US2737149A - Tape dispenser and moistener - Google Patents

Description

"in vii March 1956 H. J. COLLINS, JR, ET AL 2,737,149

TAPE DISPENSER AND MOISTENER Filed July 6, 1954 INVENTOR. l'lmezv Jacxawv Ca4.4.ms.- z

JQJEPH M WESTON A rraews v5 United States Patent TAPE DISPENSER AND MOISTENER Harry Jackson Collins, Jr., Milwaukee, and Richard G.

Evans and Joseph W. Weston, Green Bay, Wis., assignors to Tape, Inc., Green Bay, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 6, 1954, Serial No. 441,204

3 Claims. .(Cl. 118-43) This invention relates to a tape dispenser and moistener.

The dispenser comprises but three molded parts desirably made of plastic and requiring for use only a wick and water for which the parts provide appropriate confining means. One of the parts is a base part having a pocket in which a roll of tape is disposed and further providing a chamber for water and a wick. A partition between the water chamber and the pocket for the tape supports a second molded plastic part which confines the wick to hold it upright, and provides a feed surface over which the tape is delivered across the wick. The third plastic part is a cover having hinge and latch means cooperating with complementary hinge and latch means molded into the first part. The cover encloses the tape, provides an access opening and underlying feed table for manipulating the tape in the feeding movement thereof, and has a tearing edge coacting with the guide surface of the second part to define a slot through which the tape is delivered and which is opened by the hinged movement of the cover part.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 shows the device of Fig. l in longitudinal section on a somewhat enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, the front wall being broken away to the plane indicated at 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view taken in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed view taken in section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

The molded part 7, which constitutes the base of the dispenser, comprises a hollow forward column 8 with an outwardly convex front wall 9. An upwardly opening cavity at 10 constitutes a water container, the rear wall 11 of which serves as a partition between the water chamber and a chamber 12 within which a roll 13 of gummed tape is stored. Water chamber 10 is desirably spanned from front to rear by a plurality of partitions 14 having wick supporting upper surfaces 15 upon which the moistening wick 16 rests. Desirably, each partition is extended above the level of the supporting margin 15. The upwardly extending portions 17 of the partitions are disposed at the rear of the wick and have margins which converge downwardly toward the wick, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby forcing the wick to an upright position in face contact with the forward wall 18 of the Water chamber. In accordance with conventional practice, the wick may comprise a felt or a sponge or a brush, or another moistening means.

Seated on the top edge portion 19 of partition 11 is a second molded part 20 which is T-shaped in cross section, having a channeled shank portion 21 engaging the partition and a broad head portion 22 with an upwardly inclined generally planiform surface 23 across which is fed a web of tape 24 from roll 13. The forward margin of the head portion 22 engages the sponge to hold it snugly against the front wall 18 of the water compartment. It is preferably disposed at or very slightly below the top edge of the wick to guide into .proximity with the moistened wick the lower or gummed surface of the tape 24.

The cover 25 is made to conform substantially to the width of the base toclose the compartment 12 about the roll 13. The forward margins of the cover are complemommy to the side walls of column 8 at the rear thereof. The cover has integral ear portions 26 socketed at 27 to receive pegs 2S molded integrally with base 7 to project laterally therefrom into the sockets, as best shown in Fig. 5. Interiorly the cover has a rib at 29 terminating in a laterally projecting hook at 30 immediately below the level of the lower margin 31 of the cover proper, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 2. The base portion 7 has an overhanging shoulder 32 engaged by the hook in the normal closed positions of the parts. While there are numerous ways of molding such a shoulder, I provide the base with an opening 33 through which may be withdrawn a portion of the mold which I use for this purpose. The plastic cover is sufficiently flexible so that manual pressure on its sides will deform these inwardly to release the respective hooks from the respective shoulders at opposite sides of the device, thereby permitting the cover to swing from the normally closed position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 to 4 to an open position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

With the cover open, a fresh roll 13 may be inserted and the tape thereof may be fed across the dispensing table 35 which is molded integrally with the cover to extend from side to side thereof beneath the top opening 36 with which the cover is provided. The tape web supported on the table element 35 is accessible to the operators fingers through the opening 36, whereby'the web may be advanced toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in a dispensing direction.

