US2856051A

US2856051A - Mechanical dispensing means for fabric articles

Info

Publication number: US2856051A
Application number: US511990A
Authority: US
Inventors: Russell Walter Leo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-05-31
Filing date: 1955-05-31
Publication date: 1958-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1975-10-14

Description

Oct. 14, 1958 w. L. RUSSELL MECHANICAL DISPENSING MEANS FOR FABRIC ARTICLES Filed May 31, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR.

WALTER L RUSSELL ATTORNEY FIG. 3.

Oct. 14, 1958 f w. L. RUSSELL 2,856,051

MECHANICAL DISPENSING MEANS FOR FABRIC ARTICLES Filed May 51, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WALTER L RUSSELL ATTORNEY Oct. 14, 1958 w. RUSSELL 2,856,051

MECHANICAL DISPENSING MEANS FOR FABRIC ARTICLES Filed May 31, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W INVEN TOR. WALTER L. RUSSELL jaw/[MM v ATTORNEY MECHANICAL DISPENSING MEANS FOR FABRIC ARTICLES Walter Leo Russell, Wichita, Kans.

Application May 31, 1955, Serial No. 511990 4 Claims. (Cl. 194-4) This invention relates to dispensing. In a more specific aspect, this invention relates to apparatus for dispensing a fabric article upon the insertion therein of another fabric article. in a still more specific aspect, this invention relates tonew apparatus for the dispensing of a clean towel, particularly a cotton towel, upon the insertion into the apparatus of a like towel which is soiled. And, in a still more specific aspect, this invention relates to such dispensing means which are operatable solely by mechanical means.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending. application Serial No. 433,339, filed June 1, 1954, now Patent No. 2,713,931, issued July 26, 1955.

Apparatus is known in the prior art which will dispense fabric articles, such as cotton towels used for wiping rags in machine shops, garages, and the like. And, some of these machines do such dispensing upon the insertion of soiled towels. The purpose of machines of this nature is to prevent loss. of towels by the company supplying. and laundering, same and by the business owner, the general idea being to prevent carelessness on the part of the employee worker in that his soiled towel must be deposited in the dispensing apparatus in order to obtain a clean one. The machines of the prior art have many disadvantages. They are not very foolproof and will not protect against insertion of articles other than towels to operate the mechanism to deliver a clean towel. Also, some of the apparatus can be operated to deliver more than one clean towel tion, and the preferred specific embodiments "depicted and disclosed therein are partially operated by electric means, namely switches and solenoid means, and such has proven tobe'usabl'e in many operations. However, towels soiled by. inflammable materials, such as petroleum products, cause a fire hazard in these dispensing means due to the possibility of ignition by electric arcing. And, the. new improved means of my invention as disclosed and claimed in this application is operated mechanically completely to eliminate the possibility. of fire hazard. The new dispensing apparatus of my invention has been in service for weeks at a' time without any attention except to replenish the supply of clean towels and remove the soiled towels for laundering. it has indeed proven a substantial step forward in the art of dispensing fabric articles.

The new improved dispensing apparatus of my invention for fabric articles comprises a receiving member which'has means adapted to catch a fabric article that is placed in contact therewith. The apparatus has a dispensing. member which has means to remove a' fabric article fior'n a stack upon operation of the dispensing memasasi Patented Get. 14, 1958 her. And, mechanical means are incorporated in the apparatus to operate the receiving and dispensing member. My new apparatus has mechanical means incorporated therewith which is operated by a fabric article on the receiving member during its operation. This means is in turn mechanically adapted to provide for and control operation of the dispensing member to remove a fabric article from the stack of those which are to be dispensed. The new apparatus of my invention functions to remove a fabric article from the stack of same upon placing another fabric article on the receiving member and operating the apparatus.

