US3126234A

US3126234A - Rolls of paper toweling and dispensers therefor

Info

Publication number: US3126234A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-24

Description

March 24, 1964 e. x. BATLAS ETAL 3,126,234

PENSERS THEREFOR Filed March 2, 1961 ROLLS OF PAPER TOWELING AND DIS INVENTORS: GEORGE X. BATLAS and STEPHEN BARANSKI ATTORNEY.

United States Patent This invention relates generally to rolls of paper toweling and dispensers therefor, and more particularly is directed to improvements in dispensers of the type which are adapted to hold two rolls of paper toweling and operative to initially dispense paper toweling from one of the rolls and, when that one roll is exhausted, to automatic-ally dispense toweling from the other roll, for example, as disclosed in detail in our co-pending application Serial No. 748,965, which will issue on March 14, 1961, as United States Letters Patent No. 2,974,839.

A dispenser for sequentially dispensing paper toweling from first and second rolls thereof, as described in the above identified patent, generally includes structure for rotatably supporting the rolls in upper and lower positions within a cabinet or housing, parallel dispensing and pressure rollers between which the paper toweling passes during the dispensing thereof, an auxiliary or control roller disposed adjacent the pressure roller at a location on the circumference of the latter which is remote from the line of rolling contact of the pressure roller with the dispensing roller, and control means for bodily moving the auxiliary or control roller toward and away from the surface of the pressure roller in accordance with the supply of paper toweling remaining in the lower roll from which the paper toweling is first dispensed so that, so long as a substantial supply of paper toweling remains in the lower roll, the auxiliary or control roller is spaced from the pressure roller and the leading end of the web of paper toweling in the upper noll may hang loosely and immobile therebetween, whereas, when the supply of .paper toweling in the lower roll is almost depleted, the auxiliary roller is pressed against the pressure roller and the leading end of the web of paper toweling there between is frictionally engaged by the pressure roller and carried by the latter between the pressure roller and the dispensing roller to thereby commence dispensing of (the paper toweling from the upper roll as the supply of paper toweling in the lower roll becomes exhausted.

In operating dispensers of the type described above, it has been found that the sequential dispensing of paper toweling from the two rolls may be disturbed if the rolls are not installed or supported for withdrawal of the paper toweling from the rolls in a particular direction. More specifically, it has been found that the rolls must be rotatably supported in the cabinet so that the paper toweling being unwound therefrom is drawn downwardly in front of the roll. If the upper and lower rolls of paper toweling are not disposed in the cabinet or housing of the dispenser in the manner described above, there is a danger that the leading end of the web of paper toweling from the upper roll, which is intended to hang loosely and immobile between the dispensing and pressure rollers during dispensing of paper toweling from the lower roll may be inadvertently withdrawn upwardly from between the pressure and auxiliary rollers and thereby either prematurely commence dispensing of paper toweling from the upper roll simultaneously with dispensing of paper toweling from the lower roll, or render the dispenser inoperative to dispense paper toweling from the upper roll when the supply of paper toweling in the lower roll becomes exhausted.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser 'of the described character and rolls of paper toweling for use therein which are mutually constructed and arranged to prevent the improper disposition of the rolls in the cabinet or housing of the dispenser, thereby to ensure the reliable and consistent sequential dispensing of paper toweling from the two rolls.

A further object is to provide a dispenser of the described character and rolls of paper toweling for use therein which ensure the proper disposition of the rolls in the cabinet or housing without substantially increasing the complexity or cost of the dispenser or of the rolls of paper toweling.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, rolls of paper toweling for use in a dispenser of the described character are provided with openings or sockets at the opposite ends having relatively large and small diameters, respectively, while the support for the rolls within the cabinet of the dispenser has lugs adapted to extend into the openings at the opposite ends of the rolls and similarly having relatively large and small diameters so that the rolls of paper toweling can only be disposed in the proper positions within the cabinet, that is, to permit withdrawal of the paper toweling downwardly in front of the roll.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of this invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, which is to be read in connection with the acompanying drawing forming a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a dispenser for rolls of paper toweling embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of a roll of paper toweling embodying the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the roll of paper toweling embodying [this invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a dispenser of the described character, and illustrating the possibility of defective dispensing of paper toweling from the rolls if the latter are improperly disposed within the cabinet; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 1, but showing the proper operation of the dispenser in sequentially feeding paper toweling from two rolls.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, it will be seen that the dispenser 10 embodying the present invention is generally similar to the dispenser disclosed in detail in our previously mentioned Patent No. (2,974,839, particularly in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 thereof, and generally includes a cabinet '11 adapted for mounting on a wall or other vertical sup porting surface and having a back wall 12, inner side walls 13 and 1 4 with outwardly directed peripheral flanges, and a bottom wall 15 which, at its forward edge, is (bent upwardly and spaced rearwardly from the lower edge of an arcuate guide piece 16 extending laterflly between

