, the characteristics of each article, the applicator further comprising branding means whereby identification marks relating to the characteristics of each article may be applied to at least one of the tapes when the applicator is in use as aforesaid.

In a preferable embodiment provided by the present invention, the first drive means may be provided by a piston and cylinder arrangement effective to cause, when the applicator is in use, relative pivotal movement of its associated arm on its associated pivotable mounting as aforesaid, and the second drive means of each arm may usefully comprise a sun gear rotatably mounted on an axis coincident with the axis of the elbow joint, said sun gear being fixedly mounted on said forearm portion, a planet gear rotatably mounted on said upper arm portion and being arranged in driving engagement with said sun gear, and a pair of piston and cylinder arrangements extending in parallel relationship or substantially so between arcuately displaceable pivotal elements on said planet gear and fixed pivotal elements on said upper arm portion remote from said elbow joint whereby, when the applicator is in use, operation of the piston and cylinder arrangement of the second drive means causes relative pivotal movement between said upper arm portion and forearm portion as aforesaid.

The present invention also provides a tape applicator assembly comprising at least one articulated arm and a pivotal mounting for each arm, conveying means for causing relative movements between the applicator and an article to cause presentation of the article to the applicator, when the applicator is in use and the article is to be taped thereby, and drive means for causing rotational movement of the article about an axis parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of said at least one pivotal mounting whereby, when the applicator is in use, a band of tape is applied to said article.

The present invention further provides a tape applicator assembly comprising at least one articulated arm, a pivotal mounting for each articulated arm, the arms each comprising: a) an upper arm portion; b) an elbow joint; and, c) a forearm portion; said pivotal mounting and elbow joint being pivotable, when the applicator is in use, in the same plane about parallel or substantially parallel axes respectively, means for causing relative movement between an article and the applicator to cause, when the applicator is in use and the article is to be taped, presentation of the article at a taping locality adjacent said arm, and means for causing rotation of the article about an axis parallel or substantially parallel to the axes of said pivotal mounting and elbow joint to facilitate the application of at least one band of tape by said articulated arm wholly or substantially so about an article addressed by the applicator.

There now follows by way of example a detailed description of one embodiment provided by the invention, which description is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an applicator assembly; Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of a tape applicator shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view generally in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 2 with some parts thereof shown generally in the position depicted in Figure 4c; Figures 4a to 4p are diagrammatic plan views of a tape applicator and an article during an operative sequence of the applicator in applying a band of tape wholly or substantially so about the article; and, Figure 5 is a fragmentary section view of Figure 2 with parts thereof shown in operative positions.

Difficulties met hitherto in the use of hand held applicators for applying branding tapes to articles as herein defined are overcome by the tape applicator assembly 2 and the tape applicator 4 provided by the present invention, see Figure 1.

The applicator assembly 2 comprising the tape applicator 4 also comprises an infeed conveyor 6, a table 8 and an outfeed conveyor 10, see Figure 1.

The assembly 2 also comprises proximity detection means, not shown, for detecting a spun wrapped package 12 of concrete roof tiles as it approaches the table 8 and for detecting and indicating that a package 12 has moved onto the out feed conveyor 10 after an operative cycle of the applicator 4 has been effected.

Also, the assembly 2 is provided with drive means, not shown, for the infeed conveyor 6, rotatable table 8 and the outfeed conveyor 10; however, since such drive means may be of any known arrangement and further, as such means does not form an essential part of the present invention, no further details hereof are included herein.

The tape applicator 4, see Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises two articulated arms 14 and 16 which in many respects are identical; therefore, only the arm 14 will be described herein in detail with the arm 16 being accorded like reference characters.

The articulated arm 14, being the upper of the two arms 14 and 16 shown in Figure 3, generally comprises; a) portion 20 pivotally mounted by bearing elements 22 on a floor mounted frame 24, b) an elbow joint at an outer end 25 of said portion 20 and c) a forearm portion 28 pivotally mounted on said upper arm portion at said joint 26 see Figures 1 and 2.

