Adhesive tape dispensing device

Abstract: The invention relates to an adhesive tape dispensing device provided with a holder (2) for a roll of adhesive tape (3), a driving member (8) and driving rolls (6,7) for transportation of the adhesive tape (5) and a cutting member (11) for severing the adhesive tape whereby means are provided to transport the adhesive tape over a previously determined length and subsequently severe it, and whereby is further provided for a freely protruding support member (14) on which the severed strips (15) come to rest with their adhesive side upwards.

Description: The invention relates to an adhesive tape dispensing device comprising a housing, a holder for a roll of adhesive tape, driving means for transportation of the adhesive tape over a previously determined length, cutting means to severe a previously determined length of adhesive tape, control means for the driving and cutting means and a support member for the tape located downstream of the cutting means, the adhesive tape being guided such that it comes to rest on the support member with the adhesive side pointing away from the support member. Such adhesive tape dispensing device is known from US-A-3 353 432. With this known dispensing device a solution is given how to transport an adhesive tape through the device without adhering thereto, which solution mainly consists of a concave shaped guide track, means to constrain the tape in a three dimensional shape in the guide track and only a very small contact area of the transport means with the adhesive side of the tape. As a result of this shape the tape may be pushed forward in a cantilevered fashion, which further results in that a severed length of tape may extend freely beyond the guide track and outside the housing of the device. Such a severed length of tape extending freely beyond the guide track and outside the housing has the clear disadvantage that it can only be adhered to an object by taking the severed length first by hand from the device and then adhering it to an object. From the Japanese patent JP-A-59 022852 also a tape dispensing device is known with which the tape comes out with the adhesive side directed upwardly. However with this known device the tape is hanging out of the device with no support at all. Also the control means of the transport and cutting means are not actuated by rolling an article over a supported length of severed tape. The invention aims at providing an adhesive tape dispensing device whereby it is possible to further handle the strips of adhesive tape without having to take these by hand first. Accordingly the invention provides that the support member is located substantially outside the housing and is pivot-mounted to the device with a substantially horizontal pivot pin and can be pivoted against the action of spring means from a first to a second position, in which second position the control means for the transport and cutting means are actuated by switching means, and in that the length of the support member is at least about equal to the length of a previously determined length of tape. With the invention the severed length of tape is supported by a support member along its length outside the housing of the device and is lying flat seen in transverse direction. This feature makes it possible to roll an article to be taped over the support member, therewith taping the article directly and at the same time actuating the transport and cutting of a next length of tape. The important advantage being that it is no longer necessary to apply the length of tape or part thereof manually to the article, and that the next length of tape advances automatically, as a result of which the work speed with the packaging of all kind of articles, for instance salad crops, increases considerably. With the device according to the invention with each applying movement the support member is repositioned, the switching means worked and therewith the dispensing of a following strip of adhesive tape actuated. Depending on the speed at which each following action can be actuated, the time between the offering of consecutive strips can be optimally adjusted. Although this last characteristic seems not to be of the greatest importance, it however is really that important. As an example the wrapping in plastic of small piece-goods like salad crops can here be taken. The consumer increasingly expects salad to be offered not only in plastic bags but the plastic bags to be sealed tight. As an average a wrapper has to wrap 12 salad crops per minute, which makes it easy to see that one second of delay between consecutive strips means 1 or 2 crops of salad less per minute, a production loss of approximately 8-16%. A further feature of the invention is that the support member, or at least that part of the support member that comes into contact with the object to be provided with the adhesive tape, is interchangeable in order for specific objects to dispose of an adapted support member. The processing of wet products like the aforementioned example of salad crops, contains the risk that the strip of adhesive tape, because of drops of water left on the support member, cannot be guided evenly over the member and potentially curls and doubles. In order to prevent this from happening it is provided according to a further elaboration of the device according to the invention that the support member consists of two or more narrow, parallel strips. When using a somewhat narrower tape the support member can be replaced by one having a mesh like structure. Except for consisting of narrow strips or having a mesh like structure, the shape of the support member can also be determinant for the ease with which the action is performed. For use with crops of salad for instance, a slightly curve shaped support member, whereby the strip of adhesive tape rests on the concave part of the member, has proven very effective. In the following the invention is further elucidated upon with the help of the drawing, in which fig.1 schematically shows a side view of the device according to the invention, and fig.2 schematically shows a front view of the device according to the invention. In fig.1 with 1 the housing of the device is indicated, whereto a support arm 2 for a roll of adhesive tape 3 is fixed. The roll shown in the picture is of relatively minor length and for tape jobs involving the need for larger lengths of adhesive tape, the support arm can be replaced by a bigger and heavier type in order for so called machine rolls to be used as well. Machine rolls have a length of tape that is approximately ten times bigger than that of the roll represented here. The tape 5 advances on the roll 4 in such a way that the adhesive side of the tape 5 primarily comes to rest upwards. The tape then advances on the respective rolls 6, 7 which are both driven, although at different speeds. The driving is effected by a driving member 8, whereby the driving can for instance be transmitted with the help of a driving chain to the first roll 6 and from the first roll 6 with gear wheels to the second roll 7. By way of the choice of gear wheels it is achieved that the gear wheels turn in the same direction and at different speeds. The second roll 7 turns faster than the first roll 6 in order to attain that the tape gets loose from the first roll 6. This is necessary because the first roll has to provide constant transportation of the tape and therefore is realized in such a way that the tape more or less sticks to it. The second roll 7 has a smaller contact surface that touches the tape, which can be achieved with several narrow rolls next to each other on one axle, whereby moreover the surface can be made to have relief to it. Below the rolls 6, 7 is placed a support roll 9, which further is provided with a guide 10. The guide 10 expands from the first roll 6 till the cutting member 11 and consists preferably of several parallel wire elements. The mutual distance between and the thickness of these wire elements is such that a sufficient number of elements supports the tape 5. The cutting member 11 has a knife 12 (see fig.2) and a not further indicated counter knife, such that at moving downward of the knife 12 a scissor like movement is obtained, by way of which the tape 5 can be cut. The movement of the knife 12 is effected with the help of an electromagnet 13 through a not further indicated mechanical transmission. The transmission, because of considerations of safety, is realized in such a way that the greatest force is obtained towards the end of the stroke. The cutting movement is executed after the tape has been transported for the adjusted distance and therefore has come to rest on the support member 14. In the figure a severed strip of adhesive tape is indicated by 15. The strip 15 rests at a certain distance of the cutting member 11, although in reality the tape end may be closer to the cutting member 11 than shown in the figure. The support member 14 is, by way of a brace 16 and an axle 17 pivotable with respect to the housing of the device. Below the support member at some distance from the pivot point 17 a stopping member 18 is placed, which in the example given consists of a pusher spring. At both sides of the pusher spring 18 are placed respectively adjoining surfaces 19, 20 on support member 14 and the housing of the device, whereby adjoining surface 19 has a throughgoing pin fixed to it that projects until inside the housing of the device. The pin 21 is in touch with an arm 22 of a switch 23. Whenever now an object is brought against the severed strip of adhesive tape, simultaneously the support member 14, counter the action of the spring 18, is moved downwards and makes or interrupts switch 23 a contact. This signal is further processed in the signal processing unit 24, and a following strip of adhesive tape is transported and severed. In the signal processing unit 24 it can be adjusted in a way not further indicated, over what length the tape is transported, the moment of severing and the time between reception of the signal of switch 23 and the starting of the transportation of the tape. In fig.2 it is shown that the support member is wider than the severed strip of adhesive tape 15, which of course is not absolutely necessary. The member shown is a closed surface, but other forms are also possible and depending on the circumstances also better. A support member consisting of several parallel narrow elements which extend lengthways the support member, is to be preferred in wet circumstances, because herewith it can be prevented that the severed strip of adhesive tape occasionally does not slide over the member and doubles up. In order for the device according to the invention to be made fit for divers objects to be taped, the invention provides for different support members. A simple form of attachment could consist of the support surface of the member to be attached in a simple way to the unit formed by the brace 16, adjoining surfaces 19, 20 and stopping member 18 with pin 21. Furthermore it can be provided that the stopping member is interchangeable as well, resulting in obtaining different effective counter actions. In order not to let the amount of travel of the support member be too big, which might cause damage to the switch 23, a stop shoulder can be provided, whereby it is possible as well to have the spring 18 itself function as stop shoulder.