side walls

13 and 14 to define a downwardly opening discharge slot 17. The cabinet 11 further has a removable cover 118 which, in its closed position, extends across the front and top of the cabinet and covers the later to be described mechanisms situated against the outer surfaces of

side walls

13 and 14. The cover 1%; is suitably mounted on the cabinet for providing convenient access to the interior of the latter while the cabinet is supported on a wall or other vertical supporting surface.

The dispenser it further includes a dispensing roller 19 having trunnions 1% (FIG. 2) projecting axially from the opposite ends and rotatably mounted in side walls 13 and 1d and located so that the roller 19 extends across the lower front portion of cabinet 11 in back of guide plate 16 and a vertical plane tangent to the front of roller 19 passes through discharge slot 17. A pressure roller 20 has the ends of its axle 23a (FIG. 2) slidable in slots 46 (FIG. 1) formed in each of

side walls

13 and 14 so as to be rotatably mounted above the dispensing roller 1) in front of the vertical plane passing through the axis of rotation of the latter. The roller 2@ is yieldably urged toward the dispensing roller, for example, by means of springs 2911 (FIG. 2) connected between the ends of axle 2% and anchor pins Zilc projecting from side walls 13 and 14-, thereby to press a web or sheet of paper toweling against the surface of roller 19 so that the feeding of the paper toweling downwardly through the slot 17 will be controlled by the rotation of the dispensing roller.

The dispenser 1 9 embodying the present invention is adapted to contain two supplies of paper toweling which are successively or sequentially dispensed without interruption. More specifically, the dispenser it is adapted to first dispense the continuous web A of paper toweling which is supplied in the form of a roll A disposed in a lower position and, upon the depletion or exhaustion of the web A, to then dispense the continuous web B of paper toweling which is supplied in the form of a roll B disposed in an upper position.

In order to eifect the successive dispensing of the webs A and B, the dispenser 1t includes a control or auxiliary roller 21 extending laterally across cabinet 11 adjacent the circumferential portion of pressure roller 20 which is remote from the line of rolling contact of roller 19 with roller 29 and being initially spaced from the latter, as shown in FIG. 1. The control roller 21 is mounted for movement toward and away from the pressure roller 24 in accordance with the amount of the first dispensed web A remaining on roll A. Thus, when a substantial portion of roll A remains within the cabinet, the control roller 21 is spaced from the pressure roller 20 and, when the roll A is almost completely depleted, con trol roller 21 moves rearwardly against pressure roller 20, as in FIG. 6.

As is shown in FIG. 1, the web A of the lower roll A passes downwardly in baclc of roller 20 and then generally forwardly between the

rollers

19 and 20 prior to being deflected downwardly through discharge slot 17 by plate 16, while the web B from the upper roll B is initially led downwardly through the gap between the roller 21 and pressure roller 20. Thus, when the user exerts a downward pull on the exposed end of web A for withdrawing a length of the latter from the cabinet, the rollers 1E and 2d rotate in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, respectively, as viewed in FIG. 1, by reason of their frictional contact with the withdrawn web A. However, by reason of the spacing of control roller 21 from pressure roller 20, the free end portion of the web B passing therebetween tends to remain immobile. Thus, during the dispensing of almost all of the web A contained in the lower roll A, it is intended that the web B remain in the position illustrated in FIG. 1. However, as shown in FIG. 6, when the lower roll A is almost entirely depleted and control roller 21 is moved against pressure roller 2%, the web B is gripped between

rollers

20 and 21 and frictionally moved by pressure roller 20 as the rollers 12 and 2b are rotated in response to further withdrawal of the web A from discharge slot 17. It will be apparent that, during such rotation of pressure roller Zilt, the top portion of the surface thereof which is frictionally engaged by the web B, moves rearwardly and forms a fold in the web B between the downwardly moving web A and the downwardly and rearwardly moving portion of the surface of pressure roller 29. Thus, the web 13 is frictionally gripped between the web A and the surface of pressure roller 20 and is drawn with the web A between the pressure and dispensing

rollers

26 and 19 for guidance by the plate 16 out of discharge slot 17. Upon exhaustion of the web A, the web B projects from discharge slot 17, and the user may then pull downwardly upon the exposed portion of web B so that paper toweling continues to be dispensed without interruption following exhaustion of the supply of paper toweling on roll A.

