US 4,460,430 AGranted

Apparatus for splicing tapes

AssigneeAT&T Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJohn J. Kissell, Joseph C. Sun

Life of this patent

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Abstract

In an accumulating and a splicing apparatus (30), a nearly exhausted tape (31) is advanced at a line speed along a path which extends between two groups (49, 51) of rollers. One of the groups of rollers is moved upwardly to a position above the other group of rollers and a length of the nearly exhausted tape is accumulated in a sinusoidal path just prior to splicing. The nearly exhausted tape is clamped at an input side of the accumulator after which a severing device (104) is moved transversely across that tape to form a trailing end portion. The severing device is allowed to be spring-returned to a position above the nearly exhausted tape and to one side thereof which permits joining facilities to carry a leading end of a tape (35) of a new supply downwardly to be spliced to the trailing end portion of the nearly exhausted tape. While in a raised position, the severing device is moved back across the path of the nearly exhausted tape and caused to be moved downwardly to engage a supporting surface in preparation for another cycle. Meanwhile, the elevated group of rollers is moved downwardly at a speed which is controlled to decrease and to be less than the line speed to cause the new tape to be accelerated substantially linearly to the line speed.

Claims7

Dependent claims

Apparatus for splicing tapes, said apparatus including:

advancing means for moving a first tape along a path of travel;
holding means for supporting an adhesively-backed tape, that is joined to a leading end portion of a second tape and that is to be connected to a trailing end portion of the first tape, spaced from the path of travel;
surface means being positioned along the path of travel for supporting the first tape;
first mounting means for mounting said holding means for movement between said surface means and a position spaced therefrom;
severing means for cutting the first tape to form a trailing end portion;
second mounting means for mounting said severing means for movement transversely across the first tape, said second mounting means including:
means for normally biasing said severing means in engagement with a portion of said surface means;
and
means for spacing said severing means from said surface means;
moving means for causing said second mounting means to be moved transversely across the first tape to cause said severing means to cut said first tape and form a trailing end;
means rendered effective by the movement of said severing means across the first tape for causing said biasing means to release said severing means and allow said spacing means to become effective to space said severing means from said surface means;
and
means responsive to said severing means being spaced from said surface means for moving the leading end portion of the second tape to engage the adhesively-backed tape with the trailing end portion of the first tape to connect the second tape to the first tape.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/414,228Filed 2 Sep 1982 · division
Priority: 24 Apr 1981
Granted: 17 Jul 1984
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B65H 19/1863
Support arrangement of web rolls: with translatory or arcuated movement of the roll supports
B65H 19/1852
Standing splicing, i.e. the expiring web being stationary during splicing contact: taking place at a distance from the replacement roll
B65H 21/00
Apparatus for splicing webs
B65H 2301/46172
Cutting webs in splicing process: cutting expiring web only