US2511857A

US2511857A - Device for using tape

Info

Publication number: US2511857A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1950-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1967-06-20

Description

June 20, 1950 a. H. FRITZINGER DEVICE FOR USING TAPE Filed July 31, 1947 Patented June 20, 1950 DEVICE FOR USING TAPE George H. Fritzinger, West Orange, N. J assignor one-half to Harold G. Kendall, Brooklyn Application July 31, 1947, Serial No. 765,139

20 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for dispensing adhesive tape having a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface, especially the clear tapes made of cellulose, acetate, etc. More particularly, the invention relates to devices for dispensing and simultaneously applying varied selected lengths of pressure-sensitive tape to objects by movement of the devices thereacross, such devices being herein referred to as taping devices.

In the pending application S. N. 616,785 of Harold G. Kendall, filed September 17, 1945, and having common ownership with the present application, there is disclosed the broad principle, in the art of dispensing pressure-sensitive tape, of drawing tape from the supply roll, as an incident of severing the tape, to make available a starting length for a succeeding dispensing operation. The present invention relates to novel and improved dispensing devices incorporating this principle which are small and compart and of very simple construction, and which have a thoroughly positive and dependable operation. While my invention is particularly adapted to taping devices, and is herein illustrated and described in terms of such devices, it will be understood that the invention has application also to dispensing devices of the type wherein the dispensed lengths are picked up and applied by hand, as well as to other dew'ces, and that no unnecessary limitation to taping devices is therefore intended. I

In carrying out the aforestated principle according to my invention, a tape guide is normally positioned to project a leading portion of the tape into a dispensing or tape-application-starting position. When it is desired to sever a dispensed length of tape from the tape supply, the guide is retracted in a back-feeding direction to cause the tape, at a distance in advance thereof, to be drawn against a blade and severed. In the present invention, this retraction of the guide and severing of the tape is effected positively by a manually actuatable member of the device. To enable the device to be very small and compact I retract the guide in a direction generally towards the supply roll and do concurrently give the free tape between the guide and roll a circuitous path so as to draw the necessary tape from the roll to make available a succeeding starting length ahead of the guide when the guide is returned. This means for severing the tape and providing a succeeding starting length is hereinafter referred to generally as the operating mechanism of the device.

It is an object of my invention to eflect the the feed resistance of the tape during the severing operation.

it is another object to provide an operating mechanism for devices of the character described, which can be worked idly without causing backfeeding of the tape and loss of the starting length for a succeeding dispensing operation.

It is another object to couple the manually actuatable member to the operating mechanism so that the latter can be worked with a minimum actuatin force. a A

It is another object to provide a novel and simp.e form of taping device of a small size adapted to be held and operated by the hand and to be carried in the pocket or the like.

It is another object to provide a taping device having a pressure roller on a fixed axis and an operating mechanism normally presenting a starting length of tape beside the roller to enable the start of a tape application without requiring any special manipulation of the device.

It is another object to provide such taping device having a single control depressible to sever the tape and make available a succeeding starting length.

It is another object to provide such taping device which requires no special or unnatural positioning of the device in relation to an object to start a tape application or to sever the applied length from the tape supply at the end of an application.

Another object is to provide such taping device which enables the tape to be withdrawn by a minimum force so that the device can be used to tape thin flexible sheets without causing them to be buckled.

It is a further object to latch the operating mechanism of such taping device in its actuated position so as to hold the starting length in a concealed and protected position within the device as when the device is handled idly, carried in the pocket or laid aside for further use.

These and other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, of a preferred embodiment of taping device according to my invention, showing only a portion of the side cover and showing the operating mechanism in normal position to enable the start of a tape application;

3 Figure 2 is a back elevational view ofthis taping device;

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of this device; Figures 4 and 5 are detailed sectional views of parts of the operating mechanism:

Figure a is a detailed view illustrating the manner of releasably holding the side covergin place;

Figure '7 showing the operating mechanism in its actuated position; I

Figure 8 is a fractional section taken substantially on theline 3-8 of Fig. 8; and

Figure 9 is a view. similar to Figure 1, showing a modified embodiment ofmy invention.

