Apparatus for dispensing and applying tape

A device for dispensing and applying a strip of adhesive masking tape to a portion of a surface of an object which is to be painted, the surface portion to be masked including a convex curved section, said surface further including a pair of grooves lying adjacent and parallel to said surface portion to be masked and corresponding in curvature to said portion to be masked, said device being movable relative to said object along a path parallel to said grooves and parallel to said portion to be masked, said device having a leading end which moves along said path toward said portion to be masked and having a trailing end which moves along said path away from a portion already masked, said device comprising:

• a support frame;
• means on said support frame for rotatably supporting a roll of adhesive masking tape;
• pressure applying means on said support frame near said trailing end of said device around which tape from said roll of tape is reeved and having an undersurface which is adapted to press said tape against said surface portion to be masked;
• cutting means on said support frame selectively operable to cut said tape;
• and guide means on said support frame near said leading end of said device comprising two pairs of projections, one pair of projections comprising a first forward projection and a first rear projection, both first projections engageable with one groove of said pair of grooves, and the other pair of projections comprising a second forward projection and a second rear projection, both second projections engageable with the other groove of said pair of grooves, all said projections having ends which lie in a plane which is spaced a fixed distance from another plane in which said undersurface of said pressure applying means lies.