WO1991006102A1

WO1991006102A1 - Apparatus for the automatic dispensing and placement of adhesive items

Info

Publication number: WO1991006102A1
Application number: PCT/GB1990/001608
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stephen Collins
Original assignee: Stephen Collins
Priority date: 1989-10-20
Filing date: 1990-10-18
Publication date: 1991-05-02
Also published as: GB8923626D0

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing adhesive items (T) mounted on a carrier support strip (5), comprises a housing for supporting a carrier support strip in roll form, an edge (25) disposed at a delivery position against which the carrier support strip can be drawn whereby the adhesive items are separated from the carrier support strip, said edge being curved to effect a pressure differential on the emerging support carrier and adhesive items so as to extend and control the attitude of the items, and guide means (26) to ensure that the carrier strip conforms to a curvature provided by said curved edge. The housing is provided with at least one locating projection (30, 31) to engage a channel (Y) of a splicing device (X) whereby the apparatus is disposed at a position at which the adhesive item can be dispensed into the channel in which the strip ends to be joined are located.

Description

APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DISPENSING AND PLACEMENT OF ADHESIVE ITEMS

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing and placing adhesive items typically for accurately joining together tape-like strip materials and is particularly but not solely applicable to the joining of magnetic recording tape.

STATEMENT OF PRIOR ART

Magnetic recording tape is prepared for joining by positioning the ends to be joined, which have been manually cut with a razor blade, within a longitudinally formed channel within a metal block. To effect the join it is known to remove manually and cut a length of single-sided adhesive tape from a roll of the material and manually laying the adhesive tape generally longitudinally over the recording tape ends to be joined so as to bridge them.

This known method is time consuming and inaccurate, and accordingly an apparatus for facilitating the rapid and accurate joining of strip materials has been invented and forms the subject of our European Patent No 0028058 published 30th October 1985 and more particularly our European Patent No 0060636 published 4th December 1985 entitled "Splicing Apparatus and Cassette Therefor".

European Patent No 0060636 discloses apparatus for automatically dispensing adhesive item lengths that are brought into contact with the ends of the strip materials to be joined, but with particular reference to serving a guillotine system of cutting which affords automatic alignment and abutment, as disclosed in European Patent No 0028058, all being especially useful in the field of editing magnetic tape (audio and video) and reparation of strip mater als.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus by which adhesive items can be dispensed and placed accurately and quickly in the strip material receiving channel of the block or other forms of splicing device, said apparatus being independent . of the block but cooperable therewith.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for dispensing adhesive items mounted on a carrier support strip, comprising a housing for supporting a carrier support strip in roll form, an edge disposed at a delivery position exit against which the carrier strip can be drawn whereby the adhesive items are separated from the carrier support strip, said edge serving to control the attitude of the items, and guide means provided to ensure that the carrier strip adhesive items are maintained at said predetermined attitude, wherein said housing is provided with at least one locating projection serving to engage a channel of a splicing device whereby the apparatus is disposed at a position at which the adhesive item can be dispensed into the channel in which the strip ends to be joined are located.

Preferably two locating projections in the form of lugs are provided on the underside of the housing.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is an orthogonal view from above of the apparatus in position on a splicing block,

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus, FIGURES 3 and 4 are plan and underplan views respective!y ,

FIGURE 5 is the turn-key on an enlarged scale, and FIGURE 6 is a section taken along the lιne -VI-VI in Figure 2.

The apparatus comprises a housing 10 assembled from two parts 11, 12, the first part 11 having a base plate 13 supporting two side plates 14, 15 upstanding from said base plate and arranged parallel to each other. The side plates 14, 15 are connected together also by a cross member 14a. The second part 12 is of box shape and is formed with a chamber 16 defined by front and back walls 17, 18 and a top wall 19. The chamber serves to contain a carrier strip S with pre-cut adhesive tabs T in the form of a roll 20 supported on a winding key 21 which passes through aligned apertures in the side plates 14, 15 which close the sides of the chamber 16.

The winding key 21 comprises a split pin which grips, in the first instance, the leading end of the carrier support strip S and thereafter, in winding, takes up the remainder of the emerging spent carrier strip.

In loading, the roll of laminated adhesive items can be placed in the storage chamber 16, which is inserted between the side plates 14, 15, locking at the side and rear with lugs 23. The leading end of the carrier strip is led out through the delivery passage exit 27 and is gripped by a small spike 29 on one of the inwardly opposing faces of the split pin, the split end of which has first been introduced through the right hand side wall 15 support hole. The split pin is then closed as the split end 22a is pushed through the left hand side wall 14 support hole as far as the side plate 15 will allow. After the tip of the split pin 22 is pushed through the left hand side wall 14 support hole the tip expands so that the winding key is locked in position.

A generally U-shaped exit aperture 24 is provided in the base plate 13, thereby forming a tongue having a projecting edge 25 at its distal end which is suitably radiused and slightly concave considered from above and serving to separate the tabs as the carrier S passes around the edge.

The front wall of the housing 12 is provided with a guide member 26 which has a curve which complements the curve of the projecting edge 25 and defines therewith an exit aperture 27. The edge 25 ensures that the support carrier receives a differential pressure to project the tabs at a predeterm ned attitude and the guide member 26 ensures that the attitude is maintained whereby the tab is delivered from the exit passage at an angle to the surface of the tape ends to be joined.

