WO2022137111A1

WO2022137111A1 - Method for making rolls of flexible tape, system for carrying out such method and unwinder - applicator of said rolls of flexible tape.

Info

Publication number: WO2022137111A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/062094
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pietro Paolo SABATELLI
Original assignee: P.F.R. S.R.L. Di Sinico Renata & C.
Priority date: 2020-12-22
Filing date: 2021-12-21
Publication date: 2022-06-30

Abstract

A method of making rolls (1) of flexible tape (1b) wound onto an annular support (1a), comprising the following operations: winding a flexible sheet (3) onto a tubular support (5) to obtain a reel (6); performing a radial cut (7) of the entire radial thickness (6b) of the flexible sheet (3) wound onto the reel (6) and only a first annular portion (13a) of the tubular support (5) to define a roll in formation (T) which remains connected to the tubular support (5) only for the remaining second annular portion (13b) of the tubular support (5); obtaining the roll (1) by separation of the roll in formation (T) which occurs spontaneously by torsion fracture of the second annular portion (13b) of the tubular support (5) caused by the rotational kinetic energy accumulated by each roll in formation (T). The system which carries out the method comprises an unwinding/winding machine (20) and a sectioning lathe (30) configured to carry out the radial cut (7) of the reel (6).

Description

METHOD FOR MAKING ROLLS OF FLEXIBLE TAPE, SYSTEM FOR CARRYING OUT SUCH METHOD AND UNWINDER - APPLICATOR OF SAID ROLLS OF FLEXIBLE TAPE.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a method for making rolls of flexible tape wound onto an annular support, particularly of adhesive flexible tape.

The invention also concerns a system for carrying out such a method.

It should be noted that in the following discussion the term flexible tape will be taken to mean a flexible tape made of any material, adhesive or non-adhesive. There are various types of flexible tapes available on the market in different widths and lengths, which are marketed wound onto annular supports usually made of cardboard or plastic.

An example of this consists in the well-known and widely used rolls of adhesive tape of common use in which the tape is wound onto an annular support made mainly of plastic.

The method of making rolls of adhesive tape of this type involves the use of special unwinding/winding machines which unwind an adhesive sheet of indefinite width and length from a reel and cut it up into a plurality of tapes which are wound onto a plurality of annular supports.

The annular supports are aligned one after the other in a direction parallel to the width of the sheet being unwound and onto each one a tape is wound, whose length is a fraction of the length of the sheet on the reel.

In this way, from the adhesive sheet unwound from the reel, a plurality of rolls of adhesive tape are obtained on each of which the length of the wound tape is predefined by the manufacturer who sets the value on the control unit of the winding machine.

Known unwinding/winding machines therefore have the limitation that each machine is designed to produce rolls of tape only in a discrete number of widths, which are those usually required by the market.

Thus, for example, rolls of industrial adhesive tape, which are used in manual unwinders known as “dispensers”, are usually produced in widths of 12 or 19 or even 25 mm, while packaging adhesive tapes are usually produced in widths of 50 or 75 mm.

It is understood that this is a major limitation because with known unwinding/winding machines it is not possible to meet the needs of those users who require flexible tapes in widths different from the commercial widths usually available on the market.

In addition, the well-known unwinding/winding machines have the disadvantage that they require downtime for loading the annular supports onto which the tapes are wound, and this downtime is a burden on production costs. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for obtaining rolls of flexible tape, preferably but not exclusively of adhesive flexible tape of any width.

It is also the purpose of the invention to create a system for actuating the above method.

It is another object that the method and the system of the invention enable the production of rolls of flexible tape, preferably but not exclusively rolls of flexible adhesive tape of any width, in a more economical manner with respect to the prior art.

It is a further object that the method and system of the invention allow to quickly modify the production model by rapidly switching from the production of one tape width to another.

It is another object that the method and system of the invention allow for a reduction in downtime.