The taping device shown in Figures 1 through 8 is provided with a housing It having a pear shape, as viewed from the side, and a uniform thickness. This housing is split on a medial plane ll into nearly identical sections l2 and [3. The section [2 is a permanent part of the housing which carries the whole operating mechanism of the device, and the section I8 is a removable side cover. The housing sections are preferably formed from thin metal stock by stamping. Each section has a continuous rim flange, designated by the number of the section with the suffix letter a, which runs along the back, top and front of the housing. These flanges meet at the medial plane I I to close the housing except at the bottom.

Staked to the permanent housing section l2, at the center of its upper circular portion, is a post I which extends throughout the thickness dimension of the housing. This post has a pe-- ripheral groove near its outer end forming a head Ila on the post. In the cover l3 there is a corresponding hole I! which has an inwardly turned edge iia. This edge has two diametrically opposite slots engaged by a U-shaped snap spring I. This spring is adapted to snap over the is a fractional view. partly in section,

forming a seat for the supply roll. In the host ll just beyond the outer end of the core there is a peripheral groove into which a ,U spring 23 is snapped to retainthecore on the post.

Extending beyond the lowermost part of the housing is a pressure roller 24 comprising a sleeve of yieldable material. such as rubber or suitable plastic, mounted on a metal tube and Journalled on a pin 25 that is carried at its ends by the two legs I. of the bracket 11. Also, between the two legs I! of the bracket I1. is a U-shaped support member 28 which is pivoted on a pin 21 carried at its ends by the bracket II, this pivot pin the guide roller and the pressure roller 24, and

its adhesive side is exposed for contact with an object to be taped. Initially, as will'hereinafter be fully apparent, there is a starting length T head a, as the cover is mounted, to hold the there is an inwardly offset and downwardly extending tongue I! which hooks onto the left leg of the bracket I! just inwardly from the transverse part Ila of this bracket so as to lock the I lower portion of the cover to the permanent housing section. To remove the cover, the upper portion thereof is pulled apart from the housing section l2, with a pivotal movement about the tongue I! as a center, until the spring [8 is disengaged from the head a, the back comer of the rim flange lie of the cover being rounded at l3b to permit this pivotal movement as shown in Figure 2.

The post II has a peripheral flange 20 at its base which forms a bearing hereinafter described,

Journalled on the post ll, beyond the flange 20, is a core 2| for a supply roll 22 of pressuresensitive tape. This core hasan axially extending portion 2la of reduced diameter at its inner end which abuts against the flange 20 and spaces the inner wall of the core therefrom. Also, the core has a peripheral flange 2": at its inner end of tape projecting ahead of the guide roller and beside the pressure roller to enable the start of a' tape application simply by setting the device on an object and moving the device forwardly 'on the pressure roller. This starting length T is retained against the guide roller 3| by a leaf spring 32 which is secured at 32 as by spot welding to an upwardly extending portion of the right leg 28 of the support member 26. From its base end this spring extends downwardly, at a clearance distance from the free tape drawn from the supply roll, and then rearwardly to terminate in a lip 32a that bears against the adhesive side of the tape backed by the guide roller. This lip is inclined to the axis of the guide roller so that only an edge thereof contacts the tape. This is done so that the spring 32 will have little drag resistance on the feed of the tape and so that the tape can be easily threaded between the guide roller and the spring when a new roll is installed in the device. In addition to these functions the spring 32 also serves to retain the guide roller Journalled in the open-ended slots 30.

Pivoted 0n the flange 20 of the post It is a vertically extending lever 34 which lies adjacent the side wall of the housing section l2 except at its upper end portion. On the lower end of this lever there is secured a pin 35 which extends through a slot 36 in the right leg 29 of the support members 26 and onwardly throughout the width of the tape. This pin is spaced normally from the adhesive side of the tape extending between the supply roll and the guide roller 3!. Journalled on this pin is a roller 31 (Figure 4) which is herein referred to as an idler roller because it is used to tension and pull the tape from 1 the supply roll during a tape-severing operation,

as will hereinafter appear.