The new dispensing apparatus of my invention has been found to be of particular value in dispensing clean cloth towels upon the insertion therein of a like towel which is soiled, and operating the apparatus. My new apparatus has been tested in actual use in a refinery and a garage to dispense cloth wiping towels which become soiled by inflammable materials, and hasbeen found particularly advantageous. The machine is substantially foolproof in that it will not deliver a clean towel unless another towel is inserted, and it will not deliver more than one towel upon the insertion of a single soiled towel. Paper, other refuse, and the like, cannot be used to operate my apparatus, and the employee workman cannot obtain more than one clean towel by retrieving the soiled towel which he has inserted. Towels are not lost or misplaced. Greasy and oily towels are not left lying around, which is not safe, creating a fire hazard. The new apparatus of my invention is easy and economical to manufacture and it has been found simple and economical to service and maintain. The mechanical operating. means requires little or no service.

it is an object ofthis invention to provide new dispensmg means.

It is another object of this invention to provide new apparatus for dispensing a fabric article upon insertion therein of another fabric article.

Still another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for dispensing clean cotton cloth wiping towels or rags upon the insertion into the apparatus of a like soiled towel and operating the apparatus.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide such dispensing apparatus which is operatable solely by me chemical means so that no danger of explosion or fire occurs when the equipment is used to dispense a clean towel on the insertion therein of a towel soiled with inflammable material.

Other objects andadvantages of the new dispensing apparatus of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.-

Drawings accompany and are a part of this disclosure. Such drawings depict preferred specific embodiments of the new fabric article dispensing apparatus of my invention, particularly designed to dispense a cotton cloth towel upon the insertion therein of another cotton cloth towel and operating the mechanism, and it is to be understood that the drawings are not to unduly limit the scope of my invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective outer view, with some inner mechanism outlined thereon, of a preferred specific embodiment of the fabric article dispensing apparatus of my invention, particularly desirably used to dispense towels.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view in cross sectionthrough the apparatus, showing the receiving member and dispensing member and upper control means therewith in position just prior to operation to dispense a towel and just after a soiled towel has been inserted into the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view in cross section through the apparatus, showing the receiving member, dispensing and upper control means therewith in position after a towel has been delivered and a soiled towel has been taken all the way into the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of the lever control and actuating means of the apparatus in relation to the receiving and dispensing apparatus with a soiled towel on the receiving member having tripped the upper control means.

Fig. 5 is an elevation view of the lever control and actuating means of the apparatus in relation to the receiving and dispensing apparatus with the receiving member in fully operated position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the end portion of the dispensing member of the apparatus having therewith lower control and operating means.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the other end portion of the dispensing member of the apparatus having operating means, and in the same relative position as in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation view in cross section of the apparatus of my invention showing the lower control means in relation to the dispensing member just after a clean towel has been delivered.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation view in cross section and partly cut away showing the towel chute detail in relation to the dispensing member.

Following are a discussion and description of my invention. Such discussion and description are made with reference to the drawings whereon the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts or structure. The following discussion and description is of preferred specific embodiments of the new apparatus of my invention, and it is to be understood that such discussion and description is not to unduly limit the scope of my invention.

The towel dispensing apparatus of my invention is housed in a closed cabinet, and is operated to deliver a clean towel by inserting a soiled towel therein through an upper opening covered by hood 11. The cabinet has an opening 13 through which a clean towel is delivered upon operating the dispenser. Means project from the cabinet which are operated after insertion of a soiled towel, and these means can conveniently be pedal 15 or an arm member operated by hand pressure. If for some reason the inserted soiled towel is not caught to allow for operating my dispensing means, it passes through the cabinet means through chute 17 and out through an opening in the front of the cabinet in the lower end of the chute. It has been found that either or both sides of the cabinet can be made removable so that one can get into same to inspect, repair, recharge with clean towels, remove soiled towels, etc. The lower and rear portions of the cabinet can conveniently be used to store the soiled towels which are inserted in order to operate the apparatus.

An oscillatable receiving member 19 is rotatably mounted within the cabinet by means of a shaft 21 with which it turns. This oscillatable member 19 has means to catch a cloth towel thereon, preferably a row of teeth 23 on the face thereof, preferably as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 9. These teeth 23 catch a soiled towel 25 when dropped into the chute covered by hood 11, when the receiving member 19 of the apparatus of my invention is in normal at-rest position, the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8. The substantially semicircular drumshaped member 19 is oscillated back and forth by force exerted through a pulley line 27 and a pulley line 29 which is mounted on shaft 21 to turn same and in turn rotate member 19. A stop member 31 is fixedly mounted in the cabinet, and this stop 31 limits the rotation of member 19 in both directions of rotation. Lip 33 of member 19 catches stop 31 upon rotation in one direction, and the drum 19 itself catches stop 31 upon rotation in the other direction. My apparatus uniquely utilizes a distinctive curvature of the face of the towel receiving drum 19 in this latter portion to aid in the operation of the control mechanism of my apparatus, as will be set forth hereinafter.