It is further an object of the invention to make an unwinder - applicator for the application of adhesive tape obtained by means of the above-mentioned method and system.

The listed purposes are achieved by the method of the invention as described in claim 1 to which reference will be made.

The other claims describe the system and the manual device for applying flexible tape by said method and said system.

Advantageously, the invention provides the market with a method and a system which enable the production of flexible tapes wound into a roll of any width, and thus also meet the needs of users using non-standard width rolls of tape which are not currently available on the market.

Further advantageously, the invention also provides a manual device for applying flexible adhesive tape made using the system and method of the invention.

Advantageously, the method and the system of the invention allow to quickly convert the production model and to switch immediately from the production of one tape width to another without having to replace the annular supports for each of the tape widths being produced.

This has the added advantage of cost-effectively producing both large quantities and very small quantities of rolls of tape.

The listed objects and advantages will be better highlighted below during the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given below, by way of indicative and non-limiting purposes only, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Fig. 1 represents a schematic section of one of the machines implementing the method of the invention, in which the initial operation of the method of the invention is carried out;

- Fig. 2 represents a detail of Fig. 1 ;

- Fig. 3 represents an axonometric view of the detail of Fig. 2;

- Fig. 4 represents a detail of another of the machines carrying out the method of the invention;

- Fig. 5 represents another machine carrying out the method of the invention to which the detail shown in Fig. 4 belongs;

- Fig. 6 represents the view from above of Fig. 5;

- Fig. 7 represents a schematic cross-section of the machine of Fig. 5 in the step of carrying out another operation of the method of the invention;

- Fig. 7a represents an enlargement of Fig. 7;

- Fig. 8 represents a schematic cross-section of the machine of Fig. 5 in the step of carrying out a further operation of the method of the invention;

- Fig. 8a represents an enlargement of Fig. 8;

- Fig. 8b represents in axonometric view a detail of the machine of Fig. 5 during the execution of the further operation of the method of the invention shown in Fig. 8;

- Fig. 9 represents a schematic cross-section of the machine of Fig. 5 in the step of carrying out another operation of the method of the invention;

- Fig. 9a represents an enlargement of Fig. 9;

- Fig 9b represents in an axonometric view a detail of the machine of Fig. 5 during the execution of the other operation of the method of the invention shown in Fig. 9;

- Fig. 10 represents in axonometric view a detail of the machine of Fig. 5 at the end of the execution of the last operation of the method of the invention; - Fig. 11 represents some of the objects produced using the method and system of the invention;

- Fig. 12 represents an unwinder - applicator using the objects shown in Fig. 11 ;

- Fig. 13 represents a variant of the unwinder - applicator of Fig. 12.

The method and system of the invention are designed to make rolls of adhesive or non-adhesive flexible tape made of any material and of any width.

The method and system of the invention are described with reference to Figures 1 to 10, and some rolls of flexible tape made by means of said method and system are shown in Figure 11 wherein each roll is indicated by 1 and comprises an annular support 1a onto which the flexible tape 1b is wound.

The production method involves a plurality of operations which first envisages preparing a first reel 2 formed by a flexible sheet 3 of flexible material of indefinite length and width wound onto a tubular element 4 with a mainly longitudinal development identifying a first longitudinal axis X.

The method then envisages setting up a tubular support 5, which also has a mainly longitudinal development, which identifies a second longitudinal axis Y. Preferably, but not necessarily, the outer diameter 5a of the tubular support 5 is smaller than the outer diameter 4a of the tubular element 4.

Finally, the tubular support 5 and the first reel 2 are arranged side by side so that the second longitudinal axis Y and the first longitudinal axis X are parallel to each other, as can be seen in the schematic drawing of Figure 1 .

The flexible sheet 3 is then unwound from the first reel 2 and simultaneously rewound onto the tubular support 5 to obtain a second reel 6.

A very long flexible sheet 3 is usually wound onto the first reel 2 and usually only a fraction of its length is wound onto the tubular support 5 to obtain the second reel 6.

