US2851004A - Tape dispensing apparatus having a replaceable gummed tape holder - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 9, 1958 TAPE DISPEN-SiNdAPPARATUS HAVING A REPLACEABLE GUMMED TAPE HOLDER H B ROWE 2,851,094

Filed June 21, 195s 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inveniofl: Howafld B. Rowe 639 M 5% 7M 4 M2 gm Sept. 9, 1958 H. B. ROWE TAPE DISPENSING APPARATUS HAVING A REPLACEABLE GUNMED TAPE HOLDER Filed June 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dwenior fiowafld .B. Rowe, '39

Unite TAPE DISPENSING APPARATUS HAVING A REPLACEABLE GUIVIMED TAPE HOLDER Howard B. Rowe, Nashua, N. H., assignor, by mesue assignments, to Nashua Qorporation, a corporation of Delaware Application June 21, 1955, Serial No. 516,925

1 Claim. (Cl. 118-40) This invention concerns devices and apparatus for dispensing lengths of adhesively conditioned tape and strip material, particularly those of the type wherein drygummed tape is advanced and rendered adhesive by the application of moisture. It has as a main object to safeguard the supply of the dry-gummed strip material against premature adhesion under conditions of excessive humidity.

In the drawings illustrating by way of example one embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 shows a typical strip server or tape dispenser incorporating a tape roll supply in a feed-out sealing holder; i

v Fig. 2 is a front, elevation of such tape-feeding rollholding container with portions of the latter broken away; and

Fig. 3 illustrates the roll-feeding container preparatory to loading with a roll of tape.

The invention is applicable to the various types of machines and apparatus for dispensing and adhesively conditioning dry-gummed tape, including the manual, the semi-automatic and the full-automatic apparatus of the class described. For the purposes of the present disclosure 1 have shown the means of the invention as incorporated in a semi-automatic tape dispenser such for example as that of Gautier et al. Patent 2,434,996, of January 27, 1948.

The exemplary machine of the drawing comprises a frame including opposite side members 4 and 5 spaced by transverse connections including a rear Wall 6 and cross members 7. A rear portion of the frame defines a tape roll well or holder compartment 10 from which the tape T is adapted to be fed forwardly between opposed feed rolls 11, 12, at least one of which is adapted to be rotatably driven as by a hand lever 13, in this instance the larger and lower roll 12. The other roll 11 is rotatably mounted on a carrier and tape guide 14 pivoted on the frame as at 15 and is urged into tape-feeding relation with the driven roll 12 as by a spring 16.

The tape T from the roll TR thereof leads off either from the bottom or the top of the roll depending on whether it is wound with gummed side out as in the Fig. 1 example, or is wound with gumrned side in. In either case the leading end of the tape is fed along upon an underguide 17 extending from the well 10 and beneath a top guide 18, and thence past the cut-off station including a knife or cutter means 19 and beneath a depresser 20, with the gummed face of the tape passing in moistening contact with a capillary, brush or other moistener means 21 supplied from a moisture reservoir 22. The leading portion of the moistened tape is thus advanced to the delivery station 23 and the length so fed is severed behind the moistener at the cut-ofi station 19.

Customarily heretofore the bare roll of tape has been disposed at the supply station such as the well 10, occasionally journalled on a pin passed centrally through the roll but ordinarily set freely on the arcuate floor of the well or on cross supports which may be rollers, presenting the roll supply in the well in position to be drawn upon. In some dispensers the roll may be upwardly and otherwise exposed while in other cases the machine includes a cover. element such as the elongate troughed member 25 of Fig. l pivoted on the frame as at 26 and having stops such as 27 for seating on a fixed part of the frame in the closed position of the cover, leaving a delivery opening for the tape T at the front of the machine. Whether with or without a cover such as 25, and which latter may be dispensed with in the illustrated example, the tape supply roll'ordinarily is exposed and freely accessible to the ambient temperature. V v

Under the present invention the tape roll supply TR cally sealed condition within a holding container designated generally at 30, such container being specially constructed, shaped and dimensioned for cooperative reception in and as a part of the dispensing apparatus as a whole.

As seen in Fig. 1 and separately in Figs. 2 and 3, such holding container 30 is of generally cylindrical form. It includes front, rear and bottom wall portions 31, 32,

33 of conjoint 'arcuate form, together with laterally" closing side walls 34, 35. One side wall desirably is integrally formed with the transverse wall portions 3133.

