BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is general practice in the paper industry to produce a con¬ tinuous sheet or web of paper which is wound onto large spools. In order to have a continuous operation it is, of course, necessary to have a system for instantaneously switching from winding the web of paper onto a full roll to an empty roll, particularly at modern speeds of paper production. In U.S. Patent No. 2,461,246 there is shewn a method of feeding a tape onto the rotating empty roll core and causing it to be spirally wrapped on that core as it stretches tight across the traveling web of paper and cuts the paper, with the cut edge being led onto the e py roll supported by the cutting tape. Subsequent improve¬ ments such as shown in my three U.S. Patent Nos. 4,659,029; 4,757,950; and 4,783,018 illustrate how a cutting tape can be passed through a guideway underneath a traveling web of paper, perhaps 10 to 20 feet or more wide and be attached to the far side of an eπpty spool while the operator remains on the near side of the spool. These patents teach the use of mechanical arms to receive a cut end of the tape with adhesive on the tape, and to push the cut end into contact with the empty spool which winds the tape helically around the spool, cutting the paper web as it does, and wrapping the onooming web around the empty spool. Processing difficulties have arisen to indicate the need for handling errors, such as the failure to apply a suitable amount of adhesive to the tape, which, in turn, means that the tape does not attach itself properly to the empty spool and, therefore, does not cut the traveling web of paper and trans¬ fer it to the empty spool. In the πodern high speed plants it is very important that any such errors be handled quickly and efficiently. One irtprovement has been to use double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape as the adhesive strip on the cutting tape. This is disclosed generally in my U.S. Patent Nos. 4,783,018 and 5,046,675. The present invention provides an improved apparatus for performing this task with double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. A second application of the present invention is to provide a hand held device to apply a strip of double- sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape to a cutting tape where, for any reason, the feeding machinery failed to apply the necessary strip of adhesive to the leading portion of the tape.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved appa¬ ratus for applying a short strip of double-sided pressure-sensitive

_* adhesive tape to the forward portion of a length of cutting tape for use in transferring a traveling web of paper from one windup roll to another. It is another object of this invention to provide a hand held device for applying a strip of double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape to a cutting tape, or to any other surface. Still other objects will become apparent from the more detailed descriptoin which follows.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for applying a strip of double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape to a surface including a supporting frame, a rotatable supply roll of composite tape consisting of a layer of double-sided adhesive tape adhered to a strippable release liner, a rotatable rubbery pressure roller positioned to receive the composite tape from the supply roll and press the side with the double- sided adhesive tape against a rotatable transfer roller that has a poor affinity for the adhesive tape but greater affinity than the release liner, a rotatable windup roller to receive the backing tape, a means for coordinating the rotation of the supply roll with the rotation of the windup roller, and a stop means for selectively permitting or pre¬ venting the rotation of the supply roll or of the transfer roll.

In a specific embodiment of this invention the device is a part of an integrated machine for handling the cutting tape from a supply roll to its use in cutting and transferring a traveling web of paper. In another embodiment the device of this invention is a hand held appa¬ ratus for applying a strip of adhesive to a surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be under¬ stood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accαnpanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevational view of a portion of an integrated machine for handling cutting tape and for applying a strip of adhesive by the device of this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of a first embodim ^e nt of a hand held adhesive applicator according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view taken'at 3—3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of a hand held adhesive applicator according to this invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial top plan view of a third en±xxliment of a hand held adhesive applicator according to this invention showing the transfer roller in locked condition; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 and shaving the transfer roller in unlocked condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The eatures of this invention are best illustrated and understood by reference to the attached drawings.

In FIG. 1 there is shown how this invention can be incorporated into an integrated cutting tape handling apparatus, such as disclosed in my U.S. Patent No. 5,046,675. In FIG. 2 of such patent there is a schematic elevational view of an apparatus for conducting a length of cutting tape through a guide, cutting it to the paper length, applying a strip of adhesive to a forward portion of the tape, delivering it to a feeder, and then, at a selected time, projecting it outsrard to an eπpty windup roller to begin winding a web of paper as the tape cuts through a traveling web. FIG. 1 of this application shows how the device of this invention is incorporated into that integrated machine.