A dispensing roller member 35 is rotatably mounted in the cabinet by means of shaft 37. This roller 35 has means thereon to catch a fabric towel, and I find that such is preferably a row of spaced teeth 39 longitudinally disposed on the face thereof, five or six spaced teeth having been found suitable. Force exerted through pulley line 27 and a pulley 41 mounted to freely rotate on shaft 37 is used to rotate member 35 when the springloaded pawl 43 pivotally mounted on pulley 41 catches the ratchet tooth and stop 45 fixed on roller 35. I have found it convenient to use a small spring 47 fixed to pulley 41 by a pin to hold pawl 43 in engagement position with ratchet tooth 45. Thus, pulley 41 turns dispensing roller 35 with it when turned in one direction, and rides free on shaft 37 of turning member 35 when pulley 41 is turned in the opposite direction. Spring-loaded pawl 43 slides under stop 45 when pulley 41 is turned in the last-named direction for repositioning to again turn roller 35 when desired, provided roller 35 has dispensed a towel.

Pulley line 27 passes over a guide pulley 49 and is attached to pedal 15 in one end. The other end of pulley line 27 is attached to a spiral spring 51 which is in turn attached to the cabinet means or another convenient fixed member. When operating, pedal 15 is pushed downwardly to extend pulley line 27 to operate the mechanism by rotating

pulleys

29 and 41, to in turn rotate oscillatable member 19 and to operate dispensing roller 35 with pawl 43 and ratchet tooth 45 in engagement, respectively, spring 51 is loaded, and upon release of pedal 15 pulley line 27 is retracted by spring 51 to rotate

pulleys

29 and 41 in the opposite direction, in turn rotating member 19 in the opposite direction and with pawl 43 and ratchet finger 45 out of engagement repositioning pulley 41 for subsequent similar rotation of roller 35, respectively. Upon pushing pedal 15 downwardly from its position shown in Figs. 2 and 8, member 19 is rotated until lip 33 catches stop 31 which prevents further rotation of member 19, and member 35 is rotated to the cocked position of Fig. 5 because ratchet finger 45 and pawl 43 are in engagement for and during rotation. The positions of the members after operation of pedal 15 are shown in Figs. 3 and 5, Fig. 5 in position to deliver a towel 52 and Fig. 3 in position just after delivery of the towel to opening 13. The positions of Figs. 2 and 8 are referred to as at-rest position, and the position of member 19 shown in Figs. 3 and 5 is referred to as the fully operated position. Figs. 6, 7 and 9 then show member 35 in normal at-rest position, as does Fig. 1 in regard to member 19.

On the end of shaft 37 opposite the end thereof on which pulley 41 is mounted, is mounted an arm member 53 fixed to turn shaft 37 and in turn roller 35. A pitman 55 is pivotally connected to arm member 53 in one end and to a spiral spring 57 in the other end, and spring 57 is fixed to the cabinet or another suitable stationary member. A mounting member 59 having a bearing (not shown) for shaft 37 is used to mount the assembly within the cabinet so that arm 53, pitman 55 and spring 57 are free to operate to rotate member 35 when desired. This roller 35 rotating mechanism operates as follows. When pedal 15 is depressed from the position of Figs. 2 and 8 to rotate roller 35 to the position of Fig. 5, spring 57 is extended and pitman 55 moves to a past center position. Spring 57 is then loaded and would continue to rotate member 35 except for stop member 45 attached to member 35 being caught and held by the notch 61 in lever arm 63. Lever arm 63 is pivotally mounted in the cabinet at point 64, and is urged out of contact with stop 45 by spiral spring 65 which is anchored to the cabinet at point 67. When member 35 is held by such stop 45, it is in position to deliver to slot 13 a clean towel which has been picked up on teeth* 39 during the turning of member 35-from the position of'Fig. 2 tothe position shown by Fig. 5.

