Folded applicator

An applicator for applying an active agent to a living surface is provided in which a strip of film has a peripheral portion on one side thereof coated with pressure sensitive adhesive, the adhesive surrounding a central portion which carries a liquid containing an active agent. The strip is folded upon itself and held in the folded position by the pressure sensitive adhesive to confine said active agent and prevent its contamination. Also, the strip has flaps uncoated with pressure sensitive adhesive extending beyond the adhesive-coated portion to facilitate opening the folded strip without contacting the active agent.

DESCRIPTION 
1. Technical Field 
This invention relates to an applicator for applying an active agent, such 
as a medicine, herbicide, systemic pesticide or fungicide, or the like, to 
a living surface, such as skin, hide or bark. 
2. Background Art 
The application of medicines to humans and animals, and the treatment of 
trees and shrubs with various agents is well known. It is desired to 
simplify such application in various ways. First, it is desired that the 
applicator structure be inexpensive. Second, it is desired that the active 
agent be protected by the applicator structure to prevent its becoming 
contaminated by extraneous material or from losing its potency, as by 
exposure to dirt or air. Third, it is desired to enable simplified and 
rapid application and to enable this to be accomplished without contact 
between the active agent and any portion of the person doing the 
applicating. Also, and especially when the applicator is applied to a tree 
or shrub, it is desired to form the applicator in such a manner that the 
entire applicator is applied and, preferably also, that it need not be 
removed, so as to eliminate the problem of disposing of contaminated 
material. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
In accordance with this invention, an applicator for applying an active 
agent to a living surface comprises a strip of film having a peripheral 
portion on one side thereof coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, 
this adhesive surrounding a central portion carrying an active agent, 
preferably in the form of a coating of viscous liquid. This strip is 
folded upon itself to confine the active agent and prevent its 
contamination. In many instances the active agent can be dangerous, so the 
fact that it is confined between the folded over portions of the film and 
entrapped by the pressure sensitive adhesive which surrounds it also 
serves to prevent inadvertent contact between the active agent and the 
public which desires to use the applicator. 
When the applicator is unfolded and applied to a living surface, the entire 
applicator including the flaps which facilitate opening, is applied, and 
nothing which may have contacted the active agent need be kept around 
where it might injure persons or present a disposal problem. In preferred 
practice where the applicator is applied to a tree or shrub, the film is 
made of a water soluble polymer so that it dissolves over a period of 
time. In this way, the applicator need not be removed from the tree or 
shrub which entirely eliminates the disposal problem. 
Various features of the invention will become evident from a description of 
some preferred forms of the invention which are illustrated in the 
accompanying drawings.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 identifies an 
applicator blank constituted by a strip of impermeable film 11 having a 
peripheral portion 12 on one side thereof coated with a pressure sensitive 
adhesive. The peripheral portion 12 surrounds a central area 13 which is 
coated with a liquid containing an active agent. Uncoated portions 14 
extend beyond the portion coated with pressure sensitive adhesive, and 
these uncoated portions will eventually form flaps to enable handling of 
the applicator while it is unfolded and secured in place by pressing the 
adhesive-coated surface of the unfolded applicator against the living 
surface which it is desired to treat. 
It will be seen that blank 10 is one of a series of blanks which extend 
along the length of the film strip 11. The next blank is shown with 
phantom lines, and after the strip 11 is coated with pressure sensitive 
adhesive and liquid containing active agent, the blanks are cut apart in 
the center of an uncoated portion 14 along the line 15. The blanks may be 
cut apart before or after folding. After folding, the cut may be 
incomplete so that the folded blanks remain connected for severance at the 
time of application. 
When the blank of FIG. 1 is folded upon itself with the lines of pressure 
sensitive adhesive coming together as shown in FIG. 2, this provides an 
applicator 20, the fold line being shown at 16. As will now be evident, 
active agent is entirely confined by the film 11 and by the pressure 
sensitive adhesive 12 so that it cannot be contaminated or come into 
contact with anyone handling the applicator. The flaps 14 provide finger 
grips, and when these are pulled, the applicator blank structure shown in 
FIG. 1 is restored, ready to be applied to the living surface which is to 
be treated. 
In preferred practice, the active agent is in the form of a viscous liquid 
which is coated upon the film, but it can also be coated upon another film 
which better resists the liquid, this other film being adhered to the film 
which constitutes the applicator. 
The active agent is subject to wide variation, but it is particularly 
desired to employ a systemic fungicide or pesticide which is liquified by 
the presence of a small amount of organic solvent. The volatilization of 
this solvent is prevented because the active agent liquid is trapped 
between the folded over film and confined by the pressure sensitive 
adhesive which surrounds it. A particularly preferred solvent is dimethyl 
sulfoxide which assists the active agent in penetrating the living 
surface. The preferred film for horticultural use is carboxy methyl 
cellulose which is sufficiently water-soluble so that it will dissolve 
away from a tree or shrub to which it is applied as rain washes the film 
over a period of time. Polyvinyl chloride is also useful for the film, and 
it is strongly resistant to the action of most organic solvents. 
In the structure shown in FIG. 3, the film 30 is advanced from right to 
left and is imprinted with a pattern of pressure sensitive adhesive 31 
surrounding islands of active agent 32. The side margins 33 are left 
uncoated, and these are folded inwardly and then outwardly to cover the 
adhesive-coated areas and the active agent areas and to provide flaps 34. 
Either prior to or after folding, the film 30 can be perforated along 
lines 35 to allow subsequent separation into individual applicators. 
EXAMPLE 1 
A strip of polyvinyl chloride film is coated with pressure sensitive 
adhesive as shown in FIG. 1 and the central portion 13 is then coated with 
a film of a viscous paste formed by mixing 90 parts of the systemic 
pesticide o,o,diethyl S-[2-(ethylthio)ethyl]phosphorodithioate with 10 
parts of hexane. The coated film is then folded as shown in FIG. 2 and is 
ready for use. 
The hexane can be replaced in whole or in part with dimethyl sulfoxide or 
ethyl alcohol. 
The polyvinyl chloride film can be replaced with a carboxy methyl cellulose 
film. 
The pesticide used in this example is merely illustrative, but other 
typical systemic pesticides requiring careful handling are illustrated by 
the commercial materials, Temix and Meta Syston A. A suitable fungicide is 
available under the tradename Benelate.