GB2060560A - Dispenser for rolled material - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser for rolled material, such as paper, has a generally cylindrical cover (4) for the material and a device mounted in an extension (2) of the cover for automatically proportioning the amount of material to be dispensed at each operation. The proportioning device comprises two abutting rollers (7, 8) for feeding the material from the dispenser and a pair of toothed wheels (12, 12a) that interengage therewith for limiting the length of material to be dispensed. A cam and pawl arrangement (13-22) locks the proportioning device after each operation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dispenser for rolled material This invention relates to a dispenser for rolled material, for example tissue paper to be used as a towel.

Dispensers for such rolled paper are known wherein the band of paper is pulled out and torn away with no limitation as to the length to be dispensed, which often causes an undesired waste of material.

The object of this invention is to provide a dispenser that overcomes this disadvantage.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a self-proportioning dispenser for rolled material, comprising an upper circular discshaped main body having a depending box-like extension to the underside of which a lower circular disc-shaped member is co-axially secured, a bottom cup-shaped member secured by a bayonet-coupling or the like to the underside of said lower disc-shaped member, the lattar cupshaped member having a relatively wide dispensing central opening for pulling and withdrawing the proportioned material, said proportioning being effected by a device disposed within said box-like extension and charged by the movement for withdrawing the material. Thus, the dispenser has a mechanical proportioning device adapted to limit, upon each operation of withdrawal, the length of the material to be dispensed.The tearing of the material may be effected by means of a cup-shaped member having a central dispensing opening defined by a sharp edge.

The incorporated proportioning device is of very simple construction and requires no connection to electric power, inasmuch as it is charged as a result of the advancing movements of the material being withdrawn.

In one embodiment, the dispenser according to this invention is designed to be secured to a wall, in a bracket-like fashion, the roll of material being disposed therein with its axis in a vertical position; however, other arrangements are possible.

The accompanying drawings show an exemplary embodiment of the dispenser according to the invention, designed to be secured to a wall, having the outlet for the proportioned material located at the bottom, and having a verticallydisposed axis.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view of the self-proportioning dispenser, the central section thereof being opened to show the proportioning device and the rollers for passing the paper; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the dispenser of Fig. 1, the top cup-shaped cover being removed; Fig. 3 is a side view in the direction of arrow A of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the rollers for passing the paper, and the mechanism of the associated proportioning device; Fig. 5 is a side view in the direction of arrow B of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the dispenser comprises an upper disc-shaped main body 1 having a depending box-like extension 2, a lower disc-shaped member 3 secured to and co-axial with said main body 1, a top cup-shaped protective cover 4, a bottom cup-shaped member 5 having a central outlet opening for the material proportioned by a device which is disposed within said box-like extension 2, and a bracket-like support 6 suitably secured to said main body 1 and member 3 so as to permit the entire dispenser to be secured to a wall. The main body 1 ,formed by a horizontally-extending disc-shaped member, is designed to merely support a vertically-disposed roll (not shown) of the paper to be proportioned and dispensed.This roll is covered and protected by the cup-shaped cover 4, which can be of transparent plastics to enable any person to easily check the gradual exhaustion of the roll. The band of paper is unrolled from the inner side of the roll and is passed between two rollers 7, 8 comprised in the automatic proportioning device arranged in said box-like extension 2, which device will be better described hereinafter with reference to Figs.

3, 4 and 5.

This device is actuated by said rollers 7 and 8, and more specifically by the roller 7 which constitutes a driving roller, while the roller 8 just presses against the roller 7 the band of paper passing therebetween; the driving roller 7, therefore, is actuated by the paper being pulled out. Said roller 8, in order to fulfil its action, is mounted in two elongated supporting slots and is urged continuousiy against said roller 7 by two springs 1 0, 11 so as to develop an appropriate friction against the paper.

Keyed on a projecting end portion of the shaft of roller 7 is a toothed pinion 12 meshing with a toothed wheel 1 2a of much larger diameter, which, on turn, is keyed on the projecting portion of a shaft 1 3 which is rotatably mounted between the two longitudinal walls of said box-like body containing the proportioning device. Keyed on the projecting opposed end of said shaft is a cam-disc 14, having the function, as described hereinafter, to co-operate with the device that controls the length of the locking period between two successive pulling actions on the paper material to be dispensed by the proportioning device. Pivoted on a pin 1 7 is a rocker-arm 1 6 supporting a connecting plate to which a cup-sucker 18 is fixed.A spring 1 9 is connected at the ends thereof, respectively, to a pin 1 9a secured on the box-like body 2 and to a pin 1 9b secured on said rocker-arm 16, slightly urges said rocker arm 1 6 towards the shaft 13 of said disc 1 4. The rockerarm is also provided with a sector-shaped cam 22 engaging a cam-shaped projection 1 5 secured on the inside surface of said disc 14. The latter, therefore, at the end of each dispensing operation, will be locked by the pivoting action of the rockerarm 16, thus locking said rollers 7 and 8 through the shaft 13 and toothed wheels 12, 1 2a. On the same side wall of said box-like body 2, perpendicularly to the axis of said cup-sucker 18, is secured an abutment plate 20 acting as a mating plane for said sucker 18.At the centre of this plane is formed a small threaded hole wherein a seepage reguiating screw 21 can be more or less screwed to regulate accordingly the seepage of air therethrough. The time required for the detachment of the sucker 18 from the abutment plane 20 can be thus regulated, the detachment being effected by the action of the spring 19. The detachment of the sucker 1 8 causes the return movement of the rocker-arm 1 6 and the disengagement of the cam 22, so that the entire system will be ready for a successive cycle.