Inclined chute means 69 are mounted in the cabinet, and these chute means hold-and store a supply of folded, clean towels 52 which are to-be dispensed by the apparatus. I have found it desirable to fold the towels once with the fold at the bottom; as shown in Fig. 9. The stack of towels 52 rests against roller 35 at the bottom of the stack thereof, and as the towels are removed from the stack by member 35, they move down-the inclined chute 69. A weighting member 71 having wheel 73 which rides on fixed track 75 supports the stack of towels 52 on the upper end thereof, and this weighting and supporting member 71 along with the force of gravity moves the towels down chute 69; In'connection herewith, arm 77 with its end hook ispreferably' used to lock the mechanism when the supply of clean towels 52 is exhausted. Arm member 77 is pivotally mounted by bracket means 79 which is in turn mounted on towel guide means 81. A weight 83 and trigger 85"opposite thereto are mounted to pivot with arm 77. Wheel 73 contacts trigger 85 when chute 69 is empty of towels to force the hook of arm 77 .into notch 87' in pulley 29 to hold said pulley from turning. Towel guide 81 is mounted in the cabinet, preferably as shown, and guides the towel being dispensed so that its edge is deposited in cabinet opening 13, thereby allowing the apparatus operator to pull the entire towel out of the dispenser and from in contact with teeth 39 of member 35.

The control means for my dispensing apparatus operates to allow roller 35 to'delive'r a clean towel to opening 13 of the cabinet upon the operation of receiving member 19 with a soiled'towel *caught thereon bythe row of teeth 23, the towel having been'inserted into the upper end of the chute covered by hood 11. As receiving member 19' is rotated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 5, the towel first passes under fixed protecting shield 89 which preferably has a row of teeth on the lower edge thereof to prevent pulling back a towel which has passed under'shield 89while on member 19, that is, a soiled towel 25 put into the machine and held by the end thereof or by something attached to'the towel. This prevents operation of the dispensing apparatus of my invention more than once with the same soiled towel. After the towel passes under shield member 89, it contacts lever arm member 91 to raise same and pivot same and shaft 92 on which it is mounted. Arm member 91 in the absence of a towel on member 19 preferably rides on attack portion on the curved face portion of the member. Upon the pivoting of arm member 91 by contact with towel25, arm member 93, which is mounted on shaft 92 to turn therewith, is pivoted from its position shown in Pig. 8. Spring 95 which is fixed at point 95A to the cabinet is in tension to urge lever 91 into contact with member 19. In addition, spring 95 forces lever 93 to which it is attached as lever 91 directs. Scissor-like arms 97 which are pivoted at point 99 and mounted at this point in the cabinet are forced together by spring 101, and such form the catch means for lever 103 which is pivotally mounted in the cabinet at point 105. Arms 97 have oppositely disposed notches 107 therein which catch projections 109 on lever 103, the notches 107 and arms 97 being separate-acting and the notch on the left-hand arm 97 being just slightly higher so that when lever 103 is released from the right-hand notch it moves up slightly and is caught by the left-hand notch. This prevents interference with the right-hand notch when its arm 97 is released. Upon pivot of arm 93 by raising'of arm 91, the right-hand arm 97 is forced open, releasing lever 103. See Fig. 4. Lever 103 moves up and is caught in notch 107 in the left-hand arm 97 because spring 65' in tension pivots lever 63 and in turn lever member 111' with which it is in contact by projectiiig arm 1'13. Lever member 111 is pivotally mounted in the" cabinet byshaft 115 Connecting r'od'1f17'is pivotally connected to lever members 103 and 111 and is the means by which lever s3 is released from holding roller 35 by stop 45 in relation to the catch means 9 7 and in turn the position of arm 91. This occurs only when a towel 256s takenall the way into the apparatus, and both arms 97' have released lever 103. After towel 25 has passed under arm 91, the arm falls back into contact with member 19 and'spring 1'01 moves the righthand arm 97' back to its at-rest position as it does arm 93. However, the right-hand notch 107 does'not catch lever 103' because it has moved up slightly and out of position, but being held by left-hand notch 107. When member 1 9' is turned all the way over until lip 33 contacts stop 31; the arm member 91 is lowered past its normal position as a result in the increased curvature of the face and track of receiving drum 19 for member 91. This allows spring 95 to pivot arm 93 to open lefthand arm 97 to in turn' c'ompletely release lever 1 03, lever 111 and lever 63. Normal position for arm 91 is shown in Fig. 2'. The positions of arm member 91 in normal position and for the passing of towel 25 there"- under are shown'in dotted lines on Fig. 3, the lower dotted line position of arm 91 being the normal position'when the arm rideson the face of member 19 during the greater portion of its travel and the upper dotted line position of arm 91 being its elevated position when a towel 25 is passing under arm 91, and when member 19 is turned all the way over the position of arm 91 is shown in solid lineson Fig. 3; and arm member 91 is shown in dotted lines when atowel is passed thereunder on Fig; 4, and in dotted lines in the all the way over position on Fig; 5. Upon complete release of lever" 103 spring 65 moves it out of catch relation, by pivoting lever 63 and in turn lever member 111* and' further in turn the lever 103 throughconnecting rod 117. The pivoting of lever 63 moves notch 61 upwardly and out of contact with stop 45 thus releasing roller 35 for turning by retraction of spring 57, spring 57 having been loaded during the rota} tion of'receiving member 19 from the position of Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 5; As one skilled in the art can see,member 35 can be rotated to cocked position prior to the towel delivery position of Fig. 5 and spring 57 loaded without a towel in contact with member 19 to operate arm 91; But, in order to operate the control mechanism to release stop 45 and thus release roller 35 for delivery of a towel 52 subsequently, soiled towel 25 must be taken into the apparatus by member 19th operatearm91 and in turn release lever 103.

