Case for a tape

A case for a tape includes a base sheet, a cover fixed onto the base sheet and enclosing a roll of tape therein, and a guide extending from the cover and having an open end for dispensing the tape therethrough. The guide has a bent portion between the cover and the open end, the guide being shaped for first guiding the tape tangentially to the roll of the tape, and then changing its course toward the open end. When the case is for a bias tape it has the guide tapering toward the open end, and a slit extending from the open end toward the cover beyond the bent portion along the guide, thereby further folding down the tape longitudinally as the tape is pulled forward and passed through the guide.

The present invention relates to a case for a tape e.g. for edging for a 
piece of cloth, more particularly, a case for a bias tape. 
A tape, in particular, a bias tape, has been conventionally provided in a 
roll wound around a panel for use, but as a matter of fact, difficulties 
arise when using the tape provided in this manner. Thus, the invention has 
proposed a few newly developed cases for such a tape, as disclosed in 
Japanese utility model applications No. 96674/1978 and No. 127761/1978, in 
which the case has the tape in a roll therein and the tape is pulled out 
of the case tangentially to the roll. However, the case still has a 
disadvantage in that the case itself somewhat hinders smooth use after 
dispensing, for example, smooth machining, since the case is in a position 
on a tangential extension of the tape roll. 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to obviate the above 
difficulty, and to provide a more improved case for a tape which has a 
construction such that the case will not hinder smooth work and the tape 
will be directed immediately to the work when pulled out of the case.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a case 1 according to the 
invention which comprises a cover 1a and a base sheet 1b. The cover is 
molded preferably of a transparent synthetic resin, and is fixedly secured 
onto the base sheet to enclose a roll of tape 2 therein, so that the tape 
can be seen through the cover. The base sheet is, for example, of 
cardboard. If desired, the case can be formed so as to be divided into two 
parts. 
In the drawing, a bias tape is illustrated as an example of the tape 
enclosed in the case, and is enclosed in the case in roll with both the 
side edges thereof folded over longitudinally with the side edges opposed 
to each other on the outer face of the tape along the center line thereof. 
The cover has a hollow guide 3 formed integrally therewith as an extension 
thereof for guiding the tape tangentially to the roll of the tape when the 
tape is pulled off the roll. That is, the guide acts as a passage for 
containing and guiding the tape when it is pulled out of the case. The 
guide 3 has a tangential portion 3a, a bend 5 and an end portion 3b 
extending from the bend 5 substantially perpendicular to the tangential 
portion 3a adjacent the cover 1a and terminating in an open end 6 at the 
free end thereof. As the tape is drawn out of the case, it first moves 
along the tangential portion in the condition as it is drawn off the roll, 
i.e. flat, and then the inner face of the tape is bent around the inside 
of the bend 5 and then directed along the end portion 3b. The guide 
further has a top wall 4 and the portion thereof extending from the bend 5 
to the open end 6 is inclined downwardly toward the base sheet 1b, thus 
tapering the guide. After the tape passes bend 5, it is folded with the 
edges facing away from the roll, and the tapering guide forces the tape to 
be further folded around the center line thereof as the tape passes 
through the guide. Since the tape is initially provided with the outer end 
protruding in the folded condition from the open end of the guide, the 
tape remains folded in this manner as it is pulled out of the open end 
continuously so that it is ready for immediate use. 
A slit 7 is provided in the outer side wall of the guide about in the 
middle of the height thereof. The slit extends along the end portion 3b 
from the opening 6 toward the bend 5 and ends just past the bent portion. 
Therefore, the slit permits the easy insertion of the edge of a piece of 
cloth A to be edged by the tape which is being folded by the inclined top 
wall of the guide. Furthermore, since the slit extends beyond the bend 
toward the case, the cloth can be readily inserted into the slit in the 
direction of the movement of the tape. Also since the tape is only 
incompletely folded down at the bent portion, the cloth is naturally and 
surely inserted between the tape. 
According to the invention, a corner of the base sheet is cut away to leave 
a rectangular space 8 so that the base sheet has an edge even with the 
open end 6 of the guide 3, and sewing by machine, for example, can be 
performed at a position spaced slightly from the open end 6. 
The cover has on the inner face thereof a projection 9 extending inwardly 
therefrom for serving as a bearing for the roll of tape when the tape is 
pulled off the roll. In turn, the base sheet has an opening 10 under the 
projection in alignment therewith to hold a shaft therein for fixing the 
case together with the tape on a work table for machining. The opening may 
be initially sealed by a seal 11 if desired. The seal is removed from the 
base sheet for fixing the case on the table. 
In using the tape, the protruding outer end of the tape is further pulled 
from the open end of the guide while cloth to be hemmed is inserted into 
the slit in the direction of tape movement at the bend of the guide. Then, 
the tape is further pulled forward together with the cloth therebetween, 
and the portion protruding from the open end of the guide is immediately 
machined or hemmed. 
As has been fully set forth herein, the case of the invention has a guide 
for changing the direction of the tape pulled off the roll tangentially 
thereto. Thus, the case is not on an extension of the tape pulled out 
therefrom, and will not hinder smooth use of the tape. For example, the 
case can be put on the right while cloth to be hemmed is put on the left 
so that a sewing machine needle operates at a spaced slightly from the 
open end of the guide. It is apparent that the sewing can be smoothly 
conducted. 
Furthermore, because the guide has the tapering passage to further fold the 
tape, and the slit to receive the cloth to be hemmed so that the cloth is 
positioned between the tape, the cloth can be hemmed with the tape 
continuously as the cloth is pulled forward continuously together with the 
thus folded bias tape.