The actuating means for the lever 34 comprises a manually depressible plunger 38 which lies adjacent the side wall of the housing section i 2, above the center of the supply roll 22, and extends rearwardly through a slot 38 in the housing wall l2a to terminate into a flngerpiecelll. This plunger has a forwardly extending finger 4| which is guided between two lugs 42 turned in. from the side wall of the housing section l2. Also, the plunger has an inwardly extending lug 43 which 34, this. upper portion of the lever being ofiset inwardly at 45 so as to clear the plunger (Figure 2);" The plunger is urged outwardly of the housing by a .leaf spring 46 secured by riveting to the bottom portion of the rear housing wall Ru and having the upper free end thereof in engagement with a slit 4'! in the plunger.

In response to the bias action of the spring 43, the lever 34 is urged counterclockwise into a limiting position defined by the abutment of the pin 35-against the forward end of the slot 36 (Figure l). Also by this engagement of the pin 35 with the slot 36 the support member 26 is held in normal position wherein the guide roller 3| lies adjacent to the pressure roller. As the plunger 38 is depressed the lever 34 is turned clockwise to ,ngmove th idler roller 31 against the adhesive side of the tape along an are about the center of the supply roll 22; at the same time the lever 34 turns the support member 26, by reason of the engagement of the pin 35 with the slot 38, so as to move the guide roller 3| in a back-feeding direction from the pressure roller and towards the supply ml 22, A feature of the present. invention is to extend the slot 36 substantially along an are about the guide roller 3| as a center so that the idler roller 31 is always at a substantially fixed distance from the guide roller. In so doing, since the idler roller is always at a fixed distance from the supply roll, the length of the tape between the guide roller and the supply roll is held fixed throughout the forward and return strokes of the operatingmechanism. Consequently. upon holding the tape from back-feeding at the pressure roller during the forwand stroke, a length of tape equal to the distance of retraction of the guide roller from the pressure roller is drawn from the supply roll to provide a starting length T for a succeeding application as illustrated in Figure 7. Also, by maintaining a fixed length of path between the guide roller and the supply roll there is less tendency for the tape to back-feed when the operating mechainsm isworked idly as will be apparent.

As the guide roller is retracted from the pressure roller the path between these two elements is shifted towards a blade 48 for severing the tape. The severing is caused to occur adjacent to the pressure roller and at a distance ahead of ser because of its limited lateral freedom of movement. when the support member 26 is swung counterclockwise to retract the guide roller from the pressure roller, the blade 43 is projected forwardly into the position shown in Figure 7. The forward cutting edge of the blade is pointed (Figure 3) so that in response to the tensioning of the tape the tape is drawn against the blade and severed. The tensioning is eflected so long as the tape is held against back-feeding at the pressure roller since the drawing off of the tape from the supply roll which then occurs as the guide roller is retracted will produce a tensioning to cause positive severing of the tape.

By maintaining a fixed length of tape between the guide roller and the supply roll during a tape-severing operation, it is assured that the guide roller may return to normal position without causing any back-feeding of the tape relative thereto. While they operating mechanism might be arranged to pull even greater lengths from the roll during severing, this would ordinarily be undesirable, because it would make the plunger 38 harder to work.

There are a number of features in the present device which reduce greatly the amount of force required to depress the plunger to effect a tapesevering operation. Several of these operate to reduce the drag resistance on the tape. It is for instance important that the member which contacts the tape to effect the tape withdrawal-the roller 3'|be freely journalled. Additionally it is important that this roller have an uneven peripheral surface so that it has a minimum adhesive contact with the tape. This latter desired condition is realized by fluting the roller lengthwise thereof (Figure 5) and by providing it with a series of peripheral grooves 54 (Figure 4). Additionally, as aforementioned, the inclining of the spring32 so that it engages the tape only at an edge thereof is important in lowering the feed the guide roller so that a succeeding starting length is provided as described. Preferably, to secure positive cutting action and uniform starting lengths I move the blade to project it into the path of the tape in addition to moving the path thereto as afore-explained. This is accomplished very satisfactorily by mounting the blade 48 directly above the pressure roller between the two bracket legs l8. This blade has two projecting cars 43 near its forward end which slide in respective open-ended guide slots 50 provided in the bracket legs l8. The width of the blade is just slightly less than the spacing betweenthe bracket legs so that the blade'is held from any substantial sidewise play. In the rearward part of the blade there is a rectangular hole 5| (Figure 3) which receives the lower end of 2. depending finger 52 on the transverse portion of the support member 26. This finger is nearly as wide as the hole 5| but has a slit 53 to give it a portion of narrower width near the end thereof (Figure 8). The finger and hole 5| are so positioned laterally of the device that when they are assembled between the bracket legs It the blade will be prevented from becoming disengaged from the finresistance.

