Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Keith T Pinckney

Michael C Faust

Thomas W Seabold

Robert A Luhman

Karl M Kropp

Steven J Rossini

Janelle K Wong

A continuous tape supply apparatus is provided in accordance with the present invention for supplying tape at a substantially consistent tension to a tape applicator machine having an indexing demand, such as a box sealing and taping machine. In general, the continuous tape supply apparatus includes plural tape sources, such as in roll form, from which tape can be supplied to the tape applicator machine, a splicing station for splicing the tape from at least one of the tape sources to another of the tape sources, a means for causing the splice and thus the changeover of tape from one source to another, and a tension control means for providing the tape from the continuous tape supply apparatus at a substantially consistent tension under an indexing demand. Preferably, the splicing mechanism also splices tape in the reverse order from the other tape source station back to the first tape source stations. The tension control means is preferably provided by a tape drive station, a first dancer arm providing a variable loop forming means between each of the tape supply sources and the splicing station, and a second dancer arm positioned operatively after the tape drive station which is located operatively after the splicing station. The first dancer arm is further preferably used to control a braking mechanism which together eliminate roll inertia effects to the splicing station. The second dancer arm is also advantageously used to control the speed of the motor drive of the tape drive station.

Tape supply and applicator system including a tape splicing mechanism

An apparatus is provided for forming a tape handle for a box. The apparatus comprises a mechanism for applying to a box a strip of box sealing tape that has an adhesive side and a back side. A strip of handle tape having an adhesive side and a back side and a strip of deadening material are supplied by the apparatus and combined so that the deadening strip is positioned on the adhesive side of the handle tape to thereby form a handle assembly having first and second adhesive sections and an intermediate masked section. The apparatus then brings the handle assembly and the box sealing tape into engagement to adhere the first and second adhesive sections of the handle assembly to the back side of the box sealing tape, and the box sealing tape is then adhered to the box.

Tape handle for carrying boxes

A sealable lid assembly and a method of using same to form a tamper evident seal for a container involves a heat shrinkable strip which is preformed on a container lid prior to assembly. The strip includes a first strip of pressure sensitive adhesive tape which is adhered to a lower rim of the container lid, and a second strip of rigid heat shrinkable material adhered to a lower portion of the first strip. The container lid is placed upon a container and heat is then applied to the shrinkable strip, which creates a tamper evident seal between the lid and the container.

Seal system and method for containers

An apparatus is provided for forming a tape handle for a box. The apparatus comprises a mechanism for applying to a box a strip of box sealing tape that has an adhesive side and a back side. A strip of handle tape having an adhesive side and a back side and a strip of deadening materials are supplied by the apparatus and combined so that the deadening strip is positioned on the adhesive side of the handle tape to thereby form a handle assembly having first and second adhesive sections and an intermediate masked section. The apparatus then brings the handle assembly and the box sealing tape into engagement to adhere the first and second adhesive sections of the handle assembly to the back side of the box sealing tape, and the box sealing tape is then adhered to the box.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Keith T Pinckney