CA1085350A - Cut-off mechanism for paper towel dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A cut-off mechanism is provided in a dispenser for dispensing a web of paper towel from a supply roll thereof, the cut-off mechanism including a flat cam member fixedly secured to the dispenser feed roller for rotation therewith and a drive member having a generally cylindrical portion cooperating with the cam member to form a chamber for a spiral coiled spring se-cured between the drive member and the dispenser feed roller so that rotation or the latter with respect to the former during dispensing of the web winds the spring. The drive member is con-nected by linkage to a movable cutting blade and is also provided with a stop surface which is engageable with a latch member nor-mally to hold the movable blade motionless during winding of the spring. The cam member engages the latch to release the drive member after a predetermined length of web has been dispensed to drive the cutting member, by unwinding of the wound spring, into cooperation with a fixed blade substantially to sever the dispensed web from the supply roll. A cam portion on the drive member engages the latch member to release the cam member after the cutting operation.

Description

108~3S0 ;

The present inventlon relates to a dispen~er ~or di~-pensing a web of paper towel from a ~upply roll thereof and, more particularly, to a cut-ofr mechanism ~or severing the dis-pensed portlon of the web from the supply roll at the end Or a di8penslng operation.
A typical prior art paper towel dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,408,125. In such a dlspenser, the user grasps a protrud~ng edge o~ the towel web and manually pulls it to un~lnd a length of towel from the supply roll. Arter a pre-10 determined length Or web has been dispensed, the user pull~ theweb upwardly against a serrated cutting edge to sever the dis-pensed web from the supply roll. A~ter cut-off, a time-stop mechanism actuates an internal feed mechanis~ for advancing the web 80 as to proJect the leading end thereof a short distance out of the dispenser for access by the user ~or the next dis-pen~lng operation.
The m~nual tearing-type cut-ofr ig unsuitable because it rrequently re~ults in uneven or only partial severin4 Or the dispensed web and, frequently, users would prematurely attempt 20 t~ sever the web before the predetermined length thereof had been dispensed, thereby aborting the operation Or the lnternal feed mechan~sm. Thus, there was no protruding leading end ior the next user to grasp.
This dlfriculty was somewhat alleviated in dispensers of the type dlsclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,739,965,and U.S. Pat-ent No. 1,449,062. In bot,h o~ these latter devices, the web is dispensed between two feed rollers, one of which carries a ra-dially extending cutting knife and the other of ~hich 18 provlded with a radial slot for receiving the kni~e, 80 that once during 30 each revolution of the rollers the web will be severed. But in ~F~

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10~3S3SO

this type of cut-off apparatu~, the kni~e has a tendency to wedge the paper web into the slot rather than cleanly severing it, thereby cau~ing the mechanism to ~am.
Other types of grav~ty or spring-actuated cut-orf me-chanisms are d~scloæed in the U.S. Patent No. 3,221,586, U.S.
Patent No. 2,333,108 and U.S. Patent ~o. 345,052. But in each o~ these latter three type8 of cut-ofr mechanis~s, the ~ovable cutting blade ~ust be cocked, i.e., it is in motion during the dispensing operation. More particularly, the blade must be 10 ~ed from a starting posltion in two direction~, in one direc-tlon to a cocked position and then back through the starting positlon and ln the opposite direction thererrom to the cut-o~f position. Thus, the distance the blade mu~t tra~el and the space necessarg to acco~modate blade travel is unnecessarily large.
The ob~ect o~ the pre6ent invention ls to provide a unlque cut-orr mechanism for a paper towel dispen~er which i8 0 economical constructlon and which avolds the shortcomlngs Or the prior art devices.
Accordingly, the present invention provides cutting apparatus ~or use in a dlspenæer for dlspensing a web of paper touel from a supply roll thereof and havlng a feed roller rotat-able durlng dlspensing of the web, characterized by s~id cutting apparatus comprising a cutting member mountable on the dispenser for movement between a normal rest posltion and a cutting posi-tion for cutt~ng the associated web between a dispensed portlon and the supply roll thereof, drlve means adapted to be coupled to the feed roller an~ to ~sid cuttlng member for efrectlng move-ment thereof between the re s t and cuttlng posltion~ thereof, and latch means mountable on tho di¢penser rOr cooperatlon wlth ~ald dri~e means norm~lly to retain sald cutting member ln the ~0853S0 rest positlon thereof, sald latch means and said drlve means be~ng responsive to rotation of the feel roller through ~ prede-termined angle during dispensing of the associated web for ac-tuating said drive means to efrect movement Or said cutting mem-ber between the rest and cutting positions thereor.
In accordance with the invention, the cutting member i8 malntained motionless during the web dispenslng operatlon, and whlch is driven to se~er the web only after web travel ha~
ceased. The drive means includes an energy storage means which 10 accumulates and store~ energy during the web dispensing operation and releases that energy to drlve the cutting member after the web travel has ceased. In accordance with the inventlon, the cutting member ls separated ~rom the feed roller and automatical-ly severs the dispensed web without any additlonal rorce being exerted by the user. In a preferred embodiment cam and latch means are provided to control the winding and unwinding of a spl-ral coiled spring which drives the movable cutting member.
The invention, both as to its organlzatlon and method o~ operation, together with further features and advantages there-20 of, wlll best be understood by rererenceto the followlng speci-fication taken in connection wlth the accompanging drawings.
In the drawings:
FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a p~per towel dispenser constructed in accordance with ~nd embodying the fea-tures of the present invention;
FI~. 2 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1, and illustrating a portion of the cutting apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a ~ragmentary front elevational vlew of the paper towel dispenser illustrated in FIG. 2, with portions of the dispenser broken away more clearly to 1llustrate the internal . . . . . , -: . :

