Abstract: A portable manual control device for taping articles such as for example bunches of electrical cables with a flexible material in the shape of a tape, a band or a cord, unwound from a coil carried by the device, said device including a platen supporting a driving motor as well as control means for said motor, and formed with an opened passage for receiving the article, a rotary crown rotating on the platen being controlled in rotation by the motor via a driving means, the crown being formed with an opening in which is engaged the article to be taped when said opening is in register with the opened passage of the platen, and at least one feed coil with the flexible material in the shape of a tape, band or cord, with return and guiding means for said material, characterized in that the rotary crown includes in the bottom of its opening receiving the article a curved guide for positioning the article in the crown, a slot being provided in the guide for bringing the flexible material in contact with the article,