US2731084A - Tape cutting device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 17, 1956 R, BURNS 2,731,084

TAPE CUTTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 4. 1953 1N VEN TOR.

7?. BUR/VS United States Patent TAPE CUTTING DEVICE Harvey R. Burns, North Royalton, Ohio Application December 4, 1953, Serial No. 396,234

6 Claims. (Cl. 164-36) This invention relates in general to tape cutting devices for cutting strips of tape from adhesive tape in roll form, i. e., adhesive tape wound in roll form around an annular core as customary for masking tape, bandage tape, insulating tape, etc., and, more particularly, to tape cutting devices suitable for larger sizes of tape rolls which, for economic and practical reasons, must be handled and cut by a user when applying the tape.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a new and useful tape cutting device which is constructed to be slidably supported on a tape roll to permit unwinding of the desired length of tape, the device embodying an outer member straddling the tape roll and mounting a cutting knife in slidable self-sharpening contact with the outermost tape convolution of the tape roll and an inner member coupled with the outer member and including an adjustably supported sliding shoe yieldingly shifted into sliding engagement with the inner periphery of the core of the tape roll.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tape cutting device of the type referred to above, in which the outer member is of U-shaped form, in which the cutting knife is attached to the web portion of the U shaped outer member in parallel relation with respect to such web portion, and in which the cutting knife extends between and contacts the opposite flanges of the outer member.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tape cutting device of the type referred to above, in which the cutting knife is arranged within the confines of the U-shaped outer member and includes at its front portion an undercut cutting edge to facilitate self-sharpening of the cutting knife when sliding upon the outermost tape convolution of a tape roll and at its rear portion a lifter edge to facilitate lifting of the end of the tape roll prior to unwinding therefrom a strip to be applied.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a tape cutting device of the type referred to above, in which the cutting knife includes tape slitting means vertically shiftably extended through said knife to be selectively shifted into and out of operating position.

The above and other inherent objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred exemplified form of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side-view of a tape cutting device embodying the invention, the device being mounted on a roll of tape and illustrating the position of the cutting knife effecting proper cutting of the inner end of an unwound length of tape;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through Fig. 1, the section being taken on line 22 of said figure;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the outer member of the tape cutting device in disassembled condition with the individual elements shown in co-related position with respect to each other;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inner member of the tape cutting device; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the cutting knife.

Referring now more particularly to the exemplified form of the invention shown in the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates a tape cutting device adapted for use in connection with a roll of tape 3 to serve as a medium for cutting unwound lengths of tape 4 from such roll. This tape cutting device embodies an outer member 5 constructed to straddle tape roll 3 and an inner member 6 removably coupled with outer member 5 and constructed to extend within tubular core 7 of tape roll 3 and slidably engage the inner periphery of such core.

The outer member 5 of tape cutting device 2 is substantially U-shaped and extends its middle or web portion 8 crosswise of tape roll 3 straddled thereby to position the opposite flanges or legs 9 of such member at opposite sides of the tape roll (see Figs. 1 and 2). In addition, outer member 5 has its flanges or legs 9 provided'with vertical slots 10 for a purpose later to be described and mounts a cutting knife 11 attached to the inner face of web portion 8 by screw members 12 threadedly engaged with threaded bores 14 in the cutting knife 11 arranged parallel to web portion 8 and of substantially the same width as such web portion. Cutting knife 11 engages with its opposite ends 15 the inner walls 16 of legs 9 and is formed at its front portion 17 with an undercut straight cutting edge 18 extended over the entire length of the cutting knife and at its rear portion 19 with a straight tapelifting edge portion 20, also extended over the entire length of such cutting knife.

The inner member 6 of tape cutting device 2 includes an arcuate shoe 21 adapted to slidably contact the inner periphery of the tubular tape core 7 of tape roll 3 to be cut, which shoe is curved upon a radius substantially that of the inside diameter of the tape core. Arcuate shoe 21 includes at opposed sides cut-outs 22 for legs 9 of outer member 5 and has downwardly extended therefrom a screw rod 23, the upper end 24 of which is attached to central portion 25 of the shoe by welding or riveting. Screw rod 23 mounts on its threaded portion 26 a nut member 27 threadedly engaged with the rod so as to be axially shifted when rotated and has its free end 28 freely shiftably extended through a bore 29 in an elongated bracket member 30 provided at its opposite ends with downwardly extended finger portions 31. In addition, screw rod 23 freely shiftably supports a soft compression spring 32 which is sleeved upon said rod between nut member 27 and bracket member 30, preferably non-removably coupled with screw rod 23 by upsetting same at its free end 28. The tape cutting device is mounted on tape roll 3 by first placing outer member 5 in straddling position upon such tape roll and inner member 6 into tubular core 7 of such roll while aligning legs 9 of the outer member 5 with cutouts 22 in arcuate shoe 21, then coupling the outer and inner members with each other by extending finger portions 31 of bracket member 30 through opposed vertical slots in in legs 9 and shifting such bracket member downwardly to engage end portions 33 of its finger portions with outer walls 34 of legs 9 and, finally, shifting cutting knife 11 of outer member 5 into yielding contact with the outermost tape convolution of the roll and arcuate shoe 21 of the inner member 6 into yielding contact with the inner periphery of the tubular core of the roll.

