IE40049L - Toweling dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a toweling dispenser of the continuous type having a housing with a loop of toweling that extends along an exit path from a clean towel supply within the housing to an exposed use position accessible to the user, and thence along a return path through a soiled toweling accumulation chamber to a soiled toweling storage position within the housing, the dispenser having drive mechanism interconnecting a dispensing mechanism and a take-up mechanism that takes up soiled toweling from the loop and into the accumulation chamber after completion of the operation of the dispensing mechanism and a collecting mechanism that takes soiled toweling from the accumulation chamber into the storage position during operation of the dispensing mechanism, all under the control of a time-stop mechanism. The drive mechanism includes a preloaded constant torque spring motor which is wound during operation of the dispensing and collecting mechanisms and is unwound after timing out of the time stop mechanism to drive the take-up mechanism for taking up from the loop at least as much toweling as was dispensed during the dispensing portion of the cycle. The spring motor is designed to be wound more than it is unwound during each dispensing cycle so as to be completely wound after a predetermined number of cycles to provide sufficient power for completely retracting the training end of the exhausted soiled towel roll, a slip clutch preventing overwinding of the spring motor. Two embodiments are disclosed, in one of which the components are uniquely arranged to minimize the depth of the housing. [US3893738A]