However, this does not prevent the entire length of the flexible sheet 3 forming the first reel 2 also being able to be wound onto the second reel 6.

In the case described, a fraction of the length of the flexible sheet 3 comprising the first reel 2 is wound onto the second reel 6 so as to obtain several second reels 6 from a first reel 2.

In particular, the length of the flexible sheet 3 forming the second reel 6 is substantially equal to the length of the flexible tape 1b of each roll 1.

According to the invention, the method further comprises the following operations which comprise first of all positioning a rotary blade 10 in front of the second reel 6 and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis Y as observed in Figures 7 and 7a.

The rotary blade 10 is then brought closer to the second reel 6, as observed in Figures 8, 8a and 8b, and it is positioned at a distance 8 from the extreme edge 6a of the second reel 6, as can be observed in Figure 9b, equal to the width 9 of the roll 1 to be obtained by cutting the second reel 6 transversely to its second longitudinal axis Y.

In fact, after positioning the rotary blade 10, the second reel 6 is scored carrying out a radial cut 7 which covers the entire radial thickness 6b of the flexible sheet 3 forming the second reel 6, and only a first annular portion 13a of the tubular support 5 is scored, as can be observed in Figures 9 and 9a; in this way, on the second reel 6 a roll in formation T is formed, which remains connected to the tubular support 5 only for the remaining second annular portion 13b of the same tubular support 5 not yet cut.

The roll 1 is then obtained by separation of the roll in formation T from the tubular support 5, which occurs spontaneously by torsion fracture of the second annular portion 13b of the tubular support 5 which is caused by the rotational kinetic energy accumulated by the roll in formation T during the rotation of the second reel 6.

The operations listed are repeated for each roll 1 to be obtained.

During the radial cut 7, which is carried out by the rotary blade 10, the second reel 6 is rotated by a rotary shaft 11 which is coaxially inserted into the tubular support 5 of the second reel 6.

In addition, the rotary blade 10 is associated with motorization means 36 which will be described in more detail below and which, in addition to rotating it about an axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal axis Y, also move it orthogonally to the same axis to perform the radial cut 7 and parallel thereto in order to reposition it repeatedly and to be able to perform further radial cuts 7 to obtain further rolls 1.

It should be mentioned that the choice of having the roll in formation T separated from the tubular support 5 by torsion fracture of the second annular portion 13b that constrains it to the same tubular support 5 prevents the rotary blade 10 from coming into contact with the rotary shaft 11.

Since, as will be explained later, the rotary shaft is the spindle shaft of a sectioning lathe, it is made of steel and contact with the rotary blade 10 would damage both the cutting edge of the blade and the surface of the spindle shaft. It is therefore important to ensure the separation by torsion fracture of the roll in formation T and for this reason the tubular support 5 which externally has a substantially cylindrical shape with a circular profile, as shown in Figure 3, which represents it in an axonometric view, is internally provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves 15 and a plurality of longitudinal faces 16 developing side by side along the longitudinal axis Y wherein each longitudinal groove 15 is comprised between two longitudinal faces 16.

In this way, as is particularly observed in the detailed view of Figure 9a, the longitudinal grooves 15 create a weakening of the second annular portion 13b which constrains the roll in formation T to the tubular support 5 and promotes the separation thereof.

In addition, to further facilitate the separation of the roll in formation T from the tubular support 5 and the subsequent removal of the roll 1 from the second reel 6 by axial sliding along the rotary shaft 11, the latter is covered in a nonstick coating 17 particularly visible in Figure 9, which is preferably but not necessarily made of carbon fibre.

The method now described is carried out by means of a system for making rolls 1 of flexible tape 1b wound onto an annular support 1a; this system is also an object of the invention and foresees the use, in combination with each other, of an unwinding/winding machine 20 schematically represented in Figure 1 and of a sectioning lathe 30 represented in an axonometric view in Figure 5, in a plan view in Figure 6 and also in the detailed axonometric views of Figures 8b and 9b.

