GB1386187A - Web-form handtowel dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

1386187 Towel dispenser NEUCO APPARATEBAU AG 23 Jan 1973 [28 Jan 1972] 3320/73 Heading A4G A web-form hand-towel dispenser comprises a delivery roller 5 by which hand-towel 7 is guided from a supply 6, a wind-up roller 16 for used handtowel, electric motor-driven driving devices for driving the rollers 5, 16, the roller 16 being drivable both in the wind-up direction and the opposite direction, and means actuable directly or indirectly by hand to switch on the drive for the roller 5 and the drive for the roller 16 to drive the roller 16 in said opposite direction. The dispenser also comprises means for switching off the drive to the roller 16 after unwinding a predetermined length of hand-towel from the used hand-towel roll, means for switching off the drive to the roller 5 after delivery of a predetermined length of handtowel, a timing device, means for switching on the drive to the roller 16 to drive it in the wind-up direction after the expiry of a predetermined time, and means for switching off the drive to the roller 16 after winding up a length of hand-towel corresponding to the sum of the hand-towel lengths previously unwound from the used hand-towel roll and the delivery roller 5. As described the rollers 5, 16 are driven by electric motors 12, 24 via gearing 9, 10, 14 and 19, 21, 22, and worms 13 and 23 respectively. In the start position the exposed portion of the web 7 is tight against the lower part 3 of a casing having slots 8, 18 for exit and entry of the web. When the web 7 is pulled the gearing causes the worm 13 to move axially and so operate a switch 15 to cause the motors 12, 24 to operate to feed web out of the slots 8 and 18. Instead of the switch 15 a push-button, light barrier, proximity, or contact switch may be used. After a predetermined time the motors 12, 24 are stopped, e.g. by switches operated by cams or by a measuring roller 44. After a further time the motor 24 is operated in the reverse direction to wind up the used towel portion until it is taut enough to operate a switch 53, 52 and stop the motor, or a timing device may be used. If the end of the web is reached the motor 24 is stopped by e.g. a light beam switch. A bar 38 acts to smooth the towel web when the motor 24 is winding up the web but is withdrawn by a lever 42 when the web is being fed out from the roller 16. A switch 57 may be operated by arms carrying the measuring roller 44 to operate an alarm when the web is nearly used up. In alternative embodiments there is a single electric motor driving the delivery and wind-up rollers via intermittently operable connections.