Dry wall adhesive tape applicator

A tape and adhesive dispenser having a hopper to contain adhesive, the hopper having tape inlet and outlet openings generally adjacent a lower wall of the hopper, and roll supporting means to carry a roll of tape, a run of tape being adapted to pass between the openings and along an upper surface of the lower wall so as to be exposed to adhesive in the hopper, so that adhesive is carried on the tape as the tape passes outwards from the hopper through the outlet opening;

• the dispenser being further characterized by outfeed guide means including:
• i. an outfeed platform extending outwards from the outlet opening and having spaced edge guide means to guide opposite edges of the tape as the tape passes along an upper surface of the platform,
• ii. a tape restrainer mounted for rotation in direction of the feed of the tape above the platform so that a lowermost portion thereof is spaced closely from the upper surface of the platform and the restrainer, the restrainer having clearance adjacent to an area of contact with the tape so that adhesive is retained on the tape as it passes beneath the tape restrainer,
• the dispenser further including a self-threading means cooperating with the tape to feed a free end of the tape through the outlet opening, the self-threading means being characterized by:
• iii. the lower wall of the hopper having clearance means,
• iv. feed means mounted below the lower wall of the hopper and positioned so as to project through the clearance means to engage the tape when in an extended position for feeding the tape, and to be clear of the tape in a retracted position to permit the tape to be fed freely from the dispenser,
• v. a shield extending from a lower portion of the hopper generally adjacent to the inlet opening and spaced sufficiently above the clearance means in the lower wall of the hopper to define a clearance space between the shield and the lower wall to accept the tape therebetween, and simultaneously essentially to prevent flow of adhesive between the shield and the lower wall.

A tape and adhesive dispenser having a hopper to contain adhesive, the hopper having tape inlet and outlet openings generally adjacent a lower wall of the hopper, and roll supporting means to carry a roll of tape, a run of of tape being adapted to pass between the openings and along an upper surface of the lower wall so as to be exposed to adhesive in the hopper, so that adhesive is carried on the tape as the tape passes outwards from the hopper through the outlet opening;

• the dispenser being further characterized by outfeed guide means including:
• i. an outfeed platform extending outwards from the outlet opening and having spaced edge guide means to guide opposite edges of the tape as the tape passes along an upper surface of the platform,
• ii. a tape restrainer mounted for rotation in direction of the feed of the tape above the platform so that a lowermost portion thereof is spaced closely from the upper surface of the platform to permit the tape to pass between the platform and the restrainer, the restrainer having clearance adjacent to an area of contact with the tape so that adhesive is retained on the tape as it passes beneath the tape restrainer,
• the dispenser further including a self-threading means cooperating with the tape to feed a free end of the tape through the outlet opening, the self-threading means being characterized by:
• iii. a shield extending from a lower portion of the hopper generally adjacent to the inlet opening and spaced above the lower wall of the hopper to define a clearance space therebetween serving as the inlet opening,
• iv. a relatively stiff sheet finger member being sufficiently thin to pass through the clearance space between the shield and the lower wall when sandwiched between portions of tape and also to pass through the outlet opening, the finger member having a blunt forward end,
• to permit threading of tape into the dispenser by drawing with the finger member a fold of tape through the inlet opening, across a lower wall of the hopper, and outwards through the outlet opening.