Short length tape feeder

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR APPLYING TAPE HAVING A GUMMED SURFACE TO A MOVING PIECE OF WORK, COMPRISING TAPE FEEDING AND TAPE CUTTING MEANS, SAID FEEDING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ROLLERS, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS MOVABLE TOWARD THE OTHER, SAID CUTTING MEANS COMPRISING A KNIFE AND AN ANVIL, SAID KNIFE BEING MOVABLE AGAINST SAID ANVIL, A PIVOTED MEMBER CARRYING ONE OF SAID ROLLERS AND SAID KNIFE ON OPPOSED SIDES OF THE PIVOTAL AXIS THEREOF RESPECTIVELY, WHEREBY WHEN SAID KNIFE ENGAGE SAID ANVIL SAID ROLLER WILL BE SPACED FROM ITS ASSOCIATED ROLLER, SAID TAPE BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS AND ONTO SAID ANVIL, A ROTATABLE TRANSFER UNIT HAVING A CIRCULAR PERIPHERY POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID KNIFE, SAID PERIPHRTY BEING IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE TAPE PAST SAID KNIFE TO CONVEY THE TAPE ONTO THE WORK AS THE LATTER IS MOVING, THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY OF SAID TRANSFER UNIT BEING ROTATABLE PAST THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID TAPE, SUCTION MEANS IN SAID FRUM COACTING WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE TAPE TO RETAIN THE LATTER AGAINST THE PERIPHERY OF THE TRANSFER UNIT, MEANS TO EFFECT CONTINUOUS RELEASE OF THE TAPE FROM THE TRANSFER UNIT AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE LOCATION WHERE THE TAPE IS MOVED BY THE TRANSFER UNIT ONTO THE MOVABLE WORK, CONTROL MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID MOVABLE ROLLER AND SAID KNIFE FOR ALTERNATELY FEEDING AND CUTTING CONTROLLED LENGTH OF TAPE, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PIVOTAL MEMBER TO EXERT A DOWNWARD FORCE WHEN SAID KNIFE BLADE STRIKES SAID ANVIL TO PREVENT BOUNCING OF SAID KNIFE.