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iO 8 5 350 con~truction thereof;
FIG. 4 ls a fragmentary vlew of the lower portion of the dispenser ~llustrated in FIG. 3, a8 viewed from the right-hand side thereof, with the ~ide cover of the dispenser broken away and wlth the cutting apparatus disposed in a starting con-figuration;
FIG. 5 i8 a v~ew similar to FIG. 4, with the cutting apparatus disposed in an intermediate po~ition at the beginning o~ the movement of the movable cuttlng member;
FIG. 6 is a vlew similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the cuttlng apparatus disposed in a po6itlon immediately after the ~evering of the dlspensed web;
FI&. 7 is a further enlarged view in vertical sectlon taken along the line 7-7 in FIG. 4, FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, illustrating the cutting apparatu~ in the posltion shown in FIG. 5 and wlth .-portions oi the apparatus shown in elevation;
FIG. 9 18 a view similar to FIG. 8, illustrating the ¢utting apparatus in the position shown in FIa. 6;
FIG. 10 is a still iurther enlarged iragmentary per~
spective view oi a portion of the ¢utting apparatus illu~trated in FIGS. 4 through 9; and ~.
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section ~:
taken along the line 11-11 in FIG. 6, illustrating the movable cutting member.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, there is illustrated a paper towel dispenser, generally designa-ted by the numeral 20, whlch includes a cabinet or housing hav-ing a main frame, gener~lly designated by the numeral 21, which i8 preferably formed of ~heet metal. The frame 21 includes an upstanding rectangular rear wall 22 integral along the side - - ~
~' '. . ' ~085350 edges thereof with forwardly extending short slde flanges 23 and 24 and inte~ral along the bottom edge thereo~ with a forward-ly extendlng generally rectangular bottom wall 25. Th~ bottom wall 25 is lntegral along the side edges thereof with up~tanding short side rlanges 26 and 27. Cut from the rear wall 22 adJacent to the upper end thereof and extending rorwardly thererrom are a plurality of mounting tabs 28 (one shown), for a purpose to be deæcribed more fully below.
Hingedly mounted on the frame 21 is a cover, generally 10 deslgnated by the nwmeral 30, whlch includes a generally rectan-gular rront panel 31 Lntegral along the æide edgeæ thereof res-pectively wlth generally triangular side panels 32 and 33. Se-cured to the front panel 31 along the bottom edge thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom is a bottom flange 34. Formed in the front panel 31 is a large rectangular opening 35 bounded along the upper edge thereor with a rearwardly extending upper flange 36 and along the lower edge thereof with a rearwardly ex-tending lower ~lange 37. Respectively extending laterally in- :
wardly from the side panels 32 and 33 adJacent to the lower front 20 ends thereof are short plvot pins 38 adapted to be received in complementary openings in the side flanges 26 and 27 Or the frame 21 for pivotally mounting the cover 30 to the rrame 21 rOr move-ment between an open position and a ¢losed position, lllustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, wherein the cover 30 i8 inclined rearwardly from the front edge Or the bottom wall 25 to the upper edge Or the rear wall 22 and rests against suitable stop members 39 on the ~rame side rlanges 23 and 24.
A generally semicylindrical window panel 40 i8 integral at the opposite ends thereof wlth generally semicircular side 30 walls 47, all dimensloned for insertion into the opening 35 for closure of same. More particularly, the window panel 40 is pro-- .

