US3425683A - Dispensing unit - Google Patents

Description

w. P. WEIRICH ET AL 3,425,683

Feb. 4, "1969 DISPENSING UNIT Sheet of 5 Filed July 1, 1966 I \WX PIC-ML INVENTORs WILLIAM F. WEIRIGH BY HENRY WELIRICH Feb. 4, 1969 w. F. WEIRICH ET AL 5,425,683

DISPENSING UNIT Filed July 1, 1965 --Sheet 2 of 3 I l I l I. n l r l I 1 INVENTORS'. WILLIAM F. WEIRIGH HENRY WEIRJCH DISPENSING UNIT Filed July 1, 1966 Sheet 2 01 5 FIGS.

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United States Patent 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispening unit for slot insulation in roll form comprising a container formed by a pair of internesting sleeves disposed at right angles to one another. Each sleeve has a width greater than the diameter of the roll and a length less than the diameter of the roll so that the container is open at all four corners. Each sleeve is formed by two separate side panels having flaps at the opposite side edges. The flaps of the two panels are interconnected to space the side panels apart a selected distance equal to the width of the roll, the interconnection of the flaps providing a double wall thickness about the four side edges at the outer periphery of the container. A folding horn is adapted to be clipped onto the container along the double wall thickness.

The present invention is an improvement in dispensing units and has particular application to dispensing units for slot insulation.

Slot insulation is a special paper tape commonly employed as slot liners and separators in the winding slots of electrical machinery such as electric motors to insulate the electric wire windings of the motors. This insulation is supplied in large rolls containing enough material for several machine windings and it is the usual practice for winding shows and like places to keep a supply of different widths of the insulation on hand to fit the various size electrical machines they are required to Wind. In certain uses, as for separators, the tape is scored and must be folded before it is installed in the machines, and in other cases,"for slot liners, the tape is cuffed and has no score lines for folding. In these shops suitable lengths of the insulation are frequently drawn from the rolls as the winding work progresses.

A primary problem exists in keeping the rolls clean and readily accessible for use. Due to the nature of their work, the workers hands are greasy and dirty and the rolls, when handled in the shops near their intended location of use, accumulate the grease and dirt on their exposed surfaces. This accumulation substantially decreases the tapes insulating qualities, renders it incompatible to varnish, and makes it practically useless for winding purposes. The tape is especially hard to keep clean because of its resiliency which tends to force the roll to unwind itself exposing its inner portions. Metal chips may lodge in the loosened rolls, further detracting from the insulating properties thereof.

Some manufacturers of the rolls have wrapped them in paper covers to keep them tightly wound and free from exposure. This precaution has not completely solved the problem, because the workers in the shops have found it inconvenient to open and rewrap the rolls each time a length of tape is withdrawn.

Other manufacturers have attempted to protect the rolls by supplying them permanently encased in disposable dispensers similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,595,375. These dispensers have not been entirely satisfactory. Among the deficiencies is the lack of a suitable provision to prevent the short ends of the narrow separator tapes, cut off close to the dispenser, from being pulled inside the dispenser by the tapes resilient force. In order to "ice retrieve the end, the user must either tear the dispenser open or must fish the end out of the dispenser by inserting the fingers through the small holes provided. Such procedure is time consuming and a nuisance.

Another disadvantage of the prior dispenser is the lack of adequate means to rewind uncut portions of tape back on the roll. When too much tape has been withdrawn, the roll cannot easily be manipulated within the dispenser to take up the tape.

In addition to the above disadvantages, the dispensers made in accordance with the above-mentioned patent have been expensive to manufacture. Substantial time and labor is required to staple the eight pairs of flaps which join the two cardboard blanks together.

A problem also exists when the slot insulation must be folded. Before the flap tape from the rolls can be inserted into the slots of electrical machinery. two longitudinal folds must be carefully made along score lines running the length of the tape to form a U-shape to cover the bottom and sides of the slot. Heretofore, some users of the tape have made these folds by hand. This procedure has taken considerable time and labor and the folds were not always accurately made.

Other users have resorted to relatively expensive folding machines or dies to accurately fold the tape. These devices were cumbersome for they had to be adjusted each time a different width tape was run through them and in many cases, when they were not carefully adjusted, they would produce inaccurate folds.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel dispensing unit to facilitate the easy handling and storage of slot insulation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved dispensing unit which will keep the surface of the insulation tape free from dust, dirt, or other foreign material.

