Roll towel dispensers

April 7, 1964

3,128,024

FIG. I

C. E. DOWN HAM

ROLL TOWEL DISPENSERS

<img file="US3128024A_D0001.tif" />

April 7, 1964

3,128,024

C. E. DOWNHAM

ROLL TOWEL DISPENSERS

<img file="US3128024A_D0002.tif" />

b-32 18

United States Patent Office Patented Apr. 7, 1964

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, . it will be seen that the improved cabinet and dispenser includes, a main housing or body 10 having a rear wall 11, a bottom 12, and a pair of spaced side walls 13, the front and top portions of said cabinet body being exposed when the cover is open. Said rear wall 11 is provided with a plurality of mounting slots 14 through which screws or the like can be projected to anchor said cabinet on a wall. The upper edge portion of said rear wall is preferably shaped as illustrated to provide a forwardly-protruding closure rib 15. The side walls 13 have downwardly and forwardly angled front edges having a pair of aligned, forwardly-extending ears 16. In the illustrated embodiment, said cabinet side walls are provided with oblique slotted openings 17 to permit a maintenance man to readily observe the amount of toweling remaining in the cabinet, and thereby determine when the cabinet should be

Mounted in the main body 10 is a false bottom having 20 a downwardly and forwardly angled rear portion 19 and having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined forward portion 9 which is curved downwardly and rearwardly, as at 21, so that its front provides a U-shaped paper guide and the rear wall of a throat 66. The portion 21, together with connecting portions 20' and 20, provide a rol cradling well 18 which is shaped so that as the supply roll decreases in diameter a progressively greater portion of its diameter is received in the well 18, as . indicated at R, FIG. 2. During the first part of the dispensing opera30 tion the roll is cradled mainly on the angled portions 19 and 9, as shown in FIG. 2, and when the roll is new may even be supported partly on the top of the pressure rol ³⁹pivotally attached to ears 69 at the~forward ” 22 which can be swung from lowered, open preition shown in FIG. 1 and in broken lines in FIG. 2, to the closed, full line position of FIG. 2, it being noted tha there are inwardly directed notches 62 above the ears navmg a uu» --__ . cover includes a forward wall 23, a top wan of toweling until all of the P^aPer ^een remo «»· S d _L._shaped side walls 25 which are desjied to partially overlap -the side walls 13 of the cabinet body when said cover is closed. As.is best shewn in FIG. 2, the lower edge of said cover is flanged at a 45 right angle as at 28, and when said cover is in its closed position said flange is spaced above the forward edge of the cabinet bottom to provide an elongated, front dis^ΡβΙη the illustrated cabinet, the top wall 24 of the cover 50 has a flat, spring latching arm 33 on its underside, and when the cabinet is closed said latching arm snaps into latching engagement with the aforementioned flange 15 on the upper edge of the cabinet body, said latching arm having nubs 33' adapted to coact with apertures 15 m 55 said body flange. Ordinarily, suitable locking means are also provided to prevent unauthorized opening or tamperins: with the cabinet.

With references still to FIG. 2 of the drawing, pivotally mounted on the lower portion of the front wall 23 60 of the cover is a roll holder 37 in the form of a gravity bar which is designed to bear against the periphery of the’roll of toweling to automatically maintain the same in its proper position in the cabinet during the dispensing operation, and to prevent uneven feeding, wrimdes, torn 65 edges, or fouling of the paper as it is withdrawn. Said gravity bar 37 is hinged to a lower portion of the cover front wall by means of a hinge pin 38, or equivalent pivot connection, and as the diameter of. the towel roll becomes smaller during use, said bar rides downwardly -therewith 70 bv ravity and has sufficient weight to provide continuous - pressure against said roll. When unrolling paper toweling near the core, the paper retains a greater residual

3,128,024 roll towel dispensers Cvril Edward Downham, Green Bay, Wss., assignor to Fort Howard Paper Company, Green Bay, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin

Filed Oct. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 231,4j9

Claims. (Cl. 225—43)

This invention relates to improvements in roll towel dispensers, and more particularly to a novel crank-type dispenser for rolls of paper toweling and the like.

