US2630933A - Apparatus for delivering and applying adhesive tape or the like - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 953 G. K. CHARLES 2,

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE OR THE LIKE Filed July 17, 1952 4 h ts-Sheet l Inventor By a Attorney CHARLES 2,630,933

March 10, 1953 G, K

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE OR THELIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1952 25 2. 28 232g 3 3/ I I0 I Inventor U 'eorge KLVIar/ea,

By i

Attorney March 10, 1953 G. K. CHARLES 2,630,933

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE OR THE LIKE Filed July 17, 1952 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIHHI lg I'lllll I nventor George KC/mfleaa 3W Attorney March 10, 1953 G. K. CHARLES 2,630,933

' APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE OR THE LIKE Filed July 17, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor 69029? K Char/e5 Attorney Patented Mar. 10, 1953 APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND APPLY- ING ADHESIVE TAPE OR THE LIKE George Kenneth Charles, Wincanton, England Application July 17, 1952, Serial No. 299,456 I In Great Britain October 19, 1951 The invention relates to apparatus for applying pressure-sensitive coated adhesive strip to packages and of the type comprising a pressure roller carried by a pivoted lever so that the roller is normally above a platform, and means for holding a pressure-sensitive adhesive strip in front of the roller so that when a package is propelled by hand along the platform it engages with the strip, forces it against the roller and depresses the roller below the platform, where'- by the strip is pressed by the roller on to the package, the strip being severed by contact with a serrated knife as the package completes its travel.

The lever has a return spring to enable it to return the roller to normal position ready for a subsequent operation.

In this known type of apparatus the strip is drawn from a spool during the travel of the package, the strip passing between suitable detent means to the aforesaid roller.

As the layers of strip on the spool tend to stick together, considerable force is required to pull the strip from the spool, and in use'of apparatus of the above type it is found that the consequent tension in the strip is such that the strip is frequently pulled off or slips on the package before severance.

With an apparatus of this type, serious difiiculties are encountered, namely, the tendency for the strip to be pulled off the package before severance owing to the undue tension in the strip required to pull strip from the spool; the tendency under high tension for the cutter to tear the strip so that a ragged or pronouncedly serrated end is left; the tendency for the strip guide plate to contact with the package after severance and before the package has passed off the pressure roller; and the tendency for the strip guide to bring the protruding strip to the rear instead of the front of the pressure roller on its return to normal position.

The invention consists in an improved apparatus of the type referred to embodying novel features adapted to cooperate so as to avoid the difficulties mentioned above.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side sectional elevation of the apparatus with the parts in normal position, the section being on the line i-l, Figure 2.

Figures 2 and 3 are front and rear elevations, respectively, the casing being broken away in both figures, and the spool and holder being broken away in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side sectionalelevation on the lin 4-4, Figure 2.

2 Claims. (Cl. 21621) Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 1, but with the parts shown'in the position occupied ,jus prior to severance'of the strip. Q

Figures '7 and 6 are side views of the rocking plate and cam plate in different positions. Figures 6 and 9 are side views of the positions of strip and cutter in different positions.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are plans of portions of strip.

The apparatus illustrated by these drawings, in which similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts, comprises a package platform 1 having aslot 2 through which alever 3 protrudes. The platform i forms a removable lid for a casing II; It supports aplate 13 which is screwed to'brackets 12, Figures 1, 2 and 3, formed on the underside of the platform 1. Thelever 3 supports apressure roller 5 of rubber, felt or other suitable resilient material, the roller being free to rotate on astud 6 fixed to thelever 3. Thelever 3 in its normal position, Figures 1,2 and 3, is practically upright. It is fixed on afulcrum shaft 4 supported in abearing boss 4|, Figure 3, on the plate [3. The upper end of thelever 3 is slightly curved forwardly so that thestud 6 of the pressure roller is forwardrelatively to thefulcrum shaft 4 for a purpose hereafter referred to. The lower end of thelever 3 carries a feeding roller I, preferably having a knurled periphery, the roller 1 being free to rotate on .astud 8.

