US1230240A - Automatic applying and sealing device. - Google Patents

Description

G. W. TYLER.

AUTOMATIC APPLYING AND SEALING DEVICE.. APPLICATION FILED AUG-30. 1913.

1 ,230, 24:0 Patentd June 19, 1917.

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Application filed August 30, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. TYLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Applying and Sealing Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to devices for applying gummed articles, tape, or the like, and more particularly to a device for automatically aifixing thin stock in the form of tape, strips, or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which will? hold and carry a considerable amount of the stock to be applied, will permit the same to be automatically fed as desired, will moisten the stock if gummed, or will apply paste if not gummed, will press and smooth the stock when applied, will enable it to be automatically cut and severed at any point desired, and will also have provision for a substantial supply of moistening liquid or adhesive coating entirely without the hands of the operator touching the tape. A further object of the invention is to have the tape or the like after being severed from a previous application, in position and ready primed, as it were, for the next application without the operator being obliged to handle the tape in the least. Heretofore in tape applying, or sealing devices of this type, so far as I am aware, it has been necessary during some part of the applying operation for the operator to handle the tape being applied, either in arranging the same to start, in feeding, in cutting off, or in pressing and fixing it firmly on the article, but it is an important feature of my device to eliminate the manual handling of the tape or the like and to provide a device which is automatic in accomplishing the various functions above outlined. While 1 have herein illustrated my automatic sealing device in a preferred form as a small hand applying apparatus, and as having moistening means for operating on a previously gummed strip, it is, of course, within the scope of the invention to provide a similar device of sufficient size to handle large or wide sheets, such as wall paper or the like, andto apply an adhesive coating thereto in place of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1917.

Serial No. 787,487.

moistening device I have used for illustrative purposes.

Other features of the invention, details of construction and novel combinations of parts will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated,

Figure 1 is an end view of the device;

Fig. 2 being a view in cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base;

Fig. 4 is a detail cross sectional view of the moistening or coating apparatus;

Fig. 5 isa perspective illustrating a preferred manner of operation; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively plan and side views, partly in section of a modified form of attachment for handling strips not carried by the device.

It will be understood that I may employ my invention in a variety of forms, the essential feature of the invention being that the tape or other article is carried, led, mois tened (or coated), applied, affixed and cut off without the hand of the operator touching it; the apparatus shown in the drawings is the preferred form of the invention so far as at present manufactured.

The device is preferably of metal and comprises two main parts, a base 1 and a hollow tubular U-shaped handle 2, being adapted to fit in either end of a boXlike receptacle 3 secured transversely of the base 1. and substantially in the middle thereof. The receptacle 3 is preferably formed with either end contracted as indicated at 4 and 5, being of corresponding size in cross section to the ends of the U-shaped member 2 and adapted to effect a spring tension upon the lower ends of the member 2 and retain the same in place as it is fitted therein. The base 1 has formed transversely therein parallel with the receptacle 3 one end round or rounded 6', and the other with the inner face 7 rounded (see Fig. 2) and with the rearmost or outer face 8 carrying a cutting edge 9. Preferably the rounded portion 6 is formed directly from the base 1 by having suitable portions struck therefrom and abutting, as indicated at 10, while the rounded face 7 is similarly formed from the base 1, thus leaving the base with a substantially open central portion, so that the of the lugs and spring clips.

receptacle 3 is exposed to view (see Fig. 3). I preferably form the U-shaped member 2 hollow, and it constitutes a convenient handle, as well as a carrier for the holder or supply of tape carried by the device, and also conveniently constituting the reservpir for the liquid or coating to be applied to the tape, as Will be explained. Fitted in the receptacle 3 is a pad 11 of wicking or any suitable material. \Vhen moistening liquid is to be used I find that felt is desirable, but when an adhesive coating is to be applied, I prefer to use a more porous article, such as a sponge. This pad 11 fits in the open portion of the receptacle 3, Where it is open to view through the aperture in the base 1, leaving the end portions of the receptacle free to receive the ends of the tubular handle and reservoir member 2. The member 2 is adjustable within the spring ends of the receptacle 3, permitting the lower portions of the member to be forced down closely to the bottom 12, thus permitting only a slight amount of liquid to flow from the handles 2 and cover the bottom of the receptacle 3, such flow being an automatic barometric feed, the ends of the tube 2 being open; and may be raised to a desired height to permit a greater depth of the liquid to cover the bottom 12 of the receptacle, the spring feature as indicated at 4 and 5 holding the tube in its adjusted position at the desired height.

