Tape dispenser
The present invention relates generally to tape dispensers and, more particularly, to an apparatus for storing and dispensing bill straps, commonly used for the bundling of paper currency. 
     Concerns that deal daily in large amounts of paper currency, such as banks, currency exchanges, supermarkets, and the like, have found it necessary to bundle such currency in order to facilitate its counting and transportation. Typically, bills of a single denomination are counted into stacks of a predetermined amount. Thereafter, the stacks are bound together with what are known as bill straps. In its most common form, a bill strap consists of a strip of paper of sufficient length to fit completely around a stack of bills. 
     One common form of such a bill strap features a contact adhesive which is applied to the ends of the strap to make it possible to fasten the strap to itself without requiring glue, tape, or the like. Such adhesive is applied at one end of the bill strap to the top surface and at the other end of the bill strap to the bottom surface. Thereafter, when the strap is wrapped around a stack of bills, the gummed portions of the strap meet and adhere one to the other, thereby securing the bills. 
     The adhesive used on such bill straps is pressure-sensitive and, although the adhesive is intended to adhere only when one coated portion of a strap is pressed to another coated portion, in practice the straps tend to stick together. This is due, in part, to such factors as pressure exerted on the stacks during shipping, or the like. Consequently, a great number of straps are wasted when, for example, a user attempts to free one strap but instead frees several. In addition, the straps may become creased, curled, wrinkled or folded once a stack of such straps is disturbed. Clearly, which is needed, is a device for storing such straps quickly and conveniently, for dispensing such straps one at a time, and for keeping such straps flat and unwrinkled. 
     Accordingly, the present invention has the following objects: 
     To provide apparatus for storing and dispensing bill straps; 
     To provide such apparatus in forms which enable convenient separation of one strap from a stack of many straps; 
     To provide such apparatus in forms simple to manufacture and easy to use; 
     To provide such apparatus in forms with a minimum of moving parts; 
     To provide such apparatus in forms which enable the storage and dispensing of bill straps of different denominations; and 
     To provide such apparatus in forms which are economical to manufacture and maintain. 
    
    
     These and further objects will become apparent upon a consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a prospective view of a single strap dispenser; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the device in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a view along line 4 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a view along line 55 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective drawing of a bill strap; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of several bill straps as typically stacked; and 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bill strap dispenser for use with multiple denominations of straps. 
    
    
     Consistent with the foregoing objects and drawings, there is herein described and claimed apparatus for storing and dispensing bill straps, including a base member to receive such straps, a lid covering said base member, means within said base member to press said bill straps toward said lid, means within said base member to grip the edges of said bill straps, and means formed on said apparatus to allow removal of bill straps therefrom. 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 indicates generally a bill strap dispenser for storing and dispensing bill straps from a single stack. As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, bill strap 11 may be formed with a first contact adhesive area 12 and a second contact adhesive area 13. As best seen in FIG. 7, first contact area 12 is situated on one side (herein the top) of bill strap 11, while second contact area 13 is positioned on the opposite side (herein the bottom) and the opposite end of bill strap 11. In this manner, contact areas 12 register when bill straps 11 are stacked, as do contact areas 13, in such a manner as to avoid contact with subjacent or suprajacent contact areas. Nonetheless, such bill straps 11 still tend to stick together sufficiently to make separating and dispensing of such bill straps inconvenient. 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a top lid 14 press-fitted to a bottom 15. Presser 16 is formed integrally with bottom 15 and exerts pressure to lift the stack of bill straps 17 upward toward curved lip 18 formed on top 14. 
     As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, top 14 terminates at curved lip 18 before reaching end 19 of bottom 15. A cutout 20 may be formed on end panel 19 as seen in FIG. 1, and in FIG. 2 and it is contemplated that terminating top 14 at lip 18, providing cutout 20, and for shortening top 14 with respect to bottom 15 will create a site at which a user may reach in and grip an individual bill strap from stack 17 and remove it from dispenser 10. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, broken out section A illustrates use, in this preferred embodiment, of edge guide 21 consisting of a rubber-like member maintained within a channel formed by ribs 22 and 23. As seen in FIG. 5, edge guides 21 and 21 prime act to keep bill strap stack 17 aligned in a vertical direction. In addition, guides 21 and 21 prime provide edgewise frictional engagement with stack 17 such that when an individual bill strap is withdrawn from stack 17, the remaining bill straps will tend to remain in the dispenser, thus making it simpler to withdraw a single bill strap, when needed. Thus, the waste that typically occurs when two or three bill straps come out stuck together is alleviated. 
     As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, presser 16 acts somewhat as a spring member, to urge stack 17 toward the site previously described for removal of individual bill strips. This is done in a fashion which exerts pressure on stack 17 proximate said site, as opposed to over the entire length of stack 17. In this fashion, the ends of the bill straps in bill stack 17 positioned at the end of dispenser 10 opposite said site are not pressed together and are less likely to stick together when an individual strap is removed from this dispenser. Another view of said site is seen in FIG. 2. It should be noted that curved lip 18 makes it possible for the top several individual bill straps to be curved upward to further facilitate removal from the dispenser. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates a proposed embodiment of a single case 24 with individual dispensing stations 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29. Of course, any number of individual stations may be formed therein, as are necessary to provide bill straps preprinted with individual currency amounts. Thus, for example, preprinted bill straps for stacks of currency in the amounts of $50.00, $100.00, $500.00, $1,000.00, and $10,000.00 may be stored in a single case, and individual stations may be replenished with bill straps as the supply of bill straps in said station is depleted. 
     The formation of presser 16 as an integral part of bottom 15 has, of course, several advantages. Such a structure has no moving parts, save for the flexing of the presser, and thus there are no parts to become separated from the dispenser. This also provides for efficient and economical manufacture in that the pressure need not be formed of additional material. 
     Consistent with the embodiments herein presented, it is contemplated that such dispensers may be molded from selected plastics in a wide variety of colors. 
     It is to be understood however, that other arrangements may also be employed to produce the desired end result of having the bill straps urged toward the withdrawal site. It may also be of further advantage to terminate presser 16 prior to its contact with that portion of stack 17 which is pregummed. 
     While the foregoing has presented certain specific embodiments of the invention described and claimed herein, it is to be understood that such embodiments are herewith presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. It is expected that others will perceive differences which, while differing from the foregoing, do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein described and claimed.