US3614014A

US3614014A - Tape dispensing means

Info

Publication number: US3614014A
Application number: US855A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Nichols; Ralph E Simpson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-01-06
Filing date: 1970-01-06
Publication date: 1971-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-19

Abstract

A dispenser for a 14-inch roll of perforator tape with a hollow core. The dispenser has a tape-holding central portion and cooperating tape control and guidance parts. The central tapeholding portion of the dispenser is fastenable to a perforator, and has a backplate to which an outwardly extending axle is affixed. It also has a lightweight metal hub, sized to fit into the hollow core of the tape roll, slidably mounted on the axle. Fixedly secured to the backplate is the first of a pair of arms of a U-shaped roll guard. The two arms of the guard are pivotally joined so that the second is rotatably movable relative to the first. The outer end of the rotatably movable arm has a notch and the outer end of the hub axle a groove, by means of which the arm and axle can be latched together to insure against excessive sidewise slippage of a mounted tape roll along the axle. Pivotally mounted on the U-shaped guard is a swinging arm with a riding roller attached. The riding roller is positioned to ride against the edge of a tape roll mounted on the axle and prevent the unraveling of tape spirals therefrom. The dispenser is loaded by swinging the rotatably movable arm of the U-shaped guard out of the way, pushing a roll of tape onto the hub, then swinging the rotatably movable arm down until the notch in its outer end latches with the groove in the axle.

Description

ilnited States Patent [72] Inventors William A. Nichols 56 l 7 Hawthorne, Montclair, Calif. 9 1 763; Ralph E. Simpson, 604 E. Arrow Hwy.,

Upland, Calif. 91786 [2 1] Appl. No. 855 [22] Filed Jan. 6, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [54] TAPE DISPENSKNG MEANS Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz Assistant Examiner-Edward J. McCarthy Attorney.lohn 1-1. Crowe ABSTRACT: A dispenser for a 14-inch roll of perforator tape with a hollow core. The dispenser has a tape-holding central portion and cooperating tape control and guidance parts. The central tape-holding portion of the dispenser is fastenable to a perforator, and has a backplate to which an outwardly extending axle is affixed. It also has a lightweight metal hub, sized to fit into the hollow core of the tape roll, slidably mounted on the axle. Fixedly secured to the backplate is the first of a pair of arms of a U-shaped roll guard. The two arms of the guard are pivotally joined so that the second is rotatably movable relative to the first. The outer end of the rotatably movable arm has a notch and the outer end of the hub axle a groove, by means of which the arm and axle can be latched together to insure against excessive sidewise slippage of a mounted tape roll along the axle. Pivotally mounted on the U-shaped guard is a swinging arm with a riding roller attached. The riding roller is positioned to ride against the edge of a tape roll mounted on the axle and prevent the unraveling of tape spirals therefrom.

The dispenser is loaded by swinging the rotatably movable arm of the U-shaped guard out of the way, pushing a roll of tape onto the hub, then swinging the rotatably movable arm down until the notch in its outer end latches with the groove in the axle.

TAPE DISPENSING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to tape dispensers, and more particularly to such dispensers suitable for the continuous feeding of tape to perforators or wire service reperforators from l4-inch rolls.

As those skilled in the art of newspaper composition are aware, line casting machines (originally designed and built solely for manual operation) have in recent years been increasingly converted to automatic operability by the installation of a tape-controlled device known commercially as the Teletypesetter Operating Unit (hereinafter Operating Unit or simply Unit), a product of Fairchild Graphic Equipment Division of Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation, Plainview, N.Y., which attaches directly to the keyboard of such a machine. A line casting machine so equipped can be converted from manual to automatic operation, or vice versa, by simply turning a tape control lever on the Operating Unit. The tape fed to the Operating Unit is of a specially prepared type having coded perforations, the function of the Unit being to read these perforations and translate them into mechanical actions which automatically operate the line casting machine. The perforated tape can be prepared directly from blank paper tape of suitable type by means of a Teletypesetter perforator, an instrument made and sold by Fairchild Camera (the manufacturer of the Operating Unit). The Teletypesetter perforator (hereinafter perforator) is equipped with a fast keyboard and a mechanism cooperating therewith to punch code symbols, and center feed holes, in the tape.