The handle or reservoir member 2 also provides a convenient standard to carry a holder 13, having a hinged portion 1a pivoted at 15 and secured by a spring clip 16, on one side, and having a transverse slot 17 formed in the other side and positioned rearwardly of the device. I may secure the holder 13 permanently to the handle 2, but prefer to make the same removable and therefore form lugs 18 and 19 on the upper and lower portions respectively of the mem her 2 (see Fig. 1) and affix a plurality of spring clips 20 and 21 on the holder 13 so that the same may be easily applied to or removed from the handle 2, being simply sprung into place and held by the tension This holder 13 is adapted to receive a roll of tape 22 and can be filled either when removed from the device or when aflixed thereon by swinging open the hinged portion 1 1, as will be readily understood. With the receptacle 13 in position and filled with tape, the loose end is led out through the slot 17 and around the rounded end portion 6 of the base, then upwardly over the pad 11 in the center of the base and downwardly under the rounded face 7 as indicated in dotted lines and by the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. The tube 2 having been filled with liquid and the tape 22 threaded as above outlined, the apparatus is ready to be operated. The operator may hold the same in any convenient manner, and With the tape threaded as shown in Fig. 2, the portion 23 having been drawn across the pad 11 is moistened and ready for use, the applying portion 7 serving to smooth, press and the tape directly to the article on which it is applied, the device being drawn along in the direction of the arrow Fig. 5, until the desired amount of strip 23 has been applied. The operator then tilts the apparatus .to bring the cutting edge 9 into firm contact with the applied strip 23 and cuts off the same either by a slanting twist of the device or a straight pulling movement. This operation leaves a portion of the tape from the cutting edge 9 to the curved surface 7 all ready in position under the applying portion of the device so that the apparatus is primed for the next operation. When again applied, the strip of tape Will at once take hold of the article to which it is afiixed and the tape 22 automatically feed out as the device is drawn along until it is again severed by the cutting edge 9 when a suitable length L has been affixed. It may be desirable, especially in handling tough or strong tape to exert a restraining tension thereon during the cutting off operation, and if so thiscan easily be accomplished by the hand of the operator pressing on the ungummed side of the tape, it passes through theslot 17 in the holder 13. I have illustrated in Fig. 5 'a convenient way of holding and moving the device, with the operators forefinger extending through the handle 2 and in position to apply pressure on the tape as it is drawn from the holder and through the slot 17 during the cutting ofi operationif such tension is desirable. The liquid in the tube 2 is suflicient for a considerable time, carrying the supply of liquid in a most convenient manner and conserving its use, the pad 11 feeding up, the desired amount by capillary attraction to the top surface, jj

where the gummed side of the tape 22 is drawn thereover, as has been explained. In case it is desired to coat the tape with adhesive, instead of moistening it as with the pad 11, it will be desirable to raise the han- I;

dle member 2 sutliciently to permit a deeper quantity of adhesive in the receptacle 3, :and to provide a more porous pad than wicking, in such instance the coating with adhesive taking the place of a moistening of already gummed tape, as will be readily understood. In either instance, the use of the device isperfectly automatic, the hand of the operator not coming in contact with the tape as it is applied during the applying, pressing, gumming or cutting off actions, after the tape is once started, andfurthermore the supply ofliquid can be automatically regulated by the adjustability of the holder and reservoir member 2 in the spring end portions of the receptacle 3. The holder 13 is detachable, permitting difiierent sized holders and of diiferent capacities, width, etc., as best suited for the particular side, width, and type of tape to be employed, thus permitting one device to be used with a large variety of tape or the like. Also when the cover is sprung into place, the hinged portion 14 can be easily raised to replace the tape 22 when the latter has been used up Without removing the holder 13 from the handle.

While I prefer to employ a holder to carry the strip of tape or the like which is to be applied by my automatic device, I may use the same without its carrying the tape being applied by it, but drawing the supply from a reel carried on the wall or table adjacent thereto, or simply contained loosely. The tape from an external reel may be threaded directly around the members 6 over the pad 11 and under the portion 7, as has been explained and the device drawn along in the same manner, coating or moistening, pressing and'applying and cutting off the tape as before. However, for convenience in use of the device with a loose or externally held supply, I provide an attachment as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This attachment comprises two arms at and 25, having U-shaped portions intermediate their ends as indicated at 26 and 27, respectively. These arms are united at either end by headed bolts 28 and 29, having their other ends threaded and fitted with nuts 30 and 31. These bolts carry guide members 32 and 33, preferably round over which the tape from an external source of supply may be led initially in the ,direction either of the arrow 34: or from the direction of the arrow 35 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7 In each instance the tape is led and fed substantially as has been already explained when it is in a holder car ried by the apparatus and the device is manipulated in the same manner. In order to replace the supply of liquid in the handle 2, it is simply necessary to invert the device, withdraw the member 2 from its spring engagement with the ends of the receptacle 3 and fill the handle, then reapply the same while in inverted position, and, upon reversing its position, the device is ready for use. It will be seen that I have provided a static device which is yet automatic in the handling of as diflicult an article as gummed stock, tape or the like, preparing and applying the tape (using tape as an illustra tion), and feeding out the same to any desired length, cutting it 0E, being ready primed to apply a further length of any extent desired, without moving parts, bearings to wear out, or any manual operation whatever, other than simply drawing the device along and tilting it slightly when cutting oi the tape.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the class described, having a base portion provided with tape guiding means, a liquid containing receptacle in said base as a part of tape moistening means, tape applying means, and tape cutting means, and a removable handle portion provided with tape carrying means.

2. A device of the class described, having a base portion provided with a receptacle to contain liquid, tape guiding means on one side of said receptacle, tape moistening means carried by the liquid containing receptacle, and tape applying means carried by the base at the other side of said receptacle, and a U-shaped handle supported on the base and adapted to carry a roll of tape, said handle being hollow to constitute a supply reservoir for the liquid receptacle in the base.

3. A device of the class described, having a base portion provided with tape guiding, tape moistening, tape applying and tape cutting means, and a handle portion provided with tape carrying means and a liquid supply reservoir, and means to adjust said handle relatively with the base portion, whereby the supply of liquid to the moistening means is regulated.

4. A device of the class described, having a base portion provided with tape guiding I means, tape moistening means, tape applying means, and tape cutting means, having a handle, said handle being hollow and provided with a liquid supply reservoir to supply said moistening means, and being detachably secured to the base portion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' GEORGE IV. TYLER.

Witnesses:

W. FREDERIG PETERS, JAMES R. HODDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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