Patent ID: 7849904

Claim:
In a system for applying a cut portion of an adhesive tear tape to a web of a wrapper, which adapts the wrapper for tearing by the tear tape, wherein the web is advanced in a machine direction, a vacuum belt positions the tear tape in alignment with a width of the web, a cutting means of the apparatus cuts the tear tape to provide a cut portion while the tear tape is in alignment with the width of the web, and a pressing device of the apparatus applies said cut portion to the web, the improvement comprising: a laser directing a laser beam toward a top of the vacuum belt and cutting the tear tape to provide said cut portion of the tear tape before the vacuum belt advances said cut portion of the tear tape in the cross direction and then positions said cut portion of the tear tape in alignment with the width of the web; and a registration eye and an encoder roll measuring a predetermined length of continuous movement of the web in the machine direction, and signaling actuation of the pressing device in the form of a tamp roller to apply said cut portion of the tear tape to the web without stopping the web from said continuous movement in the machine direction.