To reset the control mechanism, 1 preferably employ a cam 119 mounted on shaft 37 to turn therewith, and upon rotation of roller 35 to deliver a towel 52 from chute 69 to opening 13, that is from the position of Fig. 5' to the position of Figs. 3 and 6, this cam contacts the end portion of lever member 111 opposite the portion having projection 113 to pivot member 111 to result in moving lever 103 down to catch position relative to arms 97 and and moving lever 63 down to catch position relative to stop 45.

The operation of the preferred specific embodiment of the apparatus of my invention as shown in the drawings is as follows. The person desiring a clean towel inserts-a soiled towel into the cabinet through hood 11, waiting a sufficient time for the towel 25 to fall onto the receiving drum 19 where it is caught by teeth 23. Next, the pedal 15 is pushed downwardly. This extends pulley line 27' and turns

pulleys

29 and 41. Towel 25 is grasped firmly by teeth 23 as drum 19 begins to rotate. if towel 25, or any other object, is not caught by teeth 23, it will fall downwardly and come to rest at the bottom of chute 17 where it can be removed through the opening in the cabinet. The soiled towel can then be reinserted for operation of the apparatus.

Towel 25 being caught on teeth 23 passes under member 89 and contacts arm member 91- to raise samer in turn pivots arm 93 to pivot right-hand member 97 and partially release lever 103. The notch in member 111 allows slight movement upwardly without contact with cam 119. See Fig. 6. After towel 25 passes under feeler arm 91, the arm falls back to rest on the outer edge of the face of receiving drum 19, aided in this by the action of spring 95. Member 19 continues to rotate until lip 33 contacts stop 31 at which time soiled towel 25 drops from member 19 into the storage space for same in the bottom of the cabinet. At this time, pedal is at the bottom of its travel, and feeler arm 91 falls downward further due to the increased curvature of the face of the rim of member 19. This action of arm 91 results in pivot of arm 93 to completely release lever 105, and as one skilled in the art can see, this lever 103 can only be released completely upon pressing member 15 completely down, and providing towel has passed completely under arm 91. Lever 63 is then released from stop 45 by action of spring 65.