Cutting tape 10 πoves in the direction of arrow 22 through guide channel 11. vfoen it is appropriate to place a strip 37 of adhesive on the bottom of cutting tape 10, supply wheel 15 turns in the direction of arrow 25 to feed a composite tape 20 to small press roller 14. Composite tape 20 is a layer of dcuble-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive 37 stuck onto a layer of release liner 21 which readily pulls away from the adhe¬ sive 37 when the adhesive contacts a surface to which it has seme affinity. In this instance the composite tape 20 passes around press roller 14 with the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive strip 37 sticking to the transfer roller 13 turning in the direction of arrow 23 and the release liner 21 is directed to windup roller 16 turning in the direction of arrow 26. Transfer roller 13 turns in the same direction as movement of

tape 10 as the two approach each other at a tangent. At the same time large pressure roller 12 presses downwardly against the upper surface of tape 10 as roller 12 turns in the direction of arrow 39. Under the pressure of roller 12 and roller 13 the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive strip 37 attaches itself to the underside of tape 10 because its affinity to the twisted paper fiber in tape 10 is considerably greater than its affinity for silicone rubber covering transfer roller 13. It will be appreciated that transfer roller 13 should be somewhat elastic so as to provide an even pressure pushing against composite tape 20 on small pressure roller 14 on the one side and against tape 10 on the other side. Preferably, small pressure roller 14 is rubbery or re¬ silient and is biased against transfer roller 13 by means of spring 45 acting on lever 43 pivoted at pin 44 and connected to shaft 46 of small pressure roller 14. The material of transfer roller 13 must also be slightly tacky to the strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive 37 so as to pull it away from release tape 21 but not so tacky that it will not easily release the adhesive strip 37 to cutting tape 10. Silicone rubber is a preferred material, but there are other rubbery materials that are also operable, e.g., neoprene, nylon, butadiene rubber, poly- olefin elastomers, etc.

In order to drive the device of this invention there is shown a gear train with gears on wheel 17 of supply roller 15, wheel 18 of windup roller 16, and an idler gear 19 engaged with both of gear wheels 17 and 18. It will be appreciated that idler gear 19 is employed in order to make rollers 15 and 16 turn in the di ection of arrows 25 and 26 to remove tape 20 from roller 15 and to wind up liner 21 on roller 16. Idler gear 19 can be eliminated by rewinding liner 21 in the opposite direction on roller 16. A motor or other driving force may be attached to any of roller 15, roller 16, or gear 19 to provide power for the en¬ tire device. Friction between tape 20 and roller 14, and betoveen rollers 14 and 13 causes these components to turn.

Timing devices well known in the art can be employed to start and stop the driving of this device when a desired length of adhesive strip 37 has been applied. In the eirfoodiment of FIG. 1 pressure roller 12 lifts slightly away from roller 13 after a selected length of tape 10 has passed, and, at the same time, positive stop arm 30, which is powered by a pneumatic cylinder 41, pushes teeth 31 into the teeth on gear wheel

17 causing roller 15 to stop turning while tape 10 continues to move with the strip 37 attached thereto. When roller 15 stops, rollers 13 and 14 also stop thereby rupturing the strip 37 of adhesive at 12 o'clock on transfer roller 13. When it is time to begin applying a new adhesive strip 37, cylinder 41 is activated to cause arm 30 to be withdrawn, and at the same time pressure roller 12 moves downward onto tape 10, applying the adhesive strip 37 to tape 10. There is also shown button 42 which is pushed to cause cylinder 41 to pull arm 30 away from gear wheel 17 when it is necessary to insert a new roll of composite tape 20 on -roller 15 and to thread the tape around rollers 13, 14 and 16.

In FIGS. 2-3 there is shown a device to be held in an operator's hand to be used to apply a strip 37 of adhesive to a surface, e.g., a paper cutting tape 10. The sane components as those described above with respect to FIG. 1 are employed in FIG. 2 with substantially the same function and substantially the same operations. Supply roller 15 rotates in the direction of arrow 25 to deliver composite tape 20 to press roller 14, which in turn, transfers the adhesive strip 37 from composite tape 20 to transfer roller 13 and returns the release liner 21 from composite tape 20 to windup roller 16. Gear wheels 17 (on roller 15) and 18 ( on roller 16) are engaged with idler gear wheel 19 to pro¬ vide the appropriate movement to these components in the directions of arrows 25, 26, and 27, respectively. These components are all mounted on an appropriate frame 38 which may be as simple as a plate of aluminum with a suitable handle 36 in the nature of a saw grip or a pistol grip. The device is operated by pressing frame 38 and roller 13 toward the surface to which the adhesive strip is to be applied. In this illus¬ tration the surface is cutting tape 10, and so roller 13 is pressed against tape 10 and -moved in the direction of arrow 40 while maintaining roller 13 pressed against tape 10. This causes roller 13 to turn in the direction of arrow 23. Friction causes press roller 14 to move in the direction of arrow 24 and also causes composite tape 20 to be unwound from supply roller 15 causing it to turn in the direction of roller 25. There also is a lever means 43 which is mounted on shaft 46 of roller 14 and is biased by spring 28 around pivot pin 44 to apply pressure against transfer roller 13. Gear wheels 17, 18 and 19 cause windup roller 16 to turn in the direction of arrow 26. If gear teeth on wheels 17, 18 and 19 are identical the linear movement of tape 20 will be exactly the same as the linear movement of liner 21, thus, synchronizing the unwinding of