A still further feature incorporated in the present device for the purpose of lessening the force required'to actuate the plunger 38 is in distributing evenly the work of the plunger throughout its stroke. It is to be noted that in the first part of the forward stroke of the plunger 38 the only action is to swing the idler roller 31 into contact with the tape and to move the pin 35 through the slot 36. During the remainder of the stroke, however, tape is drawn from the supply roll. This withdrawal occurs at an increasing rate for a given rate of movement of the lever 34, with the result that the operation of the plunger 38 at the end of its stroke would tend to be hard. To relieve this condition, the slot 44 is inclined to the radius of the lever 34 so that the force transmission rate of the coupling between the plunger and lever 34 is at an increasing rate.

If the operating mechanism of the device is worked idlyi. e., without the tape being held from back-feeding at the pressure roller 24- there is a tendency for the tape gradually to back-feed to lose the starting length ahead of the guide roller 3|. This may be prevented by having the spring 32 bear against the tape with a heavy pressure. However, I preferably place a brake on the idler roller 31 to allow it'to move freely in a forward direction-the direction of movement during severing of the tape-but lock it against movement in a reverse direction. This brake comprises a leaf spring 55 on a lug 56 of the lever 34 which engages theflutes in the roller to operate as a ratchet (Figure 5).

7 The present deyiceiiearranged so thetthe 01 erating mechanism can be'readily latched in its.

actuated position to hold the starting length'l in a retracted position wherein it"is protected by the housing as while the device is laid aside, carried in the pocket and the like. The latch comprises simply a lip El turned inwardlyfrom the housing at theto p of the clearance slot 3! for the plunger 38. and a recess in the outer part oi the I plunger to provide the plunger with a hook II,

The latching is effected, while holding the plunger depressed, simply by raising the plunger about the lugs 42 asa pivot center and then releasing the-same to engage the hook-5Q with the lip II.

A precautionary safety feature to prevent fouling the operation of the device is to position the spring 32 back of the guide roller 3| so that when the guide roller is in a retracted position, it and the spring 32 will serve normally to project the tape away fromthe cutting blade immediately following a severingqoperation, as illustrated in Figure 7. This is to prevent the end of the tape V supply from being held to the blade, such as by strands of adhesive after the severing operation,- and from-being buckled onto the blade'as the guide roller is returned to its normal position;

However, since the guide roller is normally very close to the pressure roller the tape will be moved into adhesive contact with the pressure roller if -such buckling does not occur and will be carried out by the pressure roller into normal position during the initial advance of the device across an object.

In Figure 9 there is shown a modified embodiment of my invention comprising a housing ill generally similar to the housing It and embodying also the principle 0! drawin'gta'pe from the supply roll as an incident of severing the tape so.

as to make available a succeeding starting length without need for any independent feeding operation. In the upper part of the housing Ill there sure roller 65 which projects below the housing.

Just ahead of this pressure roller there is a blade 66 fixedly secured by screws 61 to cars 61a. on the frame member and right side wall.

Just ahead of the blade 86 there is a guide roller 68 having a normal position on the level of the pressure roller as shown. This guide'roller is journalled on a pin 69 that is carried by a U-shaped support member ID. This support member has two depending legs 'Il' journalled also on the pin 64 at the ends of the pressure roller. The right leg of this support member extends upwardly towards the supply roll and carries a leaf spr 12 the lowerfree end of which bears slidab against the front side of the guide roller. In this right leg of the support member there is a long slot 13 which. is engaged slidably by a pin 14 carried on the lowerend of a lever I! thatis pivoted at I6 to the upper portion of the housing. This lever has an upwardly extending arm H which projects rearwardly through a slot 18 in the rear wall of the housing and terminates as in-the foregoing embodiment.

