ADAPTOR FOR CONVERTING A SINGLE TAPE ROLL DISPENSER TO A DUAL TAPE ROLL DISPENSER

Abstract

A single tape roll dispenser is converted by application of an adaptor to a dual tape roll dispenser for dispensing reversed-conjoined tapes. The combination provides aligned parallel tape-roll hubs for rotating and dispensing the tape rolls, and a spacer is mounted on one of the rotatable hubs for spacing one of the tape rolls to thereby stagger the vertical alignment of the tape rolls so that the tapes can be simultaneously dispensed in a reversed-conjoined configuration.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to hand tools used for masking a surface and more particularly to hand tools used to efficiently apply multiple layers of masking tape to a protected surface that will also be at least partially covered by a large sheet of masking paper or plastic.

When painting, masking is commonly employed for protecting non-painted edges and surfaces. As an example, when painting a wall that includes a window or door opening, it is important to protect the decorative moldings around the openings of the doors and windows and prevent over-spray on the door or window.

Painters typically use a special type of masking tape referred to as painter's tape that has a moderately strong adhesive which will not impair or injure the decorative molding.

Painter's tape is applied around the perimeter edges of a large area on a wall, such as a window or door, and light weight paper or plastic is applied across and covers the window or door. A second strip of masking tape is applied to the perimeter edges of the large sheet in order to retain the large sheet over the window glass or door in order to protect them from paint over-spray.

This masking process can be speeded up or enhanced by the use of a dual tape dispenser which dispenses reversed-conjoined tapes with one of the tapes reversed so that an adhesive edge of the first tape is conjoined longitudinally to a reverse adhesive edge of the second tape when both tape ends are being dispensed together simultaneously on the same path. The other reverse tape is exposed so the other materials, such as plastic sheet or paper, can be easily attached to it for protecting the areas covered by the sheet from paint over-spray or from the transfer of harmful airborne pollutants to clean areas, such as incurred in asbestos remediation.

Such dual tape dispensers for dispensing reversed-conjoined tapes are disclosed for example in US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2013/0020029, 2014/0090785 and 2015/0075723.

A dual tape dispenser which will dispense reversed-conjoined tapes may be purchased but they are expensive and are sold only by specialty supply sources and therefore are difficult to locate for purchase.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a dual tape roll dispenser for dispensing reversed-conjoined tapes simultaneously by easily and readily adapting a readily available and conventional inexpensive packing tape dispenser or tape dispenser gun to a dual tape roll dispenser.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a readily available single tape roll dispenser is adapted by an adaptor of the present invention for converting the single tape roll dispenser to a dual tape roll dispenser for dispensing reversed-conjoined tapes. The single tape roll dispenser is readily found on the market and is referred to as a packing tape dispenser or a tape dispenser gun and is comprised of a vertical main housing panel supporting a rotatable horizontally extending tape-roll hub configured to vertically hold a tape roll for rotary dispensing tape from the hub. The main housing panel is supported by a handle and a spindle is supported from the main housing panel and configured for guiding tape as it is being dispensed over a tape cut-off blade supported by the main housing panel for cutting off a selected amount of dispensed tape.

The adaptor of the present invention is comprised of a vertical adaptor housing panel that is configured to be detachably secured to the main housing panel of the single tape roll dispenser. The vertical housing tape panel of this adaptor supports a rotatable adaptor tape-roll hub aligned in parallel with the tape-roll hub of the single tape roll dispenser whereby the hubs of the single tape roll dispenser and the adaptor extend longitudinally in the same direction from a common vertical plane.

A spacer roll of predetermined thickness is dimensioned to be mounted on either one of the hubs of the single tape roll dispenser or the adaptor for thereby spacing one of the tape rolls this predetermined thickness from one of the vertical panels of either the single tape roll dispenser or the adapter whereby tape rolls respectively held by the rotatable hubs may be simultaneously dispensed in a reversed-conjoined configuration. The thickness of the spacer roll regulates the amount of overlap provided in the reversed-conjoined tape being dispensed.