The above-described dispenser operates as follows: The roller 7, actuated by the pulling action exerted on the paper-band by a user and pressed by said roller 8, actuates the toothed wheels 12, 1 2a that depending on their gear ratio and on the diameter of the roller, will proportion the length of the paper band that can come out of the dispenser at each revolution of the larger toothed wheel 1 2a. This happens because the proportioning device will be locked after each revolution of said wheel by the action of the system comprising the shaft 13, disc 14 with its cam 15 and rocker-arm 16 with its cam 22.During each revolution, said cam 1 5 and rocker-arm 16 will load said spring 19 and push said sucker 1 8 to a complete mating against the plane formed by the abutment plate 20, so that both members will stick together due to vacuum effect until said spring 19, depending on the regulating effect of the screw 21, will overcome said vacuum effect and separates them, whereafter the entire system is unlocked and is ready for a successive withdrawal of paper-band by a user.

In case the paper-band is accidentally torn away in anticipation, and in case of any failure of the feeding mechanism, the invention (as better shown in Fig. 3) provides a manually-actuated knob 24 secured on a projection of the shaft of said roller 8. This knob is provided on the periphery thereof with a toothing or indentation that can be engaged by a pawl 23 to prevent the wheel 24 to rotate in the contrary direction so that the paper-band would be moved upwards instead of downwards.

The paper band pulled out of the dispenser passes through the relatively large bottom outlet opening of the cup-shaped member 5, which is defined by a sharp toothed edge facilitating the tearing off of the proportioned paper band.

Preferably, the cup-shaped member 5 is secured to the disc-shaped member 3 by a bayonet-type coupling to permit a quick disassembling for any overhaul.

It is to be noted that the protective cup-shaped cover 4, in addition to any suitable locking system, can be provided with a padlock in order to prevent any unauthorized opening. The main body 1, which is preferably provided with reinforcing ribs 9, can also be protected by a casing that houses all mechanisms.

Finally, the bracket support 6 is also provided with reinforcing ribs. Preferably, all the members herein described are made of strong plastic material of suitable colours.

Claims (8)

1. A self-proportioning dispenser for rolled material, comprising an upper circular disc-shaped main body having a depending box-like extension to the underside of which a lower circular discshaped member is co-axially secured, a bottom cup-shaped member secured by a bayonetcoupling or the like to the underside of said lower disc-shaped member, the latter cup-shaped member having a relatively wide dispensing central opening for pulling and withdrawing the proportioned material, said proportioning being effected by a device disposed within said box-like extension and charged by the movement for withdrawing the material.

2. A self-proportioning dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said relatively wide dispensing opening in the bottom cup-shaped member has a toothed cutting edge arranged to tear a pulled off proportioned length of material.

3. A self-proportioning dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said proportioning device comprises two rollers resiliently urged against each other, the material to be dispensed being passed therebetween, a toothed pinion keyed on the projecting portion of the shaft of one of said rollers and meshing with a much larger-diameter toothed wheel which is keyed on the projecting portion of a shaft rotatably mounted between the two longitudinal walls of said box-like body mounting the proportioning device, and wherein the opposed projecting end of the same shaft is keyed with a disc having on the inner side thereof a cam-shaped projection that after each revolution of the disc engages with a sector-shaped cam on a rocker-arm which is urged to a rearward position by a spring connected between a pin fixed on the box-like body and another pin secured on the rocker-arm carrying a cup-sucker that in an advanced, locking position mates with the planar face of an abutment plate which is secured to a side face of said box-like body.

4. A self-proportioning device according to claim 3, wherein said abutment plate is formed with a p!anar face for mating with said sucker and having a small central threaded hole receiving a seepage-regulating screw.

5. A self-proportioning dispenser according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a projecting portion of the shaft of the resiliently-supported roller mounts a knob having a plurality of peripheral indentations that are engageable with a pawl so as to prevent, in case of manual actuation, the rotation in a direction opposite to the direction for feeding and dispensing the paper band.

6. A self-proportioning dispenser according to any preceding claim, comprising a ribbed support secured to the periphery of the dispenser and adapted to fix the latter to a wall.

7. A self-proportioning dispenser according to any preceding claim, comprising a top protective removable cup-shaped member to cover the roll of material when arranged in the operative condition.

8. A self-proportioning dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference tothe accompanying drawings.