Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Herbert A McLees

Gary K Kuhn

Randall G Koza

An apparatus for and a method of applying adhesive tape to a moving web of material is disclosed. The apparatus includes a tape supply for supplying the adhesive tape and attached tape liner. A tension roller maintains a substantially constant tension in the adhesive tape and the tape liner, while a drive roller drives the adhesive tape and the tape liner. A cutting device cuts the adhesive tape away from the tape liner into a strip of tape, the strip of tape having a predetermined length. A vacuum wheel receives the strip of tape and supplies the strip of tape to the moving web of material which is forced into contact with the vacuum wheel by a jump roller. A liner rewind roller receives the tape liner.

High speed applicator for adhesive tape

A device adapted to apply a length of adhesive from a supply length of the adhesive releasably adhered to a liner along the length of an elongate member. A head carrying a plurality of pressure rollers is positioned in a contact position so that a first one of the pressure rollers presses the adhesive against the side surface of the elongate member at about a predetermined position adjacent the first end of the elongate member, and then the head is positioned in a pressure position so that upon further movement of the elongate member along the path all of the pressure rollers will cause the adhesive to be firmly pressed into engagement along the elongate member through the liner. The adhesive is cut adjacent a last pressure roller on the head after a length is applied, and the newly severed end of the adhesive is then moved from adjacent the last pressure roller to adjacent the first pressure roller in preparation for application of adhesive to the next elongate member.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Herbert A McLees