The edge 25 is formed with a lip having a recess 28 at its centre so that the user may observe the point at which the tab is delivered.

On the underside of the base plate 13 there are provided two location lugs 30, 31 which extend respectively beyond the sides of the base plate, said lugs extending longitudinally of the base plate in alignment with each other. The lugs protrude beyond the outer edge of the base plate so that they can be seen from above enabling the user to locate them into the splicing block channel Y with ease. These location lugs are proud of and extend below the base plate and they engage at their sides the splicing block channel Y but not so deeply as to contact or influence effectively the recording tape ends to be joined which lie upon the floor of the channel usually 1 mm approximately in depth. The lugs may extend by 0.5-0.75 mm below the underside of the base plate 13.

The location lugs are slightly narrower than the standard channel width and locate the apparatus in relation to the channel so that the exit aperture 27 is in the correct position and attitude to direct an adhesive item into the channel Y and over the two ends of recording tape to be joined. The attitude of this exit 27 directs the adhesive item "to contact the front wall Z of the splicing block channe l Y .

Around the hole of the right side wall 15, protruding from the wall surface and in a semi-circular arrangement, there is provided a plurality of ratchet-type teeth 34. The teeth 34 engage one or other of the ears of the key 21 as it enters the toothed area of its revolution. The key 21 plays a dual rδle, both as a winding implement and also as a stop for the ratchet arrangement 34, preventing the key 21 from unwinding or slackening off by turning in the opposite direction to the winding direction.

To effect a join between two ends of strip material aligned and abutted for the purpose within a standard splicing block X the user merely locates the apparatus in the splicing block channel Y by its location lugs 30, 31, places fingers on either side of the side plates 14, 15 and turns the key 21 until, as seen through the viewing window 28, the adhesive item has emerged and descended upon the two ends of the strip material. The adhesive tab is carried forwards to contact the front wall Z and align with the wall as it leaves its carrier strip and settles down backwards (i.e. back in the direction of, but now below, the exit 27) to contact the upper surface of the two ends of recording tape to be joined. The apparatus can then be removed and the tabs smoothed down in position over the now joined ends of the tape.

By precise positioning of the locating lugs in relation to the dispensing exit aperture 27 the tabs can be accurately dispensed into the channel, this being an essential requirement to avoid any overlap of the tabs relative to the side edges of the tape.

Preferably the components of the apparatus are made from moulded plastics material and the entire device disposable. However, the housing for the roll of carrier support strip and tabs may be enclosed in the form of -a cassette which may be replaced. In such an arrangement the first part 11 comprising the base plate and side plates may" be a cast metal or pressed metal structure.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. An apparatus for dispensing adhesive items (T) mounted on a carrier support strip (5), comprising a housing for supporting a carrier support strip in roll form, an edge

(25) disposed at a delivery position against which the carrier support strip can be drawn whereby the adhesive items are separated from the carrier support strip, said edge serving to control the attitude of the items, and guide means

(26) to ensure that the carrier strip adhesive items are maintained at said predetermined attitude, wherein said housing is provided with at least one locating projection (30, 31) to engage a channel (Y) of a splicing device (X) whereby the apparatus is disposed at a position at which the adhesive item can be dispensed into the channel in which the strip ends to be joined are located.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said edge is curved to effect a pressure differential on the emerging support carrier and adhesive items so as to control the attitude of the items.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edge (25) is concave considered from above and the guide means (26) has a curve which complements the curved edge.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the guide means (26) is so arranged in relation to the curved edge (25) that the tab separating from the carrier support strip is guided in a generally inclined plane towards the channel of the splicing device.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said housing is provided with a flat base plate (13) supporting therebeneath two locating projections (30, 31).

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said locating projections (30, 31) extend respectively beyond the sides of the base plate (13), the ends serving as indicators for the guidance of the user when engaging the projections in the channel .

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the base plate (23) is rectangular and said locating projections extend longitudinally of the base p^'late in alignment with each other.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the . locating projections are proud of and extend below the base plate and they engage at their sides the splicing block channel (Y) bot not to an extent as to contact or influence adversely the tape ends to be- joined which lie upon the floor of the channel during a splicing operation.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the projections extend by 0.5-0.75 mm below the underside of the base plate (13).

10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein said base plate (13) is provided with a generally U-shaped aperture (24) forming a tongue having said projecting edge (25) at its distal end.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said guide means (26) is formed with a recess (28) at its centre to enable the user to observe the splicing operation.

12. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein said housing includes a chamber (16) defined by front, top and back walls (17, 19, 18) for containing said carrier support strip in roll form, the lower edge of the front wall carrying said guide means (26).

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the housing includes upstanding side plates (14, 15) having aligned holes receiving a take-up key for the spend carrier support strip.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the side plates enclose the otherwise open sides of the chamber (16).

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein around the hole of one side plate (15), and protruding from the plate surface and in a semi-circular arrangement, there is provided a plurality of ratchet-type teeth (34), said teeth (34) being engageable by one or other of ears of the take-up key (21) as it enters the toothed area during rotation by the user, said ratchet teeth preventing the key (21) from unwinding or slackening off by turning in the opposite direction to the winding direction.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the chamber is in the form of a replaceable cassette.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said cassette is provided with lugs which engage parts of said housing for retention of the cassette in the apparatus.