The invention relates to a carpet tape dispenser for underneath a piece of carpet placed on a floor depositing at least a part of the width of a length of adhesive tape unwound from a roll of tape while the dispenser simultaneously is displaced into a dispensing direction along an edge of the piece of carpet.

The carpet tape dispenser of the invention more specifically comprises a frame, a holder for rotatably supporting the roll of tape and at least one holding-down device for forcing the tape downwards against the floor.

The invention also relates to a method for joining juxtaposed edges of two pieces of carpets to each other by means of the carpet tape dispenser of the invention.

The area of a floor in e.g. homes, offices, exhibition halls and other buildings is often larger than the width of obtainable pieces of carpet, e.g. pieces of carpet cut off a roll.

The pieces of carpet therefore must be joined together for producing a consistent carpet large enough to cover a chosen area of the floor or the floor in its entirety.

The original carpet laying method consisted in sewing adjacent carpet edges together. Such joining method is however difficult and time-consuming to carry out and the finished carpet seams frequently have an unsatisfactory appearance.

Nowadays tape is used instead for joining adjacent carpet edges together .

This method can in a smaller scale be manually carried out by lifting the edge zones of the pieces of carpets and placing a length of tape between the floor and the edge zones, which then is pressed onto the tape.

Manually joining two pieces of carpet together in this way is however a time consuming and troublesome labour and especially when using double-faced tape for at the same time connecting the edge zones to both each other and to the floor.

The reason for that problem is that the tape tends to stick to both the floor and to the edge zones of the piece of carpets in its lifted positions. A desired smooth transition between the two pieces of carpet therefore cannot be obtained and the appearance of the finished seam is ugly.

In a larger scale, that means when the floor has a large area, which is the case in for example exhibition halls, is that manual method of joining adjacent carpet edges together too costly and inappropriate.

Various carpet tape dispensers therefore have been proposed for in a reasonable inexpensive and easy way securely being able to join adjacent edges of pieces of carpet together by means of tape .

A dispenser of that kind is known from US Pat. No. 4,581,091 and US Pat. No. 3,748,211, both disclosing a box-shaped tape holder for a roll of tape. During operation the tape holder is displaced between upturned juxtaposed edges of the pieces of carpets to be joined together while simultaneously releasing tape from the roll directly onto the floor.

Pushing the tape holder through said upturned edges is however a strenuous labour to carry out. The holder moreover also tends to damage the edges of the pieces of carpet when traversing through the upturned edges while at the same time urging the two pieces of carpets from each other so that an unwanted and ugly opening is leaved in the join.

The above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art carpet tape dispenser for taping at piece of carpet to a floor is according to the invention remedied by,

in a first aspect of the invention providing a carpet tape dispenser of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph by means of which a piece of carpet quickly and easily can be supplied with a subjacent tape,

in a second aspect of the invention providing a carpet tape dispenser of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph by means of which a piece of carpet securely can be supplied with a subjacent tape,

in a third aspect of the invention providing a carpet tape dispenser of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph by means of which a length of tape more precisely than hitherto known can be positioned underneath a piece of carpet,

in a fourth aspect of the invention providing a method of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph by means of which juxtaposed edges of two pieces of carpets can be joined together without leaving any opening in the join,

in a fifth aspect of the invention providing a method of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph by means of which juxtaposed edges of two pieces of carpets can be joined to each other without damaging the edges,

in a sixth aspect of the invention providing a method of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph by means of which the juxtaposed edges of two pieces of carpets can be joined to together with a join having a perfect appearance. The novel and unique of the invention whereby these features are achieved consist in the fact that the holder for supporting a roll of adhesive tape is offset in relation to the edge of the piece of carpet, and that guide means is provided for guiding tape from the roll placed in the holder into the dispensing direction.

A part of the edge zone can by means of an elevating devise according to the invention successively during operation gently be lifted above the holding-down device of the invention.

