AU7007598A - Dispensers - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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Name of Applicant/s: Actual Inventor/s: Address of Service: Invention Title: Cascade Dispensers Limited Martin Dominic SMITHSON BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS 60 MARGARET STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000

"DISPENSERS"

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- (File: 20963.00) -la-

DISPENSERS

This invention relates to dispensers for dispensing preformed bags or sheets at points of use.

British Patent No. 2269367B (Cascade Dispensers Limited), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags or sheets from a stack of such bags or sheets. The dispenser comprises a body part and an anchor part for the stack disposed on or in the body 10 part. The anchor part comprises catch means for engaging a stack of pre-formed bags or sheets and stack support .means for underlying and supporting a portion of the "engaged stack. The anchor part is adapted to have a stack of pre-formed bags or sheets that is engaged with the catch means folded around the support means so that M 9*the stack passes over and around the support means. In this way, the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser for being grasped for removal.

S 9 In a preferred embodiment of the prior art dispenser, the anchor part is releasably mountable to the body part and ~the body part comprises a casing having a mouth for receiving the anchor part. Such a dispenser can be simply loaded by removing the anchor part from the casing, engaging a stack of pre-formed bags or sheets with the catch means, and reinserting the anchor part into the casing so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the mouth of the casing.

The prior art dispenser has proved very popular and ever larger versions have been constructed for holding as many bags or sheets as possible, with a view to reducing the frequency with which the anchor part must be re-loaded with fresh stacks of bags or sheets. It has, however, been found that the weight of a large stack of bags or sheets can cause difficulties both in engaging the stack with the catch of the anchor part and, in the case of the -2preferred dispensers having a releasable anchor part, in subsequently remounting the anchor part to the body part for use. Problems have also been encountered through loss of parts after separation.

British Patent Application No. 2303621A (Cascade Dispensers Limited), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, aims to go at least some way towards overcoming these problems by teaching such a dispenser in which at least a portion of the anchor part and at least a portion of the body part are adapted to be pivotally movable with respect to each ~other between a first relative orientation in which the catch means is relatively inaccessible for operation of the dispenser and a second relative orientation in which 15 the catch means is relatively accessible for engaging the stack of bags or sheets therewith. The said first and second relative orientations are separated from each other by an angle of up to 900.

The arrangement taught in GB-A-2303612 suffers from the S 20 disadvantage that the arrangement of the catch means and the pivot system does not permit the total (1800) folding of the stack of bags or sheets around the stack support means, which has proved to be such a popular and successful technical feature of the dispenser of GB-B- 2269367, and does not permit the pivotal movement of the parts to extend through more than 90 The present invention aims to go at least some way towards overcoming the problem stated above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags or sheets from a stack of such bags or sheets, the dispenser comprising a body part and an anchor part for the stack disposed on or in the body part, the anchor part comprising catch means for engaging the stack of preformed bags or sheets and stack support means for 3 underlying and supporting a portion of the engaged stack, whereby the anchor part is adapted to have a stack of pre-formed bags or sheets that is engaged with the catch means pass over the support means so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser for being grasped for removal, at least a portion of the anchor part and at least a portion of the body part being adapted to be pivotally movable with respect to each other between a first relative orientation in which the catch means is relatively inaccessible for operation of the dispenser and a second relative orientation in which the catch means is relatively accessible for engaging the stack of bags or sheets therewith; characterised in that: the catch means is located so that in use the stack of bags or sheets extends from the catch means (preferably S. in a direction away from the direction of projection of the free ends of the bags or sheets from the dispenser) S. and passes over and around the stack support means so 20 that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser as recited above; and the first and second **.relative orientations of the anchor and body parts are separated from each other by an angle of more than It is preferred that the angle between the first and second relative orientations of the anchor and body parts will be at least about 1200, more preferably at least about 1500, and most preferably about 1800. It is most preferred that, in the first relative orientation of the anchor and body parts, the catch means are substantially invisible, e.g. masked by other parts of the dispenser and/or the engaged stack of bags or sheets.

The catch means can be to the upper or under side of the anchor part in use, or at an end thereof. Catch means to the under side of the anchor part are generally preferred, in which case the stack of bags or sheets 4 typically passes around and back over the stack support means so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser.

In a preferred embodiment, the body part comprises a casing having a mouth for receiving the anchor part and typically engaging it within the casing to prevent accidental removal, the arrangement being such that in use the stack of bags or sheets extends from the catch means away from the mouth of the casing, around the stack support means and back to the mouth of the casing so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project out of the ~mouth of the casing for being grasped for removal.

In such an embodiment, the anchor part and body part are provided with formations which cooperate when the anchor part is partially released from the body part holding the anchor part captive to the body part while permitting mutual pivotal movement of the parts. More particularly, the formations can suitably cooperate to provide a permanent or temporary hinge about which the parts are 20 pivotally movable with respect to each other. The anchor part typically pivots about a pivot axis which is somewhat below the support means.