Thelever 3 is held in its normal position against a rubber stop orbuffer 40, Figure 1, on theplate 13 by means of areturn spring 23, Figures 2, 3 and 4, one end of which is attachedflto arocking plate 29 which is fixed to thefulcrum shaft 4, While the other end is attached to an adjustingscrew 25 sliding in a hole in astud 26 under the action of anut 21. l

Aguide plate 9 for pressure-sensitiveadhesive strip 35 protrudes at its upper end through theslot 2 in the platform I. It is formed integrally with and at right angles to aplate 9 which is fixed to a shaft Id capable of oscillating .in abearing boss 34, Figure 2, on the plate IS. A detent l4 presses thestrip 35 against theguide plate 9. It is mounted to. oscillate on a pin l5 fixed to theplate 9 and is held resiliently against thestrip 35 by a spring it, one end of which is attachedto the detent and the other endto, a lug l! on theplate 9. A small lever I B is secured to the detent Hand bears on the pin [5. The lever It enables thedetent M to be moved away from theguide plate 9 for a purpose re ferred to later on.

Acam plate 3| situated on theopposite side of the plate l3 to theguide plate 9, is fixed on the shaft IE1, as seen more clearly in Figure 4. A link rod 3i! has endpins 30' and 3! formed in the example shown by bending the ends at right angles.

Thepin 35 engages in acam slot 32 in thecam plate 3%, and thepin 3! is pivoted in therocking plate 29. Theplates 29 and 3! act as cranks. Aspring 33 attached to theplate 3! and to theend 38 of therod 36 tends to hold theend 30 against the end of the slot '32 as shown in Figure 4, but permits of relative movement of theend 30 in thecam slot 32 for a purpose referred to later.

A spool of pressure-sensitiveadhesive strip 35 is mounted on aspool holder 35 which is free to rotate on a bolt 3'! on the plate 1'3.

Guide rollers 38 and 39 on theplates 13 and 9', respectively, are provided for theadhesive strip 35.

A thin steel serrated cutter IQ is screwed at its lower end to arigid backing plate 2! which is fixed byscrews 26 in the slotted end of a stud 2B fixed on the plate 53. The cutter is, being springy, tends to move away from the backing plate 2 l, its movement being limited by the head of a screw 22 which passes freely through a hole in thecutter 19.

In preparing the apparatus initially for operation,adhesive strip 35 is drawn by hand from the spool under theguide roller 38 round the knurled roller '7, under theguide roller 39, up theguide plate 9 between thedetent it and the guide plate, so that the end of the strip projects beyond the upper end of the guide plate and is approximately level with the centre of thepressure roller 5. To facilitate the threading of the strip between the detent Hi and the guide plate ii, the operator depresses thelever 18 which, bearing on thepin 15 as a fulcrum, withdraws the detent.

When apackage 4! is propelled along the platform I it first engages with theadhesive strip 35 at the upper end of theguide plate 9 and' swings the guide plate about its fulcrum pin (8 until the projecting end of th strip is pressed by the package against thepressure roller 3. During this initial movement of the guide plate thecam plate 3| also moves Slightly, but thelink rod 30 is not moved as itsend 30 is free in thecam slot 32.

As soon as the pressure of the package on the pressure roller is sufficient to overcome the resistance of thespring 23, thelever 3 begins to move and rotates itsfulcrum shaft 4 and consequently therocking plate 29. Thepressure roller 5 first rises slightly, being forward of a vertical centre line passing through theshaft 4. This initial rising of thepressure roller 5 ensures that the end of thestrip 35 is pressed firmly into adherence with the package.

As the package M continues its travel on the platform l', thestrip 35 is drawn by it to the cutter l9, as indicated in Figure 5, theguide plate 9 still being free to move under the slight pull of the strip. Immediately thestrip 35 is over thecutter 19, the end 30' of therod 3!! engaging with the adjacent end of thecam slot 32, Figure 6, causes a sharp movement of thecam plate 34, so that theguide plate 9 is suddenly depressed to bend the strip over the cutter l9, as indicated in Figure 6. The strip is first perforated neatly by the points of the teeth of the cutter. On further travel of the package and depression of the pressure roller, the strip draws the cutter is a ainst therigid backing plate 2|, as indicated in Figure 9, so that the perforated strip is drawn down the cutter teeth and neatly cut by them between the perforations. Figure 10 shows a perforated portion of strip and Figure 11 the neatly severed edge as contrasted with the undesirable ragged or pronouncedly serrated edge indicated in Figure 12.

The continued movement of the package and consequently of thelever 3, results in the rocking plate 2s,rod 30 andcam plate 3! assuming the positions indicated in Figure 7, so that theguide plate 9 is retained depressed until th package has passed off thepressure roller 5 and the adherence of the severed position of strip to t package has been completed. This retention ensures that theguide plate 5! will not engage with and scrape the underside of the package.

