Single hand operation adhesive tape dispenser

A Dispenser for applying and cutting rolled adhesive tape having an adhesive side and a non-adhesive side and requiring only one hand operation, said dispenser comprising:

• (a) a dispenser housing comprising a partial shell (1) of a size that fits in the palm of one hand and can be gripped and supported by the fingers of one hand, said shell (1) having a support face and a peripheral wall extending transversely from said support face to form an open face housing, said peripheral wall providing a support means for supporting the dispenser in one hand;
• (b) a hub (2) mounted upon said housing shell (1) said hub (2) providing a support upon which a roll of adhesive tape (11) wound around a core (12) is detachably mounted so as to rotate freely about said hub (2) and from which adhesive tape is unreeled through a tape discharge opening (13) in said peripheral wall;
• (c) a lever mechanism (3) including a tape guide applicator (4) and two approximately diametrically mounted levers mounted for pivoting about a spindle (8) supported for rotation on said housing shell (1) in the proximity of said discharge opening (13), said levers connected to said lever mechanism (3) and extending approximately radially from said spindle (8);
• (d) said lever mechanism (3) including a tape depressor lever (5) oriented in the direction of the tape roll (11) providing a means of depressing unreeling tape in the area between the tape roll (11) and said tape discharge opening (13) when actuated by movement of a cutter lever (6);
• (e) said lever mechanism (3) including said cutter lever (6) oriented downstream of said discharge opening (13), said cutter lever (6) arranged to move said tape depressor lever (5) about spindle (8):
• and
• (f) said cutter lever (6) including at its extremity a cutting edge (7) comprising a serrated edge including a plurality of teeth for cutting unreeled adhesive tape;
• (g) said tape guide applicator (4) having a curved pressing surface located between said tape depressor lever (5) and said cutter lever (6);
• and
• said lever mechanism (3) providing a means of controlling tape unreeling from said tape roll (11), wherein said lever mechanism (6) is arranged on said spindle (8) such that tilting of said housing shell (1) causes said cutter lever (6) to engage the tape at the substrate and to rotate said cutter lever (6) so as to move said depressor lever (5) thereby closing said tape discharge opening (13 about the unreeling tape preventing said tape roll (11) from unreeling as tape is cut, and
• said tape depressor lever (5) having a predetermined length such that the extremity of the depressor lever (5) depresses tensioned tape unreeling from said tape roll (11) during taping applications thereby limiting rotation of the depressor lever (5) so as to hold open the discharge opening (13) during tape application;
• and, said cutter lever (6) having a predetermined length such that leverage imparted to the depressor lever (5) ensures locking of the tape at the discharge opening (13) during tape cutting;
• whereby a user can apply and cut adhesive tape repeatedly from the tape dispenser using just one hand, the lever mechanism (3) locking the adhesive tape whilst cutting, allowing tape to unreel whilst dispensing and applying to a substrate and securing the protruding tape end from retracting into the dispenser between taping application.