In the illustrated dispenser 10, the control roller 21 is supported for movement toward and away from pressure roller 29 by means of triangular lever members 22 disposed

adjacent side walls

13 and 14 and each being pivotally mounted, at one forward corner, on a pivot pin 23 extending from the adjacent side wall, while the ends of the axle 24 of control roller 21 are suitably mounted in triangular lever members 22 adjacent corners of the latter disposed substantially below the pivot pins 23. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the triangular lever members 22 extend rearwardly and downwardly with respect to their pivot pins 23 so that the centers of gravity of the lever members are disposed substantially to the rear of their pivoting axes. Accordingly, lever members 22 tend to pivot in the counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, about the pivot pins 23 and thereby tend to move control roller 21 forwardly and upwardly away from pressure roller for permitting web B from upper roll B to remain immobile between

rollers

25 and 21 as described above, during the feeding of substantially all of the web A from roll A.

In order to urge roller, 21 against pressure roller 20 upon the depletion of roll A, dispenser 16 further includes a roller 25 engageable with the lower roll A, at the bottom of the latter, and being rotatable on a shaft 26 having its opposite ends slidable in vertical slots 27 formed in

side walls

13 and 14.

Springs 28 (FIG. 2) are connected between the ends of shaft 26 and suitable anchors 29 extending from

side walls

13 and 14 in order to urge roller 25 upwardly for maintaining rolling contact between roller 25 and the surface of roll A as paper toweling is dispensed from the latter to reduce the diameter thereof.

When the paper toweling of roll A is substantially depleted, as in FIG. 1, the ends of shaft 26 carrying roller 25 act upwardly against lever members 22 to cause pivoting of the latter in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, .whereby control roller 21 is moved against pressure roller 20.

The rolls A and B are rotatably supported within cabinet 11 on a structure 39 that includes an axle 31 having its opposite ends journaled in

side walls

13 and 14, and two laterally resilient arms 32 and 33 mounted, at their centers, on the opposite end portions of axle 31 and extending generally parallel to each other to swing together with axle 31. Arms 32 and 33 have

cylindrical lugs

34 and 35, respectively, extending inwardly from the opposite ends thereof and adapted to project axially into openings provided at the opposite ends of rolls A and B, as hereinafter described in detail, for rotatably supporting the rolls of paper toweling.

Roll supporting structure is releasably held in the illustrated position, that is, with arms 32 and 33 thereof extending vertically, by means of a pin 35 selectively engageable in notches 37 formed at the opposite ends of arm 32. Pin 36 extends through an arcuate slot 38 in side wall 13 (FIG. 1) from a lever 39 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 40 carried by side wall 13. A spring 41 connected between lever 39 and an anchor 42 urges lever 39 to rock in the direction engaging pin 36 with the notch 37 of arm 32 which is then disposed at the uppermost end of the latter.

When all of the paper toweling in roll A has been dispensed, and dispenser '10 has then automatically commenced the dispensing of paper toweling from the upper roll B, in the manner described above, roll supporting structure 30 can be turned about its axle 31 so as to dispose roll B in the lower position. Then, the core of exhausted roll A can be removed and replaced by a full roll of paper toweling with the leading end portion of the latter being fed between rollers 21) and 21 so as to commence the dispensing of paper toweling from the new roll upon depletion of the paper toweling in the roll B.

It has been found that the sequential dispensing of paper toweling from the lower and upper rolls A and B is consistently and reliably achieved only when such rolls of paper toweling are rotatably mounted in the supporting structure 30 in the manner shown in FIG. 1, that is, with the webs A and B of paper toweling being drawn downwardly in front of the respective rolls for clockwise rotation of the latter, as viewed in FIG. 1, during the dispensing of paper toweling from the rolls.