Claims: Adhesive tape dispensing device comprising a housing (1), a holder (2) for a roll of adhesive tape, driving means (6,7,8) for transportation of the adhesive tape (5) over a previously determined length, cutting means (11) to severe a previously determined length of adhesive tape (15), control means for the driving and cutting means and a support member (14) for the tape located downstream of the cutting means (11), the adhesive tape being guided such that it comes to rest on the support member (14) with the adhesive side pointing away from the support member (14), characterized in that the support member (14) is located substantially outside the housing (1) and is pivot-mounted to the device with a substantially horizontal pivot pin (17) and can be pivoted against the action of spring means (18) from a first to a second position, in which second position the control means for the transport and cutting means are actuated by switching means (22,23), and in that the length of the support member (14) is at least about equal to the length of a previously determined length of tape (15). Adhesive tape dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member (14) is interchangeable in order to be able to attach a specific support member for each application. Adhesive tape dispensing device according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the support member (14) consists of two or more narrow parallel strips, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the support member. Adhesive tape dispensing device according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the support member (14) has a mesh-shaped structure. Adhesive tape dispensing device according to claims 1-4, characterized in that the support member (14) is curved in its longitudinal direction, the lengths of cut-off adhesive tape (15) coming to rest on the concave side of the support member (14). Adhesive tape dispensing device according to claims 1-5, characterized in that the support member (14) consists in a pivot part (16) and a support part, whereby the support part is in detachable fashion attached to the pivot part (16). Adhesive tape dispensing device according to claims 1-6, characterized in that the length and width of the support member (14) are larger than the previously determined length and width of the adhesive tape (15). Adhesive tape dispensing device according to claims 1-7, characterized in that the device is provided with a set of driving rolls (6,7), the roll (7) adjoining the cutting member (11) turning faster than the preceding roll (6).

Inventors: RODENBURG BERNHARD EDUARD, RODENBURG, BERNHARD EDUARD
Applicants: SUPERTAPE SYSTEMS BV, SUPERTAPE SYSTEMS B.V.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65H35
IPC codes: B65H35