The general objects of the present invention are to provide an improved cabinet and dispenser assembly for a paper toweling roll which is so designed that a roll may be quickly and easily installed therein, and wherein the toweling is always dispensed evenly and smoothly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser of the type described wherein the dispensing roll and crank are supported on a movable cover and are movable to open position with the cover to a position to facilitate installation of a new roll of toweling.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved roll towel cabinet of the type described wherein the roll is supported in a simple manner without trunnions, and wherein there is a novel holding bar carried by a movable cover for holding the roll in proper dispensing position until all of the paper has been removed from the core, said holding bar being hinged to the cover and located at such a point that it will automatically move away from the operating mechanism, after the cover has been fully opened, so that it does not interfere with loading of the cabinet, the hinge point, for the bar also causing the bar to automatically fall into operating position against the supply roll, after the cover “cabtaefbody 10 are ears 27 of a cover has been closed, whereby the person servicing the cabinet 35 portion of tne ------- _r--- ΙλχχγαγαγΙ DOSitiOIl does not have to handle or adjust the holding bar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet as above described wherein there is a novel bottom plate having a cross sectional shape to properly .support a roll from the core, said support eliminating the need for a trunnion mounting. .

A further object is to provide an improved crank-type roll towel dispenser which is so designed that it is impossible for a user to manually strip the paper from the cabinet, thus discouraging the use of unnecessary quantities of toweling. .

Still further objects of the present invention are to provide an improved towel cabinet and dispenser which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which is reliable in operation, which is rugged and durable, and which improved cabinet assembly is otherwise particularly well adapted for its intended purposes. .

With the above and other objects in mind, which other objects and advantages of the present structure will become apparent hereinafter, the invention comprises the improved roll towel dispenser and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the following specification and claims, and all equivalents thereof..

In the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the

V10WS *

FIG 1 is a perspective view of the improved cabinet assembly in an open condition, a supply roll being indicated by broken lines and part of the cover being broken ^FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view through the closed cabinet, the cover being shown in broken lines in its open position; and .

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing tne drive roll and cutting strip mounting, and taken approximately along line 3—3 of FIG. 2.

3,128,024 curvature or bend, which in some grades of paper will be of such magnitude to allow the core to be lifted from its normal operating position before all of the paper is unwound. The weight of the gravity bar 37, however, functions to hold the roll of toweling in its normal dis- 5 pensing position until all the paper has been removed from the core, resulting in smooth, even feeding, and the elimination of wrinkles.

In the present cabinet the bar 37 is hinged in such a location to the swingable cover that, when the cover is 10 swung downwardly to open the cabinet, as for refilling, the gravity bar automatically falls downwardly to the out-of-the-way position shown in broken lines. As a consequence, with the present invention it is unnecessary for the person filling the cabinet to manually retract said 15 gravity bar in order to remove and replace the roll 30. Moreover, due to the mounting arrangement illustrated, when the cover 22 is being closed, said gravity bar automatically assumes the operative position against the periphery of the roll, which is shown in full lines in 20 FIG. 2, thus not only facilitating the job of the maintenance man, but eliminating dependency upon the human element and ensuring that said gravity bar is always properly positioned during the dispensing operation.

Supported between the projecting ears 16 on the for- 25 ward end of the side walls is a pressure roller 39 which has trunnions journalled in slotted bearing housings 40 on said walls, said housings having compression springs 41 adapted to yieldably urge said roller downwardly into firm engagement with a drive or dispensing roller 42 there- 30 below, when the cover is closed. The latter roller is rotatably carried by and between end bearings 43 preferably of a plastic, such as “nylon,” carried by an elongated mounting bracket 44 secured on the aforementioned flange 28 on the lower portion of the cover 22. Said drive roller 35 42 includes a plurality of axially-spaced grooves 46, the purpose of which design is well known in the art, and said roller is preferably covered with sandpaper or similar material having good frictional gripping properties.

As appears in FIGS. 1 and 3, a cylindrical clutch ⁴⁰portion 48 which is rotated by the crank 49 is coupled by means of a suitable spring clutch 47 to the end of the drive roll to drive it in one direction only and to slip in a reverse direction. At the opposite end of the drive roll is a drag spring 65 providing friction means 45 to prevent over-running, and consequent fouling of the toweling during the dispensing operation, and providing a drag to discourage continuous cranking and consequent waste of said toweling.

In the present invention there are no means provided 50 for automatically measuring and stopping the toweling web after a predetermined time interval, or after a certain length has been dispensed, such as are incorporated in many prior cabinets. The natural tendency of the user to avoid unnecessary effort will cause him to cease crank- 55 ing the handle 49 on the present cabinet after a sufficient length of towel has been dispensed, and it has been found that a complex and relatively expensive metering or stop device is unnecessary.