. when theflsupplyroll is installed first tilted forwardly to' bring the startlnglength into adhesive contact with an object to betapedr holding 'it stationary with-the pressure roller pressed against the object. As this is done, the guide roller is raised and the idler roller is pressed sidewise against the free tape to draw tape from the roll to make available a succeeding starting length; As the guide roller is raised'the tapeis drawn against the cutting edge of the blade and is severed. Following the severing the guide roller will be returned to initial positionbythe spring upon release of the finger-piece "and without back-feeding of. the tape relative thereto,

because of the tape drawn from the roll prelimithe guide roller is initially raised to effect a severin a finger-piece 18. The lever is biased into the position shown by a spring Ill. when the lever is in this position, the support member is locked by the engagement of the pin 14 with a dwell 18a only take hold of the starting length and simultaneously actuate the operating mechanism to. retract the guide and sever the tape, leaving the .user with a dispensed set length of tape in his hand for subsequent application as desired. Also, it will be apparent that many modifications and changes maybe made in the particular embodiments herein shown without departure from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to express in the following claims.

I claim: I I 1. In a device for dispensing lengths of pressuresensitive tape from a supply roll including a sup- .port for said roll: the combination of means for holding a leading portion of a free length of said tape in a dispensing position, means for moving said holding means from said dispensing position and towards said roll, means operatively coupled at the endo! the slot". is on the. rightleg of the support member I. atransverse pin -on" which there is journalled an idler roller, ll. Thisroller extends. throughout the widtbiof the-tape and is provided to draw tape from the supply roll-during a severing operation, the same y ,free isjdrawndownwardly therefrom, to the .o'f theidlerji'oller and with'its adhesive side forwardly. andisthreaded through the space?be-' I tween the-guide rolleril'andithespringfl being" terminated a -short"-distance bey'on' end of the-spring It to Provide a"'s'tartinglength" L. Thereupon, in usingthe device the same'si's I to said holding means for maintaining a substantially ilxed length of tape in a taut condition between said supply roll and said holdingmeans as the latter is moved from said dispensing position, and means rendered effective by said movin means when said holding means is at. a distance from said dispensing position for severing the tape near the dispensing position.

2. In a device for dispensing lengths of pressure-sensitive tape from a supply roll including a support for said roll: the combination of movably mounted means spring urged into a position wherein the same holds a leading portion of a free length of said tape in a dispensing position, push means actuatable to move said holding means from said dispensing position, means coupled to said holding means and effective upon the tape being held stationary at said dispensing position for drawing tape from said supply roll as the holding means is moved from said dispensing position, and means coupled to said push means and operated as said holding means is moved from said dispensing position for severing the tape at a distance ahead of the holding means.

3. In a device for dispensing lengths of pressure-sensitive tape from a supply roll: the combination of a support for said supply roll, movably mounted means having a normal position wherein the same holds a leading portion of a free length of said tape in a dispensing position, a cutting blade mounted for movement relative to said holding means and having a normal position wherein the same is free from the tape drawn from said roll, means positively coupled to said holding means and said blade and actuatable for moving said holding means from said dispensing position and concurrently positively projecting said blade into the path of the tape ahead of said holding means, and means operated by said actuatable means and effective upon the tape being held stationary at said dispensihg position for drawing tape from said supply roll as said holding means is moved from said dispensing Position.

4; In a device for dispensing lengths of tape from a supply roll: the combination of a support for said supply roll, a blade, a uide member across which the tape is drawn from said supply roll, said guide member having a normal position wherein the same defines a path free from said blade for the tape drawn from said roll, means actuatable to move said member towards said supply roll and concurrently to shift said path with respect to said blade so that the tape, when tensioned ahead of said guide member, is drawn against said blade and severed at a distance ahead of said guide member, and means coupled to said actuating means to maintain a substantially fixed length of tape between the supply roll and said guide member as the latter is moved towards the supply roll.

