Taping device

Claim 1

A TAPING DEVICE COMPRISING A LEVER ARM MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A PIVOT AT ONE END OF THE ARM AND FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PIVOT FROM AN INITIAL TO A TERMINAL POSITION IN A PREDETERMINED LINEAR PATH; SAID LEVER ARM NORMALLY BEING URGED TO AN EXTENDED POSITION WITH THE END OF SAID ARM, OPPOSITE TO SAID PIVOT, AWAY FROM SAID LINEAR PATH; ROLLER SUPPORTING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID LEVER ARM ADJACENT TO OPPOSITE END OF SAID ARM FOR MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID ARM FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER; AN APPLICATOR ROLLER ROTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS; SAID ROLLER TOGETHER WITH ITS SUPPORTING MEANS, IN THE EXTENDED POSITION OF SAID LEVER ARM AND DURING THE FORWARD MOTION OF SAID ARM, BEING ADAPTED TO MOVE IN AN INITIAL PATH PARALLEL TO THE LINEAR PATH OF SAID PIVOT; MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITIONING OF AN ARTICLE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CORNER TO BE TAPED IN FRONT OF SAID LEVER ARM IN THE INITIAL PATH OF SAID APPLICATOR ROLLER TO CAUSE SAID ARM AND SAID ROLLER TO BEGIN FORWARD MOVEMENT TOWARD SAID ARTICLE; TAPE HOLDING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LEVER ARM FOR POSITIONING THE FREE END OF THE TAPE BETWEEN SAID ROLLER AND SAID ARTICLE AS THE ROLLERD ADVANCES TOWARD SAID ARTICLE; POSITIONING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ROLLER SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF SAID ROLLER WITH RESPECT TO SAID LEVER ARM AND SAID TAPE HOLDING MEANS; THE CONTINUED FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER ARM CAUSING SAID ROLLER TO PRESS THE FREE END OF THE TAPE AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE ARTICLE AND THEREAFTER CAUSING SAID LEVER ARM TO PIVOT BACKWARDLY TOWARD SAID LINEAR PATH AND SAID ROLLER TO MOVE OVER THE ARTICLE AWAY FROM THE FREE END OF THE TAPE WHILE PRESSING SAID TAPE INTO ADHESIVE CONTACT WITH SAID ARTICLE; SAID POSITIONING MEANS BEING ACTIVATED TO REVERSE THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ROLLER, AFTER THE ROLLER ADHERES A PORTION OF THE TAPE TO SAID ARTICLE, AND CAUSE SAID ROLLER TO MOVE BACK OVER THE TAPE TO A NEW POSITION ON SAID ARTICLE BEYOND THE END OF THE TAPE, THEREBY ASSURING THAT THE END OF THE TAPE IS PRESSED INTO ADHESIVE CONTACT WITH THE ARTICLE; THE APPLICATOR ROLLER IN ITS NEW POSITION BEING SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY FROM SAID TAPE HOLDING MEANS AND BEING HELD IN THAT POSITION BY SAID POSITIONING MEANS AS THE LEVER ARM CONTINUES ITS FORWARD LINEAR MOTION; FURTHER FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER ARM CAUSING SAID LEVER ARM TO PIVOT FURTHER BACKWARDLY AND ALLOW SAID ROLLER TO MOVE AROUND SAID ARTICLE WHILE PRESSING SAID TAPE INTO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE ARTICLE; CUTTING MEANS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID ROLLER AND SAID TAPE HOLDING MEANS IN A GIVEN POSITION OF SAID LEVER ARM AND PRESENTING AN EDGE FOR SLICING THROUGH SAID TAPE DURING SAID MOVEMENT; AND AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR INITIATING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID CUTTING MEANS WHEN THE GIVEN POOSITION OF SAID LEVER ARM IS REACHED.