As those skilled in the art are aware, tape copy from a perforator can be in either justified or unjustified form. Regardless of the form of the punched tape, however, the operation of the perforator requires the feeding of blank tape through its punch block. The perforator is available in more than one model, but each is provided only with tape dispensing means capable of handling standard 8-inch rolls of tape. Although there are certain differences in the tape dispensing means of the perforator models (the latest model, for example, having its tape dispensing area enclosed, whereas its predecessor had an open tape dispensing area), the 8-inch roll size capacity of the machine has remained the same.

Paper tape suitable as feed tape for perforators is available in standard 8- and l4-inch rolls. The larger roll holds three times as much tape as the smaller one, and can be purchased at a ten percent savings in cost. The resulting cost, and other, advantages of the larger roll are presently unavailable to perforators users, however, since, as indicated above, perforators are designed to handle only 8-inch rolls, and do not have the capability of dispensing tape from 14-inch rolls.

As will be apparent from the foregoing, and as those familiar with their use are aware, perforators are manually operable. Many newspapers employ, in addition to perforators, Wire service reperforators adapted to receive electrical news signals coming in over the wire and punch tape automatically in response to these signals. Reperforators of this type are manufactured by Teletype Corporation of Skokie, Illinois, and, similarly to the above-described perforators, have built-in capability for the handling of only 8-inch rolls of feed tape. Were such machines capable of using tape from l4-inch rolls, they would achieve not only the cost advantage thereby attainable, but could run unattended for long periods of time with consequent savings in labor costs. Such a reperforator equipped with a l4-inch roll could, for example, run all night with no supervision, whereas the same machine, employing 8- inch rolls, would require attention by salaried personnel off and on throughout the night.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The tape-dispensing unit of this invention is an inexpensive device of simplified construction and manner of use, and capable of installation on any perforator or wire service reperforator with ease, and without the necessity of any drilling or tapping operations. The dispenser is designed for easy mounting on the perforator, or reperforator, in a position to rotatably support a l4-inch roll of paper tape in feeding proximity to the tape processing mechanism of that machine. While there are various modifications of the device, which differ in noncritical details to suit them for installation on particular models of perforators and reperforators, it consists basically, in each of its forms, of a hub assembly and cooperating tape control and guide means. The hub assembly serves to rotatably support a l4-inch roll of tape within feeding range of the punching mechanism of a perforator, or reperforator, and comprises a backplate, with bracket means on one side to permit its installation on the perforator or reperforator and an outwardly extending axle rigidly attached to its other side. Additionally, there is a hub, adapted to fit into the hollow core of a paper tape roll and bored to fit slidably on the axle and rotate freely therearound.

The tape control and guide means includes an elongate U- shaped roll guard, or retaining, member, with a pair of arms adapted to radially straddle the roll of tape, and a swinging, or floating, arm with a relatively lightweight riding roller attached, preferably at one end. The dispenser is designed to vertically support a l4-inch roll of tape in sufficient proximity to the punch block mechanism of either a perforator or reperforator to permit convenient feeding of tape thereto. The U- shaped guard member has one of its arms fixedly secured to the backplate of the hub assembly of the dispenser so as to extend upwardly therefrom, at an angle to the vertical. The other arm of the U-shaped guard member has a notch in its lower end, and the outwardly extending end of the hub assembly axle has a matching groove for this notch. The U-shaped guard member is constructed of two pivotally connected segments so that the arm with the notch in its lower end can be moved into and out of latching engagement with the groove in the axle. This permits that arm to be swung out of the way, for the loading of a I4-inch roll of tape on the hub of the dispenser, and then swung down into latching engagement with the axle.

The swinging, or floating, arm is pivoted, preferably near one end, to an arm, preferably the notched arm, of the U- shaped guard member of the dispenser. The riding roller is of lightweight construction, and installed on the floating arm so as to extend perpendicularly away therefrom, parallel to the hub of the dispenser, and ride on the tape roll in the loaded dispenser. The length of the swinging arm is such as to hold the riding roller in position on the upper edge of a l4-inch roll of tape in the dispenser, and to permit the roller to follow the tape roll in an arcuate path toward its center, as the roll gets smaller in use. The riding roller consists, preferably, of a rigid axle with a cylindrical roller therearound, and annular collar members flanking the cylindrical roller at suitable spacing to permit free rotation of the latter.

in addition to the above-described parts, the dispenser is equipped with guides to route the moving tape from the roll into the punch block of the tape-processing machine to which it is attached. Exemplary forms of such guides will be described in greater detail hereafter. Basically, and as will be apparent in the light of subsequent disclosures herein, the dispenser is adapted to rotatably support a l4-inch roll of tape in sufficient proximity to tape-processing means such as a per forator to permit the punch block, or equivalent mechanism, of the latter to easily pull the tape from the roll without undue strain on, or risk of damage to, the tape.

