US2261359A - Feeding means for tape - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 4, 1941 FEEDING MEANS FOR TAPE Trevor R.. Gautier, Nashua, N. H., assignor to Nashua Gummed and Coated Paper Company, Nashua, N. H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 31, 1939, Serial No. 302,199

2 Claims. (Cl. 271-21) My present invention relates to serving or dispensing strip material such as adhesive tape, labels and the like, especially dry gumined tape. More particularly, it aims to provide improved feeding means for such material in association with machines or devices for serving or delivering moistened lengths of the material from a supply thereof, for sealing, packaging, labeling and kindred purposes. f

As to all common subject matter this application is a continuation of my copending application, Serial No, 142,668, filed May 14, 1937.

In the drawing illustrating by way of example certain embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a strip server or tape dispenser equipped with feeding means in accordance with one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the feeding means or assembling unit of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of a feed assembly corresponding to that of Figs..

1 and 2, Fig. 3 being a top plan, Fig. 4 a longitudinal vertical section through the unit of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 a bottom plan;

Figs. 6 and 7 show a further modification' of such feed assembly in accordance with thel invention, said figures corresponding to Figs. 3

nd 4 res ectively; and a Figs. 8 5nd 9 show still a further f orm of the invention, said figures being respectively a top plan and a vertical longitudinal section similarly as in Fi s. 6 'and 7. i

Refering to the drawing in more detail, Fig. 1 illustrates one form of the tape feeding and guiding means, with which ythe invention is particulai'ly concerned, in -connection with a strip server or tape dispenser of the hand type suitable for use on store counters, at package wrapping stations, in shipping rooms and such locations. In various respects, however, the inventionis adapted for use with other than manual dispensers, including the semi-automatic and automatic types I achines. of'Isll'ilmilhlstrative' machine of 1 comprises a frame or housing including side walls, one of which is indicated at I, a -front wall 2, a reasr wall (not shown) and an intermediate wall The latter defines two main compartments for the machine, a rear compartment 4y providirg a support, housing or well for the tape suppy roll R, and a front compartment E'forming a tank or reservoir for the moistening liquid. 'I'Ixole frame further includes a bottom wall E, e forward portion of which forms the bottom or said reservoir, and a rear portion thereof acting to support the tape supply R. One or more guide rollers, such as indicated at l, may bedisposed transversely in the tape well 4, to Iassist in positioning the roll of tape for feeding.

projecting upwardly at the front or delivery pory tion of the machine into the path of the tape so as to have moistening engagement with its underfacle as it issues from the machine. One or more positioning lugs 9 inthe reservoir retain the moistener 8 in proper operative position. vThe rear wall 3 of the reservoir is apertured at its upper part as at Sato limit ther height of the liquid to a level below the tape feeding and guiding means-now to be described.

Such vmeans, through the mediumiofl which the tape T from the supply R is adapted tol be advanced for delivery inmoistened condititon at the front end of the machine, comprises a feed and guide assembly or unit, sometimes herein referred to as the feed-guide plate or tape'chute. Said'assembly is disposed, preferably removably, at the top of the front lcompartment or reservoir. 5, providing in effect a cover for the latter as well asa tape-guiding floor bridging across between the tape roll -compartment 4 and the delivery station adjacent the nroistener 8- In the embodiment shown in Figs.v 1 and 2, this feed-guide assembly comprises a bottom plate floor, or under guide element I 0 andan overlying top plate or upper guideelernent I I, spaced from the bottom plate as by side flanges I2, said elements togetherV defining a feed throat or chute for the tape. Said under guide or oor element I0 and the upper and lateral guide means I I, I2 may be separably related and held in assembled position, and in place on the machine frame,` as by clips or the like on either or both of them. As here'shown, however, said parts vare attached together, as by interlocking formations such as the down projections I3 on the side walls I2 of the upper plate received in corresponding openings I4 in the bottom plate I Il, their projecting ends beingturned to prevent their unintentional withdrawaly in some such manner as seen in Fig. 5.

The feed-guide assembly as a whole is operatively positioned on the machine frame, as upon the frame side walls I. The latter may be recessed along their inner top edges to provide shoulders for receiving the opposite side edges of the bottom plate I further to position the assembly unit.