Theends 3B, 3! of thelink rod 39 in this position may be in alignment with the fulcrum shaft ill, that is on a dead centre, but as the package releases thepressure roller 5 and thereturn spring 23 begins to return the parts to normal position, the end 31.! of the rod 3d rides up the adjacent inclined edge of thecam slot 32, as indicated in Figure 8 so that it is free to slide towards the opposite end of th slot. The return of theguide plate 9 begins immediately as thespring 33 acts as a link between the end of the rod andplate 31. This ensures that theguide plate 9 and its protruding portion of strip shall not be overtaken by the returningpressure roller 5 and that the protrudin portion of strip will be arrested in front of and not behind the pressure roller.

During the depression of thepressure roller 5 and thelever 3 by thepackage 4! as above described, thelever 3 moves the feeding roller 1 towards the spool ofstrip 35 so that the loop of strip around the feeding roller is left slack. Consequently while the package M is drawing strip between the detent l4 and guideplate 9, there is no tension in the strip other than th slight tension required to overcome the friction of the detent and guide plate which is sufficient to ensure proper engagement with the cutter l9 and severance of the strip. Consequently, the tendency to pull the strip off the package hitherto encountered is avoided. The considerable tension required to pull the strip from the spool is effected on the return movement of thelever 3 under the action of thereturn spring 23 when the feeding roller 1 moving back engages with the strip. When this occurs the detent It prevents the strip being pulled down theguide plate 9, as the friction between the strip causes the detent to move towards the guide plate and grip the strip.

As thelever 3 is practically upright in its normal position and theroller 5 is considerably farther from thefulcrum 4 than the connection of thespring 23 to theplate 29 the force required to depress thelever 3 is comparatively light, and crushing of fragile packages is avoided.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that owing to the avoidance of undue tension in the adhesive strip during application to a package, slipping of the strip from the package is avoided; and in spite of the light tension the strip is drawn lightly to the cutter, sharply bent or drawn down to enable neat perforation to be effected before actual severance; the guide plate is prevented from scraping the package by being retained depressed until the package has passed over the pressure roller and application of strip to the package completed; and that the considerable tension required to draw strip from the spool is effected during the return of the pressure roller and strip guide to normal position.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for applying pressure-sensitive strip to packages of the type hereinb-efore referred to, comprising a slotted platform, a lever carrying a pressure roller above said platform, a pivoted guide plate and detent for supporting pressure-adhesive strip in front of said pressure roller for engagement by a package propelled along the platform, a serrated cutter below the platform, for the purpose of severing the strip drawn over it by the package as said package depresses said pressure roller and lever, a return spring for said lever, and a rotary holder for a spool of strip, said lever being mounted on a fulcrum situated intermediate of its ends and being provided with a feeding roller mounted on the opposite end of the lever to that carrying said pressure roller for the purpose of engaging with a loop of strip during the return movement of the lever to draw strip from a spool on said spool holder and leaving said loop slack during the operative movement of said lever.

2. An apparatus for applying pressure-sensitive strip to packages, as specified in claim 1, provided with a rocking plate fixed on the fulcrum shaft of the lever which carries the pressure roller, and a cam plate having a cam slot, said cam plate being fixed on the fulcrum shaft of the strip guide plate, the return spring for the pressure roller lever being attached to said rocking plate, a link rod having one end pivotally at! tached to said rocking plate and its other end engaging within the cam slot in said cam plate, and a spring connecting said other end to said cam plate, for the purposes of permitting initial movement of said guide plate relatively to the pressure roller under the thrust of a package, effecting sharp depression of the guide plate preparatory to severance of the strip by the cutter; rctention of the guide plate in its depressed condition until the package has passed over the pressure roller, and to effect return of the guide plate in advance of the pressure roller during the return thereof to normal position.

GEORGE KENNETH CHARLES.

REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date Re. 22,418 Salfisberg Jan. 11, 1944 2,404,317 Salfisberg July 16, 1946 2,407,641 Anderson Sept. 17, 1946 2,512,579 Long June 20, 1950 2,515,130 Locke et al July 11, 1950 2,596,158 Lindsey May 13, 1952FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Number Country Date 664,519 Great Britain Feb. 21, 1951

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