Tape applying device

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE ADAPTED FOR APPLYING LENGTHS OF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE COATED TAPE FROM A SUPPLY LENGTH OF TAPE SERIATIM ON THE PERIPHERIES OF SPACED RECTANGULAR OBJECTS DRIVEN ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH IN A FIRST DIRECTION PAST THE DEVICE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: A FRAME, AN APPLICATION MEMBER HAVING AN ARCUATE PERIPHERY, MEANS ADAPTED FOR DEFINING A TAPE ROUTE FOR A SULLPY LENGTH OF TAPE INCLUDING AN ARCUATE TAPE ROUTE PORTION EXTENDING TO AN END POSITION ALONG THE ARCUATE PERIPHERY OF SAID APPLICATION MEMBER AND FOR GUIDING THE TAPE ALONG SAID ARCUATE TAPE ROUTE PORTION WITH THE ADHESIVE COATING DISPOSED AWAY FROM SAID APPLICATION MEMBER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID APPLICATION MEMBER ON SAID FRAME TO AFFORD MOVEMENT THEREOF FROM A CONTACT POSITION WITH SAID ARCUATE TAPE ROUTE PORTION IN SAID PATH TO AFFORD CONTACT BETWEEN A SAID LENGTH OF TAPE DISPOSED ALONG SAID ARCUATE TAPE ROUTE PORTION AN A SAID OBJECT DRIVEN ALONG SAID PATH IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION TO ADHERE THE TAPE TO THE OBJECT, TO A SECOND POSITION TO AFFORD MOVEMENT OF THE PERIPHERY OFSAID APPLICATION MEMBER ALONG TAPE BEING APPLIED TO THE OBJECT, AN BACK TO SAID CONTACT POSITION, MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND ADAPTED RTO BE ACTIVATED BY MOVEMENT OF A SAID OBJECT PAST A PREDETERMINED POSITION ALONG SAID PATH FOR SEVERING AN APPLIED LENGTH OF TAPE FROM SAID SUPPLY LENGTH, AND MEANS FOR SECURING AN END PORTION OF SAID SUPPLY LENGTH OF TAPE ALONG SAID ARCUATE TAPE ROUTE PORTION WITH AN END OF SAID TAPE AT SAID END POSITION WHEN SAID APPLICATION MEMBER IS IN SAID CONTACT POSITION, AND FOR SECURING SAID SUPPLY LENGTH OF TAPE ALONG SAID ARCUATE TAPE ROUTE PORTION DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID APPLICATION MEMBER BACK TO SAID CONTACT POSITION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID MEANS FOR SECURING COMPRISES: A PINCH ROLLER, A PIVOT FRAME ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID PINCH ROLLER AND MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID PINCH ROLLER AND SPACED FROM ONE END THEREOF TO MOVE THE PINCH ROLLER BETWEEN AN ENGAGE POSITION WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PINCH ROLLER GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE ARCULATE PERIPHERY OF SAID APPLICATION MEMBER AND WITH THE PERIPHERAL SURFACES OF SAID PINCH ROLLER AND SAID APPLICATION MEMBER PROXIMATE TO ENGAGE OPPOSITE SURFACES OF A SAID TAPE POSITIONED THEREBETWEEN, AND A RELEASE POSITION WITH THE PINCH ROLLER SPACED FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID APPLICATION MEMBER, MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID PINCH ROLLER IN THE ENGAGE POSITION AT SAID END POSITION WHEN SAID APPLICATION MEMBER IS IN SAID CONTACT POSITION, AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PINCH ROLLER TO THE RELEASE POSITION AND AROUND THE EDGE OF A SAID SUPPLY LENGTH OF THE TAPE ALONG SAID TEPINCH ROLLER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THESUPPLY WITH THE PINCH ROLLER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SUPPLY LENGTH OF TAPE ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID APPLICATION MEMBER DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID APPLICATION MEMBER FROM SAID CONTACT POSITION THROUGH SAID SECOND POSITION AND BACK TO SAID CONTACT POSITION.