At its rear end the bottom plate III desirably has a down-turned lip I5 to receive the tape coming from the roll R. Extensions of said lip may be formed as open bearings or hinge fingers I6 cooperable with studs I1 on the inner faces of the opposite side walls I, additionally to position the feed-guide plate or assembly with capacity for upward swinging or bodily removal. At its fore end the bottom plate I0 may be upturned as at I8 to assist in directing the tape accurately up to and across the moistener 8. The front edge of the upper plate II, adjacent the moistening and delivery station, is constructed and arranged to form a severing element or cutter I 9 for the tape. Said upper plate desirably also has its rear end turned up as indicated at 20 to assist in guiding the tape into the feed chute, particularly in instances where the tape is overfed, that is, from the top of a roll supply wound gummed side in. The tape T as indicated in dotted line in Fig. 1 is underfed, that is, from the bottom of the roll supply R which is assumed to be wound With the gummed face out. It is also to be noted that the oppositely deflected rear end portions or lips I5 and 20 of the bottom and top plate elements IU and II form in effect a receiving throat into which the leading end of the tape is easily threaded, in initially setting up the machine or when installing a fresh roll of tape.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the feed-guide assembly or tape chute comprises a flooring or iioor element including the bottom plate I0 underlying and defining a path for the tape, together with suitable guide means at the sides of and above the tape path to confine the advancing tape to the latter. Such guide means is herein afforded by the top plate guide I I, which is longitudinally apertured or open for a substantial portion of its length, as indicated at 2I, to expose the tape path. This top opening permits the upper face of the tape to be engaged, either by one or more of the operators fingers or by an appropriate presser device, to move the tape forwardly along its path as dened by the underlying floor.

Referring now especially to Figs. V1 and 2, the bottom plate I0 of the fiooring is formed with a longitudinal slot formation 22, rearwardly of its front or tape delivery end and extending back toward the roll supply. The term slot is here to include a formation in the nature of a depression or recess with closed or partly closed bottom, and also a cut-out, aperture or through-opening formation. At least a portion of this slot forguiding or flooring elements to be movcd with and by his fingers.

In the embodiment of Figs. l and 2 such movable flooring means comprises a plurality of rotary elements or roller-like units, four of which are seen in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, indicated as a whole by the numerals 25, 25, 21, 28. Said elements are rotatably mounted in the slot formation 22 with their upper portions or crests in or slightly above the plane of the tape path as defined by the cooperating floor plate I5. In this instance said plate I0 has down-turned portions I Ua at the sides of the slot formation 22 providing hanger means or flanges in which the movable floor elements 25 to 28 are rotatably held at their opposite ends.

These rotary flooring elements individually may be variously constructed and arranged as appropriate for different service conditions. In the example illustrated the two foremost elements 25 and 26 are each integrally formed in one piece. Each comprises a plurality of laterally spaced circumferential ribs or disks 29, with intermediate spacer portions of reduced diameter, and end bearings or pintles 3l received in said flanges I0a of the plate IIJ. The adjacent rotary elements 25 and 26 are disposed with their mation 22 in the under guide I0 lies vertically I as herein shown, by placing his finger, or a number of fingers, on the exposed top face of the tape, over the movable flooring means, and moving his finger toward the front of the machine while pressing downwardly sufficiently to cause the tape and the underlying movable feeding and disk parts 29 in spaced or non-overlapping, nonintermeshing relation lengthwise the tape path, this same condition preferably applying whether the disk parts 29 are arranged in alignment lengthwise the tape path or are offset or staggered as in the elements 21 and 28.

One alternate construction for such rotatively movable flooring elements or units is represented in the element 21. As seen in Fig. 2, this element comprises a shaft 32 mounted in the iianges Illa and having concentrically disposed upon it alternating disks 33 and spacers 34. Said parts 33 and 34 may be fixed on the shaft, the latter being rotatable in its bearing flanges, or said parts may be loosely disposed on the shaft for rotation individually and independently of the latter.

In other instances the construction may be as in the rotary element or unit 28, comprising a supporting shaft 35 hung on the flanges Illa and having distributed along it a plurality of separate sleeve-like parts, some of which have in one integral piece a flange or disk portion 36 and, at least at one face of the latter, a spacer portion 31 of reduced diameter. One spacer portion 31 is disposed between each disk member 3B. The individual sleeve-like elements may consist of one disk 36 and one integral spacer 31, as at the upper right portion in Fig. 2, or they may have integral spacers 31 at both sides, as at the lower right corner in Fig. 2. Plain disk elements, such as represented at 36a may be interposed at appropriate points to make up the rotary element 28 as a whole, with the laterally spaced disks 36 or 36a coming at the desired locations crosswise of the tape path. As in the instance of the element 21 the parts or sub-units 36, 36a, 31 of the element 28 may be either fast or loose on their supporting shaft 35.