During the intake the soiled towel 25 on receiving member 19 as set forth hereinbefore, the dispensing mechanism operates as follows. As pedal 15 is depressed pulley line 27 extends to turn pulley 41 and in turn to rotate roller with ratchet 45 and pawl 43 in engagement. Upon the turning of roller 35, spring 57 is extended by pitman as arm 53 turns with roller 35. The pitman pivot point passes up and past the center line of shaft 37. Spring 57 will then recoil to continue to rotate roller 35 in the same direction until stop 45' comes in contact with notch 61 in lever 63. Since at this time pedal 15 is fully depressed, and lever 103 is completely released, spring 65 will pivot lever 63 to move notch 61 out of the way. Upon such, roller 35 is released, and spring 57 recoils to rotate roller 35. During the cycle of rotation of roller 35, the teeth 39 pick up a clean towel 52 from the lower end of chute 69 and pull the clean towel on the roller past the guide 81, and an edge of the towel is placed in opening 13 in the cabinet. The person using the device then can grasp the end of the towel and pull it out of the cabinet. Also, during completion of the rotation cycle of roller 35, cam 119 fixed on shaft 37 contacts member 111 to pivot same and reset

levers

103 and 63. They will then remain so until actuated by another towel on member 19 passing under feeler arm 91. In rotation of roller 35 to operating position stop 45 moves over springloaded pawl 43.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, various modifications of this invention can be made, or followed, in the light of this disclosure and discussion, without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure or from the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. Mechanically operated apparatus for dispensing clean fabric towels therefrom one at a time upon inserting a soiled fabric towel into said apparatus, which comprises, in combination: cabinet means; a chute within said cabinet means, said cabinet having an opening into an upper end portion of said chute to receive an inserted soiled towel and an opening into a lower end portion of said chute to receive a returned soiled towel; and oscillatable member rotatably mounted and a fixed stop therefor mounted in said cabinet, said oscillatable member having a curved face portion extending within the chute and teeth adapted to catch a soiled towel inserted into said chute when said member is in normal at-rest position, a portion of said oscillatable member adapted to contact said stop to prevent rotation of said member in one direction and position said teeth to receive said towel, and another portion of said oscillatable member opposite said last-named portion adapted to contact said stop to prevent rotation of said member past a desired point in the other direction; an inclined chute within said cabinet means adapted to hold a stack of clean towels; track supported supporting and weighting means adapted, along with the force of gravity, to move said towels down said inclined chute as towels are removed from said stack at the lower end portion thereof; an elongated cylindrical member rotatably mounted in said cabinet means at the lower end of said inclined chute with its longitudinal axis transverse the longitudinal axis of said inclined chute, said cylindrical member having teeth on the face thereof and a stop and ratchet tooth member on one end thereof and being adapted to support and retain said towels in said inclined chute and upon rotation to pick up a towel from the lower end of said stack on said teeth and deliver same to an opening in said cabinet means; a first pulley mounted and disposed to turn with and rotate said oscillatable member; a second pulley freely mounted on the shaft of said cylindrical member at said end adapted to turn with and rotate said member to a cooked position and to rotate free of said member; pawl means mounted on said second pulley adapted to engaged said ratchet tooth member on the end of said cylindrical member to turn said member to said cocked position with said pulley when it is turned in one direction, to be disengaged from said cylindrical member when said pulley is turned in the other direction and to reengage in cylindrical member turning position upon turning said pulley in its last-named direction of turning; an operating member projecting from said cabinet means; a pulley line connected in one end portion to said operating member, passing first over said first pulley, second over said second pulley and having a spiral spring in its other end portion, the outer end portion of said spring being fixed, said operating member being adapted to extend said pulley line upon operation to rotate said oscillatable member and to turn said cylindrical member to said cocked position, and said spring portion of said pulley line being adapted to retract said pulley line and rotate said oscillatable member back to said normal position; a fixed spiral spring swivelly attached to said cylindrical member at the other end on the outer edge thereof, said spring adapted to be extended upon rotation of said member to said cocked position and to continue to rotate said member to pick up and deliver a clean towel from said stack upon retraction of said spring when said cylindrical member is released from said cocked position; catch means having a pair of scissor-like arm members pivotally mounted in their inner end portions in said cabinet means and spring loaded to urge said arms to closed position, the inner edges of said scissorlike arms having oppositely disposed notches therein; a first lever member pivotally mounted in one end portion in said cabinet means, projecting between said scissor-like arm members and having a projection on each side of an opposite end portion adapted to catch said arms in said notches when in position to do so; other arm member means attached to a shaft pivotally mounted in said cabinet means, one outer end portion of said arm member means contacting and riding on said curved face portion of said oscillatable member, another outer end portion projecting between said scissorlike arm members and adapted to force same apart upon pivot of said arm member means and having another outer end portion with spiral spring means attached thereto adapted to urge said first two-named end portions into contact with said curved face portion and said scissor-like arm members, respectively, said arm member means and curved face portion of said oscillatable member being positioned and adapted so that said first-named end portion of said arm member means is raised by the passage of a soiled towel thereunder upon rotation of said oscillatable member having same and to thereupon release said first lever arm from one notch of said scissor-like arm members; a second lever member pivotally mounted in one end portion in said cabinet means, and having a notch in a middle portion adapted aecttosi to catch and hold said cylindrical member in said cocked position by said stop member thereon and having an anchored spring mounted on the other end thereof urging said notch out of contact with said stop member; a third lever member pivotally mounted in a middle portion in said cabinet means and having an outer portion contacting said second lever member to urge said notch into position to catch said stop; a fourth lever member pivotal-1y connected to said first lever member in a middle portion thereof and said third lever member in an outer portion thereof adapted to pivot said third lever member to release said second lever member upon lowering of said first named arm member portion after said passage of said soiled towel there'- under to release said first lever member from the other notch of said scissor-like members, so that said spring attached to said cylindrical member can act to rotate said member; a cam mounted to turn with said cylin= drical member adapted to Contact said third level mem ber in an outer portion thereof after rotation of said cylindrical member from said cocked position to pivot same to move said first lever member into position to be held by said scissor-like arm members and to move said second lever member into position to catch said stop member on said cylindrical member; means actuatable by said track supported weighting means adapted to lock said oscillatable member against rotation when said clean towels are exhausted; said apparatus adapted to position for hand withdrawal from said cabinet means a clean towel upon inserting a soiled towel into the upper end portion of said first-named chute and operating said operating member; and said cabinet means having a compartment for receiving and storing inserted soiled towels.