A l4-inch roll of paper tape of the type fed to a perforator or reperforator is not very wide. Perhaps because of this, and the natural slickness of the paper from which the tape is made, it is almost impossible to handle such a l4-inch roll without losing its outer layers, which fall away as loops or spirals at the slightest movement of the roll. Accordingly, the mere attempt to install such a roll on an ordinary spindle, or hub, generally results in a frustrating unraveling of the outer tape layers therefrom. Moreover, even if the roll could be so installed and threaded into the punch block of a perforator, or reperforator, the subsequent feeding of the tape to the punch block would undoubtedly result in still further unraveling of the outer layers of the tape on the roll.

We have solved the above-noted (tape-unraveling) problem through incorporation of the swinging am and riding roller of previous reference into our dispenser. The arm and roller are designed to station the down-bearing force of the roller on the 14-inch roll at a critical point of tape slippage on its upper edge. As will be seen, the riding roller is lowered into position on the upper edge of the tape roll, to keep it from unraveling as soon as possible after the roll is mounted on the hub assembly of the dispenser. The above-mentioned collars or stops on the riding roller are spaced to flank the sides of the tape roll, and serve to help prevent the sidewise slippage of tape layers from the roll.

It is thus a principal object of this invention to provide means for dispensing feed tape from a 14-inch roll to an operating perforator or wire service reperforator.

It is another object of the invention to provide such means adapted to prevent the unraveling of loops of tape from the roll during installation of the roll, for use in, and subsequent operation of, the perforator or reperforator.

It is another object of the invention to provide such means of simplified construction and manner of operation, and relatively low cost.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent in the light of subsequent disclosures herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a perforator with a preferred embodiment of a tape dispenser in accordance with this invention installed thereon, and showing a strip of tape from a roll of tape in the dispenser feeding through the punch block of the perforator.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation of the dispenser and tape, as seen from the left in FIG. 1, and including a floating arm and riding roller assembly in engagement with the tape roll, a pivoted arm of a U-shaped roll-retaining means in engagement with the axle supporting the tape roll, and in phantom lines the arm is shown disconnected from the axle; and further the turning guide means which directs the tape through a twisting turn to a guide roller on a perforator.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation of the dispenser and tape, as seen from the right in FIG. 1, and including (in phantom lines) the peripheral outline of the partially used tape roll and an alternative position of a floating arm and riding roller assembly adapted to maintain the riding roller in contact with the tape roll as the latter diminishes in size in use.

FIG. 4 is a top view, slightly enlarged, of the dispenser and tape.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat enlarged, fragmentary view of the dispenser and tape roll, taken mostly in section along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a roller forming an important part of the dispenser, taken mostly in section along line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a tape guide assembly forming a part of the dispenser, taken mostly in section along line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Considering now the drawings in greater detail, with emphasis first on FIG. 1, there is shown generally at F a fragmentary past of a late model Teletypesetter perforator and, at D, a preferred embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with this invention installed in operating position thereon. Dispenser D is loaded with a full-roll of tape 91. As FIG. 1 illustrates, the dispenser supports the tape roll in vertical position adjacent the punch block end of the perforator, and guides the loose feed tape from the roll through a curving path toward the punch block mechanism shown at 85. Cooperating with the dispenser, in guiding the tape through punch block 85, is a mounted roller 87, positioned as shown to deflect the moving tape from a path of angular approach to the punch block into the proper alignment therewith to pass straight through, without a tendency to weave, when it is undergoing perforation in, the punch block. Weaving passage of the tape through the punch block can reduce, or even destroy, the effectiveness of the coded tape in its ultimate capacity.

The roller 87 is a simple roller of conventional-type, mounted directly on the perforator in place of a tape guide member with which the perforator was originally equipped (as a part of a built-in tape-dispensing system). Roller 87 was substituted for the latter (factory-installed tape guide) member because of its tailormade superiority for guiding tape from dispenser D into punch block with minimal twist or strain on the tape. Roller 87 is not, however, critically essential to the functioning of the illustrated tape-dispensing means, since the tape could be dispensed, after a fashion, with the aid of the factory-installed tape guide member which it replaces.