In the path of the tape thus advanced, and directly beyond the table element 35, the cover 25 is provided with a downwardly beveled surface at 37 which forces the advancing web onto the upwardly inclined guide surface 23 constituting the top of the T-shaped element 22. With the cover closed, the inclined surface 38 of the cover is parallel to, and closely spaced from, surface 23 to hold the advancing tape close to element 25) and to guide it against the wick 16. Surface 33 terminates in a sharp edge at 40 over which the dispensed tape is readily torn off.

One advantage of the construction disclosed is to facilitate cleaning of the water reservoir 10. The wick 16, is very readily removable, with or without first removing the T-shaped head piece 20. Unless the water is kept reasonably fresh, it becomes contaminated with adhesive and, in the case of some adhesives, it may become moldy. Both the wick and the interior of the reservoir may be cleaned with great facility.

It will be apparent that another advantage consists in the simplicity of the structure and the small number of separate parts required. Both the hinge and the catch used to connect the cover part 25 with base part 7 are integral portions of these molded parts.

Facility of operation is another advantage. The cooperation of the cover surfaces with the guide surface 23 of part 29 requires the dispensed tape to move across the top of the wick or sponge. The advance of the tape by manipulation through opening 36 is limited by the extent of the opening, but as much tape can be pulled out as may be needed and the tape may be severed practically in the same motion in which it is withdrawn, having been moistened by traversing the wick.

The fact that the wick is supported by ribs 14 in a somewhat elevated position in the reservoir leaves a settling chamber below the wick, this being a desirable feature.

We claim:

1. A tape dispenser and moistener comprising a base unit providing integrally a forward column portion having an upwardly opening reservoir with front and rear walls, said base further having an upwardly opening cavity at a lower level near the rear of the base, a guide member positioned on the rear wall of the reservoir and having a channelin which the upper end of said Wall is engaged, the guide member comprising a surface overlying a portion of the reservoir, wick means in the reservoir extending to the level of said surface and confined between said member and the front wall of the reservoir, and a cover for said cavity having a lip overlying said member and in spaced relation thereto to provide therewith a slot for guiding dispensed tape over the Wick, the said cavity being adapted to receive tape to be dispensed through said slot and having a tape-supporting table adjacent said lip, said cover having an opening overlying said table to afford access to table-supported tape for the manipulation thereof through the slot and over the wick.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the cover and base aforesaid have mutually interengaged integral hinge and latch parts molded unitarily therewith for hinging the cover to the base and releasably securing the cover against the hinged movement, the cover having yieldable portions supporting the latch parts, whereby such parts are releasable by deforming said portions.

3. A tape dispenser comprising a base provided in a forward portion with an upstanding column having at its top an upwardly opening cavity constituting a reservoir with front and rear walls and a bottom, said base having side and rear wall and bottom portions extending rearwardly from the column and terminating at a lower level to constitute a tape-receiving cavity, studs projected laterally from said side walls adjacent the rear of the base,

shoulders projecting inwardly from said side walls near the front of the cavity adjacent the column, a cover for the cavity having integrally molded ears at its rear portion with apertures engaged over said studs, said cover having resiliently yieldable forward side wall portions provided with latch extensions releasably engaged with said shoulders, said cover being further provided with an apertured top and with a table web spanning the aperture beneath the top and across which a ribbon of tape from a supply within the cavity may be manipulated, a lip at the free forward top edge of the cover having a forwardly directed tearing edge, said lip including a lower surface extending obliquely upwardly toward such edge, a guidemember of T-shaped cross section having a transversely channeled lower portion engaged over the rear wall of the reservoir and having an upwardly inclined surface complementary to the oblique surface of said lip and spaced therefrom to provide a tape dispensing slot, a sponge disposed in the reservoir and having its upper margin exposed adjacent said surface and substantially abutted by said member for the moistening of dispensed tape, said lip having a downwardly beveled surface leading from the opening above the table toward the inclined surface of said member for directing tape against said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,000,571 Anderson Aug. 5, 1911 1,177,744 Vercellino Apr. 4, 1916 1,289,213 McGuire Dec. 31, 1918 1,548,258 Davis Aug. 4, 1925 1,552,779 Vaughan Sept. 8, 1925 2,362,755 Krueger Nov. 14, 1944 2,432,880 Gilliam Dec. 16, 1147 2,519,701 Richardson Aug. 22, 1950

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