GB2287905A

GB2287905A - Printing on the non-adhesive surface of an adhesive tape.

Info

Publication number: GB2287905A
Application number: GB9407721A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Martin
Original assignee: MARTIN RESEARCH Ltd
Current assignee: MARTIN RESEARCH Ltd
Priority date: 1994-03-14
Filing date: 1994-04-19
Publication date: 1995-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2014-04-19
Also published as: IE73276B1; GB2287905B; IE940222A1; BE1006344A6; GB9407721D0

Abstract

An adhesive tape is printed by (i) unreeling the tape from a supply reel (3) (ii) removing release agent from the non-adhesive surface by passing over a cleaning guide (5) (iii) printing against a heated impression roller (8) whose temperature is sufficient to cause the adhesive to flow (iv) drying the ink in a hot-air tunnel (20) (v) slitting (30) (vi) re-reeling (50 a - c) <IMAGE>

Description

zA method for groducing printed taDe' The invention relates to a method for producing rolls of adhesive tape with printed indicia on a non-adhesive side thereof.

According to the invention there is provided a method for producing rolls of adhesive tape with printed indicia on the non-adhesive side thereof comprising the steps of: leading adhesive tape from a supply roll over a guide to a heated roller; printing indicia on the exposed non-adhesive face of the tape; drying the printed side of the tape, and winding the printed tape onto a printed tape receiving core, wherein the guide over which the tape is drawn is covered with a release agent removing means and the heated roller is driven so that the tape is pulled by the take up roller across the guide to remove the release agent.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide is covered with a pad of absorbent material and the nonadhesive side of the tape is drawn over the absorbent material to remove the release agent.

In a preferred arrangement, the guide is fixed in position as the tape is drawn over the absorbent pad.

In a particularly preferred embodimen' of the invention, the guide comprises a fixed guide roller and the pad comprises a sleeve extending over the guide roller.

Advantageously, the guide roller is adjustable when the tape is not moving to present different portions of the sleeve to the non-adhesive side of the tape prior to printing.

Preferably, the absorbent pad is of a fabric material, most preferably of a cotton towelling type material.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the supply roller is declutched for free rotation as the adhesive tape is led thereover.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the supply tape has a width corresponding to at least twice the width of a printed tape to be produced from the supply roll and the method includes the step, after drying, of cutting the tape longitudinally into at least two strips of printed tape which are wound onto separate take-up cores. In this case, preferably the tape is cut into longitudinal strips by a knife means over which the tape is led.

Most preferably, the knife means comprises an underslung blade carrying arm on which a blade is mounted to engage the adhesive side of the tape.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the blade is adjustably mounted to the carrying arm.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the printed side of the tape is dried by leading the tape through a tunnel and delivering heated air to the printed side of the tape.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a method for producing rolls of printed adhesive tape according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a heating roller used in the method of the invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a guide detail of the method of the invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an absorbent pad used in the method of the invention; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of a supply roller used in the method of the invention; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of knife means used in the method of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated an apparatus indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, for use in a method for producing rolls of adhesive tape with printed indicia on the non-adhesive side thereof.

The apparatus 1 comprises a clutched supply roller 2 on which a supply roll 3 of P.V.C. adhesive tape is mounted.

Preferably, the supply tape 4 from the roll 3 has a width three times the width of a printed tape 4(a), 4(b), 4(c) to be produced from the supply roll 3. The non-adhesive side of the tape 4 is led over a guide 5 which in this case is in the form of a pad in the shape of a sleeve which extends over a guide roller 6, as illustrated particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. In this case, the sleeve 5 is of a fabric, preferably cotton towelling type material and is fixed in position on the guide roller 6 which in turn is fixed to prevent rotation thereof when the tape 4 is led over the sleeve 5. Preferably the guide roller 6 and hence the sleeve 5 is adjustable in position when the tape 4 is stopped to present different surfaces of the sleeve 5 to the non-adhesive side of the tape 4.