Claim 6

A device adapted for applying lengths of pressure sensitive adhesive coated tape from a supply length of tape seriatim on the peripheries of spaced rectangular objects driven along a predetermined path past the device, said device comprising: a frame; two application members each having an arcuate periphery adapted to support said tape; means on said frame adapted for defining a tape route for a said supply length of tape including an arcuate tape route portion extending along the periphery of each of said application members to an end position, and for guiding the tape along said arcuate tape route portions with the adhesive coating disposed away from the application members; means for supporting said application members for revolution thereof seriatim in one direction from a contact position with the portion of said arcuate periphery along said arcuate tape route portion disposed in said path to afford contact of a said length of tape thereon by a said object driven along said path, through a second position to afford movement of the periphery of said application member along tape being applied to the object and back to said contact position; means for retaining either of said application members in said contact position until a predetermined force is applied by a said object to move the application member toward the second position, thereby adhering the tape to the object; means included in said tape route defining means for guiding a portion of said supply length of tape for engagement by the arcuate periphery at said end position of one of said application members during movement thereof through said second position and back toward said contact position; means at each of said application members adapted for engagement with the adhesive surface of a said tape while affording longitudinal movement thereof relative to said engagement means; means mounting each of said engagement means at its associated application member for independent movement between an engage position in engagement with said tape at said end position along said arcuate periphery, and a release position with said engagement means spaced from the periphery of said application member; means for positioning said engagement means in said contact position on either of the application members when that application member is in the contact position; means adapted for moving the engagement means at either of the application members to the release position and around the edge of a said supply length of tape as that application member engages it, and for subsequently moving the engagement means to the engage position in engagement with the supply length of tape on the arcuate periphery of that application member during movement thereof back toward said contact position; and means mounted on said frame and adapted to be activated by movement of a said object past a predetermined position along said path for severing an applied length of tape from said supply length between said application members subsequent to said movement of the engagement means to the engage position during movement of the associated application member back toward the contact position.

Claim 7

A device adapted for applying lengths of pressure sensitive adhesive coated tape from a supply length of tape seriatim on the peripheries of spaced rectangular objects driven along a predetermined path past the device, said device comprising: a frame; two application members each having an arcuate periphery adapted to support said tape; means on said frame adapted for defining a tape route for a said supply length of tape including an arcuate tape route portion extending along the periphery of each of said application members to an end position, and for guiding the tape along said arcuate tape route portions with the adhesive coating disposed away from the application members; means for supporting said application members for revolution thereof seriatim in one direction from a contact position with the portion of said arcuate periphery along said arcuate tape route portion disposed in said path to afford contact of a said length of tape thereon by a said object driven along said path, through a second position to afford movement of the periphery of said application member along tape being applied to the object and back to said contact position; means for retaining either of said application members in said contact position until a predetermined force is applied by a said object to move the application member toward the second position, thereby adhering the tape to the object; means included in said tape route defining means for guiding a portion of said supply length of tape for engagement by the arcuate periphery at said end position of one of said application members during movement thereof through said second position and back toward said contact position; means at each of said application members adapted for engagement with the adhesive surface of a said tape while affording longitudinal movement thereof relative to said engagement means; means mounting each of said engagement means at its associated application member for independent movement between an engage position in engagement with said tape at said end position along said arcuate periphery, and a release position with said engagement means spaced from the periphery of said application member; means for positioning said engagement means in said contact position on either of the application members when that application member is in the contact position; means adapted for moving the engagement means at either of the application members to the release position and around the edge of a said supply length of tape as that application member engages it, and for subsequently moving the engagement means to the engage position in engagement with the supply length of tape on the arcuate periphery of that application member during movement thereof back toward said contact position; and means mounted on said frame and adapted to be activated by movement of a said object past a predetermined position along said path for severing an applied length of tape from said supply length between said application members subsequent to said movement of the engagement means to the engage position during movement of the associated application member back toward the contact position.