If the rolls are installed in the cabinet 11 in the positions opposed to those described above, that is, with the webs A and B being drawn downwardly in back of the respective rolls A and B to cause counterclockwise rotation of the rolls during dispensing of paper toweling therefrom, as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 5, then Web B from upper roll B will frictionally engage the surface of lower roll A over a substantial portion of the circumference of the latter and, during dispensing of paper toweling from roll A, there is a danger that such frictional contact of roll A with web B will tend to pull the leading end portion of the latter upwardly from between pressure roller 20 and control roller 21. This action can disadvantageously affect the desired sequential dispensing of paper toweling from the rolls A and B in two ways. First of all, the leading end of web B may be pulled upwardly from between

rollers

20 and 21 and passed over the top of roll A so that the leading end portion of web B drops in back of roll A, as indicated in broken lines at B2, in which case the dispensing of paper toweling from the upper roll B will not commence upon depletion of the paper toweling in the lower roll A. Even if the foregoing does not occur, there is the danger that the described upward movement of the leading end of web B Will cause the latter to form a fold, as indicated at B3 on FIG. 5, when the weight of the paper toweling of web B between the surface of roll A and roller 20 exceeds the weight of the paper toweling in the leading end of the web B suspended in front of roller 29. The fold B3 formed in web B may be pinched between web A and roller 20 and thereby passed out of discharge slot 17 of the dispenser to commence the dispensing of paper toweling from the upper roll B even though a very substantial quantity of the web A still remains on the lower roll A. In that event, paper toweling will be dispensed simultaneously from rolls A and B and thereby result in a substantial waste of paper toweling.

In order to avoid the above described improper dispensing of paper toweling from dispenser 10, the latter and the rolls A and B intended to be used therewith are, in accordance with this invention, mutually constructed and arranged to permit the placement of the rolls in the cabinet only in one direction, that is, with the ends of the webs extending downwardly from the respective rolls at the front of the latter. Thus, during dispensing of paper toweling from the lower roll A, the latter turns in the clockwise direction, as viewed on FIG. 1, and any frictional contact between the web B and the surface of the lower roll A cannot cause upward withdrawal of the leading end of web B from between

rollers

28 and 21.

In order to ensure that the rolls A and B can be disposed only in the above described desired position in supporting structure 30, each of the rolls of paper towelirig has openings 43 and 44 (FIG. 3) at its opposite ends provided with relatively large and small diameters, respectively. In a preferred embodiment of this invention illustrated in the drawing, the relatively small diameter opening 44 at one end of the roll of paper toweling is defined by the bore of the usual tubular core 45 on which the paper toweling is wound, while the relatively large diameter opening 43 at the opposite end of the roll is formed by a counterbore. Further, in accordance with the invention, the cylindrical lugs 35 extending inwardly from the opposite ends of arm 33 of supporting structure 30 are each diametrically dimensioned to closely extend into the relatively small diameter opening 44 at one end of a roll of paper toweling, while the cylindrical lugs 34 extending inwardly from the opposite ends of arm 32 each have a larger diameter than the lugs 35 and are each adapted to be received in the relatively large opening or counterbore 43 of a roll of paper toweling. Thus, each roll of paper toweling can only be mounted in supporting structure 30 in the position where the relatively large diameter opening or counterbore 43 receives a lug 34 while the relatively small diameter opening 44 at the opposite end of the roll receives a lug 35, as is apparent in FIG. 2. It will be understood that the ends of the roll of paper toweling having the relatively large and

small diameter openings

43 and 44 are selected so that, when such openings receive the

lugs

34 and 35, respectively, the related roll of paper toweling will be in the desired position, that is, for unwinding of the paper toweling downwardly at the front of the roll.

Where the core 45 of the roll of paper toweling has a relatively small thickness, so that the desired difference between the diameters of the

openings

43 and 44 at the opposite ends of the roll can be achieved only by cutting away one end of the core and forming a counterbore in the stack of paper toweling, as at 43 in FIG. 3, the relatively large diameter lugs 34 are further preferably provided with smaller diameter axial extensions 46 (FIG. 2) which are adapted to project into the adjacent ends of the tubular cores 45 of the rolls, whereby the core 45 will be rotatably supported by extension 46 and lug 35 when the paper toweling of the related roll has been exhausted.

Since the rolls of paper toweling intended for use in the dispenser 10 can be installed in the latter only in the desired positions, it is apparent that the dispenser will, in accordance with the present invention, reliably and consistently effect the sequential dispensing of paper toweling from the lower and upper rolls mounted therein.