5. In a taping device .comprising a support for a supply roll of pressure-sensitive tape and a pressure roller for pressing onto an object the tape drawn from said supply roll: the combination of means for holding a leading portion of the tape at said pressure roller to enable the start of a tape application, actuatable means for retracting said holding means from said pressure roller and for concurrently drawing tape from said roll upon the tape being held from backfeeding at said pressure roller whilesaid holding means is retracted, and means including a blade operatively interposed between said pressure roller and said holding means by said actuatable means as the holding means is retracted for causing the tape to be severed at a distance ahead of the holding means.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein,said holding means comprises a guide roller at the non-adhesive side of the tape and against which the tape is drawn as it is pulled from said device and rolled by said pressure roller onto an object, and a guide member having an end portion at the adhesive side of the tape adjacent to said guide roller for holding a starting length of tape ahead of the latter, said end portion of said guide member being inclined relative to the axis of said guide roller so that the guide member will normally have only an edge thereof contacting the adhesive side of the tape and so as to facilitate threading the tape between said guide member and guide roller when a new supply roll is installed in the device.

'7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said guide member is extended into the path of the tape back of said guide roller relative to the direction of feed of the tape to cause the leading portion of the tape supply to project away from said blade when the tape is severed.

8. In a taping device for applying selected lengths of pressure-sensitive tape to objects, comprising a housing having an outlet opening, a support in said housing for a supply roll of said tape and-a pressure roller at said opening for pressing the tape onto an object as the device is moved thereacross: the combination of means on said housing holding said pressure roller on a fixed axis in relation thereto, a cutting blade in said housing, and movable means projecting from said housing and actuatable to increase the length of the tape between said supply roll and said pressure roller by an amount desired for a successive starting length of tape and thereupon to cause the tape to be severed by said blade near said pressure roller.

9. In a taping device for applying selected lengths of pressure-sensitive tape to objects, comprising a housing, a support in said housing for a supply roll of said tape and a pressure roller on said housing for pressing tape onto an object: the combination of means holding said supply roll and pressure-roller on fixed axes relative to said housing, a cutting blade, and means operable on the tape relative to said pressure roller for increasing the length of the path of the tape between said supply roll and said pressure roller and for concurring causing said blade to intersect said path, said operable means being normally positioned to guide the tape in a path free from said blade and being movable to an operated position to increase the length of said path by an amount suflicient for a succeeding starting length and to cause said blade to cut the tape adjacent to said pressure roller upon the tape being tensioned against the latter.

10. In a taping device for applying selected lengths of pressure-sensitive tape to objects, comprising a housing for a supply roll of said tape and a pressure roller carried by said housing for pressing tape from said roll onto an object as said device is moved thereacross: the combination of a guide adapted to hold a leading portion of the tape adjacent to said pressure roller to serve as a starting length for a tape application, said guide having a normal position adjacent to said pressure roller and being mounted for movement away from said roller, means coupled to said guide and manually actuatable to move the guide from said normal position, means operable on the tape I and said pressure roller, and means coupled to said manually actuatable means and rendered effective as the guide is moved from normal position to sever the tape at a distance ahead of said guide between the guide and the pressure roller.v

11. The combination set forth in claim 10, including an idler roller at the adhesive side of the tape between-said guide and said supply roll, said idler roller having a normal position wherein the same is out of contact withthe tape and being coupled to said actuatable means to cause it to be moved against the tape to draw tape from said roll as said guide is moved from normal position.

12. The combination set forth in claim 11 including a brake on said idler roller for locking the roller in one direction to prevent back-feed of the tape should said guide be moved idly from normal position without the tape being held at said pressure roller.

13. The-combination set forth in claim 11' wherein the peripheral surface of said'idler roller is uneven to lessen the area of contact of the idler roller with the adhesive side of the tape and reduce the force required to strip the tape therefrom.

14. In a taping device for applying selected.

lengths of pressure-sensitive tape to objects, comprising a support for a supply-roll of said tape and apressure roller for pressing the tape onto an object as the device ismoved thereacross: the combination of a movably mounted blade, a movably mounted, guide having a normal position wherein the same projects. a starting length of tape past said pressure roller, manual means for moving said guide from said pressure roller in a back-feeding direction and for concurrently moving said blade to. project it into the path 01 the tape between, said pressure roller and said guide, and means operable by said manual means for maintaining a substantially fixed length of tape between theguide and'said supply roll as the guide is moved from normal position.