iO8S3S0 vided with peripheral radially ~utwardly extending flanges 41 and 42 which are provided wlth slots therein ~or respectlvely re-celv~ng therethrough the upper and l~wer flange~ 36 and 37 of the ~ront panel 31, securely to hold the window panel 40 in place.
Thug, it will be appr~ciated th~t the cover 30 in the closed po-sition thereo~ cooperates wlth the frame 21 to ~orm a closed houslng. If deslred, a lock 43 may be mounted in the front panel 31 at the top end thereo~ ~or cooperation w~th a latch fl~nge 44 extending forwardly fro~ the rear wall 22 to lock the cover 30 in 10 the closed positlon thereor. Preferably sultable openings (not shown) are provided in the rear wall 22 for receiving associated ;:
rasteners therethrough _ecurely to mount the dlspenser 20 on a ~ -wall or other support RurPace. It will be noted that when the cover 30 i8 in the clo3ed position thereof, the front edge Or the frame bottom wall 25 is spaced a predetermined di~tance from the rear edge Or the cover bottom flange 34 to derine a dlspenslng ..
openlng 48.
Mounted withln the dispenser 20 is a mounting bracket, generally deslgnated by the numeral 50, which i9 preferably 20 formed of an elongated metal rod which includes a rear bar por-tion $1 supported on the tabs 28 Or the rear wall 22 and connec-ted at the opposlte ends thereor by coiled corner portlons 52 with forwardly and downwardly extending mounting arms 53, respec-tlvely integral at the dlstal ends thereof with hook portions 54.
The hook portions 54 are adapted to be respectlvely secured to hub members 55 which are in turn respectively received in the op-posite ends of an elongated cylindrical roll spool 56 on which a web 58 of paper towel is wound to form a æupply roll 57, the lead-ing or outer end of the web 58 being designated by the nu~eral 59.
30 The ~upply roll 57 is dimensioned to be accommodated beneath the window panel 40 Or the closed cover 30, with the roll 57 being - . . ; . . ~ :: , -urged by gravity downwardly agaln9t a downwardly and forwardly extending arcuate guide ~lange 46, whlch i8 cut ~rom the rear wall 22.
Respecklvely disposed a short distance inwardly of the side rlanges 26 and 27 ~ubstantially parallel thereto are two upstanding ~ide plates 60 and 61, which are respectively provlded with laterally outwardly extendlng bottom flanges 62 whlch are fixedly secured by ~uitable means to the bottom wall 25 of the rrame 21, Respectively extendin6 laterally outwardly from the 10 forward edges of the side plates 60 and 61 are short unting tabs 64. The side plates 60 and 61 are provided with coaxial openlngs therethrough which are respectively ritted with bushings 66 in which are rotatably mounted the opposite ends of an elon-gated cylindrical main shaft 65 having a torslon spring 67 wound around one end thereof and anchored to the side plate 60, as in-di¢ated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Fixedly secured to the main ~haft 65 for rotation therewith are two laterally spaced-apart generally cylindrlcal feed rollers 70, e~ch having a rlbbed outer surrace 71 which may be formed Or rubber or the like.
Extending between the side plates 60 and 61 ad~acent to the rront ends thereor and substantlally parallel to the main shart 65 i8 a pivot shart 77 on which are plvotally mounted a pair Or plvot srms 76 Or a generally part-cylindrical metal apron 75 whlch extends upwardly ~rom the pivot arms 76 and is provlded at the upper end thereof with an outturned llp or ~lange 74. In-tegral with the apron 75 and extending forwardly and upwardly therefrom are laterally spaced-apart pairs of mounting brackets 78 on which are rotatably mounted the opposite ends o~ a pinch roller sha~t 81, having ~ixedly secured thereto for rotation 3 therewith a pair o~ pinch rollers 80, which are respectively ac-commodated in complementary openings in the apron 75. The pinch - ~

