US2701691A

US2701691A - Automatic tissue and towel dispenser

Info

Publication number: US2701691A
Application number: US388634A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Christmas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-10-27
Filing date: 1953-10-27
Publication date: 1955-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1972-02-08

Description

Feb 8, 1955 w. J. CHRISTMAS 2,701,691

AUTOMATIC TISSUE AND TOWEL DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed O01). 27, 1955 223 'f d'0 Z2 Wlllmellbfm ATT RN EYE Feb. 8, 1955 w. J. CHRISTMAS 2,701,691

AUTOMATIC TISSUA` AND TOWEL DISPENSER Filed Oct. 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR. l/ll'aJ/Jlrsmasf United States Patent O AUTOMATIC TISSUE AND TOWEL DISPENSER William l. Christmas, Monticello, Fla.

Application @etober 27, 1953, Serial No. 388,634

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-55.2)

This invention relates to a dispenser, and more particularly to a dispenser for rolled toilet tissue, rolled paper towels, or other rolled paper products.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tissue or towel dispenser which is provided with an ash tray and wherein single handed delivery of such materials can be accomplished by merely grasping the exposed end of thel roll and exerting a straight pull on the free end of the rol A further object of the invention is to provide a tissue and towel dispenser with an ash tray which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will ,be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l, and showing the position of a roll of tissue paper thereon.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the present invention showing the bracket detached and showing the position of the parts when the roll is nearly empty.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the adjusted position of the parts for use with a medium size roll of tissue paper.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5, but showing the adjusted position of the parts when a full roll of paper is on the device.

Figure 7 is an end elevational View of the present invention.

Figure 8 is an elevational view, with parts broken away and in section showing a modification of the present inp vention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a bracket which can be made of any suitable material, and the bracket 10 may include a vertically disposed leg 11 which can be secured to a suitable supporting structure such as a wall 14 by screws 12, Figure 2. The bracket 10 may further include a horizontally disposed leg 15 which provides a support for B. hollow housing 16 that can be made of any suitable material. The housing 16 includes spaced

parallel end walls

17 and 18, and spaced

parallel side walls

19 and 20 and a top wall 21.

Suitable screws 22 extend through the leg 15 and into engagement with the housing 16 for detachably connecting the housing 16 to the bracket 10. Journaled in the

side walls

19 and 20 of the housing 1 6 and extending outwardly therefrom is a spindle 23. A stop pin 24 extends through the spindle 23 for maintaining .the spindle 23 in the proper position, Figures 4, 5 .and 6. A support member 25 is secured to the outer end of the spindle 23 in'any suitable manner, and a body member 26 eX- tends over a portion of the support member 25. The support member 25 may be made of a suitable yieldable material such as sponge rubber. The numeral 27 designates a roll of tissue paper which is to be dispensed in predetermined quantities, and the end of the tissue paper 27 is indicated by the numeral 28, Figure 2. The roll of tissue paper 27 is arranged so that its hollow inner space 30 snugly receives the

members

26 and 25 so that the roll of paper rotates in unison with the spindle 23. A screw 29 may extend through the body member 26 and 2,701,691 Patented Feb. 8, 1955 into engagement with the outer end of the spindle 23, Figure 3.

The dispenser of the present invention further includes a shaft 31 which rotatably extends into the housing through the top wall 21, and a knurled knob 32 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 31 for rotating the latter. A screw 33 engages the other end of the shaft 31 to provide a.

pivotal connection with the leg 15, Figure 2. The shaft 31 is provided with a slit or cutout 34 which receives a portion of a rubber band 35. A section of the rubber band 35 is thus secured to the shaft 31, and another section of the rubber band 35 is secured to the spindle 23 by means of a pin 36. A pin 37 serves to secure another section of the rubber band 35 to the end Wall 17 of the housing 16, Figure 4.

A means is provided for limiting or controlling the amount of rotation of the spindle 23, and this means comprises a chain or flexible cable 38 which has one end secured to the spindle 23 by means of a pin 39. The other end of the cable or chain 38 is connected to the shaft 31.

Carried by the shaft 31 is a stop pin 40 which serves to limit outward movement of the shaft 31 with respect to the housing 16. A second pin 44 projects from the shaft 31, and the pin 44 is adapted to seat in one of the radially disposed recesses 41, 42, or 43 which are arranged in the outer surface of the top wall 21, Figures 1 and 2. The words Full, Empty, and Medium are arranged contiguous rto each of the recesses 41, 43 and 42.

