GB2086356A

GB2086356A - Note paper dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2086356A
Application number: GB8126345A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Tang Fun Kee Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tang Fun Kee Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1980-09-05
Filing date: 1981-08-28
Publication date: 1982-05-12

Abstract

There is disclosed a device (1) for dispensing sheets of paper or similar articles, comprising a base portion (3) and a pivotable portion (5) which is connected to the base portion (3) by means of a cylindrical hinge (15). A push rod member (31), having a transverse bar (35) mounted thereon, is eccentrically and pivotally connected to the cylindrical hinge (15) so that, in use, pivotal movement of the pivotable portion (5) relative to the base portion (3) causes the transverse bar (35) to push a sheet of paper (37) thereby causing the same to be dispensed via a slot (39) formed in the base portion (3). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Note paper dispenser This invention relates to a device for dispensing sheets of paper or similar articles. More particularly, the invention relates to desk-top note or memorandium paper dispenser which may be used in the home or office.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for dispensing sheets of paper or similar articles, which device comprises a base portion and a pivotable portion pivotally movable with respect to the base portion, the arrangement being such that, in use, pivotal movement of the pivotal portion with respect to the base portion causes one or more sheets of paper to be dispensed.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a member connected to the pivotable portion in such a way that pivotal movement of the pivotable portion with respect to the base portion causes translational movement of the member so that, in use of the device, the member moves, and thereby dispenses, at least one sheet of paper. Each sheet of paper is preferably of such a size as to be convenient for notes or memoranda.

The pivtable portion is preferably attached to the base portion by means of a cylindrical hinge of circular cross section, the hinge axis being colinear with the axis of the cylinder. The member is then preferably eccentrically and pivotally attached to the cylinder.

In a preferred embodiment, two portions of the cylinder are attached to the base portion by respective, oppositely acting springs.

The base portion conveniently comprises a guide means for guiding the movement of the member to dispense a sheet of paper. The member may be in the form of a push rod with a transverse bar which acts, in use of the device, to push sheets of paper from a slot like orifice in the base portion.

The device may serve other purposes as well as dispensing sheets of paper: a preferred embodiment may be used as a calendar and also incorporates a picture frame for small photographs.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be put in effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device in accordance with the invention with a bottom part of the base portion removed for clarity, Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a bottom part of a base portion of a device in accordance with the invention, and Figure 3 shows a sectional view along the line Ill-IllofFigure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a device 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises a hollow base portion 3 and pivotable portion 5, the pivotable portion 5 being pivotable with respect of the base portion 3. The base portion 3 is rectangular in plan, but in side elevation is generally triangular. By virtue of this construction, the base portion has an uppermost apex 7 running transversely from one side of the device to the other. Sloping down from the apex 7 to the intended front of the device is an upper surface 9 of the base portion 3. The upper surface 9 is provided with three parallel transverse slots 11 which, together with respective slidable elements 13 mounted in each slot, form a calendar for indicating the day of the week, the date and the month.

Located just in front of the apex 7, and again running transversely from one side of the base portion 3 to the other, is a cylindral hinge 1 5. The hinge 1 5 is mounted for rotation with respect to the base portion 3 and is connected to the pivotable portion 5 which extends radially in a plane parallel to the axis of the hinge 1 5. The pivotable portion 5 is a rectangular shallow box which, by means of the hinge 1 5, can pivot down from a substantially upright position forwards almost to lie on the upper face 9 of the base portion 3.

An upper part of the pivotable portion 5 serves as a picture frame in the following way. An upper front surface of the pivotable portion 5 (viewed when the pivotable portion is in an upright position) has a rectangular portion cut so as to leave a backing and raised periphery 17 of the pivotable portion 5 which forms the frame. A picture, such as a photograph and a clear glass or plastics material panel 1 9 may be slid into the pivotable portion 5, from the edge which is at the top when the pivotable portion 5 is in the upright position, so that the picture can be seen from the intended front of the device and so that the glass or plastics material panel 1 9 holds the picture in place.

Below the rectangular cut out are formed two transversely extending slits 21 in the intended front surface 23 of the pivotable portion 5 which may serve as useful retainers for such items as notes and memoranda.

The base portion 3, which is generally hollow in construction, is formed of two moulded plastics material parts: an upper part 3a and a lower part 3b. It is the upper part 3a that gives the base portion its characteristic triangular side elevation.

The lower part 3b is a rectangular in plan shallow tray-like structure for retaining sheets of paper, preferably of dimensions in the order of 6cm x 4cm. The top part of the base portion is also rectangular in plan and is adapted to sit on the bottom part. To give the whole base portion 3 a pleasing appearance, the bottom part has a side elevation in the form of a shallow trapezium with the shorter of the two parallel sides lowermost. An underneath surface 25 of the bottom part 3b is provided with four resilient circular discs 27 for feet. Each disc is located near a corner of the base portion.

The actual mechanism for dispensing sheets of paper will now be described. The cylindrical hinge 1 5 intrudes radially to some extent into the interior void of the base portion 3. Approximately half way along the length of the cylindrical hinge 1 5, that is approximately half way across the base portion 3, a radial semicircular slot 29 is formed in the cylinder. Through this slot extends a push rod member 31. The push rod member 31 is an Lshaped piece of plastics material having a short arm 31 a and a long arm 3 ib at right angles to one another. The end of the short arm 31 b is pivotally anchored in the cylindrical hinge 1 5 at a point eccentric to the hinge axis. The plane of the Lshaped push rod member 31 is at right angles to the axis of the cylindrical hinge 15 and is therefore vertical.The short arm 31 a of the push rod member comes down from the cylindrical hinge 15 and the long arm 31b of the push rod member extends forwardly from the junction with the short arm 31a.

