The invention relates to a device for dispensing adhesive tape, for example sticking plaster, comprising: a housing with a space for accommodating a roll of adhesive tape; a delivery opening for adhesive tape; and cutting means arranged in the vicinity of the delivery opening for cutting a piece of adhesive tape for dispensing from the strip of adhesive tape unwound from the roll. Such a device is known in many embodiments. The invention has for its object to embody a device for dispensing adhesive tape such that with very simple means a predetermined length of adhesive tape can be dispensed without pulling forces having to be exerted on the adhesive tape by the user such that this makes operation of the device more difficult.

A further objective of the device is to design a dispensing device for adhesive tape such that the device can be embodied entirely mechanically and for manual operation. These and other objects are achieved according to the invention with a device of the stated type characterized by holding means placed between the cutting means and the roll for fixedly holding the adhesive tape during unwinding of the roll; a pusher means placed between the holding means and the roll for pushing the adhesive tape present there out of its free path such that adhesive tape is pulled from the roll; and delivery means for making the holding means inactive and delivering thus released adhesive tape from the delivery opening such that this adhesive tape can be cut off by the cutting means.

With the configuration according to the invention is achieved that the force exerted by the pusher means, which presses the adhesive tape out of its original position,

applies a pulling force on the adhesive tape which is insuf¬ ficient to release the adhesive tape from the holding means but which is sufficient to pull it from the roll. A loop is hereby created between the holding means and the roll. This loop is made tension-free by retracting the pusher means and the delivery means can dispense the quantity of adhesive tape present in the loop via the delivery opening.

In preference the device has the feature that the delivery means comprise at least one drivable discharge roller carrying the adhesive tape to the delivery opening. In this case the device can also have the special feature that the discharge roller also serves as holding means due to adhering co-action with the adhesive tape.

An embodiment that is very simple and which can be embodied mechanically in practical manner is one with hand control means for irst operating the pusher means and subse¬ quently driving the discharge roller.

In a specific embodiment this variant has the feature that the control means comprise a control member which is spring-loaded towards a rest position and which is coupled to a pusher member for the tape and to a drive member for rota- tably driving the discharge roller under influence of the spring loading of the control means during displacement thereof. The device is preferably characterized in this embodi¬ ment by a rack spring-loaded towards a rest position which can drive a drive wheel for the discharge roller, which drive wheel is only rotatable in one direction, such that the wheel remains at rest counter to the spring-loading of the control means when they are actuated and when displaced in opposite direction the rack drives the drive wheel.

In general a specific feature can be that the cutting means comprise a knife spring-loaded and slidable such that in its rest position the knife is in a retracted position and can be placed in an active position by hand control means. An embodiment is advantageous which has the feature that the delivery means comprise two rollers having periphe¬ ral profiling in mutually interwoven position.

Use can also be made of an embodiment in which the discharge roller has a regular fine profiling, for instance pattern of teeth. A combination of both mentioned aspects ca also be applied. An improved reliability of the action of the holding means is obtained with an embodiment in which the adhesive tape is pressed by a spring-loaded pressing member against the discharge roller.

In preference the device according to the invention i embodied such that introduction of a new roll of adhesive tape can take place very easily. To this end the device can be characterized by an opening present in the housing, via which opening the space for accommodating a roll of adhesive tape is accessible, in which space is received a cassette with a roll of adhesive tape, which cassette can be removed and placed via the opening.

The invention also relates to a cassette with a roll adhesive tape adapted for accommodation in the space intende therefor in a device according to the above stated specification, which cassette comprises at least one posi¬ tioning pin which, in an intermediate situation in which the cassette forms part of the device, extends in a direction transversely of the adhesive tape transport direction betwee the roll of adhesive tape and the delivery opening, wherein, in the separated position in which the cassette does not yet form part of the device, a strip of adhesive tape unwound from the roll is adhered to this pin, this such that when th cassette is received in the device the strip of adhesive tap adhered to the positioning pin is positioned in the device, which pin can be removed after the cassette has been placed in its intermediate situation, whereby the device is set int its ready-for-use situation.