Dispenser D is of fairly simple construction, consisting essentiallyof a hub assembly 10 and tape control and guiding means 12. Hub assembly 10 has integral bracket means for attachment of the dispenser to perforator P, and serves the purpose of supporting tape roll 91, in rotatable relationship, in the proper position for feeding tape to the operating perforator. To these ends, the hub assembly has a flat backplate 14, to the rear side of which is secured, by a pair of screws 18, a holding bracket 16. Holding bracket 16 is flat, except for an L-shaped flange 20 forming its top portion. This L-shaped flange is designed to fit snugly over an edge of a well in perforator P designed to house an 8-inch roll of tape for conventional operation of the perforator. This edge is shown in FIG. 1 at 21, and is exposed when a cover, shown at 23, is opened to permit the loading of tape into the perforator. The L-shaped flange 20 on bracket 16 has a cutout 22 designed to admit an upstanding latch member on the perforator edge 21. Thus, when the L-shaped flange of holding bracket 16 is fitted down over edge 21 of the perforator, with the tape cover 23 open, and then the tape cover is closed, the bracket is prevented from slipping longitudinally along edge 21 by the presence of the upstanding latch member in cutout 22, and otherwise held firmly against movement between the tape cover 23 and edge 21 of the perforator P.

Extending perpendicularly forwardly from backplate 14, in the installed position of the dispenser on perforator P, is an axle 24. Axle 24 is threaded at its inner end, as shown at 26, and screwed into a suitably tapped opening in the backplate. The axle is locked in position by means of a nut 28, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Near its forwardly extending end, the axle has an annular groove 30, again as illustrated in FIG. 5, for a purpose hereinafter revealed.

The tape control and guiding means 12 is made up of two separate assemblies, each attached to backplate 14 in the hereinafter described manner, one assembly comprising rollconfining and control means 32, and the other, tape-turning guide means 71. Considering first the roll-confining and control means 32, this consists of two general parts, namely, an elongate, U-shaped roll guard member, or retainer, 36 adapted to straddle tape roll 91 and prevent excessive sidewise movement thereof, and a floating or swinging arm 52 with tape control and guide rollers (hereinafter described) attached, for preventing uncontrolled unraveling of the tape from the roll and guiding the dispensed tape in the direction of the below-described turning guide means.

Tape roll 91 has a cardboard core 83 with a round central hollow, and hub assembly 10 has a metal hub 15, sized to fit snugly within this hollow. Hub 15 has a center bore of the proper size to permit installation of the hub on axle 24 in loosely sliding relationship. When the hub is so installed on the axle, it is adapted to receive the tape roll and rotatably support it, in the manner and position made clear in FIG. I.

The U-shaped roll retainer 36 has, as previously indicated, a pair of arms adapted to radially straddle a roll of tape in the dispenser. The arms are spaced sufficiently far apart to permit free rotation of the tape roll around the hub assembly axle. These two arms are parallel, except where a pair of mirror image bends 50 and 51 are formed respectively therein, near the hub of the dispenser. Below these bends, the arms extend in relatively close, but nonbinding, proximity to hub 15, as best illustrated in FIG. 5.

The inner arm (appearing at the right in FIG. 1) of U- shaped roll retainer 36 is designated by the reference numeral 40 on the drawings, and the outer arm by the reference numeral 42. When tape roll 91 is mounted in the dispenser as illustrated in FIG. l, the arms of U-shaped retainer 36 extend radially outwardly, relative to the roll, from lower points below axle 24 of the hub assembly, to the enclosed end of the retainer beyond the periphery of the roll. The retainer is fixedly secured to backplate 14 of the hub assembly by a pair of screws 38 connecting its inner arm 40 thereto, as shown in FIG. 3. The inner arm 40 has a receptive opening 41 near its lower end, below the above-mentioned bend (now identifiable as bend 50) therein, for axle 24 of the hub means. The inner arm is fixedly secured to backplate 114 above bend 50, and the extent of the bend is sufficient to permit that portion of the arm extending therebelow to clear locking nut 28 on axle 24, all as best illustrated in FIG. 5.

