GB2071616A - Apparatus for dispensing sheet material, e.g. paper towelling, from rolls - Google Patents

Abstract

In apparatus for dispensing sheet material, e.g. paper towelling, from a roll (15b) thereof the dispensing passage 4 is defined by two nipping rollers (2a, 2b) which are disposed in facing relation to each other. At least one (2b) of these nipping members is provided with driving means (23, 24, 25) including an actuating member (25) which is accessible outside the case and adjustable means (26, 27, 29) for limiting the reciprocating travel of the actuating member. Roller (2a) is movable and rests by its weight against roller (2b) and is rotated in a contradirection to roller (2b) by friction. To dispense a predetermined length of material the actuating member (25) is pulled fully down causing the roller (2a) to rotate a predetermined number of times. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for dispensing products in rolls and in particular paper hand-towels The present invention relates to apparatus for dispensing sheet products available in the form of continuous bands presented in rolls, such as handtowels in rolls, of the general type comprising a case which has a cavity of such size as to be capable of receiving at least one roll of product and, in the lower part of this cavity, means defining an elongated dispensing passage whose section roughly corresponds to the section of the sheet product.

Apparatus of this type are already known in which there are disposed rolls of non-predivided band product and which comprise below said elongated passage, cutting means, such as a saw, the user first causing the free marginal portion of the product to appear outside the apparatus by means of a lever which releases a spring which in turn releases a roll driver and then the user pulls on this marginal portion until the roll is blocked by an internal timer mechanism which enables the user to tear a section of the band product on the saw. Apparatus of the same type are also known in which there are disposed rolls of a band which is predivided along transverse tear lines and comprises a series of tear-facilitating means, it being possible to separate the successive sections of the product one after the other as soon as a new tear line appears outside the apparatus.

However, no apparatus is known in which the two types of rolls may be employed indifferently.

Indeed, if a roll of the predivided type were disposed in an apparatus of the first type, it would be found, in the course of the use of the roll, that, although the length of the product unrolled is constant, the last tear line is positioned at a different distance from the outlet passage after each use owing to possible variations in the texture of the material in the length of the roll.

Thus, after several uses, the offset is such that the last tear line is often located within the case of the apparatus. Moreover, as the paper is extracted from the apparatus by manually pulling on the last section of the band and this pull almost always corresponds to a force exceeding the resistance offered by the tear-facilitating line, the tear is produced as soon as the pull is exerted on the sheet, that is to say before the tear-facilitating line appears outside the case. This premature tearing no longer permits a normal use of the product and the apparatus must be opened and the roll rotated to a variable extent before the product becomes once more normally accessible.

In addition, the required section of the product is taken by the user with wet hands and, moreover, the product is sometimes used in a very damp atmosphere. Consequently, the paper softens and offers a lower resistance to the pull and the paper is liable to be torn away in regions where the fingers grip the band and the unintentional tears occur in regions of the product other than the desired regions. This risk has heretofore required the use of materials of a quality distinctly higher than that which would otherwise be required for the needs of the utilisation and this considerably increases the cost of the product.

Further, with all known apparatus it is essential to manually seize the free marginal portion of a new roll in the dispensing passage, which often requires the opening of the case and in any case requires a manual intervention, for example, when the apparatus contains a roll in reserve which consequently cannot be put automatically in its position of use with the marginal portion outside the case.

An object of the present invention is consequently to provide an apparatus of the aforementioned general type which allows the use of both types of rolls, namely predivided and nonpredivided rolls, and which permits the use of a product of normal quality with no risk of an accidental tearing under the effect of dampness and which requires no manual engagement of the free marginal portion of the roll in the dispensing passage.

The invention provides an apparatus of the aforementioned type, wherein said means defining the elongated passage comprise two nipping members which are in facing relation to each other so as to define therebetween a nip gap less than the thickness of the sheet product and which are mounted to be movable constantly downwardly at least in a given travel while remaining in a nipping position in said travel, means being provided for driving at least one of said nipping members along said travel, said driving means comprising an actuating means accessible outside the case, and travel limiting means.

