Splicing tape dispenser-applicator

Claim 2

A splicing tape dispensing mechanism comprising a support, a carriage plate, means attached to said support mounting said carriage plate for reciprocal movement relative to said support along a straight line path, means for reciprocating said carriage plate along said path, means carried by said carriage plate for feeding an elongate splicing tape, tape feed operating means for operating said tape feed means only when said carriage plate is moved in a first direction along said path so that a predetermined amount of tape is advanced by said tape feeding means, guide means carried by said carriage plate for positioning the leading end of said tape as it is advanced by said tape feeding means, and cutting means carried by said carriage plate for severing a length of said tape including the leading end thereof at a selected point relative to said guide means, said tape feed operating means comprising a one-way rotary clutch carried by said carriage plate and coupled to said means for feeding splicing tape, and means coupling said clutch and said support for causing said clutch to rotate first in one direction and then in an opposite direction responsively to reciprocal movement of said carriage plate along said path.

Claim 3

A mechanism according to claim 1 further including means carried by and moveable relative to said carriage plate for dispensing the said length of tape severed by said cutting means.

Claim 4

A mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said dispensing means and said cutting means are moveable as a single unit.

Claim 5

A mechanism according to claim 3 further including means carried by said carriage plate defining a guide channeL, said cutting means and said dispensing means being disposed within and moveable longitudinally of said guide channel.

Claim 6

A mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said channel has a side opening whereby tape advanced by said tape feeding means enters said channel in position to be severed by said cutting means, said channel being open at one end to permit tape severed by said cutting means to be dispensed by said dispensing means.

Claim 7

A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said tape feed means comprises a tape feed roll and said tape feed operating means includes means operatively connecting said one-way clutch to said tape feed roll.

Claim 8

A mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said dispensing means is a ram, and further including means for releasably holding said severed length of tape against said ram by suction.

Claim 9

A mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said dispensing means is a ram and said cutting means comprises a cutter blade attached to said ram, and further including means for reciprocating said ram and cutter blade.

Claim 10

A mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said dispensing means is a ram, and further including a guide channel, said cutting means and said ram being disposed within and moveable longitudinally of said channel.

Claim 11

A mechanism according to claim 12 wherein said channel has a side opening whereby tape advanced by said tape feed means enters said channel in position to be severed by said cutting means, said channel being open at one end to permit tape severed by said cutting means to be dispensed by said ram.

Claim 12

A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said tape feeding means comprises first and second tape feed spools, and said tape feed operating means comprises gear means connecting said tape feed spools so that said second spool will rotate in synchronism with said first spool and means connecting said first spool to said one-way clutch so that said first spool is rotatably driven by said clutch only when said carriage plate moves in a first direction along said path.

Claim 13

A mechanism according to claim 1, further including means for dispensing said length of tape, said dispensing means comprising means for selectively applying vacuum so as to hold said severed length of tape by means of suction.

Claim 14

A splicing tape applicator according to claim 11 wherein said means for rotating said shaft comprises an arm having one end affixed to said shaft and means attached to said support for applying a force to said arm so as to rotate said shaft as said carriage is reciprocated.

Claim 15

A splicing tape applicator comprising a carriage, a support, means attached to said support mounting said carriage for reciprocal movement relative to said support along a straight-line path, a shaft, a clutch rotatably supported by said carriage and coupled to said shaft, said clutch being adapted to permit relative rotation of said shaft when said shaft is subjected to a turning force in one direction and to lock to said shaft when said shaft is subjected to a turning force in the opposite direction, means for feeding splicing tape including a tape feed spool and means coupling said tape feed spool to said clutch so that said tape feed spool and clutch will rotate as a unit, tape guide means carried by said carriage for guiding the leading end of tape advanced by said tape feed spool, tape cutting and applying means associated with said guide means comprising a knife for cutting a length of tape off the leading end of said tape at a point within said guide means and pressure member for dispensing said length of tape and applying it under pressure to materials to be spliced, means for reciprocating said carriage along said path, means for rotating said shaft first in said one direction and then in said other direction as said carriage is reciprocated, and means for actuating said tape cutting and applying means.

Claim 16

A splicing tape applicator comprising a carriage, a support, means attached to said support mounting said carriage for reciprocal movement relative to said support along a straight-line path, a shaft, a clutch rotatably supported by said carriage and coupled to said shaft, said clutch being adapted to permit relative rotation of said shaft when said shaft is subjected to a turning force in one direction and to lock to said shaft when said shaft is subjected to a turning force in the opposite direction, means for feeding splicing tape including a tape feed spool and means coupling said tape feed spool to said clutch so that said tape feed spool and clutch will rotate as a unit, tape guide means carried by said carriage for guiding the leading end of tape advanced by said tape feed spool, tape cutting and applying means associated with said guide means comprising a knife for cutting a length of tape off the leading end of said tape at a point within said guide means and pressure member for dispensing said length of tape and applying it under pressure to materials to be spliced, means for reciprocating said carriage along said path, means for rotating said shaft first in said one direction and then in said other direction as said carriage is reciprocated, and means for actuating said tape cutting and applying means.

Claim 17

A splicing tape applicator according to claim 14 wherein said pressure member includes a pressure pad, and further incLuding means for selectively applying vacuum so as to hold said severed length of tape against said pad by means of suction.

Claim 18

In a machine for splicing magnetic tape to a leader and winding said leader and magnetic tape on a spool, said machine including a splicing head with a horizontally extending surface for supporting magnetic and leader tapes to be spliced, a splicing tape applicator for applying a length of splicing tape to the said tapes to be spliced, said applicator comprising a carriage disposed above said splicing head, means supporting said carriage for reciprocal straight line movement toward and away from said splicing head, means carried by said carriage for feeding splicing tape, means for operating said splicing tape feeding means only when said carriage is moving away from said splicing head, guide means carried by said carriage for positioning the leading end of said splicing tape as it is being advanced by said feeding means so that it is aligned longitudinally with said splicing head surface, selectively operable means for (a) severing a length of splicing tape off of said leading end thereof, (b) propelling said severed length of tape downwardly toward said splicing head and (c) pressing said severed length of tape down onto the ends of magnetic and leader tapes supported by said splicing head surface, and means for operating said selectively operable means as said carriage stops moving down toward said splicing block and before said carriage commences moving up away from said splicing block.

Claim 19

In a machine for splicing magnetic tape to a leader and winding said leader and magnetic tape on a spool, said machine including a splicing head with a horizontally extending surface for supporting magnetic and leader tapes to be spliced, a splicing tape applicator for applying a length of splicing tape to the said tapes to be spliced, said applicator comprising a carriage disposed above said splicing head, means supporting said carriage for reciprocal straight line movement toward and away from said splicing head, means carried by said carriage for feeding splicing tape, means for operating said splicing tape feeding means only when said carriage is moving away from said splicing head, guide means carried by said carriage for positioning the leading end of said splicing tape as it is being advanced by said feeding means so that it is aligned longitudinally with said splicing head surface, selectively operable means for (a) severing a length of splicing tape off of said leading end thereof, (b) propelling said severed length of tape downwardly toward said splicing head and (c) pressing said severed length of tape down onto the ends of magnetic and leader tapes supported by said splicing head surface, and means for operating said selectively operable means as said carriage stops moving down toward said splicing block and before said carriage commences moving up away from said splicing block.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 16 wherein said selectively operable means comprises a reciprocal plunger for propelling and pressing said severed length of tape and means for holding said severed length of tape against said plunger by suction.