Claim 10

A device adapted for applying lengths of pressure sensitive adhesive coated tape from a supply length of tape seriatim on the peripheries of spaced objects driven along a predetermined path past the device, said device comprising: a frame; two application rollers each hAving a cylindrical periphery adapted to support said tape; means on said frame adapted for defining a tape route for a said supply length of tape including an arcuate tape route portion extending along the periphery of each of said application rollers to an end position, and for guiding the tape along said arcuate tape route portions with the adhesive coating disposed away from the application rollers; a support member rotatably supporting said application rollers in axially parallel relationship, said arcuate tape route portion about each of said application rollers being defined relative to said support member, said support member being mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis transverse to said path and parallel to and spaced from the axes of said application rollers to afford revolution of said rollers seriatim in a first direction from a contact position with the portion of said cylindrical periphery along said arcuate tape route portion disposed in said path to afford contact of a said length of tape thereon by a said object driven along said path to adhere the tape to the object, through a second position to afford movement of the periphery of said application member along tape being applied to the object and back to said contact position along a predetermined arc relative to said frame; means for retaining said support member with either of said application rollers in said contact position until a predetermined force is applied by a said object to move the application roller toward the second position, thereby adhering the tape to the object; means included in said tape route defining means for guiding a portion of said supply length of tape along a route portion intersecting said predetermined arc during movement of one of said application rollers along said arc; and means at each of said application rollers adapted for holding the supply length of tape against the periphery of said application roller, comprising: a pinch roller; a pivot frame rotatably supporting said pinch roller and mounted on said support member for pivotal movement about an axis generally normal to the axis of said pinch roller and spaced from one end thereof between an engage position with the axis of the pinch roller generally parallel to the axis of the application roller and the peripheral surfaces of the rollers proximate at said end position to engage opposite surfaces of a said tape positioned therebetween, and a release position with the pinch roller spaced axially from one end of the periphery of said application roller; and means for biasing said pivot frame toward said engaged position; a cam mounted on said frame shaped and positioned for engagement with either of said pivot frames during movement of the application roller associated therewith through said second position to the contact position to move the engaged pivot frame to the release position during movement of the associated application roller through said predetermined arc to afford movement of the pinch roller around the edge of a said intersecting length of tape and to subsequently afford movement of the pivot frame to the engage position under the influence of said biasing means to engage said intersecting length of tape prior to movement of the associated application roller into the contact position; means mounted on said frame and adapted for activation by the movement of an object driven along the path for severing said tape between said application rollers subsequent to engagement between the pinch roller along said predetermined arc and the length of said tape supply intersecting said arc.

Claim 11

A device adapted for applying lengths of pressure sensitive adhesive coated tape from a supply length of tape seriatim on the peripheries of spaced objects driven along a predetermined path past the device, said device comprising: a frame; two application rollers each hAving a cylindrical periphery adapted to support said tape; means on said frame adapted for defining a tape route for a said supply length of tape including an arcuate tape route portion extending along the periphery of each of said application rollers to an end position, and for guiding the tape along said arcuate tape route portions with the adhesive coating disposed away from the application rollers; a support member rotatably supporting said application rollers in axially parallel relationship, said arcuate tape route portion about each of said application rollers being defined relative to said support member, said support member being mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis transverse to said path and parallel to and spaced from the axes of said application rollers to afford revolution of said rollers seriatim in a first direction from a contact position with the portion of said cylindrical periphery along said arcuate tape route portion disposed in said path to afford contact of a said length of tape thereon by a said object driven along said path to adhere the tape to the object, through a second position to afford movement of the periphery of said application member along tape being applied to the object and back to said contact position along a predetermined arc relative to said frame; means for retaining said support member with either of said application rollers in said contact position until a predetermined force is applied by a said object to move the application roller toward the second position, thereby adhering the tape to the object; means included in said tape route defining means for guiding a portion of said supply length of tape along a route portion intersecting said predetermined arc during movement of one of said application rollers along said arc; and means at each of said application rollers adapted for holding the supply length of tape against the periphery of said application roller, comprising: a pinch roller; a pivot frame rotatably supporting said pinch roller and mounted on said support member for pivotal movement about an axis generally normal to the axis of said pinch roller and spaced from one end thereof between an engage position with the axis of the pinch roller generally parallel to the axis of the application roller and the peripheral surfaces of the rollers proximate at said end position to engage opposite surfaces of a said tape positioned therebetween, and a release position with the pinch roller spaced axially from one end of the periphery of said application roller; and means for biasing said pivot frame toward said engaged position; a cam mounted on said frame shaped and positioned for engagement with either of said pivot frames during movement of the application roller associated therewith through said second position to the contact position to move the engaged pivot frame to the release position during movement of the associated application roller through said predetermined arc to afford movement of the pinch roller around the edge of a said intersecting length of tape and to subsequently afford movement of the pivot frame to the engage position under the influence of said biasing means to engage said intersecting length of tape prior to movement of the associated application roller into the contact position; means mounted on said frame and adapted for activation by the movement of an object driven along the path for severing said tape between said application rollers subsequent to engagement between the pinch roller along said predetermined arc and the length of said tape supply intersecting said arc.