Outer arm 42 of the U-shaped retainer is integral with the enclosed end of the latter, shown at 43, and pivotally connected to inner arm 40 by means of a pivot screw 44, positioned as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The pivotal connection between the inner and outer arms of the U-shaped retainer is such as to permit swinging movement of the outer arm through an arc planarly parallel to the outer face of tape roll 91, in the manner indicated by the phantom line position of that arm, and the directional arrow, in FIG. 2. The lower end of outer arm 42 is notched at 48 (see FIG. 2) in such fashion as to permit latching interfit of the resulting notch with the aforesaid groove 30 in axle 24, when that arm is swung to its lowermost position, illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 2. Because of its latching interfit with axle 24, outer arm 42 will hereinafter be referred to as latching arm 42. As FIG. 2 best shows, U-shaped retainer 36 has an angular orientation which helps, to some extent, in maintaining latching arm 42 in its position of interlock with axle 24, pending upward swinging of the arm out of that position for a purpose hereinafter revealed. When such upward swinging of the arm becomes necessary, this is easily accomplished by hand, against the gentle persuasion of a compression washer, hereinafter identified, positioned to resist unlatching movement of the arm.

Pivot screw 44 (pivotally connecting

arms

40 and 42 of retainer 36) has an enlarged head, and a compression washer 46 is sandwiched between this head and the retainer, as best illustrated in FIG. 5. The compression washer serves to insure sufficient frictional contact between the abutting surfaces of the pivotally movable parts of retainer 36 to minimize, or overcome, the gravity-induced tendency of the latching arm to swing downwardly when it is pushed away from its position of latch with axle 24, and also, as indicated above, to help hold the latching arm in its latched position when the dispenser is in normal use. The importance of these functions of the compression washer will shortly appear.

Pivotally secured to latching arm 42 of the U-shaped retainer 36, beyond the periphery of roll 91, is the aforesaid floating, or swinging, arm 52. Swinging arm 52 is fastened flush against the inner side of latching arm 42, by means of a pivot screw 54 and cooperating washer 56 (see FIG. 5). By virtue of this mode of pivotal connection to latching arm 42, swinging arm 52 is offset to the side of tape roll 91 in the manner illustrated in FIG. I. Swinging arm 52 extends to the left, as seen in FIG. 2, from U-shaped retainer 36, and has attached thereto, near its outer end, a perpendicularly extending riding roller 58.

Riding roller 53 comprises a machine screw 60, threaded a short distance from its outer end as shown at 64 in FIG. 6, and a cylindrical roller 69, adapted to turn freely around the screw, titted onto the nonthreaded portion of the screw shaft.

The threaded end of screw 60 passes through an appropriately located opening in swinging arm 52, and is firmly locked in place by means of a nut 62 and lockwasher 66, as best shown in FIG. 6. A pair of enlarged washers 70 are fitted around the shaft of screw 60 either side of the roller 69, to serve as stops, or collars, adjacent the ends of the roller. A smaller washer 68 is positioned between the swinging arm 52 and the nearest collar washer to act as a spacer between the arm and collar washer and minimize frictional resistance between certain of the rotatably movable parts of the riding roller.

The riding roller is longer than tape roll 91 is wide, and positioned so that its ends extend beyond either edge of the roll to permit it to ride in contact with the roll without risk of binding between the latter and either of collar washers 70. All involved parts of the dispenser, and the length of swinging arm 52, are designed to cooperate in positioning the riding roller on the top portion of a full-size roll of tape (typically a 14-inch roll of tape) mounted in the dispenser, and exert down-bearing pressure on the roll to prevent the unraveling of tape spirals therefrom. The weight of the riding roller, as well as of swinging arm 52, is relatively light, but sufficient to bring enough pressure on the tape roll to achieve this purpose. Collar washers 70 provide flanking end flanges for roller 69, and contribute to the tape control function of the riding roller by preventing undue lateral slippage of the outer layers of tape on the tape roll.

Preferably, the main parts of the riding roller, as well as of the dispenser in general, are made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum. These parts can, however, be made of any other suitable material, or materials, as, for example, a lightweight metal alloy, nylon, an appropriate plastic other than nylon familiar to those skilled in the art, or any feasible combination of these, or other, materials.

In addition to riding roller 58, asecond roller extends perpendicularly away from swinging arm 52. Roller 90 is disposed above, and clear of, tape roll 91, and serves as an alignment guide roller for tape leaving the roll on its way to the punch block of perforator P. Roller 90 is, as indicated above, positioned radially outwardly from tape roll 91, and tape leaving the latter, during operation of perforator P, passes up and over the top of that roller to assure a fairly localized point of departure from which the moving tape can be routed toward a turning guide roller, soon to be described, between it (roller 90) and the perforator punch block. Roller 90 is of similar construction to riding roller 58, consisting of a machine screw with a threaded end, nut, lock washer, cylindrical roller, pair of collar washers and spacer washer, corresponding to machine screw 60 with threads 64, nut 62, lock washer 66, cylindrical roller 69, collar washers 70 and spacer washer 68, respectively, of the latter. Similarly, roller 90 is fastened to swinging arm 52 in exactly the same way as is riding roller 58, except, of course, in a different position.