. . , ~085350 rollers 80 are respectlvely di6posed for alignment with the feed rollers 70, and the apron 75 iæ adapted for plvotal movement between a use positlon illustrated in FIG. 2 and a threading po-sit~on (not shown) pivoted forwardly ln a clockwise dlrection, as viewed in FIG. 2, about the axiæ o~ the pivot shaft 77. Thu~, when the apron 75 is in the u~e position illustrated in FIG. 2, the pinch rolleræ 80 are respectively disposed for cooperQtion wlth the feed rollers 70 for pinching therebetween the towel web 58, as wlll be explained more fully below.
Fixedly secured to one end Or the ma~n shaft 65 out- :
board of the side plate 60, as by a æcrew 84, is a lever arm 85 provlded at the distal end thereof wlth a roller 86. ~he roller 86 is disposed for engagement with a leaf 87 Or a leaf spring 88 which is secured to a support member 89 on the side plate 60, wlth the opposite end o~ the leaf spring 88 bearing against the bottom wall 25 of the frame 21. :
Spanning the side plates 60 and 61 at the lower front portlons thereor i8 an elongated, generally rectangular fixed knife blade 90, the opposlte ends of which are respectively fixed-20 ly secured to the untlng tabæ 64 by means of suitable fasteners91, the lower edge Or the knife blade 90 de~ining a beveled cut-ting edge 92.
In use, a new supply roll 57 of paper toweling is load-ed in the diæpenæer 20 by opening the cover 30 and pivoting the apron 75 forwardly to the threading position. The leading end 59 of the ~owel web 58 is then ~ed betwee~ the feed rollers 70 and the plnch rollers 80, and thence in front of the flxed knife blade 90 and out thro~gh the dispensing openlng 48. The apron 75 is pivoted back to the uæe poæition illustrated in FIG. 2, 3 wherein the pinch rollers 80 respectively cooperate with the feed rollers 70 to pinch therebetween the towel web 58. When the .: . , .
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cover 30 is reclosed, the distal e~ge o~ the lower ~lange 37 en-gages the l~p 74 Or the apron 75 firmly to urge the pinch roller~
80 toward the feed rollers 70 to as~ure a secure pinching Or the towel web 58 therebetween and prevent any slippage Or the towel :
web 58.
A user grasps the leading end 59 oP the towel web 58 protruding from the dispensing opening 48 and manually pulls it to dispense a predetermined length of the towel web 58, this dis-pensing motlon serving frictlonally to rotate the feed rollers lO 70 and the main shaft 65, which in turn rotates the level arm 85 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, thereby cocking the lear 87 Or the leaf spring 88.
Referring now also to FIGS. 4 through ll Or the draw-ings, there i~ illustrated a cutting apparatus, generally deslg~
nated by the numeral lO0. The cutting apparatus lO0 includes an elongated movable cutt~ng blade lOl whlch 18 provided at the opposite ends thereof with upstanding mounting lug8 102 and has a tapered rear~ardly extending cutting edge 103. Respectively Journaled in the mounting lugs 102 are the opposlte end~ Or an 20 elongated plvot shaft 104. The end Or the shart 104 ad~acent the side plate 60 extends beyond the associated mounting lug 102 snd i8 pivotally connected to a mounting arm 105 adJacent to one end thereor, the other end thereof being pivotally connected to the ad~acent end Or the pivot shart 77 ror supporting one end of the movable cutting blade lOl. Fixedly secured to the other end of the movable cutting blade lOl is a gulde bracket 106 (see FIGS. 4, 5 and 11), provided with a laterally outwardly extendlng gulde flange 107, the underslde of whlch is dispo~ed ~or engage-ment wlth and is urged upwardly by the dlstal end Or a resilient 30 guide flnger 108 which i8 fixedly secured to the bottom wall 25 of the ~rame 21.

~, The end of the pivot shaft 104 ad~acent to the gulde bracket 106 ~s pivotally connected to the distal end of a short arm 111 o~ a bell crank lever~ generally deslgnated by the nu-meral 110, which is pivotally connected to the ad~acent end of the pivot shaft 77, the bell crank le~er 110 having an elongated rearwardly extending arm 112 provided with an elongated slot or opening 113 therein. Thus, it will be appreciated that the mov-able cutting blade 101 is pivotally supported by the mounting arm 105 and bell crank lever arms 111 with the rearward end of the 10 movable cutting blade 101 being dispoæed immediately beneath the fixed knife blade 90 and urged into engagement therewith by the resilient guide finger 108. Thus, as the pivot shaft 77 is rota-ted in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5, the movable cutting blade 101 i5 moved rearwardly and the tapered cutting edge 103 thereof cooperates with the cutting edge 92 of the fixed knife blade 90 to shear the towel web 58 extendlng therebetween.
Received in the slot 113 of the bell crank lever arm 112 ls a cam lug 115 which is secured by a suitable fastener 116 20 to a drive wheel, generally designated by the numeral 120. The drive wheel 120 includes a generally cylindrical inner hub por-tion 121 (see FIGS. 3 and 7) integral at one end thereof with a radially outwardly extending annular wall 122, which is in turn integral along the outer edge thereof with a generally cylindri-cal outer flange portion 123 which is arranged substantially co-axially with the hub portion 121. The cam lug 115 is ~ixedly secured to the annular wall 122 ad~acent to the outer edge there-of. Integral with the cylindrical outer ~lange 123 and extending radially outwardly therefrom along a predetermined arc of the 3o circumference thereof is a stop flange 124 having a radially ex-tending stop surface 125 and a circumferentially extending guide .