With this arrangement, the user merely acts on the actuating means until the end of the travel is reached so that this means shifts the nipping member with which it is associated and, by the effect of friction, the second member so that said two members, between which the free marginal portion of the roll of the product is placed, drive said product through the fixed travel and cause a length of product which very exactly corresponds to said travel to appear outside the apparatus so that each time the product is used this length is very exactly the same. Consequently, irrespective of the type of the roll placed in the apparatus, whether it be predivided or not, a constant length of product from one section to the other is always obtained.In the case of a predivided roll, the travel limiting means are so adjusted that the travel of the actuating means, and consequently of the nipping member, exactly corresponds to the predivided length so that the tear lines arrive in succession regularly in the same position beyond the exit of the nip gap. In the case of a nonpredivided roll, the actuating means permit the dispensing of successive sections of constant length which are torn along a saw provided beyond the exit of the nip gap.

Further, as the nip gap of the two members is located in the lower part of the cavity of the case, whatever the position of the new roll which has just been placed in position in the cavity, and even if its free marginal portion is not disposed in the lower part of the roll, as soon as the actuating means are acted upon and consequently the nipping members start to move, the latter cause the roll to rotate until said free marginal portion reaches the vicinity of said members and is taken up in the nip gap therebetween. Consequently, the free marginal portion of the roll is perfectly and automatically engaged with no action being required other than that on the actuating means provided for the user.

As the nipping force between the two nipping members is perfectly determined and constant, because the user can only act on the actuating means which drive in a perfectly regular manner one of the nipping members, there is no longer any risk of an accidental tearing in the case of dampness since there is no longer any pull exerted on the material, the action on the last section of the roll being uniform and jerkfree. Consequently, it is possible to dispense materials as delicate as handkerchief paper.

A further advantage of the arrangement according to the invention resides in the fact that there is an excellent seal in the region of the dispensing passage owing to the presence of the two nipping members which are urged against each other. This is of particular interest when the apparatus is cleaned by a jet of water as occurs for example in service stations or the food industry.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the two nipping members may be formed by cylinders having horizontal shafts and rotatably mounted on said shafts, the latter being preferably contained in a roughly horizontal plane while the surface of the members may be advantageously defined by an elastically yieldable material. With this structure the band of product can be driven perfectly with a very precisely constant force.

Also advantageously, one of the two nipping members may be mounted to be bodily movable in a direction which is roughly transverse to the direction of passage between the two members.

This arrangement permits, in the case where the rolls are wound on cylindrical supports, the extraction of the cylindrical support from the apparatus when the roll has been completely used up apart from the last section which is secured to the support. The support is then extracted merely by exerting a pull on this last section and raising the freely movable nipping member.

The apparatus according to the invention has an advantageous application in public premises and local collectivities where there is a high consumption of rolls and a greater risk of voluntary or involuntary deterioration.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description of an embodiment, to which the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention for dispensing handtowels in rolls; Fig. 2 is a partial side elevational view of this apparatus illustrating in particular the outer actuating means thereof, and Figs. 3 to 5 are sectional views of this apparatus illustrating three different and successive stages in its operation.

The illustrated apparatus comprises (Fig. 1) a case 1 having a roughly parallelepipedic shape and two lateral vertical sides or support side walls 1 a and 1 b which are interconnected at the front by a cross-member 1 c and at the rear by a vertical end wall 1 d, the assembly being completed by a removable casing 1 e which is shown in fine lines moved away from the rest of the case. The casing 1 e has an upper wall and a front wall in which there may be provided a transparent window 1 f so that the upper part of the interior of the case 1 may be observed.

Disposed inside the lower part of the case 1 are two cylinders 2a and 2b of rubber fixed to shafts 3a and 3b (Fig. 3) which extend in a horizontal direction X-X (Fig. 1) perpendicular to the side walls 1 a and 1 b and are journalled in these side walls. The two cylinders 2a and 2b extend to within the vicinity of these side walls. The axes of the two shafts 3a and 3b are contained in a horizontal plane and the distance between these axes is such that the two cylinders are substantially in contact with each other and define therebetween a nip gap 4 (Fig. 3) which is extremely small, if not inexistent, owing to the elasticity of the rubber from which the cylinders are made.The nip gap or line has an elongated horizontal shape and constitutes the dispensing passage of the apparatus, this line or gap 4 being contained in a vertical plane P-P.

The cylinder 2b located adjacent the rear wall Id of the case is mounted on a fixed part of the side walls 1 a and 1 b, while the front cylinder 2a is journalled on two horizontal branches of two Lshaped support members 5a and 5b (Fig. 1) the vertical branches of which are mounted adjacent their ends 6 (Fig. 2) on the side walls 1 a and 1 b respectively to pivot about a horizontal pivot pin Y located in front of and distinctly above the axis of the cylinder 2a.

