Portable chuck for dispensing wrapping material

A portable, manually operable chuck for dispensing under tension a roll of wrapping material wound about a tubular core having an upset circumscribing the inner edge, comprising:

• (a) first and second adjacent chuck pieces, wherein each of said chuck pieces includes:
• (i) a spindle portion insertable within one end of said tubular core for applying an infinitely adjustable braking force against said tubular core, wherein said spindle portion is circumscribed by a groove at its proximal end for receiving said upset on said inner edge of said tube;
• (ii) a collar connected to the proximal end of said spindle portion for limiting the insertion of said chuck piece into the tubular core to said spindle portion, and
• (iii) a handle portion connected to said collar which is longer than said spindle portion for providing both a handle for manipulating said roll of wrapping material when said spindle portion is inserted into one end of said tubular core, and a means for adjusting the amount of braking force applied to the tubular core of the wrapping material when said handle is manually grasped and squeezed by a single hand, and
• (b) a fulcrum means disposed between said adjacent chuck pieces above said collar of each for allowing said spindle portions to be spaced farther apart from one another with a mechanical advantage when said handle portions are manually squeezed together, wherein said fulcrum means includes an elongated member receivable into a pair of opposing recesses in said first and second adjacent chuck pieces, respectively, for both providing a fulcrum point between said pieces and for maintaining said pieces in proper functional alignment by resisting all relative movement between said chuck pieces except for said rocking motion.