US2830728A - Paper towel dispenser - Google Patents

Description

P 15, 1958 A. s. KRUEGER El'AL 2,830,728

PAPER TOWEL DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15', 1956 INVENTORJ 62cm: 1 Karma April 1958 A. s. KRUEGER ET AL 2,830,728

PAPER TOWEL DISPENSER Filed Aug. 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Ream: 5. Inez/5652 BY Nae/m9 J. 54. YE

A 7' TOEA/fYS 2,830,728 PAPER TOWEL DISPENSER Archie S. Kruegerand Norman J. Slye,Green' Bay, Wis., assignors to Alwin Manufacturing Company, Green Bay, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 13. 1956, Serial No. 603,629

4 Claims. (Cl. 211-43 This invention relates to improvements in paper towel dispensers. l

Heretofore there has not been commercially available a' convertible towel dispenser which could satisfactorily be adapted to dispense more than one type of folded paper towels. An important feature of' the device of the present invention is its adaptability to dispense either -fold towels or so-called interfolded-or multifolded towels. Only one part of the cabinet need be changed in converting the device arranged for use with one type of towel fold to an arrangement for use with the other type of towel fold.

Because of its convertible structure, the device of the present invention is particularly well adapted for economical fabrication. The basic cabinet has a front towel stack support ledge formed integrally from the lower margin of the front of the cabinet which is turned rearwardly and thence upwardly and forwardly folded ,upon itself. The rear ledge is fabricated in specifically differently shaped parts which are interchangeably mounted depending on the type of towel for which the cabinet is intended. For C-folded towels the rear ledge is desirably at a level lower than the front ledge by an amount sufiicient so that the towels are inclined in the cabinet at substantially the angle shown in the drawing and with the major portion of their aggregate weight supported by the front ledge. As thus supported there is relatively little towel stack pressure on the downwardly offset rear ledge. This eases withdrawal of the lowermost towel through the dispensing slot. The angle of inclination of the forward ledge is rather critical for best results. We have found that an inclination of about 116 to the cabinet front wall is best. If the angle is increased more than a few degrees the entire pack will sag rearwardly and jamming may result. If the angle is reduced more than a few degrees, more of the weight of the pack will be imposed on the rear shelf and it will be difiicult to dispense the sheets without tearing them. To better expose the projecting flap of the lowermost towel, the rear ledge is desirably horizontal and at an angle of incidence with the bottom of the towel stack.

For interfolded towels the rear ledge is forwardly and downwardly inclined but is disposed at substantially the same level as the front ledge so that the opposed margins of the towels are at substantially the same level.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following disclosure in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention and adapted to dispense C-folded towels.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken through the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view in spaced apart relation of the flanged mounting plate and pan-shaped cover of the cabinet.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4--4of Fig.2.

Ce r 2,830,728

- Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section taken through a device of the invention adapted to dispense interfolded towels.

The front pan-shaped cover 10 of the cabinet has a front wall 11, side walls 12, a top 13 and a bottom indicated generally by reference character 14 and which includes a towel dispensing slot 15. Near the bottom rear corners of side walls 12 the cabinet is providedwith pintle bearing bosses 16 which may be aligned with suitable bearing openings 17 near the bottom of shallow flanges 18 of a mounting plate 19. As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, bearing studs 23 pivotally connect the front cover 10 to the plate 19 through the bearing bosses and openings aforesaid.

Plate 19 is provided with suitable slots generally indicated by reference character 22 on which it may be mounted on the wall. The top margin of plate 19 is provided with a resilient locking flange 24 which releasably engages with the top 13 of cover 10 to hold the cabinet closed. swung forwardly and downwardly about the pintles 23 to expose the cabinet interior.

The lower margin of the front 11 of the cover 10 is extended downwardly and rearwardly at 25, along the lower inclined margins 26 of sides 12, and is thence bent upwardly and rearwardly at 27 to extend at 28 substantially parallel to portion 25. The edge of portion 28 may abut front 11. End tabs 29 may be turned at a right angle to ledge portion 28 and are spot-welded at 32 or are otherwise suitably fastened to the inner faces of the sides 12 to secure the front ledge in place. For the reasons aforestated, ledge portion 28 is desirably inclined with respect to front wall 11 at substantially 116. Even a few degrees variation from 116 will impair the dispensing function of the device.

To support the 0-fold towel stack indicated diagrammatically by reference character 33 in Fig. 2, a rear ledge 34 may be positioned at a level materially below front ledge 28 and spaced rearwardly therefrom opposite the dispensing slot 15 therebetween. Rear ledge 34 consists of a substantially horizontal strip portion 35 which may have an upwardly inclined rear margin 36. The respective ends of strip 35 are provided with tabs 37 spot-welded or otherwise secured to the side walls 12 as indicated at 38.

Horizontal ledge 35 is spaced sufliciently below the level of front ledge 28 that the 0-fold towels 33 will have an angle of incidence with horizontal ledge 35 to expose the lowermost towel flap 41 in readiness for a dispensing operation. To facilitate grasping the flap 41 the ledge 35 may be cut away as shown at 42.

For dispensing a stack 43 of interfolded towels as shown in Fig. 6, ledge 34 shown in Figs. 1-5 is replaced by rear ledge 44. No other change in the cabinet is necessary and the same reference characters are applied thereto.

Rear ledge 44 in the embodiment of Fig. 6 comprises a forwardly and downwardly inclined comparatively elevated portion 45 having end tabs 46 desirably fastened to the side walls 12 of the cover 10 by spot welds 47. From the forward margin of portion 45 the strip is downwardly formed in a vertical plane at 48 and thence rearwardly at 49 and again upwardly at 52.

Support portion 45 of ledge 44 is at substantially the same level as front ledge 28 so that the opposed margins of the respective towels in stack 43 are at substantially the same level. The stack sags by gravity over the dispensing slot 15 and the lowermost towel flap 53 projects downwardly through the slot 15.

It is readily seen that all that has to be done to con- Patented Apr. 15,1958

On release of flange 24 the cover may be.

, 3 vert' the device from one form to another is to interchange ledges 34, 44. This interchangeability of rear ledge elements effects substantial manufacturing economies. The remaining part of the device are identical and in all cases the forward ledge is formed integrally from the lower margin of the cover front which is bent upwardly and forwardly at 28 to provide the front towel stack support as aforesaid.

What is claimed is:

1; A paper towel cabinet including a housing having front, side, top and bottom walls, the bottom wall of said housing comprising a front towel stack support ledge integral with the housing and a separately fabricated rear towel stack support ledge fastened to the side walls of the housing and spaced rearwardly of said front towel stack support ledge to constitute a dispensing slot therehetween, said separately fabricated rear towel stack support ledge interchangeably comprising a part having a substantially horizontal support portion disposed at a level sufliciently below the front towel stack support ledge that towels in a stack supported thereon will have an angle of incidence therewith and a part disposed at substantially the same level as the front towel stack support ledge whereby towels and stacks supported thereon will have their opposed margins at substantially the same level.

epaonas 2. A paper towel cabinet comprising a housing having front, side, top and bottom walls, the bottom wall of the housing comprising a front towel stack support ledge integral with the housing and a rear towel stack support ledge, said front towel stack support ledge being disposed at an inclination of substantially 116 with respect to said front wall and said. rear towel stack support ledge being offset materially below said front towel stack support ledge.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said rear towel stack support ledge comprises a substantially horizontal support disposed at a level.sufficiently below said front towel stack support ledge that towels in a stack supported thereon will have an angle of incidence therewith.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the last mentioned rear towel stack support ledge part is downwardly and forwardly inclined.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Krueger et a1 June 29, 1954

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