The upper arm portion 20 is roughly triangular in plan, see Figure 2, and comprises upper and lower platen members 34 and 36 respectively secured to a box-like body structure 38, see Figure 3.

Associated with the arm 14 of the novel applicator 4 are first drive means, not shown, which are mounted between said frame 24 and an upper end portion 40 of the upper arm portion 20 to effect, in use, pivotal movement of the arm 14 on the bearing elements 22.

The applicator 4 is also provided with second drive means 42 for effecting, when the applicator is in use, relative pivotal movement between the upper arm portion 20 and its associated forearm portion 28. To this end, the second drive means 42 is provided by two sun gears 44 and 46 rotatably mounted on respective bearings 45 and 47 at said elbow joint 26, see Figures 2 and 3, the two sun gears 44 and 46 being arranged in spaced relationship and on a common axis as shown in Figure 3.

The second drive means 42 is also provided with two planet gears 50 and 52 rotatably mounted on bearings 54 secured between and having stub shafts 56 and 58 extending through said platen members 34 and 36 respectively, see Figures 2 and 3. As can be seen from Figure 2 and 3 the planet gears 50 and 52 are arranged in meshing engagement with associated sun gears 44 and 46 respectively.

The second drive means 42 is further provided with a pair of piston and cylinder arrangements 60 and 62 pivotally amounted between respective pivot pins 64 and 66, located in an upwardly facing surface 67 of the planet gear 50, and pivot pins, only one of which it shown at 68, secured in a pivot block 70 located at said upper end 40 of the arm 20, see Figure 2.

Synchronised push-pull operation of the piston and cylinder arrangements 60 and 62, when the applicator is in use, effects relative pivotal movement between the upper arm 20 and the forearm portion 28 of the arm 14.

The forearm portion 28 of the arm 14 is provided by two spaced elongate members 72 and 74 fixedly mounted by bolts 76 on the sun gears 44 and 46 respectively, see Figures 2 and 3.

Located between the members 72 and 74 and secured thereto by bolts 78 is an extension arm 80 to the forearm portion 28, which extension 80 houses a suction device of tape retention means provided by the invention and adapted, when the applicator is in use and the arm 14 is in a rest condition, to effect the retention of a leading end portion of a tape until an article, to which the tape is to be applied thereby, is addressed by the arm 14. The suction device includes and air cylinder 84, mounted on said extension arm 80, see Figures 1 and 2, the device 82 also having apertures 86 formed in a planar face 88 of the extension arm 80, see Figure 3.

The arm 80 comprises an outer bifurcated portion 92, see Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5 which provides support for a knife element 94 mounted for rotary movement, when the applicator is in use, on a driven shaft 96 which is driven by a rotary motor device 98 shown diagrammatically in Figure 3.

The shaft 96 also provides support for a tape end wiping blade 100 the purpose of which will be made clear hereafter.

The arm 80 also comprises a pair of spacer wheels 104 rotatably mounted on the shaft 96 and arranged to engage, when the applicator is in use in a tape cutting mode as hereinafter described, with a package of tile addressed by the applicator.

The tape applicator 4 is also provided on its forearm position with a scanning device, not shown, for identifying, when the applicator is in use, the characteristics of the article addressed thereby i.e. the type and colours of the roof tiles contained in the spun wrapped package 12.

The tape applicator 4 is further provided on its forearm portion 28 with branding means (not shown) whereby, when the tape applicator 4 is in use, identification marks relating to the type and colour of the roof tiles may be applied to a tape, said branding means including inking means, not shown, which project markings through on aperture 101 provided in the planar face 88, see Figure 3.