Disposed above the upper level of the two cylinders and slightly in front of the nip gap 4 but behind the axis of the cylinder 2a are two journals 7a and 7b (Figs. 1 and 3) which are secured to the sides walls 1 a and 1 b and on which are pivotally mounted two levers 8a and 8b (Fig. 3). Each of these levers has a short lower arm 9 and a longer upper arm 10, the ends of the two short arms 9 being interconnected by a control rod 11 (Fig. 3) and the two ends of the longer arms 1 0 being interconnected by a retaining rod 12.

In the normal position of use of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the long arms 10 of the two levers are slightly upwardly and rearwardly inclined so that the retaining rod 12, which extends in the direction X-X in the same way as the rod 11, is disposed slightly to the rear of the vertical plane P-P (Fig. 3). The length of the arms 10 is sufficient to ensure that the rod 1 2 is located in the upper part of the case which defines a first cavity 1 3a while the lower part of the case, below the level of the rod 12, constitutes a second cavity 13b.

Provided in the upper cavity 1 3a adjacent the front side of the casing is a support member 14 which also extends parallel to the direction X-X, this member being located above the front part of the cyclinder 2a. Consequently, a reserve handtowel roll 1 5a may be kept in the upper cavity 13a, this roll bearing against the support member 14 and against the retaining rod 12, with the axis of the mandrel or cylindrical support 1 6a (for example of cardboard) onto which the roll is wound located slightly to the rear of the vertical plane P-P but in front of the rod 12.

Placed in the lower cavity 1 3b is a roll 15b which is the roll in use and is carried by a mandrel or cylindrical support 1 6b whose axis is roughly vertically below the axis of the roll 1 5a. This roll 15b bears on the control rod 11 and on the upper part of the rear cylinder 2b. It may also bear by its rear side against a transverse deflector 1 7 which is secured to the rear wall id and forwardly and downwardly inclined so as to reach the vicinity of the upper part of the rear cylinder 2b.

In this position of use, the rod 11 is located very slightly above the upper part of the front cylinder 2a and slightly in front of the journals 7a and 7b.

The short arms 9 of the two levers 8a and 8b have a forwardly bent part 1 8 and the ends of these bent parts are interconnected by a transverse rod 1 9. Fixed to the ends of the long arms 10 of the levers are two return springs 20 which extend roughly horizontally forwardly from the arms 10 and are secured to the case. The rods 11 and 19 are interconnected by a deflector plate 21.

The L-shaped supports 5a and 5b for the front cylinder 2a are interconnected on their lower and rear edges by a bar 22 in the form of a saw whose cutting edge is located in vertical plane P-P below the nip gap 4 in the normal position of use.

The and portion of the shaft 3b of the rear cylinder which is journalled in the side wall 1 b is fixed in a free-wheel 23 (Fig. 2) whose outer ring 23a carries gear teeth and constitutes the output gear of a speed-reducing gear train 24 comprising a double intermediate gear 24a and an input gear 24b. The latter is mounted vertically above the other gears and is rigid with an actuating lever 25 of great length provided with a knob 25a and extending forwardly and downwardly from the gear 24b. The teeth of the gear 24b are interrupted in a part of its periphery by a notch 26 which receives a stud 27 fixed to the side wall 1 b so that the angular travel of the gear 24b and lever 25 is limited by the contact of either end of the notch 26 with the stud 27.This angular travel is, for example, of the order of 45 , but the speedreduction ratio of the gear train 24 is such that several complete rotations of the rear cylinder 2b correspond to this travel of 450.

Provided on the same side wall 1 b and in the lower part of the latter below the gear train 24 is a slot 28 in which is movable and adjustable a stop member 29 which is so located in the path of the lever 25 as to be encountered by the latter in the course of its angular travel allowed by the notch 26, so that the different positions of this stop member 29 allow different travels of the lever 25, these travels being less than those allowed by the abutments of the stud 27 against the ends of the notch 26 which correspond to the maximum travel of the lever.

The apparatus just described operates in the following manner: The apparatus is normally in the position shown in Fig. 3 in which a roll 15b in use is placed in the lower cavity 1 3b and bears on the rod 11 and the rear cylinder 2b, while a reserve roll 15a is placed in the upper cavity 1 3a and bears against the retaining rod 12.