As will now, it is believed, be apparent, the parts of dispenser D so far described permit the attachment of the dispenser to perforator P for use thereon, and the loading of a l4-inch roll of paper tape in perforator feeding position therein. These parts also assure retention of the loaded roll of tape under sufficiently confining conditions to prevent the unraveling of loops or spirals of tape therefrom. To load the roll of tape, it is necessary only to swing latching arm 42 of the U- shaped roll retainer in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, until it is clear of the space to be occupied by the tape roll. As the latching arm is swung upwardly, out of the way, it eventually reaches a point where the upper edge of its bend 51 comes against the lower edge of swinging arm 52, after which the latter is automatically carried upwardly out of the way as the latching arm is moved still further in the clockwise direction. A new roll of tape is now fitted over hub 15 of the hub assembly, and the latching arm swung downwardly until the notch 48 in its lower end is brought into registry with the annular groove 30 in axle 24. The latching arm and axle are now locked together, and remain so until the latter is again moved away from the axle for the loading of another roll of tape in the dispenser. As the latching arm is lowered to latching contact with axle 24, swinging arm 52 is also lowered, until the point at which riding roller 58 comes to rest on the upper edge of the tape roll. Thereafter, the down-bearing weight of the riding roller assembly, acting through the roller, holds the outer layers of tape in place on the roll, to prevent their unraveling. Once the tape roll is so positioned, its loose end is worked up and over guide roller 90, and under end enclosure 43 of the U-shaped retainer 36, then threaded through a turning guide 76, hereinafter to be described.

Turning guide 76 is, as its name implies, a roller guide properly spaced from guide roller 90, and angled with respect to the latter to guide the loose tape from the tape roll, shown at 89, through a twisting angle designed to route it toward roller 87 on perforator P, described above, with minimal strain on, and risk of misalignment or rupture of, the tape. Turning guide 76 is mounted on a support member 72 which is fastened to backplate 14 of the hub assembly by means of a pair of screws 74, as best illustrated in FIG. 3. Support member 72 is bent, near its upper end, to permit the angled positioning of turning guide 76 in the manner illustrated in the drawings. The turning guide consists of a roller 77 and cooperating guide bar 78. The guide bar is simply a strip of metal, bent as shown in FIG. 7, designed for positioning above the roller in close enough proximity to prevent easy dislodgement of the tape from the turning guide when the tape slackens as the result of a sudden lack of demand by the perforator.

Roller 77 is similar to riding roller 58, but of smaller diameter than, and absent the collar washers of, the latter. As FIG. 7 shows, roller 77 is fashioned from a machine screw 80, threaded at one end as illustrated at 81, and a cylindrical roller 88 which is rotatably fitted around the nonthreaded portion of the shank of the screw, between the head of the latter and a spacer washer 86 positioned between the cylindrical roller and guide roller support member 72. As FIG. 7 makes clear, the guide bar 78 and machine screw 80 are fastened to support member 72 by means of a nut 82 and lockwasher 84, cooperating with threaded openings for the screw in the guide bar and support member.

To briefly summarize the manner in which a roll of tape is mounted on dispenser D for use in perforator P, a new roll of the tape is locked in position in the dispenser in the abovedescribed fashion, and its loose end passed over guide roller 90. The tape end is then threaded through turning guide 76, and looped around roller 87, near the punch block of the perforator, after which it is threaded into the punch block mechanism. Operation of the perforator thereafter causes the punch block to grip the tape and pull it from roll 91. The tape emerging from the punch block has coded perforations, as illustrated at 93 FIG. 1, and is gathered, by means not shown, for subsequent use or processing.

While the novel tape dispenser of this invention has been herein illustrated and specifically described in what is considered to be a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of our invention. For example, where the dispenser is intended for use on a wire service reperforator, instead of a perforator, the path of tape travel from the roll in the dispenser to the punch block of the reperforator will be sufficiently different from the path of tape travel between such a roll and a perforator to require tape guiding means different from guide roller 90 and turning guide 76 of dispenser D. Otherwise, however, the dispenser will be essentially the same as that illustrated in the drawings, and include a U-shaped roll retainer with a latching arm adapted to latch with the axle of its hub assembly and a swinging arm with a riding roller attached to its outer end of similar character to the swinging arm and riding roller of dispenser D. We, in this connection, have constructed and operated dispensers for two different wire service reperforator models. While these dispensers proved to be dissimilar in noncritical details from each other, they were found to be identical in all of the critical structural and operational features taught herein.