By providing a spacer roll which may be mounted on either hub, the side-by-side conjoined configuration of the tapes can be reversed making the combination tool readily useful and adaptable to left handed or right handed persons.

Also, both of the tape rolls may be adhesive tape rolls or, if preferred, one of the tape rolls may be a paper roll.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and the claims. The accompanying drawings show, for the purpose of exemplification, without limiting the scope of the invention or the appended claims, certain practical embodiments of the invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dual tape roll dispenser of the present invention as seen from the right lower side of the device and disclosing the right side and partially disclosing the front;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dual tape roll dispenser shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the right hand side and the front of the device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dual tape roll dispenser shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the opposite or left side of the device which discloses the upper left side and front portions of the device; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dual tape roll dispenser shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the left side and rear portions of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings, a readily available and known single tape roll dispenser is illustrated in combination with the adapter of the present invention for converting the single roll dispenser to a dual tape roll dispenser for dispensing reversed-conjoined tapes. This combination provides a dual tape dispenser 10 comprised of single taped roll dispenser 11 in combination with the adaptor 12 of the present invention.

The single tape roll dispenser 11 is comprised of a vertical main housing panel 13 supporting a rotatable horizontally extending tape-roll hub 14 configured to vertically hold a tape roll 15 for rotary dispensing tape 15′ from hub 14. A handle 17 supports main housing panel 13 and spindle 18 is rotatably supported from maim housing panel 11 and is configured for guiding tape 15′ as it is being dispensed over tape cut-off blade 20, supported by main housing panel 11, for cutting off a selected amount of dispensed tape 15′.

Adaptor 12 is comprised of a vertical adaptor housing panel 21 that is configured to be detachably secured to vertical main housing panel 13 and vertical adaptor housing panel 21 supports rotatable adaptor tape-roll hub 22 in aligned parallel relationship with maim tape-roll hub 14. Rotatable hubs 14 and 22 extend longitudinally from their respective vertical panels 13 and 21 in the same direction from a common vertical plane as defined by the inside aligned vertical surfaces 23 and 24 of the respective vertical panels 13 and 21.

A spacer roll 25 is provided with a precalculated or predetermined thickness d and is further dimensioned to be mounted on either one of the rotatable hubs 14 or 22 for thereby spacing one of the tape rolls 15 or 19 the distance d from a substantially common vertical plane provided by surfaces 23 and 24. The term “substantially common” meaning that vertical surfaces 23 and 24 may not obviously be exactly aligned. The predetermined thickness d from the inside surface 23 or 24 of one of the vertical panels 11 or 21, is effectively maintained whereby the tape rolls 15 and 19 may be simultaneously dispensed in a reversed-conjoined configuration as illustrated at 27. This is accomplished because the nonadhesive side 28 of dispensed tape 15′ faces upward, and the adhesive side of tape 19′ faces upward. These tapes 15′ and 19′ of painters tape roll 15 and 19 dispense from the rolls at a substantially right angle as shown due to the adhesive sticking of the tapes 15′ and 19′ to their respective rolls 15 and 19. The spacer roll thickness d regulates the amount of overlap of the reversed-conjoined tapes 15′ and 19′.

Knobs 30 and 31 are threadably secured to the outer ends of the respective shafts supporting rotatable hubs 14 and 22 to thereby serve as friction brakes for controlling the dispensing tension of the respective tapes 15′ and 19′. One or both of the hubs 14 and 22 may be provided in different diameters to accommodate tape or paper rolls of smaller or different inner core diameters.

Adaptor 12 is detachably secured to single tape roll dispenser 11 by means of the two mounting screws 32 which are originally provided on single tape roll dispenser 11 for retaining spindle 18 and tape cut-off blade 20 in position in single tape dispenser 11.

