Tear tape changer

A tear tape changing method wherein transfer paths of tapes with cutters disposed therein are formed downstream of two tape reels mounted removably, a backup roller for conducting the tape fed from one of the transfer paths and a packaging film fed along a film feed path to a downstream side in a superimposed state, and a pressure roller for removably holding a front end portion of the tape fed from the other transfer path and causing it to stand by, are disposed on downstream sides of the transfer paths, and when the tape from one of the transfer paths has been used up, the pressure roller and the backup roller are moved close to each other in accordance with a detected value of a residual amount of the tape to connect the other tape which is standing by to the one tape, thus allowing the tape to be fed to the film feed path successively in an alternate manner, said method comprising the steps of:

• stretching the tape which is standing by from one of guide rollers, the guide rollers being disposed at downstream ends of the two transfer paths, respectively, and displaced from each other in the front and rear direction orthogonal to the tape feed direction, toward the pressure roller via a route changing roller which is standing by in a stand-by position, and stretching the tape which is in use from the other guide roller toward the backup roller via a route changing roller which is standing by in a feed position, to prevent interference of both tapes even in a crosswise stretched state;
• allowing the tape stretched on the route changing roller which is standing by in the stand-by position to be fed to the backup roller with an approaching motion of the pressure roller with respect to the backup roller in accordance with a detected value of a residual amount of the tape which is in use;
• thereafter moving the route changing roller in the stand-by position to the feed position by a drive unit and at the same time moving the route changing roller which is standing by in the feed position and which is in an empty state in a rear direction by a relief means while moving the same to the stand-by position by the drive unit, thereby allowing the empty route changing roller to return to the stand-by position without interference with the tape which is stretched on the other route changing roller and which is in use, thus permitting the tape for replacement to be stretched on the pressure roller.