It is, of course, within the scope of our invention to angle the U-shaped roll retainer upwardly and to the left from the axle of the dispenser, and extend the swinging arm on which the riding roller is mounted to the right of the retainer (as viewed in FIG. 2), rather than positioning the retainer and swinging arm in the opposite (FIG. 2) relationship, that is, with the former disposed upwardly and to the right (from the axle), and the latter extending to the left therefrom.

While the above description has emphasized the unique operability of our novel dispenser for the feeding of paper tape to perforators and wire service reperforators, we wish to emphasize that the dispenser has broader use potential than this and can be employed in any capacity for which its unique character and capabilities suit it. Finally, it is emphasized that the scope of the present invention includes all variant forms thereof encompassed by the language of the following claims.

We claim: 1. Tape-dispensing means for dispensing tape from a roll with a hollow core to tape-processing means comprising, in combination, hub assembly means for rotatably supporting said roll and tape control and guiding means for retaining the roll on said hub assembly means and providing a path of guidance for the tape leaving the roll, with minimal risk of loss of the outer spirals of tape from the roll through sidewise slippage of said spirals therefrom;

said hub assembly means comprising backplate means, axle means disposed perpendicularly outwardly from said backplate means and hub means rotatably mountable on said axle means and adapted to fit into the hollow core of said tape roll and support the roll in rotatable relationship around the axle means; said tape control and guiding means comprising U-shaped roll retaining means with a pair of arms adapted to straddle said tape roll, a floating arm pivotally connected to said U-shaped roll retaining means and riding roller means affixed to said floating arm, said riding roller means being positioned and adapted to ride on the upper edge of said tape roll when the latter is mounted on said hub assembly; said U-shaped roll retaining means having pivotally connected parts to pennit the swinging movement of one of its arms relative to the other and an arm thus movable being designed for latching interfit with said axle means, whereby said arm is adjustable between a position of latch with the axle means, for the retention of a roll of tape in its mounted position on said hub assembly, and a position of maximum swing away therefrom to clear the way for the loading ofa full roll oftape on the hub assembly; and

all parts of said tape dispensing means being structurally and positionally cooperative, and provided with suitably cooperating hardware, as necessary, to assure sufficiently firm contact of said riding roller with said tape roll, as the latter diminishes in size through consumption of the tape by said tape processing means, to prevent unraveling of the outer spirals of tape from the roll under normal conditions of use, and to assure retention of the latched position of said arm of said U-shaped roll retaining means with said axle means at all times, except when the arm is intentionally swung away from the axle means, during normal usage of said tape-dispensing means.

2. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 1 particularly adapted to dispense paper tape from 14-inch rolls of tape suitable as feed tape for perforators or wire service reperforators, said tape-dispensing means including bracket mean to permit its attachment to a perforator or wire service reperforator for dispensing use thereon.

3. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 2 in which the arm of said U-shaped roll-retaining means which latches with the axle means of said hub assembly means has a notch and said axle has an annular, peripheral groove, the notch and groove being sized and positioned to come into engagement when the subject arm is swung into contact with the axle, and thus achieve said latching interfit therebetween.

4i. Tape-dispensing means ih accordance with claim 3 in which said riding roller means includes a fixed axle, cylindrical roller means rotatably disposed around said axle and annular stop means disposed around said axle adjacent the ends of said cylindrical roller means, but free of binding contact with the latter, said stop means being spaced sufficiently close together to guard against the possibility of lateral displacement of the outermost layers of tape from said roll when the riding roller means is in its normal contact relationship with the roll during usage of the tape-dispensing means.

5. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 4 having a guide roller, of similar character to said riding roller, perpendicularly secured to said floating arm near the pivot point of the latter and said U-shaped roll retaining means, the shapes, dimensions and operating positions of all involved parts cooperating to align said guide roller with, and space it outwardly from the periphery of, said roll, in a proper position to guide moving tape from the roll through a reliable path of travel toward the punch block of a perforator on which the tape-dispensing means is installed for use, regardless of the size of said roll or consequent position of said floating arm.

6. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 5 having turning guide means positioned to direct the moving tape through a twisting turn, beyond its path of travel through said guide roller, and thereby help route it toward the punch block of said perforator.

7. In combination, tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 6 and tape guide roller means fixedly securable to the punch block of said perforator in a position to deflect the direction of the moving tape from said turning guide means into substantially straight alignment with the tape-processing mechanism of said punch block.

8. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 6 in which the distance between the pivotal connection of said floating arm with said U-shaped roll-retaining means and the axis of said riding roller means, in the loaded tape-dispensing means, is substantially equal to the distance from said pivotal connection to the axis of the axle of said hub assembly means.

9. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 8 in which the arm of said U-shaped roll retaining means which latches with the hub assembly means axle is so shaped and positioned relative to said floating arm that swinging movement of the former away from its latched position with said axle brings a part of its upper edge into contact with a part of the lower edge of the latter, from whence further movement of the latching arm carries the swinging arm with it to clear the way for the loading of a new roll of tape in said tapedispensing means.

10. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 9 in which the pivotal connection between the two arms of said U- shaped roll-retaining means is accomplished by means of a headed pivot screw and compression washer means, the compression washer means being disposed between the head of said pivot screw and the nearest of the parts of said roll-retaining means joined by the screw so as to urge the parts together with sufficient frictional contact to help maintain the latching" arm of said U-shaped rollretaining means in whatever'position it is placed during use of said tape-dispensing means.

Claims

1. Tape-dispensing means for dispensing tape from a roll with a hollow core to tape-processing means comprising, in combination, hub assembly means for rotatably supporting said roll and tape control and guiding means for retaining the roll on said hub assembly means and providing a path of guidance for the tape leaving the roll, with minimal risk of loss of the outer spirals of tape from the roll through sidewise slippage of said spirals therefrom; said hub assembly means comprising backplate means, axle means disposed perpendicularly outwardly from said backplate means and hub means rotatably mountable on said axle means and adapted to fit into the hollow core of said tape roll and support the roll in rotatable relationship around the axle means; said tape control and guiding means comprising U-shaped roll retaining means with a pair of arms adapted to straddle said tape roll, a floating arm pivotally connected to said U-shaped roll retaining means and riding roller means affixed to said floating arm, said riding roller means being positioned and adapted to ride on the upper edge of said tape roll when the latter is mounted on said hub assembly; said U-shaped roll retaining means having pivotally connected parts to permit the swinging movement of one of its arms relative to the other and an arm thus movable being designed for latching interfit with said axle means, whereby said arm is adjustable between a position of latch with the axle means, for the retention of a roll of tape in its mounted position on said hub assembly, and a position of maximum swing away therefrom to clear the way for the loading of a full roll of tape on the hub assembly; and all parts of said tape dispensing means being structurally and positionally cooperative, and provided with suitably cooperating hardware, as necessary, to assure sufficiently firm contact of said riding roller with said tape roll, as the latter diminishes in size through consumption of the tape by said tape processing means, to prevent unraveling of the outer spirals of tape from the roll under normal conditions of use, and to assure retention of the latched position of said arm of said U-shaped roll retaining means with said axle means at all times, except when the arm is intentionally swung away from the axle means, during normal usage of said tape-dispensing means.

4. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 3 in which said riding roller means includes a fixed axle, cylindrical roller means rotatably disposed around said axle and annular stop means disposed around said axle adjacent the ends of said cylindrical roller means, but free of binding contact with the latter, said stop means being spaced sufficiently close together to guard against the possibility of lateral displacement of the outermost layers of tape from said roll when the riding roller means is in its normal contact relationship with the roll during usage of the tape-dispensing means.

9. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 8 in which the arm of said U-shaped roll retaining means which latches with the hub assembly means axle is so shaped and positioned relative to said floating arm that swinging movement of the former away from its latched position with said axle brings a part of its upper edge into contact with a part of the lower edge of the latter, from whence further movement of the ''''latching'''' arm carries the swinging arm with it to clear the way for the loading of a new roll of tape in said tape-dispensing means.

10. Tape-dispensing means in accordance with claim 9 in which the pivotal connection between the two arms of said U-shaped roll-retaining means is accomplished by means of a headed pivot screw and compression washer means, the compression washer means being disposed between the head of said pivot screw and the nearest of the parts of said roll-retaining means joined by the screw so as to urge the parts together with sufficient frictional contact to help maintain the ''''latching'''' arm of said U-shaped roll-retaining means in whatever position it is placed during use of said tape-dispensing means.