Adhesive Tape Dispensing and Printing Device

This invention relates to an adhesive tape dispensing device, for dispensing transparent adhesive tape, which has been printed on the adhesive face of the tape at the time it is drawn-off so that the printed matter can be viewed through the tape when the tape has been used, and the printing protected from abrasion and erasure by the tape itself.

Such printed tape may be used, for example, in the usual manner to secure and seal envelopes, packages or parcels and the printed matter may be or include security markings, Trade Marks, logos or devices, the sender's name and address, or a promotional message or slogan or the like.

The usual tape dispenser comprises a hub for mounting a tape roll for free rotation as tape is drawn off, and a fixed cutter on a base carrying the roll, the cutter being a sharpened or serrated blade with which the tape is cut by tearing the tape under tension against the blade.

According to this invention an adhesive tape dispensing device is provided with a printing means

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located to present a printing surface of such printing means to the adhesive side of tape drawn off from a roll of tape.

In a preferred arrangement there is provided an adhesive tape dispensing device provided with a printing means located to present a printing surface of such printing means to the adhesive side of tape drawn off from a roll of tape between the roll and a tape cutting means, a supply of a printing medium in dry or liquid form, the printing means being operative to print on the tape as it is drawn off from the roll.

The printing means may be a printing roller, the periphery of which contacts one side of the tape, and passes through a reservoir of the printing medium.

Preferably, the printing roller is arranged to rotate with a peripheral speed matching the drawing-off speed of the tape from the roll and in the same sense as the direction of movement of the tape. Means for achieving this may include an intermediate roller between the tape roll and the printing roller, which acts as a friction drive between the roll and roller, achieving driving of the printing roller in the correct sense and exactly as the tape is drawn off.

The printing medium may be a powdered or liquid ink, or other suitable formulation, for example of the class including photocopier toner. The reservoir may be in the form of a bath or a permanent inking pad into which the printing roller dips or contacts.

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The printing roller may transfer the ink by raised characters and areas on the roller, formed for example from rubber like the usual office stamp, or by means of areas having differential properties with regard to the printing medium; ink repellent areas being blank, and ink attracting areas being inked and .effecting transfer. This effect may be achieved e.g. by chemical or electrostatic or other means.

The impression on the tape will be viewed through the tape from the other side to that on which the imprint is made, so that the characters and other indicia on the printing roller are in direct and not mirror-image format; this may greatly simplify the process of composition.

A tape dispensing and printing device of the invention may be made by modifying an existing tape dispenser, or made as a new article. The design may be an adaptation of the known design of heavy desk or post room adhesive tape dispenser or be a hand held device with a 'pistol grip' handle with a cutter operating trigger for a guillotine type cutter.

The printing means may, instead of a printing roller, be a platen or die which is pressed against the adhesive face of the tape by a cam mechanism once in each rotation of a printing operating shaft driven by

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friction from the tape roll as the tape is dispensed.

The printing could alternatively, with a suitable smudge free quick-drying ink composition, be on the upper non-adhesive face of the tape which will be exposed after use; in this case opaque tape could be used.

Preferred embodiments of tape printing and dispensing devices according to the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a first embodiment of tape printing and dispensing device according to the invention, made by adapting an existing tape dispenser, or to a design which is a modification of the design of a known tape dispenser. Figure 2 is a similar view of a hand held tape printing and dispensing device according to the invention, Figure 3 is a view of a third embodiment of device, and Figure 4 shows a modification of the invention diagrammatically in side elevation. Referring first to Figure 1 , a tape printing and

dispensing device according to the invention has a body 1 , which may be massive to provide a stable base for use on a desk or table, e.g. in a post room. A standard roll 2 of adhesive transparent tape is carried on a spool 3 which is journalled to be freely rotatable in the body 1 , and releasable for replenishment with a fresh roll 2 when a previous roll has been used up. A print roller 4 is provided which contacts the adhesive face of a drawn off end 5 of the tape which extends from the roll 2 to a cutting blade 6 at one end of the body 1. The print roller 4 is separated from the roll 2 by a pinch wheel 7, and the roller 4 is spring biased towards the roll 2 so that the roll 2, wheel 7 and roller 4 are kept in frictional contact as the roll is depleted. The travel of the centres of the roller 4 and wheel 7 are shown by the arrows x , x which are a distance equal to x , the difference between the full and empty diameters of the roll 2.