The single tape roll dispenser 11 is readily available on the market and is manufactured by many different manufactures. Nevertheless, all of the single roll tape dispensers on the market are manufactured to nearly identical specifications and are all provided in substantially the same configuration. However, because the spacing of bolts 32 may vary slightly from one device to another, the openings (not shown) in vertical adaptor panel 21 are enlarged in order to permit mounting tolerance compatibility between adaptor 12 and slightly different single tape roll dispensers 11. This adjustability capability requires the inclusion of large fender washers 33 in order to allow this flexibility for the spacing of shaft bolts 32 when securing adaptor 12 to single tape roll dispenser 11.

The spacer roll 25 is shown in the figures as being mounted on rotatable spindle 14. However, the spacer roll 25 may be instead applied to rotatable hub 22 in order to make the dual tape roll dispenser 10 more easily controlled and operated by a left handed operator.

Both tape rolls 15 and 19 may be adhesive tape rolls, or alternatively one of the rolls 15 and 19 may be a paper roll. In this latter situation the combination is used strictly for masking with the tape elements itself without the further application of overlying sheet material, such as light weight paper or plastic.

Claims

1. A single tape roll dispenser in combination with an adaptor for converting the single tape roll dispenser to a dual tape roll dispenser for dispensing reversed-conjoined tapes:

the single tape roll dispenser comprising a vertical main housing panel supporting a rotatable horizontally extending tape-roll hub configured to vertically hold a tape roll for rotary dispensing tape from said hub, a handle supporting said main housing panel, a spindle supported from said main housing panel and configured for guiding tape as it is being dispensed over a tape cut-off blade supported by said main housing panel for cutting off a selected amount of dispensed tape;

the adaptor comprising a vertical adaptor housing panel configured to be detachably secured to said main housing panel and to support a rotatable adaptor tape-roll hub aligned in parallel with said main tape-roll hub, said hubs extending longitudinally in the same direction from a substantially common vertical plane;

a spacer roll of predetermined thickness and dimensioned to be mounted on either one of said hubs for thereby spacing one of the tape rolls said predetermined thickness from one of said vertical panels whereby tape rolls respectively held by said rotatable hubs may be simultaneously dispensed in a reversed-conjoined configuration.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein both of the tape rolls respectively mounted on said hubs are adhesive tape rolls.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein one of the tape rolls mounted on one of said hubs is adhesive tape, and the tape roll mounted on the other of said hubs is a paper roll.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said tape-roll hubs are replaceable with hubs of a different diameter in order to accommodate tape or paper roll inner core diameters of a different size.

5. A dual tape roll dispenser for dispensing reversed-conjoined tapes, comprising:

a vertical housing panel supporting spaced parallel rotatable horizontally extending tape-roll hubs configured to vertically and respectively hold tape rolls for rotary dispensing tape from said hubs, said hubs extending from a substantially common vertical plane;

a handle supporting said vertical housing panel;

a spindle supported from said vertical housing panel and configured for guiding tape as it is being dispensed over a tape cut-off blade supported by said vertical housing panel for cutting off a selective amount of dispensed tape; and

a spacer roll of predetermined thickness and dimensioned to be mounted on either one of said rotatable hubs for thereby spacing one of the tape rolls said predetermined thickness from said vertical housing panel, whereby tape rolls respectively held by said rotatable hubs may be simultaneously dispensed in a reversed-conjoined configuration.

6. The dual tape dispenser of claim 5, wherein both of the tape rolls respectively mounted on said hubs are adhesive tape rolls.

7. The dual tape dispenser of claim 5, wherein one of the tape rolls mounted on one of said hubs is adhesive tape, and the tape roll mounted on the other of said hubs is a paper roll.

8. The dual tape dispenser of claim 5, wherein said tape-roll hubs are replaceable with hubs of a different diameter in order to accommodate tape or paper roll inner core diameters of a different size.