The length of adhesive tape, which concurrently is released from the roll of tape, can sidewards be conducted in below the elevated edge zone of the piece of carpet by means of the guide means of the invention and then below the holding-down device of the invention, which in one embodiment of the invention can be a wheel mounted upon the frame of the dispenser.

The edge of the piece of carpet will in this way advantageously not be damaged by the roll holder since this never comes in contact with said edge.

In an advantageous embodiment according to the invention can the roll holder be a reel whereby the tape is allowed easily to be released from the roll of tape so a steady flow of work is ensured.

When using the dispenser for joining juxtaposed edges of two pieces of carpets together is the first piece of carpet firstly laid upon the floor after which about half of the width of adhesive tape is laid beneath the edge zone of this piece of carpet by means of the dispenser according to the invention.

The other half of the width of tape therefore freely is protruding from the edge of this first piece of carpet. The other piece of carpet then is laid upon the floor with an edge abutting the edge of the first piece of carpet.

The juxtaposed edges of the two pieces of carpet now is joined together by being both adhered to the adhesive tape and in such a way that the join advantageously is without any ugly opening between the two edges and the appearance of the join therefore is perfect.

It is important that the tape is placed precisely beneath the juxtaposed edges of said two pieces of carpet. The frame of the dispenser therefore, according to the invention, can be equipped with an edge distance guide for keeping the frame of the dispenser in a predetermined distance from the edge of a piece of carpet.

By sliding or rolling the edge distance guide along the edge of the piece of carpet is advantageously obtained that the distance between the dispenser and the edge of the piece of carpet always is the same and that tape therefore always is placed precisely beneath the juxtaposed edges of said two pieces of carpet

The tape is released from the tape holder in an endless length. The dispenser therefore, according to the invention, can be equipped with a knife, which by being activated is cutting off the length of tape deposited beneath the edge zone of a piece of carpet .

The dispenser can for preventing accidents be provided with a securing arrangement according to the invention for securing the knife against being unintended activated.

The operator can use his hands for pushing the dispenser along the edge of the carpet to be taped to the floor whereby he however needs to take up an uncomfortable cramped position. This problem can effectively be remedied by according to the invention equipping the dispenser with a rod extending upwards from the frame for thereby enabling the operator to displacing the dispenser in a comfortable upright position during operation .

The length of tape, which adheres to the floor, will act with a moment upon the frame, which moment is trying to turn the dispenser round a vertical axis.

By positing the rod in such a way that it is slanting in relation to both a horizontal and a vertical plane can a moment turning the frame in the opposite direction advantageously be provided.

The invention will be explained in greater details below where further advantageous properties and example embodiments are described with reference to the drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows the carpet tape dispenser according to the invention, seen from the top,

Fig. 2 is a section of the dispenser taken along the line II - II in fig 1,

Fig. 3 is a section of the dispenser taken along the line III - III in fig 1, and

Fig. 4 shows in an enlarged scale a fragment of the tape seen from the side.

The carpet tape dispenser 1 shown in fig. 1 - 3 is arranged for taping a piece of carpet 2 to a floor 3. In the figures is shown only fragments of the carpet. The tape utilized is the double-faced adhesive tape 4 shown in fig. 4 covered with a non-adhesive web 5.

In the mounted position of this tape is the underside 6 of the tape adhering to the floor, (not shown in fig. 4) while the topside 7 of the tape is adhering to the underside of the carpet, (not shown in fig. 4) after having drawn off the non- adhesive web from the tape, as illustrated with the arrow.

The dispenser is build up upon a mainly rectangular frame 8 with a top plate 9 and two descending side plates 10 and 11.

On the top plate of the frame is attached an upwards extending mounting 12 with a reel 13 with a spindle 14 for rotatably supporting a roll 15 of tape 4.

The mainly rectangular frame has, seen from the top, a forward side 16 and a rearward side 17, whereby the forward side is the leading side.

The frame has moreover a left side 18 with the side plate 10 and a right side 19 with the side plate 11. The left side of the frame is facing the piece of carpet 2 during operation.

