A kit for dispensing disposable stethoscope covers and other instrument covers is provided. The kit may include a cartridge and a dispenser for automatic touch-free dispensing of disposable stethoscope covers. The kit further includes a first spool having a roll of backing member with disposable stethoscope covers disposed thereon and a second spool for receiving the spent backing member after a disposable stethoscope cover has been removed, self-contained within the cartridge. The cartridge is inserted within the dispenser so that a user may insert a stethoscope head through a window of the dispenser to attach to a disposable stethoscope cover. Alternatively, the cartridge or cassette may be comprised of disposable instrument covers so that a user may insert the instrument near or through the window of the dispenser for application of the instrument cover directly to the instrument. The kit may further include a proximity sensor for detecting a user.

The component feeding device includes a body portion, a first sprocket, a second sprocket, a peeler, a pair of rollers, and an openable cover. The first sprocket transports the carrier tape to the downstream component pickup position. The second sprocket transports the carrier tape from the component pickup position to the discharge port. The pair of rollers discharges the cover tape peeled off at the peeler. The first sprocket, the second sprocket, and the pair of rollers are disposed below the openable cover.

A tape feeder feeds a component supply tape including a cover tape adhered on a carrier tape accommodating multiple components to a predetermined supply position, and separates the cover tape from the carrier tape in front of the supply position to expose a component on the carrier tape. The tape feeder includes a pair of rotating members configured to separate the cover tape from the carrier tape by pinching and drawing the cover tape; a drum member configured to rotate and wind the cover tape drawn by the pair of rotating members; a driving motor; and a distribution mechanism configured to distribute a rotational driving force from the driving motor to one rotating member of the pair of rotating members and the drum member.

A method to advance a print medium, for example a flexible print medium, through a print zone of a printing device is described. A carrier is fed from a carrier supply. The carrier has an adhesive surface. A print medium is engaged with the adhesive surface of the carrier. The carrier with the engaged print medium is advanced to the print zone.

An apparatus is disclosed for applying tags with attached elastic anchor bands onto the tops of objects such as bottles in a high speed packaging application. The apparatus includes an infeed assembly for feeding a web, a conveyor assembly that receives a web and conveys it along a path in an upstream direction, a rotating selector wheel, a placement assembly, a pair of rotating jaw assembles, a vacuum cup of the selector wheel, and stretched elastic bands over the tops of respective bottles being conveyed along a path below the placing assembly. The elastic bands then snap onto the tops of their respective bottles to secure the tags to the bottles.

A kit for dispensing disposable stethoscope covers and other instrument covers is provided. The kit may include a cartridge and a dispenser for automatic touch-free dispensing of disposable stethoscope covers. The kit further includes a first spool having a roll of backing member with disposable stethoscope covers disposed thereon and a second spool for receiving the spent backing member after a disposable stethoscope cover has been removed, self-contained within the cartridge. The cartridge is inserted within the dispenser so that a user may insert a stethoscope head through a window of the dispenser to attach to a disposable stethoscope cover. Alternatively, the cartridge or cassette may be comprised of disposable instrument covers so that a user may insert the instrument near or through the window of the dispenser for application of the instrument cover directly to the instrument. The kit may further include a proximity sensor for detecting a user.

A carrier for reversibly immobilizing one or more objects is disclosed. The carrier comprises a frame having a major axis, a top surface, a bottom surface, and one or more openings through the frame along the major axis. The carrier also comprises a film comprising a thermoplastic elastomer material and having a top surface and a bottom surface. The film is attached to the frame based on thermal bonding of the top surface of the film to the bottom surface of the frame, is under tension along the major axis, and is free to flex at the openings. The top surface of the film comprises one or more exposed top surface portions that are accessible through the openings. The exposed top surface portions exhibit a holding force on stainless steel as per ASTM D1000 that is greater than that of the bottom surface of the film.

The present invention relates to a band-like joint tape for covering a butting portion formed by butting an end portion of a one packing film to an end portion of another packing film and connecting the respective end portions of these packing films to each other. The joint tape is comprised of a laminate film formed by adhering a joint layer to a support layer at a peelable state, and covered so as to face the joint portion to the butting portion and heat-sealed so that the joint layer is fused to the butting portion and the fused portion of the joint layer is peeled off from the support layer.

A method to advance a print medium, for example a flexible print medium, through a print zone of a printing device is described. A carrier is fed from a carrier supply. The carrier has an adhesive surface. A print medium is engaged with the adhesive surface of the carrier. The carrier with the engaged print medium is advanced to the print zone.

A component supply device supplies components stored in a component storage tape to a component extracting position. The component supply device includes a component exposing unit that performs an exposing process for exposing the components in the component storage tape fed by a tape feeding unit, the component storage tape traveling on a travel path formed from a tape travel path forming unit. The component supply device further includes a cover member that covers at least a part of each component storage part of the component storage tape after the exposing process by the component exposing unit.