The flange or disk members of the adjacent rotary elements, whether of the type of the unit 21 or the unit 28 are all disposed, in the illustrated example, in non-intermeshing relation in succeeding rows. They may be mutually offset substantially as illustrated, or may be in alignment lengthwise the tape path, as in the case of the disks of the units 25 and 26. That is, in any adjoining disk-rows or rotary elements 25, 26, 21

"2,261,359 or 28, the disk orangeparts 'having the @larger diameter 'may either be' 'offset or inline-"with each otherlengthwise; the tape chuter In gen-y eral," the built-up formof rotary elementsuch as 21' or 28 is especially adaptedffo'r use at the rear portion of the, feed'e'guide, wherey ilheacapac-v ity of the individualV parts to shift inthe@ axial direction is 'of assistancein supporting `or aligning the tapelaterally of,V the* guide `as a whole. Conversely, the integral elements such as 2'5y and 26 'arleespecially suitable at forward locations. Such :integral'or solid units 25, 26 by? reason of their'grea'ter mass have lasomewhat greater -inertia, tending'to oppose undesiredl forwardfmovement vof the 'tape from Qitsrr'est positionf and, at the end of a feeding movement, to advancethe leading en d .of thev tape vslightly'beyond the delivery vend of thechutef l o f "Turning nowtogliigs.A 3 to 5, anyparts therein not otherwise referredto may be the's'ame kas in Figs. 1 `and 2.l In this `instance theguide flooring or underplate 40 hasf'a similar slo't formation 42, with depending flangeslf40a at-its opposite side portions. Mounted on vside flanges is a lplu-r ralityof roller bearing'lelemerits -43 hel'dfv against axial displacement as byfcotter pins *orthellike 44; see' Fig. 5. `Said bearings-48` support a longitudinally movable feedv element or :feed slide 45 comprising a body or main slide of a length eX- ceeding that of the slot 'formation 42, so as to cover the latter, at least in the rear or normal stationary position of the slide, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5.

On the upper face of the slide 45 is an upstanding projection or cross piece 46, the rear edge of which is adapted to abut the back edge of the slot formation 42 as a stop. Said cross piece 46 is desirably roughened at its top face for firm engagement with the tape or has attached to it a tape-engaging element 41, secured by rivets or the like 48, Fig. 3. Said engaging member 41 may be corrugated, uted or otherwise formed as indicated at 49 to facilitate its non-slip engagement with the under gummed face of the tape when the latter is pressed down onto it for a feeding operation.

The feeder slide 45 as a whole is normally held rearwardly in, and is returned to, its inactive position in readiness forthe next feeding action. Suitable spring means is provided for this purpose, such as the coil spring 50 anchored at its rear end to the depending rear ange portion 48h of the iioor plate 48 and at its front end connected to a finger I on the feed slider.

In the further modification illustrated in Figs.

6 and 7 parts not otherwise referred to may again be as in previous figures, this also applying in connection with Figs. 8 and 9. The under guide or ooring plate 60, Figs. 6 and '7, has a slot formation 6 l, in this instance in the nature of a depression or recess closed or partly closed by the depressed bottom-forming element or plate 62 supported between and by the depending anges 68a at the sides of the slot formation 6l. This vauxiliary plate 62 serves in part as a supporting to Y*assist in :guiding theendless feeder velements inftheirfeeding"movement Atv the 'rear said longitudinally movable-feeders are lsupported and guided around a 'rollerorthelike', and at the front-'they are similarly guided as upon arcuate iangey 61 "depending lat the front edge of the supporting-plate 162-. .f 1

'Itrwllbe understood that vthe desired length of tape is fed by VVthe operatonl'by ldepressing the tape against 'the endless feeder device' atlany appropria'te point "lengthwise, the 'feed-guide as a wholef'andrmovin'g the tape together with one or more endless travelling elements of -said device i-nfagenerallyfsimil'armanner as in the other figures.