The sleeve 5 is for removing a chalk-type release agent which is used in winding the supply core 3. It has been found that to achieve good quality printing, the release agent should be removed prior to printing. The removal of the release agent also greatly enhances the control which may be exerted on the web of adhesive tape 4 as it passes through the various stages.

Between batches, the area of the sleeve 5 presented to the tape 4 may be readily adjusted by locating the guide roller 6 into a new position at which a fresh portion of the sleeve 5 is presented to the tape 4. This allows the single sleeve to be used for a prolonged period before a replacement is required.

After removal of the release agent by the sleeve 5, the adhesive side of the web of adhesive tape 4 is led over a driven heating roller 8 which renders the adhesive flowable for the purposes of further processing. The roller 8 is heated by means of, for example, heating oil which is delivered to, in this case, eight separate outlets 9 for uniform heating of the surface of the roller 8.

The supply roller 2 is mounted on a clutch mechanism 11 to permit the roller 2 to be freely rotatable in use to ensure that the web of tape 4 is always in contact with the release agent absorbent sleeve 5.

Indicia are printed on the non-adhesive side of the web of tape 4 by a number of printing rollers 15, each of which is coated with a ceramic material for prolonged use. The web 4 is led over guide rollers 16, 17 to a heating tunnel 20 at which heated air is delivered along inlet pipes 21 to impinge of the wet printed surface of the web 4 of adhesive tape to dry the print.

After drying, the printed side of the web 4 is led under a further guide roller 24 and the adhesive side of the tape 4 is led over a knife means which is illustrated particularly in Fig. 7 and in this case comprises an underslung blade carrying arm 30 which in this case carries three knives 31, 32, 33 having respective cutting blades 34, 35, 36. The knives 31, 32, 33 are adjustable ion position on the arm 30 to present the blades 34, 35, 36 to the adhesive side of the tape at desired spacedapart distances. In this way, the width of the strips 4(a), 4(b), 4(c) of printed adhesive tape may be readily set.

After cutting, the strips 4(a), 4(b), 4(c) are led over further guide rollers 40 for winding onto separate cores 50(a), 50(b), 50(c) respectively.

It has been found that the cutting of the web of printed adhesive tape using underslung knives in the arrangement illustrated, gives a particularly clean cut and the cutting edges of the knives are not adversely affected by the adhesive.

The invention provides an integrated method for producing printed adhesive tape in a highly efficient manner to a very high quality.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims

LAI.e

1. A method for producing rolls of adhesive tape with printed indicia on the non-adhesive side thereof comprising the steps of: leading adhesive tape from a supply roll over a guide to a heated roller; printing indicia on the exposed non-adhesive face of the tape; drying the printed side of the tape, and winding the printed tape onto a printed tape receiving core, wherein the guide over which the tape is drawn is covered with a release agent removing means and the heated roller is driven so that the tape is pulled by the take up roller across the guide to remove the release agent.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide is covered with a pad of absorbent material and the non adhesive side of the tape is drawn over the absorbent material to remove the release agent.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the guide is fixed in position as the tape is drawn over the absorbent pad.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the guide comprises a fixed guide roller and the pad comprises a sleeve extending over the guide roller.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the guide roller is adjustable when the tape is not moving to present different portions of the sleeve to the non adhesive side of the tape prior to printing.

6. A method as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5 wherein the absorbent pad is of a fabric material.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the absorbent pad is of cotton towelling type material.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the supply roller is declutched for free rotation as the adhesive tape is led thereover.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the supply tape has a width corresponding to at least twice the width of a printed tape to be produced from the supply roll and the method includes the step, after drying, of cutting the tape longitudinally into at least two strips of printed tape which are wound onto separate take-up cores.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the tape is cut into longitudinal strips by a knife means over which the tape is led.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the knife means comprises an underslung blade carrying arm on which a blade is mounted to engage the adhesive side of the tape.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the blade is adjustably mounted to the carrying arm.

13. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the printed side of the tape is dried by leading the tape through a tunnel and delivering heated air to the printed side of the tape.

14. A method for producing rolls of printed adhesive tape substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. Printed adhesive tape whenever produced by a method as claimed in any preceding claim.