Surface protecting assembly and method

In combination, a portable dispensing device, a roll of masking material, and a tape roll for forming a composite useful for protecting a surface from radiant heat,

• said roll of masking material having an axis, said roll comprising a coiled elongate thin flexible sheet of masking material having opposite first and second untaped elongate edges, and said roll of masking material having first and second axially spaced ends with said first end of said roll being defined by the first elongate edge of said sheet, said sheet of masking material comprising a layer of flexible backing material having opposite major surfaces and a coating of metal on one of said surfaces of said flexible backing material providing a reflectance of at least 50 percent of radiant heat for said sheet of masking material;
• said tape roll comprising a coiled length of tape having first and second elongate edges and comprising a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive;
• and
• said portable dispensing device comprising a frame including a handle adapted for manual engagement, first and second spindles having axes, means mounting said spindles on said frame for rotation about said axes with said axes spaced and generally parallel, means for mounting said tape roll coaxially about the first spindle with the first edge of the length of tape at a first predetermined position axially with respect to said first and second spindles, and means for mounting said roll of masking material coaxially about the second spindle with the first edge of the sheet of masking material at a second predetermined position axially with respect to said first and second spindles, and with the width of said length of tape extending from the first position past the second position and the width of the sheet of masking material extending from the second position past the first position so that a portion of the length of tape along the first edge of the length of tape and a portion of the sheet of masking material along the first edge of the sheet of masking material are both positioned between said first and second positions;
• and path defining means on said frame and including means for locating said first edges of said tape and said sheet of masking material respectively at said first and second positions axially with respect to said spindles, said path defining means defining a path for said length of tape from said tape roll, a path for said sheet of masking material from said roll of masking material, and a common path portion where, in response to the tape and said sheet of masking material being pulled from the dispensing device, the pressure sensitive adhesive along the first edge of the length of tape adheres to said portion of the sheet of masking material along the first edge of the sheet of masking material to form a tape and masking material composite having opposite edges defined by the second edges of the length of tape and the sheet of masking material and an exposed portion of the coating of pressure sensitive adhesive along the second edge of the length of tape, said exposed portion of the coating of pressure sensitive adhesive being adapted to be adhered to a surface with the sheet of masking material extending between a surface to be protected and a source of radiant heat.