~.oB~350 surface 126. Also integral wlth the cylindrical ~lange 123 and extending radially outwardly therefrom and generally diametri-cally opposed to the stop ~lange 124 is a cam flange 127 havlng an outer cam surface 128 thereon. Integral with the cylindrical flange 123 and extending rearwardly therefrom axially thereo~
substantially ~rom the stop surface 125 to the ad~acent end of the cam flange 127 is a ~top flange 129 (see FIG. 10).
The cutting apparatus 100 ls also provided with a generally cup-shaped hub member 130 which includes a generally 10 circular end wall 131 hav~ng a circular opening 132 extending ~ -therethrough centrally thereof and being integral along the outer edge thereo~ wlth an axially extending cylindrlcal flange 133. ~ .
Formed in the ~lange 133 and end wall 131 are two diametrically opposed slots 134.
The main shaft 65 i8 provided at the rlght-hund end thereorJ as viewed in FIG. 3, wlth a generally rectangular pro-~ection 148 (see FIG. 7) whlch extends outwardly beyond the slde plate 61 and 18 recelved through a complementary opening in the center o~ a disc-like cam member 140, whlch i6 generally clrcular 20 ln shape and i8 provided with a cam finger 141 extending general-ly radlslly outwardly from one portion of the circumference there-of. The cam finger 141 i8 provided with a radially extendingfr stop surrace 142 and a radially extending rear stop surface 143.
The cam member 140 i8 also provided with a pair o~ generally axially extending lug9 (not shown) adapted to be respectively rece~ved in the slots 134 of the hub member 130.
More particularly, in assembly of the cutting apparatus 100 the cam member 140 is mounted on the rectangular proJection 148 for rotation therewith and the end wall 131 of the hub member 30 130 is placed in parallel back-to-back relationship against the outer surface of the cam member 1~0 with the lugs thereo~ respec-tively received in the slots 134 so that the main sha~t 65, thecam member 140 and the hub member 130 will rotate together as a unit. A stub sha~t 145 i5 recelved through the cylindrical hub portion 121 of the drive wheel 120, the stub shaft 145 having a reduced diameter portion 146 which is received in the central opening 132 of the hub member 130 and abuts against the end of .:~
the rectangular pro~ection 148 Or the main shaft 65 and i8 prefer-ably coupled thereto by suitable means. The drive wheel 120is so mounted a~ to be rotatable independently of the main shaft 65. ...
10It will be noted that the parts are assembled with the cylindrical ~lange 133 of the hub member 130 extendlng outwardly ~or cooperatlon with the inwardly extending cylindrlcal flange 123 o~ the drive wheel 120 to define therebetween an annular chamber ..
for receiving therein a spiral coiled spring 135 which has the inner end 136 thereof anchored in one of the 910ts 134 in the hub mcmber 130 and the outer end 137 thereof anchored in an opening 138 in the cylindrlcal outer flange 123 of the drive wheel 120 (see FI~. 10).
A latch dog, generally designated by the numeral 150, 20 i8 pivotally mounted vla a pivot pin 151 to the side plate 61, the latch dog 150 having a..æhort arm 152 which i~ connected to one end o~ a hellcal tension spring 153, the other end of which is anchored to the side plate 61, reslliently to urge the latch dog 150 toward rotation about the plvot pln 151 in a counterclockwise dlrection, as viewed in FIG. 6. The latch dog 150 is also provided with an elonga.ted arm 154 extending substantially parallel to the side plate 61 and being provlded with a cam surface 155 along the bot-tom thereof which ~oins a stop surface 157 on a lower latch finger 156. The latch dog 150 is also provided with an upper latch fin- .
30 ger 158 which extends outwardly therefrom generally perpendicular to the plane o~ the side plate 61 above the lower latch finger 156 . . .
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and is prov~ded with a s~op surface 159.
Referrlng to FIGS. 7 through 9 of the dr~wings, it can be seen that the lower latch finger 156 is pivotally m~vable into and out of the paths of rotation of the cam finger 141 o~ the cam member 140 and the cam flange 127 of the drlve wheel 120, while the upper latch finger 158 iB plvotally movable into and out o~ the path of rotation of the stop ilange 124.
In operation, the cutting apparatus lO0 is normally aisposed in the starting configuration illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 10 7, at the beginning o~ a dispenslng operation. The towel web 58 extends in iront of the iixed knife blade 90 and behind the tapered cutting edge 103 o~ the movable cutting blade lOl and thence outwardly through the dispensing opening 48, wlth the leading edge 59 thereof pro~ecting iar enough to be grasped by a u~er. A user pulls the leading end 59 o~ the towel web 58, whlch results in rotatlon of the feed rollers 70 and the main ~ha~t 65 in a counterclockwlse directlon, as viewed in FIG. 4, the cam member 140 and the hub member 130 rotating with the main shaft 65. The drive wheel 120 doe~ not rotate, since lt is res-20 trained irom rotatlon in the counterclockwise direction by engage-ment of the stop surface 159 of the upper latch iinger 158 with the stop sur~ace 125 of the stop ~lange 124 on the dr~ve wheel 120. Thus, the hub member 130 wlll rotate wlth respect to the drlve wheel 120, causing a winding or tightening of the coiled spring 135.
As the user continues to pull the towel web 58 irom the dispenser 20, the cam member 140 wlll continue to rotate to-ward the position illuetrated in FIGS. 5 and 8. Aæ it approaches this posltlon, the cam iinger 141 18 brought into camming engage-30 ment with the cam surface 155 o~ the latch dog 150, thereby pi-voting it in a clockwise direction, as vlewed in FIG. 5, against the urglng o~ the tension spring 153, ~or li~ting the upper latchf~nger 158 out of engagement with the stop sur~ace 125 of the stop flange 124. The lifting of the latch dog 150 will continue until the ~ront stop surface 142 of the cam finger 141 engages the stop sur~ace 157 o* the l~wer latch finger 156, thereby res- . -tralning the cam member 140 and the m~n shaft 65 rrom further rotation.
While the dlspensing of the web 58 is thus stopped, the drive wheel 120 is released by the lifting of the latch dog 150 10 and, by reason of the unwinding action o~ the wound coiled ~pring 135, is rotated ln a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5, toward the posltion illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9. As the .
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spring 135 unwinds, the cam finger 141 may tend to back up slight- - -ly along the cam surface 155 allowing the latch dog 150 to lower somewhat, whereupon the upper latch finger 158 may ride along the guide ~urface 126 of the stop rlange 124. As the drive wheel 120 rotates, the cam lug 115 pivots the bell crank lever 110 ln a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5, thereby moving the m~vable cutting blade 101 in the dlrection of the arrow ln 20 FIG. 5 under the guiding action of the guide flange 107 and re~
sillent gulde flnger 108, for cooperation of the tapered cutting edge 103 with the cutting edge 92 of the fixed knlfe blade 94 to .
sever the dispensed portion of the towel web 58. As the cam lug 115 pasees through the top o~ its clrcular path, it will slide along the slot 113 toward the pivot end of the arm 112 and then, as the lug 115 continues to rotate downwardly, it will pivot the bell crank lever 110 back in a clockwise dlrection, a~ viewed in FIG. 5, ~or return~ng the movable cuttlng blade 101 to its rest positionJ aæ illustrated in FIG. 6.
3 As the m~vable cutting blade 101 i8 thus being retrac-ted to its rest position, the cam surface 128 o~ the cam flange .. . . ..
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127 is brought into camming en~agement with the lower latchfinger 1~6, which rides up along the cam æurface 128 and is lif-ted thereby to the release position illustrated in FIG. 6, where-in the stop æurface 157 is disengaged ~rom the stop surface 142 of the cam finger 141, thereby permitting continued rotation Or the main shaft 65. At this point, the drive whèel 120 and cam member 140 will be oriented with respect to each other in substan-tially the same relationship as they were ~n the starting confi-guration illustrated in FIG. 4, each of them having been sepa-10 rately rotated through approximately 270 degreeæ ~rom the start-ing positlon, and it remains only to move both of them back through approximately 90 degrees to that starting position.
Since both the drive wheel 120 and the cam member 140 have rota-ted through approximately the same angleJ the coiled spring 135 should be substantially unwound during the rotation Or the drive wheel 120. But in order to insure that the drive wheel 120 does not rotate past the position illustrated in FIG. 6, at substan-tially the same time as the latch dog 150 iæ lifted to its upper-most position by the cam flange 127, the stop flange 129 is 20 brought into engagement with the rear stop surface 14~ of the cam finger 141 to prevent ~urther counterclockwise rotation o~ the drive wheel 120 with respect to the cam member 140.
Referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that ~hile the main shaft 65 was rotating through approximately 270 degreeæ
during the dispensing operatlon, the lever arm 85 is rotated thereby in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, thereby cocking the leaf 87 of the leaf spring 88 downwardly. When the cutting apparatu~ 100 is disposed in the position illustrated in FIG. 5, the lever arm 85 w111 have moved to a position wherein 30 the longitudinal axis thereof, which pRsses through the centeræ
of the main sha~t 65 and roller 86, will have been moved Just past iO 8 S 3SO

