US2049964A - Towel holder - Google Patents

Description

All@ 4, 1936 H. D. LAWS-ON 2,049,964

TOWEL HOLDER Filed June lO, 1935 Patented Aug. 4, 1936 PATENT oFFicE n* 2,049,964 TOWEL HOLDER Herbert DJ Lawson, `Washington, D. C., assignor to Mason Gan Company, East Providence,

R. I. K

Application June 10,1935, serial No. 25,934

s claims. (o1. 24a-55.2)

This invention relates to a towel holder and is designed primarily for supporting rolls of paper towels so that they can be held under a slightV Vrestraint and thus be prevented from turning too freely when the paper is pulled.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which can be made at low cost, and which, when not in use, can be easily folded so as to facilitate packing and storage.

A still further object is to provide a towel holder formed of few parts and which will not readily get out of order.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit o-f the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure lis a plan view of the towel holder in open or operative position.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end elevation showing the spring pressed arm folded.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates an attached plate of any desired proportions adapted to be fastened in any suitable manner to a wall or other supporting structure and this base plate has a pair of ears 2 struck therefrom adjacent to each end.

Each pair of ears is straddled by opposed flanges 3 of a side arm 4 formed preferably of sheet metal and the cuter or free end portion of each arm carries a knob-like bearing element 5.

As before stated the flanges 3 are pivotally joined to the ears 2. Thereforethe adjacent end or edge of each arm 4 constitutes a means for moving against plate I to limit the swinging movement of the arm 4 in one direction relative to the plate I. Movement of each arm in the opposite direction is unrestrained until the bearing element 5 comes against the plate. Thus the structure can be folded as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 for convenience in packing and storing.

In order that one of the arms may exert a constant thrust toward the Yother arm when opened outwardly to its extreme full line position in Figure 1, a short spring blade 1 is inserted through a transverse slit 8 in the base plate I. Thus one end of this blade will be supported in contact with the back surface of plate I where it can be secured by a rivet 9 or the like. 5 The other end of the blade will extend between the ears 2 and across the end of arm 4. If desired a narrow bearing flange I can be provided along this end of arm 4 for the purpose of engaging the spring 'i andplacing it under tension by forcing lo it back toward plate I when said arm 4 is opened outwardly as in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

When it is desired to use this rack the two arms are opened as in Figure 1 so as to place spring 1 under maximum tension and t0. provide a suilil cient clearance between the bearing elements 5 to permit the insertion of a roll of paper between the arms. These rolls are generally formed with tubular cores. Thus when the arms are released following the insertion of a roll, the spring pressed .,0 arm 4 will move automatically against the end d of the ro-ll so that said roll will thus be clamped between the two arms and the bearing elements 5 held within the ends of the roll.

Consequently when a length of paper is pulled from the roll said roll will turn readily because the pressure exerted by the spring pressed arm 4 is not excessive. Such pressure however is sufcient to prevent the roll from spinning.

It will be noted that the structure is very simple in construction and all of the parts can be easily produced with dies whereby the parts can be struck from sheet metal. The number of parts is reduced to the minimum and because of its simple construction the device will not readily get out of order.

What is claimed is:

1. A towel holder including a base plate having spaced pairs of ears extending therefrom and a slot adjacent the ears of one pair, opposed arms hingedly connected to the respective pairs of ears, and a leaf spring or blade extending through the slot and fastened at one end to the plate while its other or active end is extended freely between the adjacent ears and across one end of the adjacent arm between said arm and the base, said spring constituting means for normally pressing said arm yieldingly toward the opposed arm.

2. A towel holder including. a base plate having spaced pairs of ears extending therefrom and a slot adjacent the ears of one pair, opposed arms hingedly connected to the respective pairs of ears, and a leaf spring or blade extending through the slot and fastened at one end to the plate while its other end is extended freely between the adjacent ears and across one end of the adjacent arm between said arm and theY base, said spring constituting means for normally pressing said arm yieldingly toward the opposed arm, and a bearing element on said arm for exerting a thrust against the spring to place it under compression when Vthe arm is moved out of normal position inreither direction and for holding the arm folded toward the base when the arm is forcibly shifted in one direction away from normal position.

3. A towel holder comprising a base plate formed of sheet metal having opposed pairs of ears struck therefrom and a slot adjacent the ears of one pair, opposed arms each Vformed. of sheet metal and having opposed flanges, the anges of said arms being hingedly connected to the ears of the respective pairs and each arm Y having one end movable against the plate to limit the swinging movement of the arm in one direction relative to the base plate, a spring blade extending through the slot in the base and having one end back of and secured to the base plate and its other end free and extended between the base and the arm, said free end of the spring being in yielding contact with the end of the adjacent arm, a flange on the arm engaging the spring thereby to hold said spring under tension when said arm is moved in either direction out of normal position, said ilange and spring cooperating to hold the arm yieldingly pressed toward the base when the arm is forcibly moved out of normal position into folded position onto the base.

HERBERT D. LAWSON.

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