Measuring tape dispenser

#Bohnengel U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,724 discloses a device for feeding a measuring tape between the wraps of a length of fabric being wound upon a mandrel to form a bolt. Such a measuring tape usually in accurately marked in yards and serves two functions. First, by feeding the tape into the fabric as it is wound upon itself a very accurate measurement of the length of the fabric on the bolt is provided by the tape. Secondly, when some of the fabric is removed from the bolt the measuring tape provides an indication of the number of yards still remaining in the bolt and thus gives a quick inventory indication. Such measuring or indicating tapes usually are fabricated from paper in order that they shall be light weight and not pile up and usually are wound into both industrial bolts, which may average 100 yards or so in length, and into retail bolts of lesser lengths.

#The Bohnengel patent discloses a device comprising a carriage which is moveable in one direction transversely to the length of the fabric being wound upon itself in order to dispense the tape in a helical path which actually constitutes the hypotenuse of a right triangle, the base of which is defined by the distance of movement of the carriage and the other side of which is the length of the fabric indicated by the length of tape dispensed from the carriage during its movement.

#The carriage of the mentioned Bohnengel patent mounts a roll of measuring tape and includes a wheel over which the tape is led on route to the nip between the wraps of the fabric. The tension applied to the tape by its being interwound with the fabric rotates the wheel. The wheel is engaged with a stationary threaded shaft so that as the wheel rotates the carriage is moved along the threaded shaft and the tape is traversed by the carriage so that it winds into the bolt of fabric in the helix in order to eliminate the pile up which would result if the tape were fed from a stationary carriage. When the carriage has been moved to the end of the threaded shaft it is necessary to stop the machine, to disengage the wheel from the threaded shaft and to move the carriage back to the starting point.

#FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation showing a mechanism for embodying the invention in position for dispensing a measuring tape into the wraps of a bolt of cloth;

#FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged view in elevation, with parts broken away, taken from the position indicated by line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a side view at an enlarged scale of a portion of the mechanism in FIG. 1;

#A mechanism embodying the invention is generally indicated by the reference number 10 and is shown in FIG. 1 in one of its common positions wherein it is mounted on a cloth inspection table or winding machine 11 over which a length of cloth 12 is fed on route to a mandrel 13 which is driven by mechanism (not shown) to wind the cloth 12 onto the mandrel 13 in the form of a bolt 14 of substantial length, for example, say 100 yards. The mechanism 10 is supported in position on the table 11 by a mounting arm 15 bolted or otherwise secured at the side of the machine 11.

#The mechanism 10 has a frame 16 which extends horizontally a short distance, say ten inches or so, across and above the length of cloth 12. The frame 16 has a pair of end plates 17 and 18 between which there extends a guide rod 19 and a rotatable shaft 20 which has a pair of opposite band screws 21-22 in its surface. A shaft of this type is sometimes called a double-helix shaft.

#The shaft 20 is rotatably mounted in the end plates 17 and 18 by suitable bushings 23 and has one exposed end upon which a drive wheel 24 is fixed.