When the roll 15b has just been placed in position, its free marginal portion or edge may be in any position on its periphery and the user, or the official in charge of the apparatus, acts on the lever 25 and produces through the gear train 24 a continuous rotation of the rear cylinder 2b. As the roll 15b bears on the latter, it is driven in rotation until its free marginal portion comes in contact with the cylinder 2b which then directs it towards the nip line or gap 4 in which it then becomes inserted. As the front cylinder 2a is applied under the effect of its weight against the cylinder 2b, it is then driven in rotation in the opposite direction and this double movement of the two cylinders nips or grips and continuously unwinds the band 30 from roll 15b.

The apparatus is then in the "ready for use" position and, when the first user shifts again the actuating lever 25 through an angular travel of for example a maximum of 450, the cylinders 2a and 2b effect three complete rotations and thereby drive the band 30 continuously to an extent of, for example, less than 40 centimetres and thus form a first band section which hangs below the apparatus and which the user can then tear off along the edge of the saw 22.

It will be understood that if, instead of comprising a continuous non-predivided band, the roll 15b comprised a band predivided into sections of 40 centimetres a portion of the same length would be dispensed by the two cylinders 2a and 2b and the user would be able to detach a section merely by tearing the band along the tear line provided for this purpose with no need to use the saw 22.

As the roll 15b is being used, the diameter of the latter gradually decreases until there remains on the mandrel 1 6b only a last section 30a, which, as seen in Fig. 4, is engaged between the two cylinders 2a and 2b. In this position, the mandrel 1 6b bears on the rod 11 and on the rear cylinder 2b.

A further action on the actuating lever 25 exerts, owing to the nipping action of the two cylinders 2a and 2b, a pull on the last section 30a adhered to the mandrel and this pulls the latter downwardly (Fig. 5). This downward movement swings the movable unit carrying the cylinder 2a outwardly of the case. Thus the descent of the mandrel is combined with a practically instantaneous dropping of the reserve roll 1 5a which is released by the withdrawal of the rod 12 brought about by the fact that the levers 8a, 8b are swung about the journals 7a, 7b by the rod 11 which was urged forwardly by the mandrel in the downward movement of the latter.Consequently, as a result of this combined movement of the descent of the mandrel and the dropping of the reserve roll, the latter both strikes the mandrel (which assists the mandrel in its downward movement) and stops it from rotating (which prevents it from rotating itself without being drivable by the cylinders), this double action thus completing the expulsion of this mandrel between the two cylinder 2a and 2b.

It will be observed that this apparatus provides additional safety apart from the various advantages indicated in the beginning of this description. Indeed, if an ill-intentioned user raised the cylinder 2a (in the event that the casing did not completely surround the latter), the reserve roll 15a could not be released by the rod 12 so long as the roll 15b in use has not been completely used up. Indeed, the levers 8a and 8b cannot pivot (under the effect of a displacement of the rod 11) so long as the roll 15b has not been completely used up.

Even under these conditions, the ill-intentioned user cannot extract the whole of the remaining part of the roll because any pull exerted on the free marginal portion of this roll only results in a single rotation of the latter.

Claims (7)

1. An apparatus for dispensing sheet products available in the form of continuous bands presented in rolls, of the type comprising a case which has a cavity for receiving a roll of product and in the lower part of which cavity there are mounted two rotary nipping cylinders having horizontal axes and disposed in facing relationship to each other so as to define a nip gap less than the thickness of the sheet product, and means for driving in rotation at least one of said cylinders and comprising actuating means which can be acted upon manually and are accessible outside the case, wherein the actuating means comprise a lever having a reciprocating travel, and travel limiting means and free-wheel means are interposed between the driven cylinder and the actuating means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the travel limiting means are adjustable.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the travel limiting means comprise a wheel which is rigid with the actuating lever and has a notch on its periphery which receives a stud fixed to the case.

4. An apparatus according to claims 2 and 3 taken together, wherein the travel limiting means comprise a stop member which is placed in the path of the lever and can be adjusted in position in a slot of the case.

5. An apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein a speed-reducing mechanism is interposed between the actuating lever and the nipping cylinder which is associated therewith.

6. An apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein, in the case where one of the two nipping cylinders is mounted to be movable transversely of the direction of passage between the two cylinders, this cylinder is mounted to be movable between a nipping position, in which it is maintained under the effect of its own weight, and a withdrawn position.

7. An apparatus for dispensing sheet products, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.