Roll of adhesive segments for use in an adhesive segment applicator apparatus and method of making the same

An adhesive segment dispensing tape comprising:

• a flexible carrier release tape extending longitudinally and having a transverse width, said flexible carrier release tape also having opposed first and second release surfaces;
• a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed non-contiguously in a longitudinally spaced-apart progression along said first release surface of said carrier release tape, consecutive ones of said adhesive segments being spaced longitudinally apart by a predetermined distance on said first release surface of said carrier release tape, said carrier release tape being transversely flexible to expose a single adhesive segment to a surface, said adhesive segments being arranged in a single linear array which is transversely centered on said carrier release tape;
• and
• a plurality of pairs of indices physically placed in said carrier release tape, each pair of indices being located intermediate an adhesive segments which are adjacent each other on carrier release tape, said indices being engageable to move said carrier release tape in a longitudinal direction.

An adhesive segment dispensing tape comprising:

• a flexible carrier release tape extending longitudinally and having a transverse width, said flexible carrier release tape also having opposed first and second release surfaces;
• a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed non-contiguously in a longitudinally spaced-apart progression along said first release surface of said carrier release tape, consecutive ones of said adhesive segments being spaced longitudinally apart by a predetermined distance on said first release surface of said carrier release tape, said carrier release tape being transversely flexible to expose a single adhesive segment to a surface;
• and
• a plurality of indices physically placed in said carrier release tape at locations which are longitudinally intermediate each adjacent pair of adhesive segments on said carrier release tape, said indices being engageable to move said carrier release tape in a longitudinal direction.

An adhesive segment dispensing tape consisting of:

• a flexible carrier tape extending longitudinally, having a transverse width, and having opposed first and second release surfaces;
• and
• a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed longitudinally along said first release surface, each separated from other adhesive segments by a gap extending transversely across the entire carrier tape, wherein said adhesive segments are substantially identical, said carrier tape being transversely flexible to expose a single adhesive segment to an abutting planar surface;
• and
• a plurality of indices physically placed in said carrier release tape in a uniformly spaced apart longitudinal progression in said carrier release tape, said indices being engageable to move said carrier release tape in a longitudinal direction.

An adhesive segment dispensing tape comprising:

• a flexible carrier release tape extending longitudinally, having a transverse width, and having opposed first and second release surfaces;
• a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed non-contiguously in a uniformly-spaced longitudinally progression along said first release surface of said carrier release tape, each of said adhesive segments being disposed at a point along the transverse width of said first release surface of said carrier release tape, wherein said carrier release tape may be transversely flexed to expose a single adhesive segment to an abutting planar surface;
• and
• a plurality of indices physically placed in said carrier release tape in a uniformly spaced apart longitudinal progression in said carrier release tape to provide a mechanically engageable instrumentality to allow said carrier release tape to be moved in a longitudinal direction.

An adhesive segment dispensing tape comprising:

• a flexible carrier release tape, said carrier release tape extending longitudinally and having opposed first and second release surfaces and a transverse width defined by first and second edges;
• and
• a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed on said first release surface of said carrier release tape, wherein each of said adhesive segments is non-contiguously arrayed between said first and second edges of said transverse width, said adhesive segments extending in a longitudinal direction along said first release surface of said carrier release tape whereby said carrier release tape may be transversely flexed to expose a single adhesive dot to an abutting planar surface, wherein said adhesive segments adhere less strongly to said second release surface than they do to said first release surface to allow said carrier release tape to be unwound from a coil with said thermoplastic adhesive dots being retained on said first release surface;
• and
• a plurality of indices physically placed in said carrier release tape in a uniformly spaced apart longitudinal progression in said carrier release tape, said indices being engageable to move said carrier release tape in a longitudinal direction.

An adhesive segment dispensing tape comprising:

• a flexible carrier release tape, said carrier release tape extending longitudinally, having opposed first and second release surfaces, and having a transverse width defined by first and second edges;
• a plurality of adhesive disks, each of said adhesive disks being non-contiguously located on said first release surface between said first and said second edges of said transverse width, said plurality of adhesive disks extending non-contiguously along said first release surface of said carrier release tape whereby said carrier release tape may be transversely flexed to expose a single adhesive disks to an abutting planar surface;
• and
• a plurality of indices physically placed in said carrier release tape in a uniformly spaced apart longitudinal progression in said carrier release tape, said indices being engageable to move said carrier release tape in a longitudinal direction.

An adhesive segment dispensing tape, comprising:

• a flexible carrier tape, said carrier tape extending longitudinally and having opposed first and second release surfaces and a transverse width, adhesive material tending to adhere less strongly to said second release surface of said flexible carrier tape than to said first release surface of said flexible carrier tape;
• a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed non-contiguously on said first release surface of said flexible carrier tape, wherein each of said adhesive segments is disposed at a location on said first release surface of said flexible carrier tape which is longitudinally spaced apart from other every other adhesive segment on said first release surface of said flexible carrier tape;
• and
• a plurality of indices physically placed in said carrier release tape in a uniformly spaced apart longitudinal progression in said carrier release tape, said indices being engageable to move said carrier release tape in a longitudinal direction.

An adhesive dispensing tape comprising:

• a flexible carrier strip extending longitudinally and having a transverse width, said flexible carrier strip having opposed first and second release surfaces;
• adhesive segments arrayed at periodic intervals on said flexible carrier strip to provide at least two separate sets of adhesive segments at transversely separated locations, said adhesive segments being formed into flat pads;
• and
• a plurality of indices placed in said carrier strip at periodic intervals to provide at least two sets of indices at transversely separated locations;
• wherein said flexible carrier strip is separated into multiple segments each having at least one set of adhesive segments and one set of indices.

An adhesive segment dispensing tape comprising:

• a flexible carrier release tape extending longitudinally and having a transverse width, said flexible carrier release tape also having opposed first and second release surfaces;
• a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed non-contiguously in a longitudinally spaced-apart progression along said first release surface of said carrier release tape, consecutive ones of said adhesive segments being spaced longitudinally apart on said first release surface of said carrier release tape;
• and
• a plurality of indices physically placed in said carrier release tape in a uniformly spaced apart longitudinal progression in said carrier release tape.

A method of making an adhesive segment dispensing tape, said method comprising:

• providing a flexible carrier release tape extending longitudinally and having a transverse width, said flexible carrier release tape also having opposed first and second release surfaces;
• placing a plurality of adhesive segments in a longitudinally spaced-apart, non-contiguous, progression along said first release surface of said carrier release tape, consecutive ones of said adhesive segments being spaced longitudinally apart by a predetermined and relatively uniform distance on said first release surface of said carrier release tape, said carrier release tape being transversely flexible to expose a single adhesive segment to a surface;
• and
• cutting a plurality of indices physically in said carrier release tape in a uniformly spaced apart longitudinal progression in said carrier release tape, said indices being engageable to move said carrier release tape in a longitudinal direction.

A method of manufacturing adhesive dispensing tape comprising steps of:

• unrolling a flexible carrier strip from a first reel to expose a first release surface, said flexible carrier strip extending longitudinally and having a transverse width, said flexible carrier strip also having a second release surface opposite said first release surface;
• dispensing adhesive segments at periodic intervals on the unrolled flexible carrier strip to provide at least two separate sets of adhesive segments at transversely separated locations, said adhesive segments being formed into flat pads;
• placing a plurality of indices at periodic intervals in said carrier strip to provide at least two separate sets of indices at transversely separated locations;
• and
• separating said flexible carrier strip into multiple segments each having at least one set of adhesive segments and one set of indices.