A further object is to provide a new dispensing unit which is highly economical to manufacture and assemble, yet which is fully effective in operation and use.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing unit which will accurately and simply fold the tape for insertion into the winding slot.

More specifically, the present invention provides a dispenser which stores the tape in roll form to maintain it free from dust, dirt, and other foreign material, but which provides access to the stored tape for manipulation of the roll during the dispensing operation, and for narrow tape for use as separators, includes a folding horn for automatically folding the tape as it is dispensed.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing unit embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse fragmentary section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of another dispensing unit embodying the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a transverse fragmentary section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a folding horn;

FIG. 7 is a reduced plan view showing the structure as shown in FIG. 6 mounted on the dispenser for operation; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view with portions broken away of the structure as shown in FIG. 7.

In accordance with the present invention, the illustrated dispensing units comprise a container 11 loosely enclosing a roll 12 of slot insulation tape 13 and means to control the tape 13 as it is withdrawn from the unit as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Referring more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the roll 12 is designed to be unwound from the outside. It is formed about an open core and has a given inner and outer diameter.

The container 11 is constructed to allow access to the roll 12 so that it may be easily counterrotated to rewind uncut tape 13 back onto the roll 12. In the present case the container 11 is formed of two elongated sleeves 16 each having an axial length between the open ends smaller than, and a transverse length between the closed ends larger than, the outside diameter of the roll 12. The depth of the sleeve is slightly larger than the width of the roll 12.

Each sleeve, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, is preferably comprised of double-faced corrugated board formed into two sidewalls 17 and two endwalls 18. In the present instance, the sidewalls 17 are formed separately from the endwalls 18 and include marginal flaps 19 extending perpendicularly therefrom toward the opposite sidewall along opposite ends thereof. The endwalls 18 are secured to the flaps '19 in the present instance by fastening means such as glue. In the present case the flaps 19 project inwardly toward'one another, so that the gluing of the endwalls 18 thereto provide a double wall thickness about the outer periphery of the container.

Where a container 111is to hold a roll 112 of a narrow tape 113, for instance the scored tape used for separators in electrical machinery, in lieu of the use of the separate endwalls, on each sleeve it is preferable to overlap the flaps 119 to form an integral endwall 118 as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 7 and 8 and secure them to each other by a fastening means, such as glue, to provide a double wall thickness about the outer periphery of the container.

The two elongated sleeves of either embodiment, 16 or 116, are in turn glued or fastened together by other means substantially midway between their ends in a nested crossed relationship to leave opening 20 or 120 at each corner along the roll 12 or 112. These openings permit the tape to be dispensed from the outer periphery of the roll through one of said openings, and are sufficiently large to allow the side of the roll to be grasped by the fingers for counterrotation within the container when it is desired to rewind the roll to retract the cut end into the container.

The containers are designed to enclose insulation tapes of varying widths. Where the separate endwalls 18 are used, the width of the container 11 can be increased or decreased to tfit any size insulating tape 13 by increasing or decreasing the width of the endwalls 18. With narrow tapes, where integral end walls 118 are used, it is preferred to change the width of the overlapping flaps 119 similarly to maintain the double-wall thickness across substantially the entire width of the outer periphery of the container.

Means is provided to support the unit while the tape is being withdrawn. In the present instance, the container 11 or 111 has a hole 21 or 121 located in the central portion of each sidewall 17 or 117. This hole has a diameter which is smaller than the inner diameter of the roll 12 or 112 to prevent the inner portions of the roll from slipping out of the container through the hole. The hole is large enough to allow a support such as a pipe or similar item, to be passed through the container and the open core 15 or 1 15 of the roll. In this manner one or more units may be held in place together for storage and tape dispensing.

When using scored tapes, such as for separators in electrical machinery, which must be folded, means 124 may be provided to control the tape 113 as it is withdrawn from the unit. For example, the control means 124 serves to fold the tape 113 and to secure the free end to prevent it from being pulled back into the container 111 by the resilient force of the tape. To this end, a folding horn 124 shown in FIGS. 6 through 8, is fixed within the opening 120 through which the tape is dispensed.