Although an illustrative embodiment of this invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a dispenser comprising a cabinet having a downwardly opening discharge slot at the front thereof, a dispensing roller rotatably mounted in said cabinet above said slot, a pressure roller rotatably mounted in said cabinet above said dispensing roller, means urging said pressure roller against said dispensing roller, two rolls each including a spirally wound web of sheet material, support means rotatably supporting said two rolls in said cabinet in upper and lower positions, respectively, and having means cooperating with said rolls to permit the mounting of the latter in said cabinet only in the direction permitting withdrawal of each web downwardly from the respective roll at the front of the latter, the web from said lower roll passing downwardly between said pressure and dispensing rollers for withdrawal through said slot, a control roller in said cabinet adjacent the portion of the circumference of said pressure roller facing away from said dispensing roller and being movable toward and away from said pressure roller so that, when the web from said upper roller is passed between said control and pressure rollers, the spacing of said control roller from said pressure roller permits the web therebetween to remain immobile as said pressure and dispensing rollers are rotated, while the movement of said control roller against said pressure roller causes the rotation of the latter to move the sheet material from the upper roll rearwardly over the pressure roller into frictional engagement between said pressure roller and the Web from said lower roll for movement with the latter web between the dispensing and pressure rollers and out of said slot when said web from the upper roll is then exposed for withdrawal from the cabinet, and actuating means for said control roller acting in response to the diameter of said lower roll to space said control roller from said pressure roller so long as the diameter of said lower roll exceeds a predetermined value and to move said control roller against said pressure roller when the diameter of said lower roll decreases below said predetermined value, thereby to automatically expose the web of said upper roll for withdrawal from the cabinet prior to complete exhaustion of said lower roll.

2. The combination as in claim 1; wherein each of said rolls has axial openings at its opposite ends of relatively large and small diameters, and said support means includes a set of axially spaced apart cylindrical lugs for each roll, said lugs of each set having relatively large and small diameters, respectively, and engaging closely in said openings of relatively large and small diameters when the related roll is mounted in said direction.

3. The combination as in claim 2; wherein each roll further includes an open-ended tubular core on which said Web is wound, said core defining the relatively small diameter opening at one end of said roll, and the latter having a counterbore at its other end defining said relatively large diameter opening; and wherein said large diameter lug of each set further has an axial extension of reduced diameter fitting into the adjacent end of said core to support the letter when all of the web has been unwound therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,205,472 Moore Nov. 21, 1916 1,594,907 Gmndler et a1. Aug. 3, 1926 2,046,550 Daniels July 7, 1936 2,146,038 West Feb. 7, 1939 2,211,210 Johnson Aug. 13, 1940 2,652,205 Balaban Sept. 15, 1953 3,029,035 Layton Apr. 10, 1962

Claims

1. THE COMBINATION OF A DISPENSER COMPRISING A CABINET HAVING A DOWNWARDLY OPENING DISCHARGE SLOT AT THE FRONT THEREOF, A DISPENSING ROLLER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CABINET ABOVE SAID SLOT, A PRESSURE ROLLER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CABINET ABOVE SAID DISPENSING ROLLER, MEANS URGING SAID PRESSURE ROLLER AGAINST SAID DISPENSING ROLLER, TWO ROLLS EACH INCLUDING A SPIRALLY WOUND WEB OF SHEET MATERIAL, SUPPORT MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID TWO ROLLS IN SAID CABINET IN UPPER AND LOWER POSITIONS, RESPECTIVELY, AND HAVING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID ROLLS TO PERMIT THE MOUNTING OF THE LATTER IN SAID CABINET ONLY IN THE DIRECTION PERMITTING WITHDRAWAL OF EACH WEB DOWNWARDLY FROM THE RESPECTIVE ROLL AT THE FRONT OF THE LATTER, THE WEB FROM SAID LOWER ROLL PASSING DOWNWARDLY BETWEEN SAID PRESSURE AND DISPENSING ROLLERS FOR WITHDRAWAL THROUGH SAID SLOT, A CONTROL ROLLER IN SAID CABINET ADJACENT THE PORTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID PRESSURE ROLLER FACING AWAY FROM SAID DISPENSING ROLLER AND BEING MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PRESSURE ROLLER SO THAT, WHEN THE WEB FROM SAID UPPER ROLLER IS PASSED BETWEEN SAID CONTROL AND PRESSURE ROLLERS, THE SPACING OF SAID CONTROL ROLLER FROM SAID PRESSURE ROLLER PERMITS THE WEB THEREBETWEEN TO REMAIN IMMOBILE AS SAID PRESSURE AND DISPENSING ROLLERS ARE ROTATED, WHILE THE MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTROL ROLLER AGAINST SAID PRESSURE ROLLER CAUSES THE