2. Mechanically operated apparatus for dispensing a fabric article therefrom upon inserting a similar fabric article into such apparatus, which comprises, in combination: cabinet means; first chute means within said cabinet means, said cabinet having openings into the upper end and lower end portions of said chute means; an oscillatable member rotatably mounted in said cabinet means; stop means mounted in said cabinet adapted to prevent rotation of said oscillatable member past a desired point in either direction of rotation; said oscillataole member having a curved face portion extending within the chute and having means adapted to catch a fabric article inserted into said chute means when said member is in normal at-rest position; second chute means within said cabinet means adapted to hold a stack r ber; second pulley means adapted to turn with and rotate said roller to a cocked position and to rotate free of said roller; means adapted to engage said second pulley means and said roller to rotate said roller to said cocked position, to release said roller from turning with said pulley when said pulley is turned in the other direction and to reengage said pulley and roller in position to rotate said roller to said cocked position; means with which to operate said apparatus adapted to be actuated from outside said cabinet means; a pulley line connected in one end portion to said apparatus operating means, said pulley line passing over said first pulley means and second pulley means and having spring means attached to its other end portion, said apparatus operating means upon operation being adapted to extend said pulley line to rotate said oscillatable i0 nieinberand to turn said roller is said cocked position, and said sprin means I being adapted to retract said pulley line to rotate, said oscillatable member back to its normal position; spring means attached to said roller, said spring means adapted to be extended upon said rotation of said roller to said cocked position and to rotate said roller to deliver a fabric article from said stack of same upon retraction of said spring when said roller is released from said cocked position; first lever means mounted in said cabinet means; catch means mounted in said cabinet means, said catch means hav ing two separate acting means each adapted to catch and hold said first lever means and said lever means being released upon release of both; arm member means pivotally mounted'in said cabinet means, one end portion of said arm member riding on said curved face portion of said oscillatable member and another end portion being adapted to operate said catch means to release said first lever means upon pivot of said arm member and having means therewith adapted to urge said arm member means into contact with said o's'eil lat'ab'le' member; said arm member means and curved face portion of said oscillatable member being adapted so that said first-named arm member portion is raised by the passage of a fabric article thereunder upon rota tion of said oscillatable member having same thereon and so that the first of said separate acting catch means has released said first lever means after such passage; second lever means mounted in said cabinet means having catch means therewith adapted to catch and hold said roller in said cocked position and means to urge said lever means out of position to catch said roller; third lever means mounted in said cabinet means adapted to hold said second lever means in position to hold said roller in said cocked position; fourth lever means connected to said first and third lever means adapted to operate said second lever means to release said roller from said cocked position upon lowering of said firstnamed arm member portion after passage of said fabric article thereunder to release said first lever member from the second of said separate acting catch means so that said roller can rotate to deliver said fabric article to said opening in said cabinet means; cam means operatable upon rotation of said roller from said cocked position adapted to operate said third lever means to in turn reposition said first lever means in position to be caught and held by both of said separate acting means of said catch means and to reposition said second lever means to catch and hold said roller in cocked position; said dispensing apparatus adapted to position for hand withdrawal from said cabinet means a fabric article upon inserting another fabric article into the upper end portion of said first-named chute and actuating said apparatus operating means; and said cabinet means having a compartment for storing said inserted fabric articles.