Two parallel and adjacent L-shaped guide members 33 extend from an internal upper region of the base portion 3 to an internal back region of the base portion and act as a guide for the movement of the push rod member 31. The push rod member 31 can only move in its own plane between the guide members 33: this arrangement tends to prevent undue stress on the pivotal anchoring of the push rod member 31 to the cylindrical hinge 1 5.

At the free end of the long arm 31 a of the push rod member 31 a transverse bar 35 is mounted at right angles to the long arm 31a. The bar 35 depends slightly from the long arm 31 a and is of generally rectangular cross section but has a chamfered lower rear edge. Because of the pivotal nature of the anchoring of the short arm 31 a of the L shaped member 31 to the cylindrical hinge 1 5, as the cylindrical hinge 1 5 is rotated so that the pivotable member 5 moves upwards two an upright position (clockwise in Figure 3), the transverse bar 35 will be pushed forward (to the left in Figure 3). When the pivotable portion 5 is pivoted downwards (anti-clockwise in Figure 3), the transverse bar 35 will move backwards (to the right in Figure 3).The transverse bar 35 is the element which actually comes into contact with sheets of paper 37 to push the sheets and dispense them from a slot 39 at the front of the base portion 3 formed at the top of the bottom part 3b. To keep a supply of paper 37 neatly in the bottom part 3b of the base portion 3, a pivotally mounted frame 41 rests on the top sheet. The frame 41 is pivotally mounted towards the rear of the base portion 3 and comprises a transverse rear member 41 a, two forwardly extending side members 41 b and 41 c and two inclined front members 41 d and 41 e. The front members 41 d and 41 e extend, each one from the front of a respective one of the side members 41 b and 41 c, transversely towards the centre of the device 1 and are in the form of short strips of plastics material.The front members 41 d and 41 e are inclined at about 45" to the horizontal with their foremost edge downwards. The two front members 41 d and 41 e form guides for the movement of the bar 35 in the following way.

When the bar 35 and push rod member 31 are brought back from their foremost position, the chamfered edge of the bar 35 will tend to ride up the front members 41 d and 41 e and therefore be raised off the top sheet of paper 37. When the bar 35 and push rod member 31 are in their rearmost positions, the bar will be positioned close to the top of the sloping front members 41 d and 41 e.

When a sheet of paper is to be dispensed, the pivotable portion 5 is swung to the upright position and the cylindrical hinge 1 5 therefore rotates; the bar 35 then rides down the sloping front members 41 d and 41 e towards the front of the device and comes into contact, at the bottom of the front members, with the top sheet of paper.

Further forward movement of the bar 35 caused by further upward pivotal movement of the pivotable portion 5 causes a sheet of paper to be dispensed from the front of the device.

This cycle of rearward and forward motion of the bar 35 may be repeated several times if necessary or desired. The front members 41 d and 41 e of the frame 41 tend to prevent rearward movement of paper when the bar 35 is moved rearwardly.

For smoother operation of the device 1 ,the cylindrical hinge 1 5 is anchored by two pairs of two springs 43 and 45 to the upper part 3a of the base portion 3. For each pair of springs 43 and 45, a first end of each of the springs is anchored to the same point on a respective block 47 and 49 on the inside of a side wall of the base portion 3, whereas the other ends of the springs of the pair 43 or 45 are mounted at respective points on a circumferential line on the cylindrical hinge 1 5.

The circumferential line is located approximately one third of the way along the cylindrical hinge 15 from the appropriate side wall.

Although the described embodiment of this invention is intended to be used for dispensing small pieces of paper on which notes may be written, this or other embodiments may have a wide variety of other applications. For instance, embodiments may be used for dispensing index cards or playing cards.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing sheets of paper or similar articles, which device comprises a base portion and a pivotable portion pivotally movable with respect to the base portion, the arrangement being such that, in use, pivotal movement of the pivotable portion with respect to the base portion causes one or more sheets of paper to be dispensed.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the pivotable portion is connected to the base portion by means of a hinge.

3. A device according to Claim 2, wherein the hinge is cylindrical and of circular cross section, the hinge axis being co-linear with the axis of the cylinder.

4. A device according to Claim 3, wherein two portions of the cylinder are connected to the base portion by respective oppositely acting springs.

5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is provided a member connected to the pivotable portion in such a way that pivotal movement of the pivotable portion with respect to the base portion causes translational movement of the member so that, in use of the device, the member moves, and thereby dispenses, at least one sheet of paper.

6. A device according to Claim 5 when dependent on Claim 3 or 4, wherein the member is eccentrically and pivotally connected to the hinge.

7. A device according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the member comprises a push rod having a transverse bar adapted to push a sheet of paper.

8. A device according to any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the base portion comprises guide means for guiding the movement of the member.

9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, in use, paper is dispensed via a slot formed in the base portion.

10. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, which device further comprises a calender.

11. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, which device further comprises a picture frame.

12. A device for dispensing sheets of paper or similar articles, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

13. Any novel feature of combination of features described herein.