The opposite side wall, herein the generally circular plate like member 35, Fig. 3, is separably constructed and adapted for installation as at a flanged seat 36, atthe corresponding side of the container. Y

The latter further comprises a top wall portion 37 integrally joined with the mentioned wall portions so as to provide a completely enclosed container when the separable side wall 35 is in place as in Figs. 1 and 2. Such top wall 37 may be circumferentially formed upon the same radius with the transverse and side walls 31-35 or may have an upper or other non-round portion as for example at 37a of Fig. 1, adapted for engagement by the cover 25 to retain the container 30 against bodily rotation while permitting the roll supply TR to turn freely within it. In other instances the container 30 may itself be rotatably positioned within the machine well such as 10, as for example in the illustrated instance with the cover 25 open or omitted.

In accordance with the invention each roll of tape TR as supplied by the manufacturer may initially be enclosed in its own holding container 30. In such case the initially separate side Wall 35 which provides a loading entrance for the tape roll may, after insertion of the roll, be set in place on and closing the container 30 and may be sealed upon the seating recess 36 adhesively or by heat sealing of the self-material where the container as a whole is constructed of a heat-sealable transparent plastic material as is preferred.

The described holding container element 30 thus provides an hermetically sealable enclosure for the tape roll TR save for a single limited transverse exit slot or slit 38 formed in and extending transversely across one wall portion of the container, that at the lower front 31 in the present views. Such tape exit is proportioned to be substantially closed by the leading portion T of the tape which is passed outwardly through such slit 38 when the roll is loaded into the container. The opposed transverse edges 39 of the exit 38 desirably are inclined more or less to the radius of the container and in line with the natural exit path of the tape T. While it is found that such narrow exit slot 38 of a width merely sufiicient to afford free passage and outfeed for the tape is adequate to exclude moisture of the ambient atmosphere at the point of use, if desired the container wall adjacent the slot may be provided at its inner face with an absorbent dam or closure flap 40 adapted to bear lightly upon the outgoing tape and further seal the outlet 38 against entry of moisture.

In other use circumstances, and particularly where the machine is to be in more or less constant use so requiring One or more roll replenishments per ordinary working day, the tape rolls TR may be supplied either singly wrapped or in multiple packages from which theyare individually loaded into a moisture-excluding container 30 supplied with and as a part of the tape-dispensing machine. In either case; whether a holding container 30 equipped with a tape roll TR sealed therein is supplied to the user as a package unit or whether the tape rolls are otherwise packaged for loading at the place of use into a container 30, a number of which may be originally furnished with each tape machine, itwill be evident from Fig. 1 that in the operation of the machine the container 30 constitutes an operative element of the tape, mounting and feeding means of the machine, in cooperation with the described typical feed roll means, moistening means and cutting means of the apparatus. This operation is such that the roll supply is effectively excluded fromobjectionable moist ambient atmosphere such as heretofore has caused the coils of tape to become stucktogether in the roll so that the feed is hampered or blocked; a condition heretofore of not infrequent occurrence incertain geographical regions and in use locations where the surrounding atmospheric humidity is high. j

My invention is not limited to the particular emhodi.- ments thereof illustrated and described herein, and I set forth its scope in my following claim.

I claim:

Apparatus for storing a roll supply of dry-gummed tape and dispensing adhesively-conditioned lengths therefrom, comprising a housing frame including a roll-holder compartment with an openable cover element having a planar portion adapted to overlie the compartment, a substantially cylindrical drum-like transparent plastic taperoll-holding container freely receivable in the holder compartment and having a planar portion for rotation-preventing engagement with the planar portion of the compartment cover element, said container adapted to store a tape roll in substantially hermetically sealed condition yet in rotatable position to be drawn upon and having a restricted transverse exit passage for the tape, rotary feed means for advancing lengths of tape from the roll via the container exit passage to a moistening and delivery station, severing means for the moistened delivered tape lengths, and actuating means for the feed and severing means whereby adhesively conditioned tape lengths may be supplied from the sealing container within the roll holder compartment of the housing frame of the apparatus subject to ready visual check of the supply remaining therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 134,545 Fischer Dec. 8, 1942 1,106,660 Marshall et al. Aug. 11, 1914 1,244,837 Crowell Oct. 30, 1917 1,787,882 Uttz Ian. 6, 1931 2,434,996 Gautier et a1. Jan. 27; 1948 2,525,755 Aldrich Oct. 17, 1950 2,709,049 Weis May 24, 1955

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