Where a permanent hinge is present between the anchor and body parts, the cooperating formations typically comprise an arm and slide arrangement. The arm is provided between the parts in such a way that a first end of the arm is pivotally mounted to one of the parts and a second end of the arm is slidably (and optionally also rotatably) received in the other of the parts via a guide channel). The arrangement enables the anchor part to be partially released from the body part, during which partial release the arm slides to extend out of the dispenser. When the partial release is completed (preferably stopped by the end of the guide channel), the extending arm supports the anchor part for its rotation between its first and second orientations relative to the body part. Most preferably, the first end of the arm is pivotally mounted to the anchor part (suitably relatively near the front end of the anchor part according to the direction of projection of the free ends of the bags or sheets from the dispenser in use) and the second end of the arm is slidably received in the body part, suitably via a pin extending from the arm into the guide channel.

Where a temporary hinge is provided between the anchor and body parts, the cooperating formations of the anchor and body parts suitably comprise an interengageable rib and recess pair provided one on the anchor part and the other on the body part, arranged so as to cooperate to permit the required pivotal movement of the parts when the anchor part is in a partially released condition.

The anchor part suitably comprises an anchor plate carrying the catch means to its underside and defining the support means for the stack. The catch means can be located so as to be at or near the front end of the anchor part according to the direction of projection of 20 the free ends of the bags or sheets from the dispenser in use.

Such a dispenser in which the anchor part is an anchor plate carrying the catch means can be simply loaded by partially removing the anchor plate from the casing, rotating the anchor plate into its second orientation relative to the casing (body part) to expose the catch means, engaging a stack of pre-formed bags or sheets with the catch means, reverse-rotating the anchor plate, which will automatically cause the stack to fold once around one edge of the anchor plate and reinserting the anchor plate in the casing so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the mouth of the casing.

The casing is typically mounted to a fixed support, suitably via conventional brackets provided on the casing exterior. By selecting the desired bracket configu- -6ration, the dispensers may be mounted at an angle or in a horizontal orientation. The casing suitably has side, upper and lower walls defining the mouth and can conveniently be disposed so as to retain the anchor plate substantially parallel to the upper and lower walls in whatever orientation the dispenser may be mounted.

The anchor plate may carry flanges that releasably engage with cooperating formations provided on the walls of the casing when the parts are properly and fully assembled together.

~The catch means can be suitably disposed L-shaped pins or a projecting plate of generally L-shaped cross-section o engageable in one or more holes appropriately provided in the stack of bags or sheets. A multiple catch can be provided to allow more than one stack of bags or sheets to be carried simultaneously.

The anchor plate can be a sliding fit in the casing and can have side wings that slidingly engage side walls of ooo the casing. The side wings may serve as guides for guiding the stack of bags or sheets over and around the anchor plate, as generally described in GB-B-2269367.

In an alternative embodiment, the anchor part is pivotally mounted to the body via a fixed pivot axis. In such an arrangement, the body part suitably comprises a base part provided with one or more upstanding portions which pivotally support the anchor part above the base part. The stack support means an anchor plate) may suitably lie in use at an angle to the horizontal, with the catch means to the underside and the stack of bags or sheets extending from the catch means, around the upper edge of the anchor plate and down over the top of the anchor plate for being grasped for removal. The anchor plate can have side wings that serve as guides for guiding the stack of bags or sheets over and around the anchor plate, as generally described in GB-B-2269367.

-7 The pivot arrangement in this second embodiment can be very simple. A pin projecting from one of the body and anchor parts into a hole or slot provided in the other part rotatably secured therein will typically be adequate.

Most preferably, the anchor part is pivoted to the base (body part) relatively near the front end of the anchor part according to the direction of projection of the free ends of the bags or sheets from the dispenser in use and somewhat below the support means.

The catch means can be located so as to be at or near the same front end of the anchor part, and to the underside of the anchor part in accordance with the invention.

Such a dispenser in which the anchor part is an anchor plate carrying the catch means can be simply loaded by S. rotating the anchor plate into its second orientation relative to the base (body part), to expose the catch means, engaging a stack of pre-formed bags or sheets with the catch means, reverse-rotating the anchor plate, which will automatically cause the stack to fold once around the edge of the anchor plate and returning the anchor plate to its resting position so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser.

The anchor part suitably carries locking portions that releasably engage with cooperating portions provided on the body part when the parts are properly and fully assembled together. The portions may conveniently be disposed with respect to each other in such a way that as the parts are brought mutually together after said mutual rotation one portion slides over the other until the parts are fully assembled together, whereupon the portions move into an abutting relationship to resist accidental disengagement. The sliding movement helps to guide the parts together and avoids the need for an operative to lift the fully loaded anchor part to bring 8 the parts into a fully assembled condition. The parts are released from assembly by a procedure which is essentially the reverse of the loading operation procedure described above.