A recess 45 is arranged in an end of the housing 16, and the recess 45 is adapted to receive a finger 47 that extends from an ash tray 46. Thus, the ash tray 46 can be used for supporting lighted cigarettes or the like conveniently on the tissue paper dispenser. When the ash tray 46 is to be emptied, the finger 47 can be readily disengaged from the recess 4S, Figure 8. In Figure 8 a modified mounting means is shown which is adapted to be used in lieu of the bracket 10. This modified mounting means includes a spring clip 48 which is adapted to be arranged in engagement with a wall 49 of a commode or other supporting structure. A leg 50 may be formed integral with the spring clip 48 or can be secured thereto, and the leg 5U is adapted to be secured to the bottom of the housing 16 in the same manner as the previously described leg 15.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a tissue and towel dispenser has been provided which may have an ash tray 46 associated therewith. The present invention is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is convenient for dispensing rolled toilet tissue, rolled paper towels, or other materials dispensed or consumed from rolled packages.

rials by merely grasping the exposed end 28 of the roli and exerting a straight pull tangential to the periphery of the roll and at right angles to the axis of rotation of the roll. The ash tray accessory 46 is adapted to be used by a person when smoking a cigarette or cigar at the instant the dispenser is being used, and can be used when the person nds it desirable that his hand be completely free for grasping the exposed end of the roll oetween puffs. The ash tray 46 can be readily removed When it is to be emptied and the present invention is primarily to be used in dispensing toilet tissue although it can be constructed large enough to dispense paper towels or other materials that may be packaged in larger rolls. The dispenser may be installed at one side or the other of the commode 49 as shown in Figure ..8 or it can be attached tothe wall of the bathroom as shown by the numeral 14 in Figures 1-7, or it can be secured to any other interior section of the bathroom convenient in relation to the operator stationed in a sitting position on the commode seat or in a standing position adjacent to it. As shown in Figure 8 the dispenser can be suspended flat against the side of the commode tank by means of the adapter 48 which provides a hook over the top edge of the commode tank wall and the lid 51 lits snugly over the hook. The dispenser will operate successfully mounted either vertically or horizontally and the method of attaching is irrelevant to the principal concept of the in- By means of the present invention there. will be faciiitated single handed delivery of such mate l il vention. As shown in Figures 1 7 holes are provided in the leg 11 to receive screws 12 which can be extended into the Wall 14.

The operation of the d-ispenser is as follows. The exposed end 28 of the roll 27 is grasped by either hand and stead-ily pulled preferably tangentially to the periphery of the roll and `at right angles to the axis of rotation of the spindle 23. The sponge rubber support member has the metal clasp 26 thereon so that there will be exerted an outward pressure against the interior walls of the spool on which the tissue is wound to thus keep the roll engaged to the spindle 23 so that the parts turn in unison.

As the tissue is pulled and the shaft 31 rotates, the rubber band which is secured to the spindle 23 and which is also secured to the end wall 17 of the casing develops tension. This tension in the rubber band 35 increases as the spindle 23 continues rotating until the rnechan-ical stop chain or cable 33 which is attached to the shaft 3ft becomes taut due to its being wound up on spindle 23. When the turning of the spindle 23 has taken up all of the slack in the mechanical stop chain or cable 38 it is then restrained and this in turn restrains the support member 25 which in turn restrains the metal clasp 26 and the metal clasp under pressure from the resilient member 25 restrains the roll of tissue from turning thus creating a situation where 'the energy exerted by the steady pull by the hand of the operator opposed by the mechanical stop cable 3S overcomes the breaking strength of the unrolled length of tissue. Since obviously the tissue can not break off Within the portion wound upon the roll where the union of several thicknesses gives added strength, it is severed at a breaking point 'somewhere within the unrolled segment of tissue 27, the severed portion remaining in the hand of the operator for immediate use.

