A method of preparing a composite article including providing a first bias assembly with a first bias roll; providing a first non-bias assembly with a first non-bias roll; positioning the first bias assembly to a dispensing position; dispensing a bias ply from the first bias roll along a bias path on a mold; cutting the bias ply; positioning the first non-bias assembly to a dispensing position; dispensing a non-bias ply from the first non-bias roll; and cutting the non-bias ply; wherein the bias path and the non-bias path are substantially parallel.

A device for dispensing rolled items, such as tape. The hand-held or mounted tape dispensing device is designed to accommodate variously sized or shaped rolls of tape. The tape dispensing device for dispensing a tape may comprise a support structure and one or more tape holder sliders configured to be moveable from a first position to at least one second position. The tape dispensing device may also include one or more tape holder sliders, which may move simultaneously in a single direction. The tape dispensing device may also include a tape dispenser blade having a cutting edge and configured to be moveable from a first position to at least one second position and to rotate to a position along the cutting edge at different angles.

A web material dispenser for housing two or more rolls is provided. The web material dispenser includes a housing having a fixed housing portion provided with a first roll support assembly coupled thereto for supporting a first roll of web material. The housing further has a movable housing portion, movable between a closed position and an open position, provided with a second roll support assembly coupled thereto for supporting a second roll of web material. The fixed and movable housing portions defining a housing chamber therebetween when the movable portion is in the closed position, for at least partially enclosing the two or more rolls of web material within the housing chamber. The movable portion is moved to the open position for providing access to the two or more rolls and allowing replacement of at least one of the first and second rolls.

A dispenser having a feed roller that at least partially engages sheet material to facilitate dispensing thereof, and a cutting mechanism disposed within a chamber defined by a body of the feed roller. The cutting mechanism including a cutting blade and at least one movable support connected thereto. The at least one support further is operatively connected to the body of the feed roller and is actuated with rotation thereof to move the cutting blade into and out from one or more openings defined along the body of the feed roller to at least partially cut or perforate a selected portion of the sheet material as the sheet material is dispensed.

A stacker unit includes a sheet member having flexibility and is configured to receive in the sheet member a sheet having a sheet shape and discharged from a discharge port in a discharge direction. The sheet member includes a contact portion with which the sheet comes into contact. In a width direction intersecting the discharge direction, at least one end portion of the contact portion is positioned inward of at least one end portion of the sheet reaching the contact portion.

A dispenser comprising a rotating member and a holding member. The rotating member includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has an outer surface and a cylindrical inner surface defining a diameter. The second portion has an outer surface and a cylindrical inner surface defining a diameter. The diameter of the cylindrical inner surface of the second portion is greater than the diameter of the cylindrical inner surface of the first portion. A plurality of ribs extends radially inwardly from the cylindrical inner surface of the second portion. The holding member is located radially outwardly of the first portion. The holding member has an inner surface and an outer surface.

A web material dispenser tear bar, a dispenser assembly comprising a tear bar and a method of forming the same. The tear bar includes a cutting edge that is defined by a plurality of teeth that extend along a longitudinal edge of a body of the tear bar. The teeth include a first group of teeth that have a triangular shape defined by linear edges of the respective teeth and a second group of teeth where at least one side of each tooth of the second group of teeth have a curved edge that extends in a radial direction toward an adjacent one of the plurality of teeth. The tear bar is preferably disposed in the housing of a dispenser and oriented to engage a web material to selectively perforate and/or sever a portion of the web material from the roll.

A feed assembly for dispensing rolled web material from a bulk roll of material and that includes a feed drum and a pair of pinch rollers that cooperate with the feed drum. The feed drum and pinch rollers are oriented and constructed to mitigate jamming and/or undesired displacement of the web material as it progresses through the feed assembly. Preferably, a drum guard is disposed between the pinch rollers and is constructed to further mitigate undesired translation of the web material relative to the feed assembly during dispense operations.

A sheet feeding device includes a support that detachably supports a roll, a rotation driver that rotates a spool, a guide including a facing portion and a guide portion, a support shaft that swingably supports the guide, a biasing member that presses the guide, a sensor that retractably projects from the facing portion and outputs a detection signal, a roller that contacts an outer circumferential surface of the roll, and circuitry that controls the rotation driver. The circuitry determines a passing time based on a first change rate and a second change rate, and causes the rotation driver to rotate the spool by a predetermined angle in a winding direction, from the passing time, to position a leading end of a continuous sheet at a feeding start position, and rotates the spool in the feeding direction to feed the continuous sheet from the feeding start position along the guide portion.

A label dispenser coupled to product-transporting carts at retail facilities includes a label roll support arm supporting multiple label rolls thereon, a label guide arm including openings that permit a leading portion of the backing substrate of a label roll to pass therethrough, and a side wall interconnecting the label roll support arm and the label guide arm. The label guide arm also includes an upper portion located above the openings and configured to support the backing substrates of the label rolls thereon. The label guide arm further includes an edge configured to facilitate separation of a leading peelable label from the backing substrate in response to a force applied by the user when pulling the leading portion of the backing substrate of the label roll through the opening of the label guide arm.