GB2118146A

GB2118146A - Paper sheet dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2118146A
Application number: GB08308568A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gregory Victor Marshall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-04-02
Filing date: 1983-03-29
Publication date: 1983-10-26
Also published as: GB8308568D0

Abstract

A paper dispenser (10) has a container body (12) containing a stack of paper (28) and a lid (14) closing the container. A slider (16) is slidable along a slot (20) in the lid to move a member (24) away from and towards a dispensing end (22) of the dispenser. One end of the member (24) is pivoted to the slider while its other end rests on the topmost sheet (26) of paper. To extract the topmost sheet of paper from the stack a user slides the slider (16) away from and then towards the dispensing end of the container. This causes the member (24) first to slide over the sheet and then to push the topmost sheet towards the dispensing end and partially out of the container. The user then draws the sheet from the dispenser by its projecting edge. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Paper dispenser The present invention relates to devices for sheets of paper such as letter-headed paper and sheets of blank typing paper.

Normally, for example in secretarial and typing pools, typing paper is kept in a tray or the like within reach of the typist. A disadvantage of this is that the topmost most sheets are quite often soiled as a result of exposure to dirt and dust in the atmosphere. In addition, sudden gusts of wind can scatter the exposed paper. Where carbon paper is used it can be difficult to separate the topmost sheet of a stack from the remaining carbon paper without creasing or crumpling the paper and without the typist getting carbon on her fingers which can very easily be transferred to otherwise clean sheets of typing paper.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved device for dispensing paper sheets or the like.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a device for dispensing sheets of paper or the like, the device comprising a container having a body for receiving a stack of paper sheets or the like and cover means for closing said body, one end of said body being adapted to assist sliding movement of each said sheet out of the body at said one end; and a member pivotable relative to the underside of said cover means with the free end of said member frictionally engagable with the uppermost sheet of said stack, such that movement of said free end away from said one end of the body causes the free end of said member to slide over the uppermost sheet and movement of said free end towards said one end of the body causes the free end of said member frictionally to engage the uppermost sheet and slide said sheet towards said one end and partially out of the body.

Advantageously, the member is pivotable relative to sliding means slidable away from and towards said one end of the body relative to the cover means to effect said movement of the free end of the member. Preferably the sliding means is slidable in a slot in the cover means.

Alternatively the cover means is hinged to the other end of the body and said member is hinged to the underside of the cover means, movement of the free end of the latter away from and towards said one end of the body being effected by raising and lowering the lid respectively.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the cover means is a lid of the container and said one end of the body is preferably curved inwardly to provide a curved sliding surface adjoining the upper edge of this end of the body.

The present invention is further described hereinafter, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a side elevation, partly in section, of a preferred form of paper dispenser according to the present invention.

The device shown in the drawing is a paper dispenser 10 which comprises a container having a body 12 and a cover means in the form of a lid 14. The lid 14 carries a slider 1 6 supported beneath the lid by a handle 18 which is rigidly connected to the slider through an elongate slot 20 in the lid 14. The arrangement is such that the slider 16 can be slid towards and away from the front end 22 of the container.

The slide 16 carries an elongate member 24 one lower end of which is arranged frictionally to engage the uppermost sheet 26 of a stack 28 of paper sheets retained in the container body 12 while the other end is freely hinged to the underside of the slider 16 along a hinge axis transverse (preferably perpendicular) to the intended direction of paper movement.

The end 22 of the container body 12 is adapted to assist the sliding movement of the uppermost sheet 26 out of the container body over the container body end 22 by the provision of a suitably shaped surface 30 in the container body adjacent the end 22. The surface 30 can be in the form of an additional wall extending the full length of the end 22, that is the full width of the container body 12, and is conveniently planar, being inclined at a suitable angle to the end 22.

Alternatively, the surface 30 can be curved surface which is concave in vertical cross section.

As an alternative to the provision of a wall inside the container body 12, the end 22 itself may be suitably shaped as an inclined planar surface or a suitably curved surface.