In the further modication of Figs. 8 and 9 the movableaooring-means for assisting inv guiding and feeding the ta'pecomprisesA a plurality of in-v dividuallyrotatable but axially xed roller elements, somewhat as in Figs. 1 and 2. In this instance'fhowever, the oor'ing plate-y 10, yapertured at "1 l and similarly provided with depending side an'ges 1Ua, carries apluralityof cylindrical feed,` rollersY of which one or more differ from others in diameter. -A's shown inv said Figs; 8 and-9, two rolls'1-2 and 13 are each of the same or similar and relatively'largefdiameter and are rotatable fon or rotatably supported by axial membersv14'a'nd7'15 respectively, received in the dep'endingflanges'18a..y Between' said larger rollers 12 and 13 and in a spaced relation so as to be out of contact with them is a roller 16 of relatively smaller diameter and having supporting axial means 11. In this series of rollers 12, 13, 16 alternately of relatively large and relatively small diameter individually, the several rollers are so disposed that their upper portions or crests are in or slightly above the plane of the tape path as dened by the flooring plate 10. It will be understood that the several rollers of such series may be otherwise arranged than as illustrated, as by interposing one larger roll between two smaller ones. In general it is preferable to locate one of the smaller rollers between each two of the larger ones, but in the case of longer guides two or more of the larger diametered rolls, or two or more of the smaller ones, may be juxtaposed at one or more positions lengthwise the feed-guide means as a whole.

My invention is not limited to kthe particular embodiments herein illustrated or described, and I set out its scope in my following claims.

I claim:

l. In a gummed tape dispenser comprising a frame having a support for a tape supply and a forward tape delivery portion, feed guide means associated with said forward portion, said means comprising an assembly unit including a bottom platehaving a longitudinal slot formation, a separately formed top plate also having a slot formation opposite that in the bottom plate, said top plate being of lesswidth than the bottom plate and having downturned side flanges for supporting and vertically spacing it above the latter and providing side guides for the tape to be advanced between the two plates as a feed throat, said plates having interlocked projections and receiving formations for attaching them in assembled relation, the front ends of the plates being vertically deflected in substantial parallelism for tape directing purposes and their rear ends being deiiected away from each other to form a receiving mouth at the rear of the feed throat, said rear deected portion of the bottom plate adaptedv to aid in positioning the assembly unit on the dispenser frame with capacity for upward swinging about its rear portion and for bodily removal and the frame having laterally extending positioning means for cooperation with said rear portion of the bottom plate to afford it said capacity, and movable ooring means operatively disposed in said slot formation of the bottom plate and comprising a plurality of rows of rtary disk elements, the latter being laterally spaced in each row and in lengthwise non-overlapping relation in adjoining rows, theA rotary disk elements of one or more of said rows being integrally formed as a structural unit including intermediate spacer portions of reduced diameter together with supporting hubs at its opposite ends.

2. In a tape dispensing device, a housing having front and rear sections, the latter adapted to support a roll of tape to be dispensed, guide means for feeding the tape from said roll through a tape chute having a top opening and to deliver the tape forwardly from said front section of the housing, said guide means comprising a tape chute assembly unit including a bottom plate having a longitudinal slot formation, a separately formed top plate also having a slot formation opposite that in the bottom plate, said top plate being of less Width than the bottom plate and having downturned side flanges for supporting and vertically spacing it above the latter and providing side guides for the tape to be advanced between the two plates as a feed throat, said plates having interlocked projections and receiving formations for attaching them in assembled relation, the front ends of the plates being vertically deected in substantial parallelism for tape directing purposes and their rear ends being deflected away from each other to form a receiving mouth at the rear of the feed throat, said rear deflected portion of the bottom plate adapted to aid in positioning the assembly unit on the dispenser frame with capacity for upward swinging about its rear portion and for bodily removal and the frame having laterally extending positioning means for cooperation with said rear portion of the bottom plate to afford it said capacity, and tape-supporting and feeding means operatively disposed in the longitudinal slot formation of the bottom plate and cooperating with said plate to present a tape chute flooring, said means including a plurality of rotatable roll elements extending transversely of the tape path and spaced lengthwise of said path in closely adjacent parallel relation to each other, said elements each having axially spaced portions of relatively small diameter interposing disk-like parts of larger diameter adapted to have supporting and feeding contact with the under face of the tape.

TREVOR R. GAUTIER.

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