It is generally preferred, although not essential, that the stack support means underlies and supports that portion of the engaged stack that has passed around the stack support means, rather than the portion between the catch means and the point of passing around the stack support means.

By providing a dispenser in which the anchor part is supported by the body part during engagement of a new stack of bags or sheets with the catch means, an perative's hands are left entirely free for the engagement procedure; no holding or supporting of the anchor part is required. Moreover, the correct folding of the stack around the stack support means is accomplished by the mutual rotation of the parts, and the operative does not need any special skill to load the dispenser.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is an exploded and partially cut away perspective view of a dispenser for dispensing pre-formed bags or sheets; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative dispenser for dispensing pre-formed bags or sheets; and Figure 3 is a detailed side view of first alternative catch means for use in the dispensers of Figures 1 and 2 and second alternative catch means for use in those dispensers.

9 Referring firstly to Figure 1, the dispenser has a body part in the form of a casing 2 which as illustrated is a rectangular sleeve having bottom 2a, side 2b, top 2c and rear 2d walls, and an open mouth 3. This sleeve is provided with an arrangement (not shown) for mounting the dispenser, for example, to a wall or stand.

An anchor part of the dispenser takes the form of an anchor plate 5 which carries on its underside an L-shaped catch member 8 which depends from the anchor plate 5 and projects away from the casing 2.

Depending from the side edges of the anchor plate 5 and *turning inwards to define mutually inwardly-open channels *are two L-section flanges 12. The flanges 12 extend past the rear edge 5A of the anchor plate and each ends with a side wing 13. The side wings assist in guiding the stack over the rear edge 5A of the anchor plate, as will be described in more detail below. Furthermore, the wings 13 and flanges 12 are configured so as to assist the correct engagement of the anchor plate with the casing, as also described in more detail below.

At the lower edge of the mouth 3 of the casing there are provided two upstanding catch formations 10 of generally L-shaped cross-section, the free ends of which are directed into the casing to define with the bottom wall 2a of the casing a pair of channels 11 open towards the rear wall. The formations 10 are spaced slightly away from the casing side walls 2b.

The anchor plate 5 and the casing 2 are connected together via a pair of arms 14, one on each side of the anchor plate. These arms enable the anchor plate 5 to be slid into and out of the casing 2 as shown by arrows A and B respectively, for loading a stack of bags or sheets.

10 A first (front) end 15 of each arm 14 is pivotally mounted to the laterally outer side of the respective flange 12 at a pivot point towards the front end of the flange. A simple pivot consisting of a pin 16a on the flange 12 received in a hole 16b of the arm and retained by a nut 16c will be sufficient in most circumstances.

A second (rear) end 17 of each arm 14 is slidably mounted adjacent the laterally inner face of the respective side wall 2b of the casing 2. In the arrangement shown, a long slot 18 is provided in each side wall and a pin 19 extending laterally outwards from each arm end 17 passes through the slot and is retained there by a nut 20. In this way, each arm end 17 is pivotally as well as slidably movable with respect to the casing 2.

In the exploded view of Figure 1, the connection of the parts is shown by broken arrows.

The anchor plate 5 can be fully inserted into the casing 2 (Arrow the arms 14 sliding rearwardly along slots 18. The flanges 12 slide over the formations 10 of the lower wall of the casing and drop onto the lower wall of the casing when the anchor plate is fully inserted. The flanges 12 maintain the anchor plate in an orientation parallel to the lower wall of the casing and the formations 10 prevent the anchor plate from being slid out of the casing accidentally.

To remove the anchor plate it is necessary first to lift the plate so that the flanges 12 pass over the formations in a procedure which is the reverse of the assembly procedure. The anchor plate is slid out of the casing until stopped by the arm end 17 reaching the end of the slot 18. The arm 14 must be long enough, and the position of the pivot pin 16a sufficiently forward, that in this withdrawn condition the anchor plate 5 can be rotated 1800 anti-clockwise (as viewed in Figure 1), corner Z of each flange 12 and catch 8 both clearing the 11 front edge of the casing bottom wall 2a, and front edge 21 of the anchor plate underlying the lower wall of the casing with catch 8 now upstanding in an accessible location.

The L-section of catch 8 now projects rearwardly towards the casing 2, and the stack of bags or sheets is engaged onto the catch 8 by passing the catch through a relatively large opening of the stack, in a procedure known from the prior art. In the dispenser illustrated, however, the weight of the anchor part and the engaged :.".stack is borne entirely by the arms 14.

