Adhesive Tape for and Method of Joining Webs

In the winding up of webs such as paper webs, the tail end of the web has to be affixed to the head end of the next web, and torn webs have to be joined together. This has hitherto been done by affixing a double-faced adhesive tape to the end of one of the webs. However, this manual operation is time-consuming.

The invention has as its object to provide an adhesive tape which simplifies the joining together of webs.

The adhesive tape in accordance with the invention is characterized by a double-faced adhesive tape to whose outsides peelable cover tapes adhere, one of these cover tapes carrying an adhesive layer on its outside.

Tail end of one web and head of another web are joined together by the use of the adhesive tape in accordance with the invention, which generally comes in the form of a roll, in this way: The adhesive tape is first adhered by the adhesive-coated side of one of the cover tapes to a carrier bar and after removal of the other cover tape is adhered by the exposed adhesive-coated side of the double-faced adhesive tape to the end of one of the webs. Then the other cover tape of the double-faced adhesive tape adhering to the other web is removed and the head end of the other web is adhered to the exposed adhesive-coated side of the double-faced adhesive tape.

The carrier bar can be prepared with the adhesive tape outside the apparatus so that the adhesive tape can be quickly adhered to the end of the web. When the roll in a wind-up stand then is rotated further and the head end of the new web enters the nip between support roll and web roll, the head end of the new web becomes affixed to the tail end of the other web.

As the adhesive tape is being affixed, any objectionable tail of the web can readily be severed along a tearoff edge of the carrier bar, which is constructed accordingly.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a wind-up stand with a web roll, and

FIG. 2 is an isometric drawing of a carrier bar with an adhesive tape affixed thereto.

The adhesive tape comprises a plurality of plies, namely, a middle, double-faced adhesive tape 1 and two cover tapes 2 and 3 which adhere to the adhesive-coated sides of tape 1. Cover tape 2 is provided with an adhesive layer on its outside only while cover tape 3 has no adhesive layer. Cover tape 3 merely serves to separate the individual plies of the adhesive tape, which comes in the form of a roll. The other cover tape, 2, may be a crepe ribbon, for example. The sides of the cover tapes 2 and 3 facing the double-faced adhesive tape, and also the outside of cover tape 3, are such that as the tapes are separated the adhesive layer of the double-faced adhesive tape 1 remains thereon. This property may be imparted to the cover tapes 2 and 3 by providing them with an appropriate adhesive-repellent coating.

Shown in FIG. 1 are two support rolls 5 and 6 and, supported thereon, a web roll 7. The support rolls 5 and 6 and the web roll 7 rotate in the directions indicated. The web 8 to be wound up passes over the support roll 5 to the web roll 7.

In preparation of the affixing of the head end of one web to the tail end of another web, the adhesive tape 1, 2 and 3 is adhered by the adhesive-coated side of the cover tape 2 to the bar 4. Then cover tape 3 is removed and the remainder of the tape, 1 and 2, is adhered along with the carrier bar 4 to the tail end of the web on the web roll 7, as shown in FIG. 1. A loose tail 9 of the web may be severed along a tear-off edge 10 of the carrier bar 4, which is of triangular cross section. The carrier bar 4 along with the cover tape 2 then is removed from adhesive tape 1, which adheres to the web. This of course is feasible only when the adhesive force between web and adhesive tape 1 is greater than that between cover tape 2 and adhesive tape 1 and the adhesive between the bar 4 and the cover tape 2 is stronger than that on both faces of tape 1.

As the roll 7 with its end provided with the adhesive tape 1 continues to rotate and the latter reaches the point 11 where the roll 7 bears on the support roll 5, the adhesive tape 1 affixes the tail end of the web to the head end 12 of the web 8. The overhanging head end 12 then is severed along the adhesive tape 1.

It will be appreciated that the instant specification and claims are set forth by way of illustration and not of limitation, and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.