With regard to the unwinding/winding machine 20, it comprises a frame 21 on which the following can be found: an unwinding shaft 22, supporting the tubular element 4 of the first reel 2 from which the flexible sheet 3 is unwound, and a winding shaft 23, supporting the tubular support 5 onto which it is wound at least a fraction of the length of the flexible sheet 3 which is unwound from the first reel 2 to obtain the second reel 6.

Motorization means of the known type, which are therefore not shown, are also provided to rotate at least the winding shaft 23.

On the other hand, with respect to the sectioning lathe 30, it is noted that it comprises a base 31 supporting a drive head 32 configured to rotate the rotary shaft 11 which externally accommodates the tubular support 5 with the second reel 6.

Internally to the rotary shaft 11 there are expandable means 33 which are shown in the axonometric view of Figure 4 and which are actuated by pressurised fluid means, not shown, which move them radially making them protrude from the rotary shaft 11 to adhere internally to the tubular support 5 and make it integral to the rotary shaft 11.

In this way, when the drive head 32 rotates the rotary shaft 11, the second reel 6 is also placed solidly in rotation.

The lathe also includes a cutting head 34 which supports the rotary blade 10 and a contrasting bezel 35 which is arranged on the opposite side of the cutting head 34 and, as observed in Figures 9, 9a and 9b, is placed in contact externally to the second reel 6 to counteract the thrust of the rotary blade 10 during the execution of the radial cut 7.

There are movement means 36 configured to move said rotary blade 10:

- orthogonally to the longitudinal axis Y, to make said radial cut 7 and

- parallel to said longitudinal axis Y, to reposition the rotary blade 10 repeatedly in order to perform further radial cuts 7.

In particular, there are motorization means 36 for rotating the rotary blade 10 and for moving the cutting head 34 parallel and transversely to the second reel 6

Operationally, in order to make one or more rolls 1, there are threaded onto the unwinding shaft 22 of the winding/unwinding machine 20 the tubular element 4 with the first reel 2 and onto the winding shaft 23 the tubular support 5.

Then at least a fraction of the length of the flexible sheet 3 is unwound from the first reel 2 and rewound onto the tubular support 5 to obtain the second reel 6.

The tubular support 5 with the second reel 6 wound onto it is then removed from the winding shaft 23 and coupled externally to the rotary shaft 11 which constitutes the spindle shaft of the sectioning lathe 30 connected to the drive head 32.

The expandable means 33 make the second reel 6 integral with the rotary shaft 11.

Using the motorization means 36 the cutting head 34 is moved and the rotary blade 10 is positioned in contact with the second reel 6 and at a distance 8 from its extreme edge 6a equal to the width 9 of the roll 1 to be obtained. The driving head 32 and the rotary blade 10 are then rotated and the latter is also moved transversally to the second reel 6 to perform the radial cut 7 which allows the roll 1 observed in Figure 10 to be obtained.

The rotary blade 10 can therefore be repositioned several times to make further rolls 1, as can be seen again in Figure 10.

The motorization means 36 carry out the longitudinal displacement of the rotary blade 10 along the rotary shaft 11 using displacement means, such as a screw-nut assembly or linear guides, which being of a known type are not represented or described herein.

It can only be said that these assemblies, controlled by the central unit 38 of the sectioning lathe 30, allow centesimal displacements of the cutting head 34 to be carried out and therefore the rotary blade 10 to be positioned at any distance from the extreme edge 6a of the second reel 6 so as to cut rolls 1 of any width.

In this way, one of the objects of the invention is achieved.

In addition, these shifts can be made very quickly which allows the width of the roll being produced and therefore the production model to be changed very quickly.

This achieves another of the objects of the invention.

Moreover, rolls 1 of different widths can be obtained from the same second reel 6.