The periphery of the printing roller 4 contacts the underside (adhesive side) of the tape 5 and passes through an ink reservoir 8. The ink may be in powder or liquid form, and the ink transfer may be effected by the traditional means of raised areas on the print roller surface, or preferably with use of chemically or electrostatically determined ink-attracting and ink-

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repelling areas, corresponding to letters or other indicia or devices required to be printed.

In use, the tape is drawn manually, and the print roller 4 is entrained by friction and rotated in contact with the under (adhesive) side of the tape, effecting printing. The tape passes by a guide roller 9 and when the required length has been drawn off, the tape is cut in the usual way by pulling it under tension against the blade 6. The dispensed tape is printed on the adhesive side, which can be seen through the tape as it is transparent, but is protected from abrasion and erasure by the tape. The tape used for securing and sealing envelopes and parcels sent out by a firm or organisation can thus carry advertising or other promotional messages, corporate or society Trade Marks, logos or emblems, and at the most utilitarian, provide the sender's name and address for return of undelivered mail etc.

A second embodiment, of a hand held tape printing and dispensing device according to the invention is shown in Figure 2. Here the operational parts are enclosed in a body 10. ith a handle 11. A tape roll 12 is carried by spool 13, and tape 15 extends from the spool 13 to a guillotine 16, over a print roller 14 with guide rollers 19. A spring loaded pinch wheel 17 is

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located between the roll 1.2 and roller 14 and is moved along the arc y, as the roll 12 is depleted. The wheel 17 transmits friction drive from the roll 12 to the print roller 14 as tape is drawn from the roll 12. The side of the print roller opposite the zone of contact with the tape passes through an ink reservoir 18 from which ink is transferred to the tape by the print roller 14.

Cutting of the tape is effected by the guillotine 16 which is operated by a cable 20 operated by a finger trigger 21 in the handle 11. The spring of the pinch wheel 17 is anchored at the pivot axis of the trigger 21.

In Figure 3 a third embodiment is shown with a tape reel 22 on a spool 23. The tape is lead via a print roller 24 to be cut at 26 by a serrated edge or guillotine. The roller 24 takes up ink from a reservoir 28. The tape is firmly pressed against roller 24 by a pinch roller 27, which is urged in the direction of arrow 29 by weight, a spring, or by screw adjustment or other means to achieve a firm grip. The print roller is rotated by the act of drawing the tape through the pinch, so that the peripheral speed of the roller 24 exactly matches the draw off speed of the tape.

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The ink reservoir 8, 18 or 28 should be liquid and/or powder tight, and may take the form of or include an inking pad. If raised characters are used, the printing roller periphery may be of rubber as used in office stamps.

The print roller may be interchangeable with one or more substitute ollers for changing the message or other indicia to be printed on the tape, e.g. for introducing seasonal messages, or indicating dispatch by a different part of an organisation.

The embodiment of Figure 4 takes account of the fact that the adhesive tape 40 being drawn-off from roll 41 leaves, not at a tangent but, from a point 42 on the circumference where the pull is nearly at right angles. A guide bar or roller 43 may be provided under which tape 40 passes.

The roll 41 may be carried on a spool 44 with axles 45 located at the base of slots 46 provided in a base carrier 47.

Because the tape used is adhesive, some adhesion will occur between the tape and printing roller 48. This is further increased by the tape being forced over the small arc at the top of the prin roller by means of guide bars 43 and 49 before and after the print roller 48. Therefore the adhesion to the print roller is greater than the force required to pull the tape away from the supply roll. Thus when the tape is pulled from the dispenser at 50 it drives the print roller at the

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correct peripheral speed without the need for the synchronising mechanism as described in the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2.

The other reason for providing guide bars 43,49 is to keep the tape flat and in intimate contact with the print roller thus ensuring adequate print definition.

The greater simplicity exhibited by this embodiment will reduce the cost of manufacture and make the mechanism much more reliable.

The print roller 48 is mounted on an axle 51 which lies in a further slot 52. An ink roller 53 is in contact with the print roller 48.

Optionally a weighted or spring loaded soft surface pressure roller 54 is provided to ensure good impression contact between the tape 40 and print roller 48. This provides improved draw-off and printing on polypropylene and cellulose tapes in contrast to more usual vinyl tapes.

Multiple print rollers may be provided each printing a different colour and synchronised by gearing. Electric drive means may be used to operate the device rather than manual drawing-off of the tape.

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