Tape dispenser

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A ROLL OF STRIP MATERIAL HAVING AN ADHESIVE ON ONE SIDE THEREOF, AND FOR SEVERING A PIECE OF THE STRIP MATERIAL FROM THE ROLL THEREOF, SAID ROLL HAVING A COAXIAL OPENING THEREIN, COMPRISING: A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND PARALLEL SIDE ELEMENTS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE STRIP MATERIAL, SAID SIDE ELEMENTS BEING SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE INITIAL DIAMETER OF SAID ROLL; AN ELONGATED CUTTING MEMBER CONNECTED NEAR ITS OPPOSITE ENDS TO, AND EXTENDING BETWEEN, SAID SIDE ELEMENTS ADJACENT THE FRONT ENDS THEREOF, SAID CUTTING MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SIDE ELEMENTS AND HAVING A CUTTING EDGE PARALLEL WITH AND ADJACENT TO THE PLANE DEFINED BY SAID SIDE ELEMENTS; ELONGATED HANDLE MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL HANDLE ELEMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PLANE AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE REAR ENDS OF SAID SIDE ELEMENTS A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID HANDLE ELEMENTS, SAID HANDLE ELEMENTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID SIDE ELEMENTS; FIRST CONNECTING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE REAR ENDS OF SAID HANDLE ELEMENTS; SECOND CONNECTING MEANS RIGIDLY SECURED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FRONT ENDS OF SAID HANDLE ELEMENTS AND THE REAR ENDS OF SAID SIDE ELEMENTS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONNECTING MEANS LYING SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN SAID PLANE; AND MOUNTING SAID SLIDABLY SUPPORTED UPON SAID SIDE ELEMENTS FOR ENGAGING THE PORTION OF A ROLL OF STRIP MATERIAL ADJACENT SAID OPENING THEREIN, AND SUPPORTING SAID ROLL FOR ROTATION AROUND AN AXIS PARALLEL WITH SAID CUTTING MEMBER AND SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN PLANE DEFINED BY SAID SIDE ELEMENTS, SAID MOUNTING MEANS BEING MOVABLE WITH SAID ROLL TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID CUTTING MEMBER IN A DIRECTION DIAMETRICALLY OF SAID ROLL, SO THAT THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID ROLL AT ONE END OF SAID DIAMETER CAN BE CONSTANTLY URGED INTO A POSITION CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID CUTTING MEMBER, SAID MOUNTING MEANS BEING ENGAGED WITH SAID SIDE ELEMENTS AT POINTS SPACED LENGTHWISE THEREOF, WHEREBY THE PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP OF SAID AXIS AND SAID CUTTING EDGE IS POSITIVELY MAINTAINED.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A ROLL OF STRIP MATERIAL HAVING AN ADHESIVE ON ONE SIDE THEREOF, AND FOR SEVERING A PIECE OF THE STRIP MATERIAL FROM THE ROLL THEREOF, SAID ROLL HAVING A COAXIAL OPENING THEREIN, COMPRISING: A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND PARALLEL SIDE ELEMENTS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE STRIP MATERIAL, SAID SIDE ELEMENTS BEING SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE INITIAL DIAMETER OF SAID ROLL; AN ELONGATED CUTTING MEMBER CONNECTED NEAR ITS OPPOSITE ENDS TO, AND EXTENDING BETWEEN, SAID SIDE ELEMENTS ADJACENT THE FRONT ENDS THEREOF, SAID CUTTING MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SIDE ELEMENTS AND HAVING A CUTTING EDGE PARALLEL WITH AND ADJACENT TO THE PLANE DEFINED BY SAID SIDE ELEMENTS; ELONGATED HANDLE MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL HANDLE ELEMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PLANE AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE REAR ENDS OF SAID SIDE ELEMENTS A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID HANDLE ELEMENTS, SAID HANDLE ELEMENTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID SIDE ELEMENTS; FIRST CONNECTING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE REAR ENDS OF SAID HANDLE ELEMENTS; SECOND CONNECTING MEANS RIGIDLY SECURED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE FRONT ENDS OF SAID HANDLE ELEMENTS AND THE REAR ENDS OF SAID SIDE ELEMENTS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONNECTING MEANS LYING SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN SAID PLANE; AND MOUNTING SAID SLIDABLY SUPPORTED UPON SAID SIDE ELEMENTS FOR ENGAGING THE PORTION OF A ROLL OF STRIP MATERIAL ADJACENT SAID OPENING THEREIN, AND SUPPORTING SAID ROLL FOR ROTATION AROUND AN AXIS PARALLEL WITH SAID CUTTING MEMBER AND SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN PLANE DEFINED BY SAID SIDE ELEMENTS, SAID MOUNTING MEANS BEING MOVABLE WITH SAID ROLL TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID CUTTING MEMBER IN A DIRECTION DIAMETRICALLY OF SAID ROLL, SO THAT THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID ROLL AT ONE END OF SAID DIAMETER CAN BE CONSTANTLY URGED INTO A POSITION CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID CUTTING MEMBER, SAID MOUNTING MEANS BEING ENGAGED WITH SAID SIDE ELEMENTS AT POINTS SPACED LENGTHWISE THEREOF, WHEREBY THE PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP OF SAID AXIS AND SAID CUTTING EDGE IS POSITIVELY MAINTAINED.