In use, in order to extract a sheet of paper from the stack of paper in the dispenser the user merely moves the slider towards the rear of the dispenser body, thus allowing the lower end of the hinged member 24 to slide along the surface of the uppermost sheet away from the dispensing end of the dispenser. The user then moves the slider towards the dispensing end of the dispenser, the weight of the hinged member and the downward force applied by the movement of the slider being sufficient to cause the lower end of the hinged member 24 frictionally to engage the uppermost sheet of paper and slide this towards the dispensing end of the container body and partially out of the container. The user can then draw the single sheet fully from the dispenser by gripping its projecting edge.The upper edge of the end 22 or the adjacent portion of the lid 14 may be suitably recessed to provide a gap for the paper sheet and prevent pinching of the latter against the end 22 by the lid 14, although if the weight of the lid 14 is kept sufficiently low the latter is not a problem.

The hinged member 24 in its simplest form is conveniently a rectangular piece of material or a U-shaped length of wire or the like with the base of the "U" forming the lower end. The member 24 or at least a portion of its lower end can be formed from a material of a suitably high friction coefficient. Alternatively, it can be provided with a cover or coating of a suitable friction material for example in the form of a sleeve of rubber or the like.

In order to increase friction between the lower end of the member 24 and the uppermost sheet of paper the former can be biassed downwardly by a suitable resilient member 32 such as a spring or length of natural or synthetic rubber which extends from a point on the lower surface of the member 24, around the hinge, to a point on the end of the slider 1 6 adjacent the hinge.

The size of the container body 12 is preferably determined by the size of paper to be retained in the container although where the container body 12 is of a size which can take the larger standard sizes of paper it may be provided internally with suitable adjusting means such as slidable paper stops to enable it to be used with smaller sizes of paper sheets.

The slot 20 is preferably equi-distant from the two side edges of the lid 14 and extends parallel with the lid sides.

The dispenser is conveniently made of clear plastics material.

The lid 14 may be hinged or otherwise secured to the dispenser body and can be located in position, for example by depending lugs which engage against the inner walls of the bddy accurately to locate the lid in position.

In a modified embodiment of the present invention the slider 1 6 and slot 20 are dispensed with and the elongate member 24 is hinged directly to the underside of the lid 14 which is in turn hinged to the right-hand end of the container body 12 as seen in the drawing. Here, in order to extract a sheet of paper from the stack 28 the user merely raises the lid 14, thus allowing the lower end of the hinged member 24 to slide along the surface of the uppermost sheet 26 away from the end 22 and then lowers the lid. On lowering, the weight of the lid is sufficient to cause the lower end of the member 1 6 frictionally to engage the uppermost sheet 26 of paper and slide this towards to container body end 22 and partially out of the container. The user can then draw the single sheet fully from the dispenser by gripping its projecting edge.

A paper dispenser according to the present invention is a simple and effective dispenser of single sheets of paper and provides for clean and safe storage.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing sheets of paper or the like comprises a container having a body for receiving a stack of paper sheets or the like and cover means for closing said body, one end of said body being adapted to assist sliding movement of each said sheet out of the body at said one end; and a member pivotable relative to the underside of said cover means with the free end of said member frictionally engagable with the uppermost sheet of said stack, such that movement of said free end away from said one end of the body causes the free end of said member to slide over the uppermost sheet and movement of said free end towards said one end of the body causes the free end of said member frictionally to engage the uppermost sheet and slide said sheet towards said one end and partially out of the body.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said member is pivotable relative to sliding means which is slideable away from and towards said one end of said body relative to said cover means to effect said movement of said free end of said member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said sliding means is slideable in a slot in the cover means.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cover means is hinged to the other end the body and said member is hinged to the underside of the cover means, movement of the free end of the latter away from and towards said one end of the body being effected by raising and lowering the cover means respectively.

5. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the cover means is a lid of the container and said one end of the body is adapted to assist removal of paper therefrom.

6. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said one end of the body is curved inwardly to provide a curved sliding surface adjoining the upper edge of this end of the body.

7. A device for dispensing sheets of paper or the like substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.