In this mounting procedure, shifting of arcuate shoe 21 into contact with the inner periphery of the tubular core of the tape roll is eifected by nut members 27 when axially rotated to move away from such shoe, as the nut member is seated on compression spring 32 and as shoe 21 and its supporting screw rod 23 are free to move until such shoe contacts with the inner periphery of the tubular core. Further shifting of arcuate shoe 21 in the manner described, after its contact with the inner periphery of the tubular core of the tape roll, forces such arcuate shoe and cutting knife 11 of outer member into the desired preterminable pressure contact with such inner periphery and the outermost tape convolution of the tape roll and thus provides a simple and efficient means to properly control the cutting operations of the device and properly position its cutting knife for knife-sharpening and tape-lifting operations.

In operating the tape cutting device when mounted on a tape roll, lifting of the tape end of the tape roll is effected by forcibly shifting tape-lifting edge portion of cutting knife 11 against such tape end and, thereafter, the desired length of tape is drawn from the tape roll and, while being applied, severed from such roll by a short twisting movement of the hand of the operator holding the tape roll. During this procedure, cutting edge 15; of cutting knife 11 is sharpened and honed by the outermost tape convolution of the tape roll and thus automatically conditioned for proper cutting operations. Best cutting results are obtained when during cutting operations the pressure of outer member 5 on the tape to be cut is increased by the manner in which the operator holds the tape roll or by rotation of nut member 27 which controls the tension of compression spring 32.

Knife-supporting outer member 5 and cutting knife 11 supported thereby also permit the slitting of the tape of a tape roll mounting the tape cutting device. Such slitting of tape is effected prior to cutting operations and while the operator draws a predetermined length of tape from the tape roll by a slitting pin axially shiftably supported in preferably threaded bores 36, 37 in web portion 8 of member 5 and cutting knife 11, respectively. Slitting pin 35, which when rotated is axially shifted in said bores to operative or inoperative position, includes a sharply pointed slitting end 38 adapted to effect in operative position of slitting pin 35 slitting of the tape While being drawn from the tape roll.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A tape cutting device for use upon a roll of tape wound on a tubular core comprising an outer member of U-shaped outline adapted to straddle a roll of tape, a cutting knife within said outer member attached to its web portion parallel with respect thereto, an inner member adapted to extend within the tubular core of said roll of tape including an arcuate shoe adapted to engage the inner periphery of the tubular core of said roll of tape, means removably coupling said outer and inner members to each other, and means yieldingly shifting the arcuate shoe of the inner member toward the web portion of the outer member to yieldingly engage the cut ting knife of said outer member with the outmost convolution of said roll of tape and the arcuate shoe of said inner member with the inner periphery of the tubular core of the roll of tape.

2. In a tape cutting device for use upon a roll of tape wound on a tubular core, a U-shaped member adapted to straddle a roll of tape, a shoe-like member having a shoe portion and a guide rod, said shoe-like member slidably arranged between the flanges of said U-shaped member and dimensioned to be positioned within the tubular core of such roll of tape for contact with the inner periphery of its tubular core, and coupling means between said U-shaped member and said shoe-like memher, said coupling means including spring means coupled with said U-shaped member and the guide rod of said shoe-like member and adapted to yieldingly shift the web portion of the U-shaped member toward the outmost convolution of the roll of tape and the shoe-like member toward the inner periphery of the tubular core of such roll of tape.

3. A tape cutting device as described in claim 2, wherein said coupling means includes a supporting bracket assembly slidably engaged with the guide rod of the shoe-like member and dimensioned and constructed to be removably attached to the flange of the U-shaped member, and wherein the spring means embodies a coil spring sleeved upon said guide rod between the shoe portion of the shoe-like member and the supporting bracket assembly engaged therewith.

4. A tape cutting device as described in claim 2, wherein said U-shaped member has mounted therein in direct contact with its web portion a cutting knife, and wherein said U-shaped member and cutting knife shiftably support slitting means arranged at a right angle to said U-shaped member and adapted to be selectively shifted to working and rest positions.

5. A tape cutting device comprising a cutting knife supporting outer member of U-shaped form adapted to straddle a roll of tape wound on a tubular core, an inner member removably coupled with said outer member adapted to extend within the tubuiar core of the roll of tape, said inner member embodying an arcuate shoe slidably and non-rotatably engaged with the outer member, a guide rod extended from said arcuate shoe, a spring seating member on said guide rod and a compression spring sleeved on said guide rod and extending between the outer and inner members, said spring seating means being adjustably mounted on said guide rod to permit adjustment of the tension of the compression spring for control of the force shifting the outer member and arcuate shoe into contact with the outermost convolution of the roll of tape and the inner periphery of the tubular core of the roll of tape.

6. A tape cutting device as described in claim 5, wherein said inner member is coupled with said outer member by a supporting means embodying a centrally perforated supporting bracket extending between the flanges of the U-shaped member and removably attached thereto, wherein the guide rod of said arcuate shoe consists of a threaded rod slidably extended through the perforation of the supporting bracket, wherein said threaded rod carries as spring seating means a nut member threadedly engaged with said rod, and wherein the compression spring sleeved upon said rod, engages with its opposite ends the supporting bracket and the nut member to effect by rotation of such nut member shifting of the arcuate shoe for control of the contact pressure of the outer member of the tape cutting device with the outermost convolution of the tape roll and the inner periphery of the tubular core of such tape roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,401,286 Wright May 28, 1946 2,609,877 Hanington Sept. 9, 1952 2,655,214 Van Cleef Oct. 13, 1953

Images