The resulting rolls 1 can be used in an unwinder - applicator 40 shown in Figures 12 and 13, also an object of the present invention, which is mainly used to unwind flexible adhesive-type tapes.

The unwinder - applicator 40 is configured for unwinding and applying a roll 1 of flexible tape 1b wound onto an annular support 1a, wherein said annular support 1a is internally provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves 15 and a plurality of longitudinal faces 16 developing side by side along an axis of symmetry, wherein each longitudinal groove 15 is comprised between two longitudinal faces 16.

The unwinder - applicator 40 comprises a case which houses a rotatable pin 42, identifying a longitudinal axis Z, and application means 43 of the flexible tape belonging to a roll of flexible tape supported by the rotatable pin 42.

The unwinder - applicator 40 differs from known unwinders in that the rotatable pin 42 is externally shaped by means of a plurality of longitudinal grooves 44 and of longitudinal faces 45 which develop according to the longitudinal axis Z and which have the same dimensions and the same profile as the longitudinal faces 16 and the longitudinal grooves 15 of the annular support 1a.

Thus, the rotatable pin 42 is externally shaped by means of a plurality of longitudinal grooves 44 and of longitudinal faces 45 which develop according to the longitudinal axis Z and which have the same dimensions and the same profile as the longitudinal faces 16 and the longitudinal grooves 15 which are made internally to the tubular support 5 onto which the second reel 6 is wound. In addition, the longitudinal faces 16 and the longitudinal grooves 15 are the same as those on the inside of the annular support 1a of the roll 1 since, as has been seen, the annular support 1a is separated from the tubular support 5 by the radial cut 7 of the second reel 6 making the roll 1.

Such longitudinal grooves 15 and such longitudinal faces 16 are made, as described above, inside the tubular support 5 onto which the second reel 6 is wound.

Therefore, the longitudinal grooves 44 and the longitudinal faces 45 of the rotatable pin 42 are configured to be coupled respectively with the longitudinal faces 16 and the longitudinal grooves 15 of the annular support 1a which can thus be coaxially coupled externally to the rotatable pin 42 according to the longitudinal axis Z.

In this way, the rolls 1 according to the invention can be loaded and used in the unwinder - applicator 40.

The unwinder - applicator 40 is to be understood to comprise an annular support 1a internally provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves 15 and with a plurality of longitudinal faces 16 developing side by side along an axis of symmetry, wherein each longitudinal groove 15 is comprised between two longitudinal faces 16, said annular support 1a being coupled to said rotatable pin 42.

The unwinder - applicator 40 is considered to be of the type for double-sided adhesive tapes, as shown in Figure 12, or for normal adhesive tapes, as shown in Figure 13, as well as of a type for other non-adhesive tapes.

As clearly shown in the figures, and in a manner known in itself, the unwinder - applicator 40 includes a handle 51 fixed to the case 50.

The unwinder - applicator 40 also includes a button 52 configured to control an unwinding consent mechanism, or to control a tape unwinding-winding mechanism, in both cases such mechanisms being of a known type per se.

On the basis of the above, it is understood that the invention achieves the predefined objects.

It has already been stated that the object to provide a method and a system which allow to obtain rolls of flexible tape, preferably but not exclusively of adhesive flexible tape, of any width, is achieved.

In addition, it must be said that this is achieved by the combined use of the unwinding/winding machine 20 and the sectioning lathe 30 according to the method described.

Since the annular support 1a onto which the flexible tape 1b of the roll 1 is wound is obtained directly during the cutting of the second reel 6, the purpose of eliminating the movement of the annular supports which is instead necessary in the prior art is also achieved.

This also achieves the additional object of reducing downtime and thus producing rolls of flexible tape more economically with respect to the prior art.

It has been shown that the movements of the cutting head 34 and the rotary blade 10 can be made very rapidly to quickly change the width of the roll being produced.