a position norm~l t~ the longitudinal axis of the lea~ 87.
There~ore, when the cam me~ber 140 and main sha~t 65 are re- :
lea8ed by the action o~ the cam flange 127, the cocked spring lea~ 87 will drive the lever arm 85 back upwardly in a clockwise rotational direction to the starting po~ition illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, thereby rotating the cam member 140 and dri~e .
wheel 120 simultaneously from the position illustrated in FIG.
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6 to the starting position illuætrated in FIG. 4, with the cam : -lug 115 sliding do~nwardly along the slot 113 toward the distal 10 end Or the lever arm 112 substantially wlthout movement of the movable cutting blade 101. As the main shaft 65 is thus rotated back to the starting configuratlon under the urging o~ the spring leaf 87, another short length of towel web 58 is dispensed by th~
~eed rollers 70 through the dispensing opening 48 so as to be accessible to the next user of the dlspenser 20. It will be no-ted that, should the towel web 58 be released by the user before the main 6ha~t 65 has rotated to the stop position of FIG. 5, backup of the main shaft 65 under the urging o~ the lea~ spring 87 i~ prevented by tightening of the torslon spring 67.
While the parts of the cutting apparatus 100 may be -~ormed of any material suitable for performing the intended fun-ctions, preferably the drive wheel 120 and latch dog 150 are ~ormed o~ a synthetic organic resin such as that sold under the trademark "DELRINn, while the bell crank lever 110 and movable cutting blade 101 and fixed knife blade 90 are formed of suitable metals. Preferably, the cabinet or housing o~ the dispenser 20 is formed of sheet metal, with the exception of the window panel 40 which læ preferably formed of a transparent or translucent plastic material so that the amount of paper towel left on the 3o supply roll 57 will be visible to a user.
From the ~oreg~ing, it can be seen that there has been iOB53SO

provlded an improved paper towel dispenser and cutting apparatus therefor which provides ~or automatic severing of the di~pensed portion o~ the towel web from the supply roll thereof at the end of a dispensing operation.
More particularly~ there has been provided an improved cuttlng apparatus of the character described, which includes a movable cutting blade which remainæ substantially motionlesæ dur-ing the dispensing of the towel ~eb.
In addltion, there has been provided a cutting appara-10 tus of the type set rorth, in which energy ~or driving the mov-able cutting blade is stored during the dispensing operation and i8 released when the predetermined length of towel web has been dispensed ~or e~fecting severing of the dispensed towel web.
While there has been described what is at present con-sidered to be the preferred embodiment of the inventlon, it will be understood that various modifications may be therein.