15. The taping device set forth inclaim wherein said guide is'airanged so that when in an actuated position it'will project the tape in advance thereof away from said blade immediately following the severing of the tape. V

16; In a taping device comprising a housing having an outlet opening at the bottom thereof, a support in said housing for a supply roll of pressure-sensitive tape and a pressure roller carried by said housing at said opening for rolling tape onto an object as the device is moved thereacross: the combination of a guide having a normal position wherein the same projects a leading portion of the tape beside said pressure roller to serve as a starting length for a tape application, a support member for said guide pivoted to said housing at the non-adhesive side of the tape drawn from saidroll, said support member having a portion projecting from its pivot axis towards said supply roll and provided with a slot substantially on an are about said guide as a center, a lever pivoted to said housing at the axis of said supply roll, a transverse member on said lever extending through said-slot and throughout the width of said tape, an idler roller journalled on the extending portion of said transverse member and positioned at the adhesive side of the tape drawn from said roll, spring means acting on said lever normally to hold said idler roller out of contact with the tape and said guide in 'itssaid normal position, push means projecting from said housing for turning said lever to move said idler roller against the tape and concur- I rently turn said supportmember to move said guide from said pressure roller, a blade movably mounted above said pressure roller, and a coupling between said blade and said support member for projecting the blade into the path of the tape ahead 01 said guide as the guide is moved from said pressure roller.

1'1. In a taping device'comprising a housing having. an outlet opening. a support in said housing for a suppl roll or pressure-sensitive tape and a pressure roller carried by said housing at said opening for rolling tape onto an object as the device is moved thereacross: the combination of a guide having a normal position wherein the same projects a leading portion of the tape beside said pressure roller to serve as a starting length for a tape application, a, support member for said guide pivoted to said housing, said support member having a portion extending from,

its pivot axis and provided with a slot, a pivoted lever on said housing engaging said slot and actuable to move said guide from said pressure roller, a blade for severing the tape ahead of the guide as the guide is moved from said pressure roller, means coupled to said guide for drawing tape from said roll as the guide is moved from said pressure roller, .and manually operable means coupled to said lever and adapted to have an increasing force transmitting ratio as the push means is progressively operated.

18. In a. taping device for applying selected lengths of pressure sensitive tape to objects, comprising a housing, a support in said housing for a supply roll of said tape and a pressure roller carried by said housing for pressing tape from said roll onto an object as said device is moved thereacross: the combination of a guide adapted length for a tape application, said guide having a normal'position adjacent to said pressure roller and being mounted for movement in a backfeeding direction away from said pressure roller, 2. blade rendered effective as said guide is moved from normal position for severing the tape between the guide and pressure roller, a member pivoted at the center of said supply roll for movement against the tape between said guide and the supply roll, and means coupling said guide to said member for holding the guide spaced at least by its 'initial distance therefrom, as the guide is moved from normal position.

19. In a taping device comprising a housing, a support in said housing for a supply roll of pressure-sensitive tape, and a pressure member carried by the housing: the combination of a blade fixedly mounted in relation to said pressure member, a. guide roller having a normal position wherein it holds the tape free of said blade as the tape is drawn from said device, a member for retaining a leading portion oi. the tape to said guide roller to serve as a starting length, said guide roller projecting from said housing and serving initially as a pressure roller to start a tape application, means for retracting said guide roller to cause the tape when tensioned against said pressure member to be drawn against said blade and severed, and means coupled to said guide rollerfor drawing tape from the supply roll as the guide roller is retracted whereb to enable the guide roller to return to initial position, folprojects a starting length of said tape outside said housing beside said pressure roller, said 10 mechanism being actuatable to sever the tape adjacent to said roller and render available within the housing a succeeding starting length of said tape which is projected beside said roller when said mechanism is released, a depressible member pivotally connected to said mechanism for actu- 14 ating the latter, and catch means effective upon pivoting said depressible member when the same is in a depressed position for latching said mechanism in actuated position.

GEORGE H. FRI'IZINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,732 Krueger Mar. 19, 1946 2,192,634 Blomquist Mar. 5, 1940 15 2,260,489 Sim Oct. 28, 1941 2,452,584 Luebkeman Nov. 2, 1948