Apparatus for use in preparing adhesive coated tapes for use

Claim 1

IN A TAPE DISPENSER, MEANS TO ROTATABLY SUPPORT A ROLL OF ADHESIVE-COATED TAPE, MEANS TO PULL TAPE FROM SAID ROLL AND PROJECT IT, TWO PAIRS OF IDLER ROLLS THROUGH WHICH THE TAPE PASSES AS IT IS PROJECTED, AND TAPE SEVERING MEANS BETWEEN SAID PULLING MEANS AND SAID PAIRS OF ROLLS, SAID TWO PAIRS OF ROLLS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER LENGTHWISE OF AND IN THE PATH OF THE TAPE AS IT IS PROJECTED, THE ROLLS OF EACH PAIR BEING DISPOSED WITH THE ROLL AXES PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE TAPE AND SPACED APART IN A PLANE AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO TO RECEIVE THE TAPE BETWEEN THEM, A CORRESPONDING ONE OF EACH PAIR OF ROLLS HAVING PERIPHERAL CHANNEL AND THE OTHER ROLL OF EACH PAIR HAVING A CHANNEL-ENTERING CREST, BOTH PAIRS OF ROLLS ACTING ON THE TAPE AS IT IS PROJECTED TO PROVIDE IT WITH A LENGTHWISE DEFORMATION IN THE FORM OF A CHANNEL AND COOPERATING TO GUIDE THE TAPE AGAINST LATERAL MOVEMENT WHILE BEING SO DEFORMED, THE HEIGHT OF THE CHANNEL BEING SUCH AS TO SO STIFFEN SAID LENGTH THAT, WHEN PROJECTED, SAID LENGTH IS RIGID AND, WHEN SEVERED, IT MAY BE HANDLED AS A RIGID MEMBER, THE HEIGHT OF SAID CHANNEL BEING PARTLY FORMED BY THE INFEED PAIR OF ROLLS AND COMPLETED BY THE OUTFEED PAIR OF ROLLS THEREBY TO MINIMIZE RESISTANCE TO THE TAPE AT THE INJECTED SIDE OF SAID INFEED PAIR OF ROLLS AS THE TAPE IS PROJECTED FROM SAID TAPE PULLING MEANS, AND THE TWO PAIRS OF ROLLS PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECTED TAPE LENGTH.