surface and a cutting structure 74 or knife workpiece 12 may be routed between workpiece deflecting unit 50 and adhesive tape 64 adhesive tape 64 may be oriented between workpiece 12 and anvil 72 with such an orientation among workpiece deflecting unit 50 workpiece 12 adhesive tape 64 and anvil 72 pressure may be exerted by workpiece deflecting unit 50 against anvil 72 to urge adhesive tape 64 against workpiece 12 such an arrangement may effect application of adhesive tape 64 to workpiece 12 in the vicinity of splice portion 62 as at least one of drive units 14 16 drives workpiece 12 along working path 38 once adhesive tape 64 is applied along a sufficient length of workpiece 12 spanning splice portion 62 cutting structure 74 may be reoriented to a cutting position indicated in phantom as a cutting unit 74 1 in fig1 for severing adhesive tape 64 without severing workpiece 12 alternately cutting structure 74 may be fixed within adhering unit 52 and adhering unit 52 may be reoriented in its entirety e g to the left in fig1 not shown in fig1 to situate cutting structure 74 for severing adhesive tape 64 without severing workpiece 12 if adhesive is embodied in a form other than adhesive tape 64 application of adhesive to splice portion 62 may be effected in an expanse of workpiece 12 short of spanning splice portion 62 fig1 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the apparatus effecting a.