As a result of the tension developed within the rubber band 3S simultaneously with the winding up of mechanical stop cable 38, a sharp reverse movement of the spindle 23 occurs instantly when the length of tissue is severed by reason of lthe two opposing forces of the mechanical stop cable'ft'i and the pull exerted on the length of tissue by the hand of the operator. This sharp reverse movement of the spindle carrying the roll of tissue is accomplished almost the instant that the tissue released by the support member 25 breaks o. This reverse movement (one or more revolutions) does not unroll the tissue, but the momentum gained from the reverse movement continues beyond the static point assumed by the spindle 23 in relation to the rubber band .3S in which both segments of the band 35 on either side of its two opposite points of attachment were held in equilibrium when the initial movement began. This continued rotation quickly winds the spindle 23 up on the band 35 in a direction opposite to the direction of the winding developed by the initial movement produced when the operator grasped the exposed end 28 of the tissue, thus enforcing a tension in the band 35 in this new direction. This tens-ion increases until the elasticity of the band 35 is overcome by the enforced resistance of the band i-tself to the rotation of the shaft in said direction, and the direction of rotation of the shaft 23 is changed by reaction of the band to the momentum of the reverse movement, to thereby impel the shaft ina third phase of movement that is in the same direction as the initial movement `actuated by the hand of the operator.

The final third phase of movement, which is a reaction to the reverse rotation, unrolls a length of tissue 27 that hangs suspended always at the close of an operation. This unrolled portion of tissue is contiguous to the exposed end of the roll and provides ready accessibility for grasping by the operator if and when the operation is to be repeated.

rIt is apparent that for each rotation of a large roll of `tissue a longer piece of tissue is released from the roll than is released by the rotation of -a small roll. Therefore, with a constant fixed length of mechanical stop cable 38 for all sizes of rolls occasioned by continuous dispensing from a giv-en roll, a disparity in lengths of tissue dispensed from the same roll, that is longer pieces coming from a full roll and Very short pieces coming from a roll that approaches exhaustion, would result. To compensate for the reduced size of the roll as it approaches exhaustion. a regulator including the knob 32 and shaft 3l is built into the apparatus and this knob 32 is adapted to be manipulated by the operator exteriorly of the housing or case. The knob 32 is used for manually rotating the shaft 3l and by properly rotating the shaft, the effective length of the stop cable 38 can be shortened or lengthened to adjust the dispenser to deliver more or less paper as the diameter of the roll may vary from time to time or as other circumstances may demand. The screw 33 anchors the shaft 31 in position and at the same time permits it to rotate about a central point at the end of its longitudinal axis.

The member 3S may be in the form lof a chain or if a cord is used small weights may be used so as to cause the member 38 to hang down by gravity so that there will be no interference between the band 35 and member 38.

A portion of the rubber band 3S extends through the slit 3d so that the band can be tightened as the mechanical stop string 38 is being shortened or lengthened simultaneously with turning of the shaft 3.1. Thus, if it is necessary to add tension to the rubber band it may be convenient to eliminate sluggish operation of large rolls of material being dispensed.

The stud or pin 44 is adapted to be seated in one of the recesses 41, 42 or 43 so as to maintain the shaft 31 immobile in its vari-ous `adjusted positions. The shaft 31 can be lifted or moved vertically in the housing when the pin t4 is to be moved from one of its recesses to another. The parts can be made of any suitable material.

claim:

l. A paper dispenser comprising a bracket adapted to be connected to a supporting structure, a hollow housing connected to said bracket and including a top wall, spaced parallel side walls, and spaced parallel end Walls, a spindle journaled in said housing and extending through said side Walls, a support member of yieldable material secured to the outer end of said spindle, a rubber band having one end connected to said spindle and its other end connected to an end wall of said housing, a rotatable shaft extending through said top wall and into said housing, a knurled knob secured to the outer end of said shaft for rotating the latter, there being a slit in said shaft for receiving a portion -of said rubber band, and a cable having one end connected to said shaft and its other end connected to said spindle.

2. A paper dispenser comprising a bracket adapted to `be connected to a supporting structure, a hollow housing connected to said bracket and including a top wall, side walls, and end walls, a spindle journaled in said housing and extending through said side Walls, a support member secu-red to said spindle, a resilient band having one end connected to said spindle and its other end connected to an end Wall of said housing, means for limiting rotation of said spindle and for receiving a portion of said rubber band, and a cable having one end connected to said means and its other end connected to said spindle.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,202,190 Kern Oct. 24, 1916 1,888,426 Duby Nov. 22, 1932 2,632,605 Lee Mar. 24, 1953 nur. M!