This achieves the object of rapidly changing the production model switching from the production of one tape width to another.

Furthermore, the object of making a manual unwinding device for rolls 1 made by the method and the system of the invention is also achieved.

Changes and variants to the method and the system of the invention which have not been described and depicted in the figures may be made during the execution step.

It is understood that, if these changes and variants should fall within the scope of the following claims, they shall definitely be deemed protected by the present patent.

Claims

1 ) Method for making rolls (1 ) of flexible tape (1 b) wound onto an annular support (1a), said method comprising the following operations:

- preparing a first reel (2) comprising a flexible sheet (3), made of flexible material of indefinite length and width, wound onto a tubular element (4) of a mainly longitudinal development which identifies a first longitudinal axis (X);

- providing a tubular support (5) with a mainly longitudinal development that identifies a second longitudinal axis (Y);

- arranging said tubular support (5) and said first reel (2) side by side so that said second longitudinal axis (Y) and said first longitudinal axis (X) are parallel to each other;

- unwinding said flexible sheet (3) from said first reel (2) and simultaneously rewinding at least a predefined fraction of the length of said flexible sheet (3) onto said tubular support (5) to obtain a second reel (6), characterized in that it also comprises the following operations:

- positioning a rotary blade (10) in front of said second reel (6) and orthogonally to said second longitudinal axis (Y), at a distance (8) from the extreme edge (6a) of said second reel (6), equal to the width (9) of said roll (1 ) to be obtained;

- scoring said second reel (6) by carrying out a radial cut (7) involving the entire radial thickness (6b) of said flexible sheet (3) wound onto said second reel (6) and only a first annular portion (13a) of said tubular support (5) so as to define a roll in formation (T) which remains connected to said tubular support (5) only for the remaining second annular portion (13b) of said tubular support (5); said tubular support (5) externally having a substantially cylindrical shape with a circular profile configured to receive the winding of said flexible sheet (3) and being internally provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves (15) and of longitudinal faces (16) which develop side by side along said second longitudinal axis (Y), wherein each of said longitudinal grooves (15) is comprised between two of said longitudinal faces (16);

- obtaining said roll (1 ) by separation of said roll in formation (T) from said tubular support (5) which occurs spontaneously by torsion fracture of said second annular portion (13b) of said tubular support (5) caused by the rotational kinetic energy accumulated by each roll in formation (T) during the rotation of said second reel (6);

- repeating the above listed steps for each roll (1 ) to be obtained.

2) Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that a portion of the length of said longitudinal grooves (15) and of said longitudinal faces (16) is present in the inner surface of said annular support (1a) of said roll (1 ), which is obtained from said tubular support (5) by means of said radial cut (7).

3) Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said radial cut (7) is carried out by said rotary blade (10) which scores said second reel (6) which is put into rotation by a rotary shaft (11 ) coaxially inserted into said tubular support (5), movement means being provided, configured to move said rotary blade (10):

- orthogonally to said longitudinal axis (Y), to carry out said radial cut (7) and,

- parallel to said longitudinal axis (Y), to reposition said rotary blade (10) repeatedly in order to perform further radial cuts (7).

4) Method according to claim 3, characterized in that a non-stick coating (17) covers the external surface of said rotary shaft (11 ) to facilitate the separation of said roll in formation (T) from said tubular support (5) and the subsequent removal of said roll (1 ) from said second reel (6) by axial sliding along said rotary shaft (11 ).

5) Method according to claim 4, characterized in that said non-stick coating (17) is made of carbon fibre.

6) Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flexible tape is of an adhesive type.

7) System for making rolls (1 ) of flexible tape (1 b) wound onto an annular support (1a), characterized in that it comprises:

- at least one unwinding/winding machine (20) supporting said tubular element (4) of said first reel (2) from which said flexible sheet (3) is unwound and said tubular support (5) onto which it is wound at least a fraction of the length of said flexible sheet (3) which is unwound from said first reel (2) to obtain said second reel (6);

- at least one sectioning lathe (30) configured to score said second reel (6) and separate from said second reel (6) a plurality of said rolls (1 ).