In the present case, the folding horn 124 comprises a tape control member 125 having attached at one end thereof, in this case by rivets 126, a suitable mounting means 127. In the present case, the tape control member 125 comprises a base 128 having opposed upstanding side members 129 which overlie the base at the terminal end 130 of the tape control member 125 to thereby fold the marginal portions 131 of the tape 113 upward along the side of the central portions 132. To this end, the base 128 tapers in width from the mounting end 133 to the free terminal end 130 for example from the width corresponding to the width of 'the unfolded tape 113 to a width corresponding to the width of the central portion 132. In this way, the side members 129 converge towards the free terminal end 130, and as shown best in FIG. 6, terminate in overlying relation to the base 128. When the tape is withdrawn from the tape control member 125, the acute angular relationship of the side members 129 with respect to the base 128 creases the tape by folding the marginal portion 131 over the central portion 132 as indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8. When it leaves the tape control member 125, the resiliency of the tape permits the marginal portion 131 to expand into an accurately folded U-shaped suitable for insertion into the slots of the electrical machinery.

At the other end, the mounting means 127 comprises a longitudinal extension 134 having a reversely turned leg 135 which cooperates to form a clip to mount the folding horn on the container 111. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 the folding horn 124 is removably mounted on the container 111 with the longitudinal extension 134 of the mounting means 127 passing between the end-wall 118 and the roll 112. In this Way, the mounting means positions the tape control member 125 with its base 128 outermost and adjacent to the opening 20 through which the tape 113 is dispensed from the roll 112. The leg 135 of the mounting clip is turned back over the double wall thickness provided by the overlapping flaps 119 from the opposite opening 120, so as to firmly anchor the member in place against displacement as the tape is dispensed. The outward end of the tape 113 is passed from the roll 112, and through the folding horn 124, which frictionally engages the end of the tape 113 to prevent inadvertent retraction into the container 111.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that the dispensing unit facilitates the easy handling and storage of slot insulation rolls by providing a container which protects the roll and keeps it from unwinding.

It can also be seen that the container is made of material such as corrugated board which is low in cost and requires minimum labor to construct.

Additionally, the dispensing unit is adaptable for varied widths of slot insulation.

The dispensing unit also allows the uncut portions of slot insulation to be retracted onto the roll within the container for storage and protection.

It can be seen that the dispensing unit may provide for the automatic folding of the tape into the desired shape as it is dispensed for insertion into the electrical machinery slots.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims:

We claim:

1. A dispensing unit for a roll of slot insulation tape comprising, two elongated sleeves secured to each other in nested crossed relationship to form a container, each elongated sleeve having an axial length substantially smaller than the outside diameter of the roll and a transverse length slightly larger than the outside diameter of the roll, each sleeve crossing the other sleeve substantially midway between the ends whereby an opening is provided at each of the four corners of said container so as to en able the tape to be dispensed from the outer periphery of the roll through one of said openings, each elongated sleeve being generally rectangular and formed of two opposed, similar sidewalls disposed in face-to-face relation, each sidewall comprising a separate sheet of corrugated board having a width corresponding to the axial length of said sleeve and including two marginal flaps along opposite ends thereof extending perpendicular therefrom, and means interconnecting the flaps of said two sidewalls at each of said opposite ends to space said sidewalls at a selected depth slightly larger than the width of said roll, said interconnecting means of the two sleeves providing a double Wall thickness about the four side edges at the outer periphery of said container.

2. A dispensing unit according to claim 1 wherein said marginal flaps project inwardly of the sleeve toward one another and terminate without overlapping, said interconnecting means comprising an endwall overlapping said flaps and secured to the outer side by gluing to provide said double wall thickness along said marginal flaps.

3. A dispensing unit according to claim 1 wherein said marginal flaps project inwardly of the sleeve toward one another, overlapping each other, said interconnecting means securing said flaps to each other to provide said double wall thickness along said marginal flaps.

4. A dispensing unit according to claim 1 including 25 tape control means consisting of a folding horn mounted on said double wall thickness adjacent one corner opening at the end of one side edge, said horn being adapted both to fold the tape and to frictionally engage the same to prevent said inadvertent retraction thereof.

5. A dispensing unit according to claim 4 wherein said folding horn comprises a base having side members at one end for folding the tape and a mounting clip at the other end for releasably mounting said horn on said double wall thickness.

6. A dispensing unit according to claim 5 wherein said clip comprises a longitudinal extension having a reverselyturned leg engaging said one side edge at the corner at its opposite end.

7. A dispensing unit according to claim 1 for a roll of slot insulation tape having a uniform width formed about an open core, said roll having an inner and outer diameter within said container, means in said sleeves defining a common hole smaller than said inner diameter to accommodate means to support said container and roll.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1933 Miller 20652 6/1943 Rysass 270-94 4/1943 Meeks 27086 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1965 Canada.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

PAUL V. WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 20652; 229--23

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