On the side plate 11 on the right side of the frame are mounted two wheels 20 on axles 21,

On the side plate 10 on the left side of the frame are mounted two other wheels 22, which on this side are formed as rollers 22 on axles 23.

The wheels 20 and the rollers 22 are defining a dispensing direction in which the dispenser is droved during dispensing the tape. The dispensing direction, which in fig. 1 and 3 is illustrated with arrows, is the same as the direction of the edge 24 of the piece of carpet 2. The reel 13 for supporting the roll 15 of tape is offset from the edge 24 of the piece of carpet 2. That implies that the tape cannot be released directly from the roll to the floor, but must pass a number of rollers and pins which each is deflecting the tape.

As best seen in fig. 2 is tape, which successively is unwound from the roll 15 of tape 4, first passing between a pin 25 and a roller 26 with an axis 27 in a first path 28. The roller 26 is placed below the topplate 9 of the frame 8.

The tape then is passing between the roller 26 and a pin 29 with an axis 30 in a second path 31 defining a feeding direction of the tape.

As best seen in fig. 3 is the tape subsequently passing between the pin 29 and the foremost roller 22, in a third path 32.

By passing the foremost roller 22 is the tape wound round said roller. That implies that the tape now is brought into position underneath the foremost roller, which then with a part of the weight of the dispenser is urging the tape against the floor so that the tape securely is being adhered to the floor.

The tape, which now is adhered to the floor, is next passed by also the rearmost roller 22 when further driving the dispenser ahead with the advantageously result that the desired length 33 of tape securely is adhered to the floor.

For preventing that the tape is adhering to the rollers and pins is the side of the web with the non-adhesive web facing said rollers and pins.

The tape path 31 is forming an angle a with the dispensing direction, whereby the axis 30 of the pin 29 is forming an angle b complementary with half of the angle a between the tape path 31 and the dispensing direction.

The axis 27 of the roller 26 is preferable forming an angle c with the dispensing direction complementary with the angle a between the tape path 31 and the dispensing direction.

The frame of the dispenser is on its left side mounted with a forward - and rearward plate formed protrusion 34 upon which is mounted a forward - and rearward edge distance guide 35 for keeping the frame in a predetermined distance from the edge of the piece of carpet .

Each edge distance guide 35 consists of an upright pin 36 mounted on the protrusion 34. A ring 37 is rotatably mounted on the pin 36 and a disc 38 is mounted on top of the pin for preventing the edge zone of the piece of carpet to pass above the pin.

As seen in fig. 2, is the ring 37 of each of the two edge distance guides 35 rolling upon the edge of the piece of carpet while driving the dispenser into the driving direction. The dispenser thereby securely is kept in a predetermined distance in relating to this edge so that the tape precisely will be positioned below the edge.

The edge zone of the piece of carpet need to successively being lifted up for providing a momentary space 39 in which the tape to be placed below the edge zone of the piece of carpet can be placed when driving the dispenser into the dispensing direction. Fig. 2 and 3.

Said space can be obtained by simply letting the he edge zone resting upon the two rollers serving also as wheels on the left side of the frame, but in a preferred embodiment is the edge zone resting upon the plate formed protrusion 34 on the left side of the frame whereby a free space advantageously is formed above the rollers and the tape.

As seen in fig. 2 is an outer part of the plate formed projections slanting downwards for supporting the edge zone in the area between the floor and the horizontal part of the projection .

When the required length of tape has been positioned underneath the piece of carpet to be taped to the floor said length need to be cut off the remainder of the tape so that the dispenser can be used again for positioning another length of tape underneath another piece of carpet .

The dispenser is for that purpose equipped with a cutting knife 40, which has a serrated edge 41 and is placed below the third path 32 of the tape 4.

The knife is mounted on a rotatable axle 42 for turning the cutting knife from the resting position seen in fig. 3 to the cutting position shown with dotted line in fig. 3 where the serrated edge 41 of the knife 40 is cutting the third path 32 of the tape in two.