8) System according to claim 7, characterized in that said unwinding/winding machine (20) comprises a frame (21 ) on which the following can be found: - an unwinding shaft (22) which supports said tubular element (4) of said first reel (2) from which said flexible sheet (3) is unwound;

- a winding shaft (23) which supports said tubular support (5) onto which at least a fraction of the length of said flexible sheet (3) is rewound to obtain said second reel (6);

- motorization means adapted to rotate at least said winding shaft (23).

9) System according to any one of the preceding claims 7 or 8, characterized in that said sectioning lathe (30) comprises a base (31 ) which supports:

- a drive head (32) configured to rotate said rotary shaft (11 ) which externally accommodates said tubular support (5) with said second reel (6);

- expandable means (33) associated with said rotary shaft (11 ) and adapted to adhere internally to said tubular support (5) to rotate said second reel (6) when said drive head (32) rotates said rotary shaft (11 );

- a cutting head (34) supporting said rotary blade (10);

- a contrast bezel (35) arranged on the opposite side of said cutting head (34) and configured to be placed in contact externally to said second reel (6) to counteract the thrust of said rotary blade (10) during the execution of said radial cut (7);

- motorization means (36) for rotating said rotary blade (10) and for moving said cutting head (34) parallel and transversely to said second reel (6).

10) Roll (1 ) of flexible tape (1 b) wound on an annular support (1a), characterized in that it is obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

11 ) Unwinder - applicator (40) of a roll (1 ) of flexible tape (1 b) wound on an annular support (1a) according to claim 10 and comprising a case which houses:

- a rotatable pin (42) which identifies a longitudinal axis (Z) and which supports said roll (1 );

- application means (43) of said flexible tape (1b) which is unwound from said roll (1 ), characterized in that said rotatable pin (42) is shaped externally by a plurality of longitudinal grooves (44) and of longitudinal faces (45) developing parallel to said longitudinal axis (Z), wherein said longitudinal grooves (44) and said longitudinal faces (45) of said rotatable pin (42) are configured to couple respectively with said longitudinal faces (16) and with said longitudinal grooves (15) of said annular support (1 a) when said annular support (1 a) is externally coupled to said rotatable pin (42) according to said longitudinal axis (Z).

12) Unwinder - applicator (40) of rolls of flexible tape, for unwinding and applying a roll (1 ) of flexible tape (1 b) wound onto an annular support (1 a), said annular support (1a) being internally provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves (15) and of a plurality of longitudinal faces (16) which develop side by side along an axis of symmetry where each longitudinal groove (15) is comprised between two longitudinal faces (16), said unwinder - applicator (40) comprising a case which houses:

- application means (43) of said flexible tape (1 b) which is unwound from said roll (1 ), characterized in that said rotatable pin (42) is externally shaped by a plurality of longitudinal grooves (44) and of longitudinal faces (45) developing parallel to said longitudinal axis (Z), wherein said longitudinal grooves (44) and said longitudinal faces (45) of said rotatable pin (42) are configured to couple respectively with said longitudinal faces (16) and with said longitudinal grooves (15) of said annular support (1a) when it is externally coupled to said rotatable pin (42) according to said longitudinal axis (Z).

13) Unwinder - applicator (40) according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises an annular support (1 a) internally provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves (15) and a plurality of longitudinal faces (16) which develop side by side along an axis of symmetry wherein each longitudinal groove (15) is comprised between two longitudinal faces (16), said annular support (1 a) being coupled to said rotatable pin (42).

14) Unwinder - applicator (40) according to claim 12, characterized in that it is of the type for adhesive tape.

15) Unwinder - applicator (40) according to claim 12, characterized in that it is of the type for double-sided adhesive tape.