3. Mechanically operated apparatus for dispensing fabric articles, which comprises, in combination: chute means; an oscillatable member having a portion extending into said chute means and rotatably mounted; stop means adapted to prevent rotation of said oscillatable member past a desired point in either direction of rotation; said oscillatable member having guide means therewith and means adapted to catch a fabric article in sertcd into said chute means when said member is in at-rest position; means adapted to hold a stack of fabric articles; a dispensing member having means to grasp a fabric article and being adapted upon operation to pick up a fabric article from the lower end portion of said stack of same and deliver such article; pulley means with said oscillatable member and said dispensing mem-- ber adapted to rotate said oscillatable member in one direction and to turn said dispensing member into cocked position and to rotate said oscillatable member in the opposite direction while said dispensing member is maintained in said cocked position by other means; means with said dispensing member adapted to be loaded upon said turning of said dispensing member to said cocked position and to turn said dispensing member to deliver a fabric article from said stack upon unloading of said means when said dispensing member is released from said cocked position; first lever means; catch means adapted to catch and hold said first lever means; second lever means engageable with said guide means on said oscillatable member and adapted to partially release said first lever means from said catch means upon pivot of said second lever means as a result of contact therewith by a fabric article on said oscillatable member during operation of said member; third lever means adapted to hold said dispensing member in said cocked position; other lever means operable by action of said first lever means upon complete release from said catch means adapted to operate said third lever means to release said dispensing member upon passage of said fabric article from in contact with said second lever means; means operatable upon turning of said dispensing member from said cocked position adapted to reset said first and third lever means; operating means adapted to operate said pulley means; and said apparatus adapted to deliver a fabric article from said stack of same upon inserting another fabric article into said chute and actuating said operating means.

4. Apparatus for dispensing fabric articles, which comprises, in combination, a receiving member having means adapted to catch a fabric article contacted therewith, a dispensing member having means to remove a fabric article from a stack of same upon operating said dispensing member, operating means adapted to operate said receiving member and said dispensing member, first lever means, catch means adapted to catch and hold said first lever means, second lever means operatively engaging said receiving member and adapted to partially release said first lever means from said catch means upon operation of said second lever means as a result of contact with a fabric article on said receiving member during operation of same, third lever means adapted to hold said dispensing member in releasable position, and other lever means operatable upon action of said first lever means upon complete release from said catch means adapted to operate said third lever means to release said dispensing member upon passage of said fabric article from in contact with said second lever means, and said apparatus adapted to remove a fabric article from a stack of same upon placing another fabric article on said receiving member and operating said apparatus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,471,055 Asbill May 24, 1949 2,572,121 Dosberg Oct. 23, 1951 2,653,693 Dosberg Sept. 29, 1953 2,713,931 Russell July 26, 1955