The applicator 4 also provides support on the upper arm portion 20 thereof for a tape cassette 110, see Figures 1 and 2. The cassette 110 is secured between the platen members 34 and 36 on spindles located in the plates 34 and 36 respectively, one upper spindle providing support for a quick release mechanism including a handle 116 by which a cassette 110 may be loaded or unloaded from the applicator, see Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The arm 14 also provides support for an applicator roll 118 rotatably mounted between the plates 34 and 36 of the upper arm portion 20. The roll 118 is mounted on bearings secured to inwardly facing walls 34a and 36a respectively of the plates 34 and 36 with a central axis of the roll 118 being coincident or substantially so with the pivotal axes of the elbow joint 26 and the axes of rotation of the sun gears 44 and 46 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The roll 118 is a so called "soft-touch" roll moulded from polyurethane or the like material and having the appearance of a wheel with spirally oriented spoke elements 118a, see Figures 1 and 2.

This configuration of the roll enables, when the applicator is in use, close contact to be maintained between the roll 118 across its width because the roll is readily deformable under load. Thus, if a article addressed by an applicator has an uneven surface to which a tape or the like or to be applied, the roll 118, unlike a hard surfaced roll, will make all over contact with the tape and an article to ensure the application of the whole of the tape to the article.

The operation of the applicator assembly 2 and the applicator 4 now be described with particular reference to Figures 4a to 4p. In preparation for applying two cassettes 110 of adhesive coated tape T to a package 12, an operative selects the tapes in accordance with the type of roof tile spun wrapped in packages 12 upstream of the applicator assembly. The cassettes of tape are loaded into their respective applicator arms 14 and 16 and leading end portions of the two tapes are threaded around the rolls 118 to be brought into contact with the planar faces 88 of each arm 28, see Figure 2.

In this position the leading end portions of the tape T are retained in contact with said planar faces by the tape retention means which exerts suction forces through the apertures 86.

As a spun wrapped package 12 nears the end of the infeed conveyor 6 its presence is detected by proximity detectors not shown, which as the package 12 passes onto the centre of the turntable 8 initiates an operative cycle of the applicator assembly.

Initially the turntable 8 rotates to move the package 12 from the position depicted in Figure 4a to that depicted in Figure 4b in which position a long side 12a of the package 12 is presented to the tape applicator 4.

The first and second drive means are then operated to bring the arm 14 into the positive shown in Figure 4c in which the bands of tape T are brought into contact with the long side 12a of the package 12. The tapes T being adhesive coated are pressed against the package 12 to be secured thereto and the turntable starts to rotate in a clockwise direction viewing Figure 1.

As the turntable 8 starts to rotate the retention means is switched off to release leading end portions of the tapes which portion adhere to the package 12.

At the position shown in Figure 4a the second drive means 42 is operated to retract the forearm portion 28 leaving the rolls 118, to press the tapes T against the package 12 and tightly about a corner 12b thereof onto a next face 12c of the package 12.

The turntable 8 continues to rotate to enable the rolls 118 to press the tapes T against the face 12c of the package 12, see Figure 4e whereafter the rolls 118 approach and retire from a corner 12d of the package 12 as shown in Figures 4f, g and h to enable operation of the second drive means to bring the forearm portion 28 into a position in which it will press against a subsequent face 12e of the package, see Figure 4i. Thereafter the tape applicator 4 effectively traverses the face 12e to which the tapes T are adhered and during said traverse of the face 12e of the package 12 the scanning mean, having identified the characteristics of the concrete roof tiles in the packages, initiates operation of the branding means whereby indicia relating to the tiles is sprayed into the tapes T.

The turntable 8 continues to rotate to bring a corner 12f into contact with the roll 118 whereupon the second drive means is operated to cause the forearm portion 28 to retire to an inoperative position as shown in Figure 4j.

Upon continued rotation of the turntable 8, tape T is applied about said corner 12f of the package 12 and along a face 12g until a corner 12h of the package 12 is addressed by the roll 118, see Figure 4k. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 4m the roll 118 is caused to retire from the corner 12h to enable operation of the second drive means 42 to cause the forearm portion 28 to move into contact with said corner 12h and upon further retirement of the roll 118 and after further rotation of the turntable 8, the wheels 104 are bought into engagement with the package 12 on the face 12a thereof as shown in Figures 4n and o.