Moreover, by subsequently counterrotating the anchor Splate through 1800 clockwise, and reversing the withdrawal operation so that the anchor part is reinserted into the casing, the necessary folding of the stack around the rear edge 5A of the anchor plate is S"achieved automatically and no manual folding or guiding of the stack is required.

The folding is, moreover, automatically guided by the side wings 13, in a manner generally known from the prior ~art. The stack of bags passes rearwardly from the catch means, around and back over the anchor plate, to project from the mouth of the casing, again in a manner generally known from the prior art.

Turning now to Figure 2, in which like parts are designated as for Figure i, a somewhat simpler arrangement is illustrated. Here, the body part takes the form of a base part 22 provided with a pair of upstanding wall portions 23 and supported by a stand 24 or the like.

The wall portions 23 pivotally support the flanges 12 depending from each side of the anchor plate 5. The pivot arrangement is typically a simple laterally outwardly extending pin 25 provided on each flange 12 and passing through a short slot 26 of the respective upstanding wall portion 23.

12 The arrangement of Figure 2 is preferably mounted in such a way that the anchor plate 5 slopes down away from its rear edge 5A. A slot 27 is provided in the base part 22 below each rear corner 28 of the flanges 12, and from each said rear corner 28 depends an L-shaped projection which turns forwards at the heel of the L and engages into the respective slot 27, sliding forward in the slot under the effect of gravity. The slightly elongated slot 26 of the pivot arrangement accommodates this slight to and fro movement of the anchor plate 5. In this way, the arrangement is locked against accidental disengagement.

To load the dispenser with a new stack of bags or sacks the lock is disengaged and the anchor plate 5 rotated 1800 clockwise, analogously to the operation described 15 above for Figure 1. The pivot arrangement is located so that the anchor plate 5 moves to rest against the base part 22 after said rotation.

After loading of the stack, the procedure is reversed, and the dispenser is thereby loaded and ready for use, 20 with the free ends of the bags or sheets hanging over the anchor plate at the front, ready for being removed.

The dispensers of the invention are simple to construct.

The preferred material is metal, although plastic can also be used. The principal metal parts are suitably punched from sheets, folded and spot-welded together in a way that will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Plastic parts can also be moulded and assembled in conventional manner.

In place of the simple catch 8 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a catch 8' having a forward guard plate 29 can be used, as shown in Figure 3a, or a double version 8" of such a catch can be used, as shown in Figure 3b. This double catch 8" is simply two single catches 8' mounted to one another via a strengthening intermediate web A double catch is preferred in the larger dispensers, as 13 opposed to a large single catch, as the offsetting of the two catch parts enables a much enhanced feathering effect when the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser, in the manner described in GB-B-2269367.

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Claims (7)

1. A dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags or sheets from a stack of such bags or sheets, the dispenser comprising a body part and an anchor part for the stack disposed on or in the body part, the anchor part comprising catch means for engaging the stack of pre-formed bags or sheets and stack support means for underlying and supporting a portion of the engaged stack, whereby the anchor part is adapted to have a stack of 10 pre-formed bags or sheets that is engaged with the catch means pass over the support means so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser for being grasped for removal, at least a portion of the anchor part and at least a portion of the body part being adapted to be pivotally movable with respect to each other between a first relative orientation in which the catch means is relatively inaccessible for operation of .the dispenser and a second relative orientation in which the catch means is relatively accessible for engaging the 20 stack of bags or sheets therewith; characterised in that: the catch means is located so that in use the stack of bags or sheets extends from the catch means and passes over and around the stack support means so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser as recited above; and the first and second relative orientations of the anchor and body parts are separated from each other by an angle of more than

2. A dispenser according to Claim 1, in which the catch means is located so that in use the stack of bags or sheets extends from the catch means in a direction away from the direction of projection of the free ends of the bags or sheets from the dispenser. 15

3. A dispenser according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the angle between the first and second relative orientations of the anchor and body parts is at least about 1200.

4. A dispenser according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the angle between the first and second relative orientations of the anchor and body parts is at least about 1500. A dispenser according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the angle between the first and second relative orientations of the anchor and body parts is about 1800. 10 6. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, in which the catch means are disposed to the under side of set. ~the anchor part.

7. A dispenser according to Claim 6, in which the *"engaged stack of bags or sheets passes once around and 15 back over the stack support means so that the free ends of the bags or sheets project from the dispenser. 8o°6

8. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, in which the anchor part and body part are provided with *SS* formations which cooperate when the anchor part is S• 20 partially released from the body part to hold the anchor part captive to the body part while permitting mutual pivotal movement of the parts.

9. A dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags or sheets from a stack of such bags or sheets, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 10th day of June 1998. CASCADE DISPENSERS LIMITED Attorney: CAROLINE M BOMMER Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS