The present invention relates to a holder for adhesive tape or the like intended to be applied to a substrate by the use of one hand only. The holder comprises a casing having a portion for accommodating a tape supply roll, a tape outfeed opening, a knife means fixedly arranged within the casing at the outfeed opening, and an assembly movably mounted at the outfeed opening for guiding and smoothing the tape on the substrate.

Holders for tape or the like intended to be applied to a substrate by the use of one hand only are disclosed in U.S. patent specifications 3,132,783 and 3,187,968.

U.S. patent specification 3,132,783 relates to a holder having an enclosed and resilient knife means which is connected to a movable guide member and a push- button. The tape is smoothed out on the substrate by means of a fixed nose portion adjacent to the knife means, and a brake spring within the supply roll cooper¬ ates in stretching the tape upon application to a substrate. When the push-button is pressed, the knife means pene- trates the stretched tape which then breaks. Subsequently, the cut tape end of the supply^roll is pressed against a stop member so as to be attached thereto. When the holder is used again, the tape end is released from the stop member by the user's thumb, and a small portion of the tape is extracted by hand, whereupon the tape is again ready for application to a substrate.

U.S. patent specification 3,187,968 relates to a holder having an enclosed, fixed knife means and a roller for smoothing the tape. When the holder is turned through about 90° and simultaneously displaced, the unwinding resistance of the supply roll causes the knife means to penetrate the tape which then breaks. The cut tape end of the supply roll is clamped between a pair of opposite cushions adjacent to the knife means, or the

tape end can be stuck to the holder.

Further use of the holder according to the first- mentioned U.S. patent specification thus requires two hands to release the tape end from the holder. The user of the holder according to the last-mentioned U.S. patent specification relies on the unwinding resistance of the supply roll. In addition to the risk of an oblique as well as torn and frayed cutting of the tape, it will be very difficult to cut the tape at the desired location. The object of the present invention is to provide a holder for adhesive tape or the like, which enables the user to attach easily and conveniently by one hand and in succession several pieces of tape to, for example, the wrapping paper of a parcel or to drawings which are to be repaired or joined, thus allowing the user to hold together, by his free hand, the substrate pieces to which the tape is to be applied. A further object of the invention is to provide a holder which can cut a piece of tape exactly to the required length and per- pendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tape, and which prevents damage to the tape end.

To achieve these objects, the guiding assembly of the holder comprises a pivot means displaceably mounted in the casing and supporting a first and a second member engaging the tape and/or the substrate. The pivot means is connected to a clamping member engaging the tape and adapted to clamp the tape in the casing upon dis¬ placement of said pivot means by turning the holder relative to the substrate. The invention will now be described in detail by means of an embodiment, reference being had to the en¬ closed drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows the holder in three positions: a_ for attaching the end of the tape, b for continuously applying the tape to the substrate, and c_ for terminating the application of the tape to the substrate;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder as seen

obliquely from below;

Fig. 3 is a lateral view of the holder, one longi¬ tudinal side being broken away and the roller support being shown in its outermost positions of pivotment a and c ; and

Fig. 4 is a front view of the holder. The design of a holder according to the present invention intended for e.g. tape is best shown in Fig. 3, the casing of the holder being designated 1. The holder can be of the disposable type or be provided with, in prior art manner, a longitudinally divided casing so as to make the holder dismountable and allow insertion of a spare roll. The parting line of the casing is desig¬ nated 2. In a portion 3 of the casing, a supply roll 4 of tape 5 is rotatably mounted in per se known manner. The tape is intended to be fed out through an outfeed opening 6 in the lower front portion of the casing. A knife means 7 is mounted at the outfeed opening and completely enclosed in the casing. The covered mounting of the knife means reduces the risk of damage.

Enclosed in the casing and adjoining the outfeed opening 6, an assembly 8 for guiding and smoothing the tape 5 on a substrate 9 is arranged. In the embodiment shown, the guiding assembly is a pivot means or roller support 10 having a mainly U-shaped section. A roller 11 is rotatably mounted in the roller support on an axle 12. The roller defines the outfeed opening, serves as a guide roller for the path of the tape and urges the tape against the substrate. The axle 12 of the roller projects from the roller support and is mounted in the casing 1 so as to serve also as an axis of pivotment for the roller support. At the other end of the roller support, a second roller 13 is rotatably mounted between the flanges of the roller support and extends in parallel with the first roller 11. The rollers are preferably manufactured from or coated with a resilient material which allows the tape to be applied to easily damaged or uneven surfaces.

The rollers are further arranged on both sides of the knife means 7, and therefore the flanges of the roller support comprise a recess 14.

The outfeed opening 6 is also defined by a tongue 15 of the casing, directed inwardly towards the portion 3 accommodating the supply roll. An edge 16 integrated with, or an edge section 16 attached to, the roller support 10 above the axle 12 of the roller 11 forms, together with the tongue 15, a clamping member 17 for clamping the tape when the roller support is pivoted into the casing.

A spring 18 is fixedly mounted within the casing above the roller support 10. The spring engages the web of the roller support and endeavours to urge the roller support out of the casing. Alternatively, a tension spring can be inserted between the knife means and the roller support. By the force of the spring, the resting position of the roller support as shown by full lines is maintained. A first abutment member 19 in the casing restricts the pivoting movement of the roller support into the casing, the inner position of the roller support being marked by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and a second abutment member 20 restricts the pivoting movement of the roller support out of the casing. The second abutment member is a casing edge portion which defines the extension of the outfeed opening, said extension permitting the pivoting movement of the roller support. Lines a and c denote the substrate when the roller support is in contact with the respective abutment member, in accordance with Fig. la, c.

The function of the holder appears from Figs. 1 and 3. The tape is applied to the substrate, unwound, smoothed and cut off with the same single-handed grip, and with no need for a hand to touch the tape. After application to the substrate, the tape 5 has been cut off by the knife means 7 in the manner described below, the tape being attached to the inwardly

directed tongue 15, and the end of the tape protrudes below the first roller 11 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The holder is placed against the substrate 9 and is held at the angle shown in position a, the tape end being urged by the roller 11 against the substrate and fixed thereto. The holder is then pulled in the direction of the arrow 21 and is swung in the direction of the arrow 22. Now the roller 13 urges the outermost tape end against the substrate, and the tape is unwound and continuously discharged from the roller 11 and/or the roller 13, depending on how the holder is held.

When tape application is to be terminated, the pulling motion of the holder is stopped, and instead the holder is further swung in the direction of the arrow 22. Via the roller 13, and against the action of the spring 18, the substrate causes the roller support 10 to pivot on the axle 12 and against the first abutment member 19. The edge 16 of the roller support then swings over the path of the tape and clamps and attaches the tape 5 to the tongue 15. As a consequence, the tape is pressed against the knife means 7 and cut off. The roller 13 smoothes the outermost end of the tape. The holder with the protruding tape end is now ready for a new tape application, as described above. in order to facilitate the initiation of a tape application, the tongue 15 can be coated with an adhesion reducing surface layer of, for example, teflon ^® .

Further variants and modifications of the invention are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the rollers may be replaced by one or two clamps or sections, and the knife means may be provided with a flat, toothed or wedge-shaped edge.