Claims
- 1. A splicer, for joining together the ends of two sheets by means of a tape, which comprises:(a) a clamp assembly comprised of a base, having a length, a front end, and a rear end; a first layer of resilient material running along the length of the top surface of the base, the layer having a first width; and, a top, comprised of two spaced apart bars defining a lengthwise slot therebetween, the slot having a width less than said first width; two second layers of resilient material, one each running along the length of the bottom; the top movably positionable with respect to the base for engagement and disengagement; wherein, when the top is moved to engagement with the base, so the bottom surface of the top and the top surface of the base are in proximity, the slot is centered over the base, so said first layer is aligned with and opposingly mated with the pair of second layers, wherein when the ends of two sheets are butted together and laid on the surface of the base, the ends of the two sheets will be frictionally captured between the mating first and second layers, to define a butt line; and, (b) a dispenser, for applying a layer of tape to form a joint between the ends of sheets which are butted together and held within said clamp assembly, the dispenser fitting within said slot and movable along the length thereof; wherein, when the dispenser is moved on a travel path running lengthwise along the length of the slot, the dispenser lays a layer of tape along said butt line between sheets captured between the mated top and base, to thereby form a taped joint between the sheets; wherein, the dispenser presses on the tape as the tape is progressively laid down.
- 2. The splicer of claim 1, particularly adapted for splicing sheets having perforated side edges, which further comprises:a first block having an array of pins for engaging perforations in a sheet, mounted on the base near the rear end of thereof; a second block having an array of pins for engaging perforations of a sheet, mounted on the base near the front end thereof; wherein one of said blocks is movable a short distance along the length of the base in spring biased fashion toward a rest position which is furthest from the block at the other end of the base; and wherein, when the opposing perforated side edges of a said sheet is engaged with the first and second blocks, the sheet is tensioned.
- 3. The splicer of claim 2 wherein the opposing one of said blocks is adjustably positionable along the length of the base, to accommodate different widths of perforated sheets.
- 4. The splicer of claim 2 having means for pivoting the dispenser, in the vertical plane running along the travel path, in vicinity of the front end of the top; wherein, the dispenser further comprises:means for holding a reel of tape so tape may be drawn from the reel; a lower end, for pressing on the tape while the tape is laid on the sheets in vicinity of the joint during movement of the dispenser along the length to the top; the lower end having means for cutting the tape, said lower end of the dispenser having a front part and a rear part corresponding with the front end and rear end of the base, and comprising: means for guiding tape onto the joint at the front part of the lower end; a rounded trailing edge at the rear part of the lower end, for rubbing along the tape as the tape is deposited on the joint between the sheets when the dispenser reaches the end of its travel path, the rounded trailing edge having a first elevation; a bottom tip, for rubbing on tape as the tape is being deposited along the length of the joint between the sheets; said bottom tip intermediate the front and rear parts of the lower end and having an elevation lower than the first elevation; a knife, for cutting tape, attached to said lower end between the front part and rear part; said knife having an elevation intermediate the first elevation and the elevation of the tip; means for causing pivoting of the dispenser at the end of the travel path; wherein, as the dispenser moves along the first part of the travel path, the tip contacts the tape being laid, and wherein, as the dispenser approaches the end of the travel path the dispenser simultaneously pivots and rises, to cause the knife to cut the tape and to raise the tip upwardly and cause the trailing edge to press down the tape cut end which lies on the joint.
- 5. The splicer of claim 4 wherein the means for pivoting the dispenser comprises a dispenser having a pin; and, a first cam mounted proximate the front end of the top, for engaging the pin and thereby causing the dispenser to pivot on the arm; and, wherein, the splicer further comprises a carriage arm having a pin; and, a second cam mounted on the top, to engage the carriage pin, to thereby cause the arm and the dispenser mounted thereon to rise.
- 6. The splicer of claim 4 further comprising a wiper, attached to the carriage rearward of the dispenser, for rub along tape laid on the joint at the beginning of the travel path.
- 7. The splicer of claim 1 further comprising: means for guiding a carriage along length of the top, from vicinity of the rear end of the base to vicinity of the front end of the base, attached to the top; and, a carriage engaged with said means for guiding, movable along the length of the top; wherein, the dispenser is mounted on said carriage.
- 8. The splicer of claim 7 wherein the carriage has a pin for carrying the dispenser; the dispenser mounted on said pin, for pivotable motion relative to the carriage within the lengthwise vertical plane of the top; wherein the fit of the mounting of the dispenser on the carriage pin and the fit of the dispenser within the slot sufficiently are both sufficiently loose to enable the dispenser to rock slightly in a plane transverse to the length of the top, as the dispenser moves on said travel path while pressing on the tape being adhered to the sheets.
- 9. The splicer of claim 1 further comprising: means for pivotably attaching the top to the base at the rear end of the base; wherein the top is movably positionable onto the base by pivoting downwardly.
- 10. The splicer of claim 1 further comprising: a reversing bar spaced apart from and above the clamp, so that the end of a sheet running toward one side of the clamp for being joined may be caused to follow a S-shape curve path by running around said bar.
- 11. A method of splicing together the ends of two sheets by joining the ends of the sheets together in a splicer while the sheet ends are held in close proximity to each other, wherein the splicer comprises(a) clamp assembly for receiving and holding sheets running from two respective sources of sheet, and a dispenser; the clamp assembly having a base, having a length, a front end, and a rear end; a first layer of resilient material running along the length of the top surface of the base, the layer having a first width; and, a top, comprised of two spaced apart bars defining a lengthwise slot therebetween, the slot having a width less than said first width; two second layers of resilient material, one each running along the length of the bottom; the top movably positionable with respect to the base for engagement and disengagement; wherein, when the top is moved to engagement with the base, so the bottom surface of the top and the top surface of the base are in proximity, the slot is centered over the base, so said first layer is aligned with and opposingly mated with the pair of second layers, wherein when the ends of two sheets are butted together and laid on the surface of the base, the ends of the two sheets will be frictionally captured between the mating first and second layers, to define a butt line; and, (b) a dispenser, for applying a layer of tape to form a joint between the ends of sheets which are butted together and held within said clamp assembly, the dispenser fitting within said slot and movable along the length thereof; wherein, when the dispenser is moved on a travel path running lengthwise along the length of the slot, the dispenser lays a layer of tape along said butt line between sheets captured between the mated top and base, to thereby form a taped joint between the sheets; wherein, the dispenser presses on the tape as the tape is progressively laid down; which method comprises: running the two sheets along different shape paths to the splicer; wherein one sheet runs along a U-shape path from a spaced apart first location; and, wherein the other sheet runs along an S-shape path from a spaced apart second location.
Parent Case Info
This application claims benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/063,986, filed Nov. 06, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5779851 |
Ifkovits et al. |
Jul 1998 |
|
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
The Laserfeed Company “How To Use The Laserfeed Splice Rite® ”, unknown date, Instruction Sheet, One Page. |
Laserlink Corporation “LC4000 Splice Cart Unit (SCU)”, unknown date, Catalog Sheet, One Page. |
Energy Saving Products Co. “The Laserfeed Company Document Processing Solutions”, unknown date, Catalog Sheet, One page. |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/063986 |
Nov 1997 |
US |