ooπposite tape with the windup of release tape.

In this embodiment, there is an added feature of a stop/guide arm 47 which has one or more gear tooth projections 31 at the near end of arm 47 adjacent gear wheel 17, and has a ^" guiding ledge 34 adjacent the other distal end of arm 47. Arm 47 is pivoted in its central por¬ tion at pin 35 and is fitted with a spring 32 to bias gear teeth 31 toward gear wheel 17. Gear teeth 31 are shaped so as to mesh with the teeth in gear wheel 17, or, alternatively, the projection 31 is shaped so as to wedge itself into the gears of wheel 17 and prevent it from turning. As may be appreciated, when projections 31 are moved to make contact with gear wheel 17, roller 15 cannot turn, and this effectively stops the turning of rollers 13 and 14, idler gear 19, and roller 18. Tnis prevents the unwinding of supply roll 15 until the operator wants to apply a strip of adhesive to a surface such as tape 10. When that time occurs the device is placed so that guiding ledge 34 is positioned along the edge of tape 10 (see FIG. 3) or along the edge of any other surface to which a strip of adhesive is to be applied, and pressure is applied pushing roller 13 against the tape 10. This causes arm 47 to pivot, moving teeth 31 away from wheel 17 in the direction of arrow 33 and freeing supply roller 15 and all other rollers and gear wheels to turn. When the adhesive strip 37 has been applied, the operator lifts roller 13 away from tape 10 or the substitute surface, causing arm 47 to pivot back to the position where teeth 31 engage gear wheel 17 and stop the movement of rollers 13-16 and gear 19. The fragility of the adhesive strip 37 is such that the strip ruptures near the contact line between tape 10 and transfer roller 13. ND positive cutting action is necessary if the adhesive strip is sufficiently thin, i.e., on the order of 0.001 to 0.005 inch.

It is also to be noted that the hand-held embodiment of FIG. 2 can be used to apply double-sided adhesive tape to any surface by merely adding a knife or scissors to cut the double-sided tape when the desired length has been applied. In this instance, of course, there is no need for roller 16 to wind up liner 21.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, like characters from the previous embodiments represent substantially the same components. The locking arm 47' is configured to pivot about axis 15' of roller 14 and carries at its end opposite locking teeth 31 the transfer roll 13. In such em¬ bodiment there is sufficient resiliency and elasticity between press

roller 14 and transfer roller 13 so that press roller 14 need not be spring biased against roller 13 as shown and described in connection

» with FIGS. 1 and 2. Accordingly, when transfer roller 13 is pressed against cutting tape or surface 10, arm 47' pivots to cause teeth 31 to be disengaged from the teeth on gear wheel 17 and permit the transfer of adhesive strip 37 onto surface 10. If found to be necessary, the press roller 14 could be mounted through slots in each of arm 47 and frame 38 and spring loaded towards transfer roller 13 or any other appropriate way.

The eirbodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 provides an alternate way of locking the transfer roller 13' rather than arm 47" locking the supply of tape 15 on gear wheel 17. The arm 47" includes an aperture or window 50 with several teeth 51 projecting inwardly which mate with gear wheel 52 that rotates with transfer roller 13. The spring 32 biases arm 47" outwardly such that teeth 51 mesh with gear wheel 52 to lock same against rotation, as shown in FIG. 5. When the transfer roll 13 is pressed against the cutting tape or surface 10, gear teeth 51 disengage gear wheel 52 permitting free rotation of transfer roller 13 as it ap¬ plies adhesive strip 37 to surface 10 as depicted in FIG. 6. After a sufficient strip 37 is applied, the operator withdraws the lateral force applied to the device until teeth 51 lock onto gear wheel 52 and the op¬ erator applies a subsequent force generally downwardly with roller 13 disengaged from surface 10 to cause the tearing or rupture of such strip 37 by stretching same.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.