Adhesive tape feeding apparatus for feeding tape automatically after cutting

An adhesive tape feeding apparatus for feeding a free end portion of an adhesive tape roll therefrom, said feeding apparatus comprising:

• a base having a front end portion and a rear end portion;
• a rotary member disposed rotatably on said rear end portion of said base and adapted to sleeve the tape roll thereon, thereby mounting the tape roll rotatably on said base;
• a blade fixed on said front end portion of said base and adapted to cut the free end portion of the tape roll;
• a feeding roller set disposed rotatably on said base between said blade and said rotary member and adapted to deliver the free end portion of the tape roll from said rear end portion of said base to said front end portion of said base;
• a motor disposed on said base for rotating said feeding roller set;
• a reduction gearing interconnecting said motor and said feeding roller set for transferring rotation of said motor to said feeding roller set;
• a microswitch disposed on said base and connected electrically to said motor, said microswitch being capable of being activated to run said motor;
• an adjustment unit disposed movably on said base and movable on said base between a first-length position, where said feeding roller set is adapted to deliver a first length of the free end portion of the tape forwardly therefrom, and a second-length position, where said feeding roller set is adapted to deliver a second length of the free end portion of the tape forwardly therefrom, said adjustment unit including a resilient follower arm which is located over and which is spaced apart from said microswitch;
• a cam wheel connected to said feeding roller set so as to rotate synchronously therewith when said motor runs, and having an outer periphery that is spaced apart from said follower arm of said adjustment unit and that is rotatable to press said follower arm against said microswitch, said outer periphery of said cam wheel being shaped so as to release said follower arm therefrom after each rotation by a first angle when said adjustment unit is disposed at said first-length position, and by a second angle when said adjustment unit is disposed at said second-length position;
• a push unit disposed movably on said base and movable to press said follower arm against said microswitch so as to start said motor when a force is applied to press the free end portion of the tape roll against said blade under tension so as to cut the free end portion of the tape roll;
• a spring for biasing said push unit to press said follower arm against said microswitch when the free end portion of the tape roll is cut off by said blade;
• and
• a release unit for releasing said follower arm from said push unit during each rotation of said cam wheel when said adjustment unit is disposed at either of said first and second-length positions, thereby permitting subsequent action of said push unit to press said follower arm against said microswitch during a subsequent tape-cutting operation.