A very easy placing of a roll of adhesive tape is ensured with this configuration.

The invention further relates to the combination of th described device and the described cassette, wherein the opening is situated in a side wall of the device and the

cassette comprises a wall which covers this opening in the ready-for-use situation.

In a preferred embodiment this combination has the feature that in the intermediate situation the or each pin extends through a hole in the wall in which the cassette opening is situated and that the pin can be grasped from outside for removal by axial sliding.

The number of pins to be used is subject to the desired guiding of the adhesive tape between the roll and the delivery opening. In a particular embodiment use is made of two pins collectively carried by a strip accessible from outside which can be grasped by a user in order to enable removal of both pins simultaneously in one hand movement after placing of a cassette, whereby the device is set into its ready-for-use situation.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a device according to the invention; figure 2 shows the discharge means in cross section as designated with II in figure 1; figure 3 shows the cross section III-III of figure 2; figure 4 shows the cross section IV-IV of figure 2; figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 show a section through the device according to figure 1 in successive operational phases; figure 9 is a view corresponding to figure 1 of a device according to the invention; and figure 10 is a perspective view of the device of figure 9 in the situation in which the pins are removed in order to take the device from its intermediate situation into its ready-for-use situation.

The dispensing device 1 for adhesive tape comprises a housing 3 closable with a cover 2 and having a space 4 for accommodating a roll 5 of adhesive tape, a delivery opening 6 for adhesive tape for dispensing and a slidable cutting knife 7 for cutting off adhesive tape. Placed between cutting knife 7 and roll 5 are two profiled and segmented rollers 8, 9, the function of which will be described hereinafter. A pusher 10 is placed between these rollers 8, 9 and the roll 5 of

adhesive tape for pushing the adhesive tape 11 present at that position out of its free path such that the rollers 8, 9 hold fast the adhesive tape and a pulling force is exerted on the adhesive tape by the pusher means such that this adhesive tape 11 is pulled from the roll 5. Further present are provisions to be described hereinafter whereby a strip of adhesive tape 11 of predetermined length can be delivered from the delivery opening in very simple automatic manner such that this adhesive tape can be cut off by the cutting knife 7.

In this embodiment the housing 3 has a form such that it can easily be held in the hand. In another embodiment it can have a base or sole for placing on a work surface. A control lever 13 loaded by a leaf spring 12 can be pressed downward in the direction of arrow 14 counter to the action of leaf spring 12 in the direction of housing 3. An arm 15 hingedly connected to lever 13 is hereby moved downward. By means of a carrier 16 which co-acts with a slotted hole 17, the shape of which can be seen particularly well in figure 8, a rack 18 can be moved downward as according to arrow 19. The rack co-acts with a wheel 20 (see figures 2, 3 and 4) which is only movable in one direction. In the direction of arrow 19 the wheel 20 remains immovable. After the user has relea¬ sed the pressure on the control lever 13, this lever 13 moves upward under influence of the spring 12. The rack 18 will also move upward under influence of a draw spring 21 whereby the active front face 22 moves upward, causing co-rotation of the wheel 20. For this movement this wheel is rotatably coupled to a shaft 23 which carries the profiled roller 9. As a result of this rotating drive the roller 9 is rotated according to arrow 24 in figure 7. By means of an intermediate wheel 25 a second drive wheel 26 is driven in the same rotational sense 24 as the first drive wheel 20. As shown in figure 2, this second wheel 26 is coupled to a shaft 27 which bears the roller 8.

Figure 2 in particular clearly shows that the rollers 8, 9 have mutually interwoven peripheral profiling. Each of both rollers 8, 9 further has a regular fine rubber profi-

ling. These ribs or teeth can be seen particularly clearly in figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 show the one-directional coupling with which the shaft 23 with roller 9 is connected to wheel 20. The same construction is used between wheel 26 which drives shaft 27 with roller 8. As shown in figures 3 and 4, the shaft 23 has a continuous hole 28 through which is inserted a strip 29 of resilient material, in particular steel. The protruding ends of this strip 29 co-act in the manner shown in figures 3 and 4 with an internal toothing 30. It will be apparent that this results in a driving operational in only one direction.