It will be appreciated that the tape T is now banded about the package 12 and a trailing end portion now lies adjacent and overlapping the leading portion thereof as shown in Figure 5.

At this stage the rotary motor device 98 is operated to cause clockwise rotation of the shaft 96, see Figure 5, to bring the knife blade 94 into cutting engagement with the tape T. Upon severance of the tape T by the blade 94, the wiper element 100 is caused, by continued rotation of the shaft 96, to engage a trailing end of the tape T and to wipe it over the leading end therof to complete the application of the tape wholly about the package 12.

At this time the suction device 82 is operated to effect retention of a new leading end portion of the tape T to be retained thereby until a subsequent operative cycle of the tape applicator assembly.

Also at this time, the second drive means 42 is operated to cause the forearm portion 28 to move to the position shown in Figure 4, that is the start position corresponding to that shown in Figure 4a. Concomitantly therewith the package 12 is moved from the rotary turntable 8 onto the outfeed conveyor 10.

In the operative cycle just described the two arms 14 and 16 are caused to move in synchrony through independent drive means and whereas it will be appreciated that integrated drive means may be provided to operate the arms 14 and 16 and their respective forearm and hand portions with resultant savings in outlay, such an arrangement will only work satisfactory in applying two bands of tape to the package where the geometry of the package can be guaranteed. With spun wrapped packages of concrete roof tiles it is not possible to ensure that the dimensions of the packages are uniform; consequently, the arrangement described herein is most advantageously used for packages of irregular dimensions.

In a modified arrangement according to the present invention the tape applicator may apply portions of tape to selected portions only of packages 12.

In a further modified arrangement according to the present invention the tape applicator comprising one arm only may be utilised to apply one or more portions or bands of tape to or wholly around a package with relative heightwise movement being effected between the tape applicator and the package to facilitate such application by the applicator.

Herein, the tape applicator and the applicator assembly have been described in relation to one operative sequence with respect to Figures 4a to 4p; however, it is to be fully appreciated that any number of operative sequences may be utilised as a result of the great versatility of the novel tape applicator.

Other modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (23)

1. A tape applicator comprising at least one articulated arm comprising a "soft-touch" applicator roll as herein defined associated with each articulated arm, said roll being rotatable, to apply a band of tape wholly or substantially so about an article addressed by the applicator.

2. An applicator according to Claim 1 wherein the applicator roll is of moulded polyurethane or the like.

3. An applicator according to either one of Claims 1 and 2 provided with tape retention means for effecting, when the applicator is in use and an articulated arm thereof is in a rest condition, retention of a leading end portion of a tape until an article, to which tape is to be applied thereby, is addressed by the articulated arm of the applicator.

4. An applicator according to Claim 3 wherein the retention means is provided by a suction device which, when the articulated arm is a rest condition, facilitates the retention of a leading end portion of a tape as aforesaid.

5. An applicator according to either one of Claims 3 and 4 wherein each articulated arm of the applicator provides support for a tape cutting means operation of which, when the applicator is in use and the articulated arm is in an operative condition in which tape is to be applied, cuts said tape, whereupon said articulated arm returns to a rest condition in which the tape retention means is again effective in the retention of a leading end portion of a tape.

6. An applicator according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 comprising a pivotable mounting for each articulated arm, the articulated arms each comprising: a) an upper arm portion; b) an elbow joint; and c) a forearm portion; said pivotal mounting, and elbow joint being pivotable, when the applicator is in use, in the same plane about mutually parallel or substantially mutually parallel axes respectively to apply a band of tape wholly or substan tially so about an article addressed by the applicator.

7. An applicator according to Claim 6 comprising first drive means associated with each articulated arm for causing, when the applicator is in use, relative pivotal movement of each arm on an associated pivotable mounting and, second drive means associated with each articulated arm for causing, when the applicator is in use, relative pivotal movement between said upper arm portions and associated forearm portions for effecting, when the applicator is in use, the application of a band of tape wholly or substantially so about an article addressed by the applicator.