The serrated edge of the cutting knife is normally sharp and therefore dangerous whereby the operator risks cutting himself on the edge when e.g. threading the dispenser with the tape.

For avoiding that risk is the dispenser therefore provided with a securing arrangement build on the principle that both hands of the operator need to be used for turning the cutting knife.

The securing arrangement, which is shown in fig. 1 consists in this case of a first lever 43 and a second lever 44. The first lever 43 is attached to the axle 42 of the knife 40 whereby the knife is turned from its resting - to its cutting position when the first lever 43 is turned into the direction shown by the arrow.

The second lever 44 is attached to an axle 45 rotatably mounted in bearings 46 on the top plate 9 of the frame 8. Also a plate formed lock 47 with a slit 48 is attached to said axle 45.

In the resting position of the knife 40 is the first lever 43 locked by the lock 47 by being placed in the slit 48 of the lock 47 whereby effectively is prevented that the knife unintended is turned.

When by means of one hand turning the second lever 44 into the direction of the arrow is the slit 48 of the plate formed lock 47 lifted free of the first lever 43 which now by means of the other hand is allowed to be turned into the direction shown with the arrow so that the knife 40 is turned upwards from its resting - to its cutting position.

The operator is, as can be seen, forced to use both hands for turning the knife whereby he doesn't risk cutting his hands on the knife. For increasing the security can the levers be provided with each their spring (not shown) acting against the turning direction of the respective lever.

It is noted that the securing arrangement can be made in many other ways within the scope of the invention. Importing is that the dispenser is provided with a securing arrangement for preventing that the knife unintended is turned.

The dispenser is moreover equipped with a rod 49, which is extending upwards from the frame 9 for thereby allowing the operator to push the dispenser along the edge of the piece of carpet to bee taped onto the floor in a comfortable upright position .

the rod is according to the invention slanting in relation to both a horizontal and a vertical plane whereby a moment turning into the opposite direction of the moment by which the length of tape adhered to the floor is acting upon the dispenser during operation.

The moment from the rod thereby can neutralize the moment from the tape so that it will be easy for the operator to guide the dispenser during operation.

Another advantage consists in the fact that the force by which the operator is acting upon the rod will have a component directed against the edge of the piece of carpet whereby the edge distance guides 35 safely and without any effort for the operator constantly can be kept against the edge of the piece of carpet during displacing the dispenser along this edge.

A piece of carpet is taped to the floor of a building (not shown) by using the carpet tape dispenser according to the invention in the following way.

Supplying the holder of the dispenser with a roll of double- faced tape covered on one side with a releasable non-adhesive web.

Threading the tape through the dispenser with the non-adhesive web facing the roller and pins of the guide means and also the wheels on the side of the frame facing the edge of the piece of carpet .

Placing the dispenser on the floor with said wheels wholly or partly placed beneath the edge zone of the piece of carpet. Pushing the dispenser along the edge of the piece of carpet until tape is laid on the floor in the length of said piece of carpet .

Removing the dispenser.

Drawing the non-adhesive web of the tape.

Pressing the edge zone of the piece of carpet against the tape.

The dispenser of the invention can also advantageously be used for joining juxtaposed edges of two pieces of carpets placed on a floor together.

A first piece of carpet then firstly is laid upon the floor after which about half of the width of adhesive tape is laid beneath the edge zone of this piece of carpet by means of the dispenser according to the invention, so that the other half of the width of tape freely is protruding from the edge of this first piece of carpet.

The other piece of carpet (not shown) then is laid upon the floor with an edge abutting the edge of the first piece of carpet .

The juxtaposed edges of the two pieces of carpet now is joined together by being both adhered to the adhesive tape and in such a way that the join advantageously is without any ugly opening and the appearance of the join therefore is perfect.

In a variant of the above-mentioned methods is used tape with adhesive on only one side. The piece (s) of carpet will in this case not be adhered to the floor.