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Claims (19)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Cutting apparatus for use in a dispenser for dis-pensing a web of paper towel from a supply roll thereof and having a feed roller rotatable during dispensing of the web, said cutting apparatus comprising a cutting member mountable on the dispenser for movement between a normal rest position and a cutting position for cutting the associated web between a dis-pensed portion and the supply roll thereof, drive means adapted to be coupled to the feed roller and to said cutting member for effecting movement thereof between the rest and cutting positions thereof, and latch means mountable on the dispenser for coopera-tion with said drive means normally to retain said cutting member in the rest position thereof during dispensing of the associated web, said latch means and said drive means being responsive to rotation of the feed roller through a predetermined angle during dispensing of the associated web for actuating said drive means to effect movement of said cutting member from the rest position to the cutting position thereof and then back to the rest position thereof.

2. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said cutting member is adapted so that movement thereof from the rest position to the cutting position thereof substantially se-vers the dispensed portion of the associated web from the supply roll thereof.

3. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive means is effective, when actuated, for moving said cutting member from the rest position to the cutting position thereof and then back to the rest position thereof.

4. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined angle is approximately 270 degrees.

5. Cutting apparatus for use in a dispenser for dis-pensing a web of paper towel from a supply roll thereof and hav-ing a feed roller rotatable during dispensing of the web, said cutting apparatus comprising a cutting member mountable on the dispenser for movement between a normal rest position and a cut-ting position for cutting the associated web between a dispensed portion and the supply roll thereof, energy storage means adap-ted to be coupled to the feed roller and responsive to rotation thereof during dispensing of the associated web for accumulating and storing energy, drive mechanism coupled to said energy stor-age means and to said cutting member for effecting movement thereof between the rest and cutting positions thereof, latch means mountable on the dispenser for cooperation with said drive mechanism normally to retain said cutting member in the rest po-sition thereof during dispensing of the associated web and accu-mulation and storage of energy by said energy storage means,said latch means and said drive mechanism being responsive to rotation of the feed roller through a predetermined angle during dispen-sing of the associated web for actuating said energy storage means and said drive mechanism to effect release of the stored energy to said drive mechanism for movement of said cutting mem-ber from the rest position to the cutting position and then back to the rest position thereof.

6. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 5, where-in said energy storage means comprises a spiral coiled spring having one end thereof fixed with respect to the feed roller and the other end thereof fixed with respect to said drive mechanism so that movement of the feed roller with respect to said drive mechanism winds said spring.

7. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 5, where-in said drive mechanism includes a rotating member coupled to said energy storage means and adapted for rotation independently of the feed roller in response to release of the stored energy in said energy storage means, and a pivoting member mounted on the dispenser and coupled to said rotating member and to said cutting member for driving said cutting member in response to ro-tation of said rotating member.

8. Cutting apparatus for use in a dispenser for dis-pensing a web of paper towel from a supply roll thereof and having a feed roller rotatable during dispensing of the web, said cutting apparatus comprising a cutting member mountable on the dispenser for movement between a normal rest position and a cutting posi-tion for cutting the associated web between a dispensed portion and the supply roll thereof, a cam member fixedly mountable on the feed roller for rotation therewith from a starting position, a drive member mountable on the dispenser for rotation indepen-dently of the feed roller and having a stop surface thereon, a spiral coiled spring connected between the feed roller and said drive member for winding in response to rotation of the feed rol-ler with respect to said drive member, a latch member mountable on the dispenser for movement between a latching position dis-posed for engagement with said stop surface for preventing rota-tion of said drive member and a release position disposed out of the path of said stop surface for accommodating rotation of said drive member, and linkage mechanism interconnecting said drive member and said cutting member and cooperating with said drive member when said stop surface is engaged with said latch member in the latching position thereof for holding said cutting member in the rest position thereof, said cam member being engageable with said latch member after rotation through a predetermined angle from the starting position during dispensing of the web for moving said latch member to the release position thereof thereby to permit rotation of said drive member by unwinding of the wound coiled spring, said linkage mechanism being responsive to rotation of said drive member for effecting movement of said cutting member between the rest and cutting positions thereof.

9. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 8, wherein said drive member includes a generally cylindrical portion which cooperates with the feed roller and said cam member to form an enclosure for said coiled spring.

10. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 8, wherein said latch member comprises a dog pivotally mounted on the dispen-ser and having a latch finger and a cam surface, said latch fin-ger being engageable with said stop surface in the latching posi-tion of said latch member and being disposed out of the path of said stop surface in the release position of said latch member, said cam member being rotatable into camming engagement with said cam surface to effect pivotal movement of said latch member from the latching position to the release position thereof.

11. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 8, wherein said linkage mechanism includes a pin carried by said drive mem-ber adjacent to the periphery thereof and extending therefrom substantially parallel to the axis of rotation thereof, and a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on the dispenser and having one end thereof pivotally connected to said cutting member and the other end thereof being provided with an elongated slot re-ceiving said pin therein for effecting pivotal movement of said lever in response to rotation of said drive member.

12. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 8, and further including a fixed blade mounted on the dispenser, and guide means carried by the dispenser and disposed for engagement with said cutting member for guiding the movement thereof between the rest and cutting positions thereof for cooperation with said fixed blade to effect a shearing of the associated web.

13. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 8, where-in said cam member and said drive member are mounted coaxially with the feed roller.

14. Cutting apparatus for use in a dispenser for dis-pensing a web of paper towel from a supply roll thereof and hav-ing a feed roller rotatable during dispensing of the web, said cutting apparatus comprising a cutting member mountable on the dispenser for movement between a normal rest position and a cut-ting position for cutting the associated web between a dispensed portion and the supply roll thereof, a first cam member fixedly mountable on the feed roller for rotation therewith from a start-ing position, a drive member mountable on the dispenser for rota-tion independently of the feed roller and having a stop surface thereon, a spiral coiled spring connected between the feed roller and said drive member for winding in response to rotation of the feed roller with respect to said drive member, a latch member mountable on the dispenser for movement among first and second latching positions and a release position,said latch member in the first latching position thereof being disposed for engagement with said stop surface in a starting configuration for preventing rotation of said drive member, said latch member in the second latching position thereof being disposed for engagement with said first cam member to prevent rotation thereof and out of the path of said stop surface for accommodating rotation of said drive member, said latch member in the release position thereof being disposed out of the paths of said stop surface and said cam mem-ber for accommodating rotation of both said drive member and said cam member, linkage mechanism interconnecting said drive member and said cutting member and cooperating with said drive member when said stop surface is engaged with said latch member in the first latching position thereof for holding said cutting member in the rest position thereof, said first cam member being engage-able with said latch member after rotation through a predeter-mined angle from the starting position during dispensing of the web for moving said latch member to the second latching position thereof thereby to permit rotation of said drive member by un-winding of the wound coiled spring and to prevent further rotation of said first cam member, said linkage mechanism being responsive to rotation of said drive member for effecting movement of said cutting member between the rest and cutting positions thereof, and a second cam member carried by said drive member and engage-able with said latch member after movement of said cutting member to the cutting position thereof for moving said latch member to the release position thereof thereby to permit return of said first cam member to the starting position and return of said drive member and said latch member to the starting configuration thereof.

15. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein said second cam member is integral with said drive mem-ber.

16. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein said drive member and said latch member and said second cam member are all formed of a synthetic organic resin.

17. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein said latch member comprises a dog pivotally mounted on the dispenser and having first and second latch fingers and a cam surface extending from said second latch finger, said first latch finger being disposed for engagement with said stop surface in the first latching position of said latch member and being dis-posed out of the path of said stop member in the second latching position and release position of said latch member, said first cam member being rotatable into camming engagement with said cam surface when said latch member is disposed in the first latching configuration thereof for effecting movement of said latch member to the second latching position thereof in which said first cam member is engageable with said second latch fin-ger, said second cam member being rotatable into camming engage-ment with said second latch finger when said latch member is in the second latching position thereof for effecting movement thereof to the release position thereof.

18. The cutting apparatus set forth in claim 14, wherein said drive member includes a stop flange disposed in the path of said first cam member, said stop flange being rotatable with said drive member into engagement with said first cam mem-ber as said latch member is moved to the release position there-of to limit the rotation of said drive member with respect to said first cam member.

19. A dispenser for dispensing a web of paper towel from a supply roll thereof, said dispenser comprising a housing for accommodating the roll of paper towel therein and having a dispensing opening, dispensing mechanism including a feed roller rotatably mounted in said housing for dispensing the web of paper toweling from the supply roll through the dispensing opening to the exterior of said housing, a cutting member mountable on said housing for movement between a normal rest position and a cutting position for cutting the web between a dispensed portion and the supply roll thereof, drive means coupled to said feed roller and to said cutting member for effecting movement thereof between the rest and cutting positions thereof, and latch means mounted on the housing for cooperation with said drive means normally to re-tain said cutting member in the rest position thereof during dis-pensing of the associated web, said latch means and said drive means being responsive to rotation of said feed roller through a predetermined angle during dispensing of the web for actuating said drive means to effect movement of said cutting member from the rest position to the cutting position and then back to the rest position thereof.