The carrier 16 co-acts not only with the slotted hole 17 in rack 18 but also with a slot-like recess 32 in the wall of housing 3. This recess 32 comprises a rise surface 33 to press forward the carrier 16 such that it is released from engagement on the press-on face 34 on the entry side of slotted hole 17. Due to this displacement the carrier 16, which as according to figures 5 and 6 initially presses the rack 18 down, can be placed in the situation shown in figure 7 in which the rack, which has meanwhile pressed the adhesive tape downward with the pusher 10, is moved upward under influence of the action of draw spring 21.

Rack 18 further comprises a slotted hole 36 concentric to the hinge 35 with which the rack is connected to housing 3, through which hole extends a shaft 37 which is connected to housing 3 and bears a free-turning guide roller 38 over which the adhesive tape 11 is guided from the roll 5 to the roller 9. The pusher 10 can act between guide roller 38 and discharge roller 9 to form the tension-free loop of the adhesive tape 11 shown in the figures 6, 7 and 8.

A pressure brush 39 is urged spring-loaded by a spring 41 in the direction of roller 8 by an arm 40 hingedly con¬ nected to housing 3. The pressure brush 39 thereby presses the leading part of adhesive tape 11 against the roller 8 so that it is held fixedly in very reliable manner during the downward directed movement of the pusher 10.

The knife 7 is supported slidably by a carriage 42 which is pulled upward by a draw spring 43 and which, via a

connecting piece 44 extending through a slotted hole 45, is coupled to a control part 46 which can be pressed forward according to arrow 47 by a user to carry knife 7 from its retracted situation as shown in figures 1, 5, 6, 7 into its active situation as shown in figure 8, in which after deli¬ very of a strip 48 of adhesive tape 11 by the rollers 8, 9 this strip 48 can be cut off by knife 7.

Figure 9 shows a device 49 according to the invention in a partly broken away perspective view, wherein for the sake of clarity the adhesive tape cassette 50 to be describe hereinbelow is shown at some distance.

The device 49 differs from the device 1 according to figure 1 through the presence of a flat side wall 51 which forms part of the housing 52 and has a round opening 53 through which the space 4 for receiving a roll of adhesive tape is accessible from outside.

It is noted that components corresponding with compo¬ nents as according to the above described figures are desig¬ nated in figures 9 and 10 with the same reference numerals. Cassette 50 comprises a central pin 54 which fits int a correspondingly formed cavity 55 inside a sleeve 56 which is connected to housing 52. Joined to the pin 54 is a round wall 57 which, in the situation shown in figure 10 in which cassette 50 forms part of device 49, covers the opening 53. The wall 57 carries a protruding portion 58 with two conti¬ nuous holes 59, 60 for passage of two pins 62, 63 connected by a strip 61.

As indicated with broken lines 64, 65, the cassette 50 can be positioned in device 49 such that the lines 64, 65 ar situated respectively on the downstream side of roller 8 and the upstream side of roller 9.

A strip 66 of adhesive tape is pulled off the roll 67 in a new cassette for placing and adheringly connected to th pins 62, 63. When cassette 50 is introduced the strip 66 is introduced via a correspondingly shaped, slot-like opening 6 in side wall 51, which slot-like opening 68 connects onto opening 53. In this manner the strip 66 can be correctly positioned to make device 49 ready for use. After the cas¬ sette is introduced in this manner the strip 61 can be gras-

ped from outside for removing the pins 62, 63 in the direc¬ tion of arrow 69, whereafter device 49 is ready to use.

It will be apparent that many variants are possible within the scope of the invention. The number of positioning pins can for instance be chosen in a manner other than that designated, depending on the internal structure of the guide mechanism for the adhesive tape.

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