As best appears in FIG. 2, a cut-off blade 52 is a part 60 of the drive roller-supporting bracket 44 on the cover. Said blade is so positioned as shown in FIG. 2 that when the cover is in its closed position it projects rearwardly and somewhat downwardly a substantial distance into the throat 66 provided by the aforementioned guide plate 21. 65 The illustrated arrangement and positioning of said cutting blade relative to the rollers 39 and 42, and relative to the edge 67 of the dispensing slot 29, which edge is located forwardly of said blade, prevents the toweling from being pulled straight down to strip it from the roll.

Operation

In the use of the improved roll towel cabinet and dispenser, the janitor or maintenance man may install a cylindrical roll of paper toweling 33 merely by opening the cover 22 and placing said roll on the false bottom member, the gravity bar being automatically retracted with the cover, as described, and the inclined bottom portions 19—52 causing said roll to automatically position itself properly in the cradled position within the cabinet as shown. The free end 32 of the paper toweling is then manually trained over and in front of the pressure roller 39, the drive roller 42 and cutting blade 52 being in a lowered, non-interfering position with the opened cover, as illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 2. A sufficient length of said toweling is preferably manually drawn from the roll so that the free end hangs a short distance below the dispensing slot 29.

The cover 22 is then swung upwardly and rearwardly about its hinge connections to its closed position, and the drive roller 42 carried thereby is thus caused to move upwardly and rearwardly inwardly to a position where it is pressurably engaged by the roller 39 thereabove, as shown in full lines in FIG. 2, the paper web being automatically frictionally gripped in the bite provided by said rollers and the crank shaft being accommodated in the adjacent notch 62 Thus, with the present structure it is unnecessary for the person installing the supply roll to tediously thread the paper between feed rollers, as is required with conventional dispensers. As said cover 22 is swung to its closed position, the cutting blade 52, which is also carried thereon, is simultaneously moved upwardly to the full line position of FIG. 2, where it engages the depending portion 32 of the toweling and deflects the same inwardly into the concave pocket 66 formed by the guide plate 21.

When the cabinet is closed, cranking of the handle 49 causes the drive roller 42 to rotate and the frictional bite provided by the sandpaper surface of said roller in coaction with the spring-urged roller 31 causes the paper toweling to be unwound from the supply roll and fed between said rollers. As the toweling passes therethrough it is guided downwardly and inwardly around the blade 52 in a gradual path, and without inducing bends or wrinkles, by the concave contour of -the guide plate 21, and out through the bottom opening 29. When rotation of the handle 49 is ceased, any pull on the free end of the toweling by the user will cause the paper to be forced against the sawtooth edge 52 of the protruding blade, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and the paper will be tom off, thus providing the user with a length of toweling.

Due to the positioning of the cutting blade 52 relative to the paper web as the same is dispensed, and relative to the dispensing opening edge 67, it is impossible to withdraw toweling from the cabinet without operating the crank 49. Any manual, downward pulling force by the user on the free end 32 of the web causes the blade 52 to bits into the paper. The result is that with the present cabinet, stripping of unnecessarily long lengths of toweling without cranking is eliminated.

A further advantage of ithe illustrated relationship between the curved guide plate 21, cutting blade 52, and dispensing slot 29, is that said arrangement prevents plugging of the dispensing mechanism, either deliberate or otherwise. In this respect, when it is attempted to plug or jam the assembly, any paper forced upwardly into the throat will pleat therein, but will not tear or separate. The cabinet can be made to operate again merely by grasping and manually pulling out the pleated portion.

When the toweling has been completely consumed, or when the maintenance man observes through the side wall slot 17 that the diameter of the roll is so small that the supply should be replenished, a new roll can be installed in the quick and simple manner hereinabove described.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple but reliable roll towel cabinet and dispenser assembly wherein the installation of the towel roll is greatly facilitated, as compared to conventional cabinets, and wherein the

3,128,024 toweling is always dispensed evenly and smoothly, with the roll automatically held in place without trunnions. Moreover, with the present invention it is impossible for the user to manually strip the toweling from the cabinet, •thus conserving material.

Various changes, modifications, and other analogous uses will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art, and it is intended to include herein not only the structure and application hereinabove described, but also any and all variations or modifications therein as may come within the spirit of the invention, and within the scope of the following claims. !