8. An applicator according to either one of Claims 6 and 7 wherein the forearm portion comprises a planar portion extending therealong which planar portion is provided with apertures across which, when the applicator is in use and the articulated arm thereof is in a rest condition, the suction device is effective to create a pressure differen tial to cause retention of a leading end portion of a tape as aforesaid.

9. An applicator according to any one of Claims 6,7 and 8 wherein the tape cutting means is mounted in the forearm portion of an associated articulated arm of the applicator.

10. An applicator according to any one of Claims 5 to 9 wherein the tape cutting means is provided by a rotatable knife attachment.

11. An applicator according to Claim 10 wherein the rotatable knife attachment comprises a control device operable, when the applicator is in use, to cause rotating motion of the knife attachment whereby a tape is cut thereby.

12. An applicator according to any one of Claim 1 to 11 comprising a cassette mounting on each arm of the applicator for an associated tape cassette.

13. An applicator according to Claim 12 wherein the cassette mountings are provided one each on associated upper arm portions of each arm.

14. An applicator according to any one of Claims 6 to 13 comprising two arms arranged in spaced relationship on associated pivotable mountings the respective axes of which mountings are contiguous or substantially so one with the other whereby, when the applicator is in use, the applicator applies two bands of tape wholly or substan tially so about an article addressed thereby.

15. An applicator according to Claim 14 comprising means for synchronising the operation of the two arms to facilitate the concomitant application of the two bands of tape to an article as foresaid.

16. An applicator according to any one of Claims 1 to 14 comprising a scanning device for identifying, when the applicator is in use, the characteristics of each article, the applicator further comprising branding means whereby identification marks relating to the characteristics of each article may be applied to at least one of the tapes when the applicator is in use as a foresaid.

17. An applicator according to any one of Claims 7 to 16 wherein the first drive means is provided by a piston and cylinder arrangement effective to cause, when the applicator is in use, relative pivotal movement of its associated arm on its associated pivotable mounting as aforesaid.

18. An applicator according to any one of claims 7 to 17 wherein the second drive means of each arm each comprises a sun gear rotatably mounted on an axis coincident with the axis of the elbow joint, said sun gear being fixedly mounted on said forearm portion, a planet gear rotatably mounted on said upper arm portion and being arranged in driving engagement with said sun gear, and a pair of piston and cylinder arrangements extending in parallel relationship or substantially so between arcuately displaceable pivotal elements on said planet gear and fixed pivotal elements on said upper arm portion remote from said elbow joint whereby, when the applicator is in use, operation of the piston and cylinder arrangement of the second drive means causes relative pivotal movement between said upper arm portion and forearm portion as aforesaid.

19. A tape applicator assembly comprising at least one articu lated arm and a pivotal mounting for each arm, conveying means for causing relative movements between the appli cator and an article to cause presentation of the article to the applicator, when the applicator is in use and the article is to be taped thereby, and drive means for causing rotational movement of the article about an axis parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of said at least one pivotal mounting whereby, when the applicator is in use, a band of tape is applied to said article.

20. A tape applicator assembly comprising at least one articu lated arm, a pivotal mounting for each articulated arm, the arms each comprising: a) an upper arm portion; b) an elbow joint; and c) a forearm portion; said pivotal mounting and elbow joint being pivotable, when the applicator is in use, in the same plane about parallel or substantially parallel axes respectively, means for causing relative movement between an article and the applicator to cause, when the applicator is in use and the article is to be taped, presentation of the article at a taping locality adjacent said arm, and means for causing rotation of the article about an axis parallel or substan tially parallel to the axes of said pivotal mounting and elbow joint to facilitate the application of at least one band of tape by said articulated arm wholly or substan tially so about an article addressed by the applicator.

21. A tape applicator comprising a "soft-touch" applicator roll as herein defined for applying, when the applicator is in use, a band of tape to or wholly about an article addressed by.

22. A tape applicator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A tape applicator assembly substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.