US2901145A - Automatic dispensing apparatus for dispensing towels, wiping cloths and like articles - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 25, 1959 E. BLACK ,1

- AUTOMATIC DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING TOWELS, WIPING CLOTHS AND LIKE ARTICLES Filed May 20, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ISADORE E. ACK

BY I ATTORNEY.

2,901,145 AUTOMATIC DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING Aug. 25, 1959 I. E. BLACK TOWELS, vWIPING CLOTHS AND LIKE ARTICLES Flled May 20, 1957 3.Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6.

m VENTOR ISADOREE. BLACK BY ATTRNEY.

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E. BLACK 2,901,145 MATIC DISPENS APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING OWELS, WIPING o'ms AND LIKE ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m m U T w 9 1 O 2 5 V. 2 m d w, A F

INVENTOR ISADORE E. BLACK BY Ja -Q ATT RNEY.

United States Patent AUTOMATIC DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR DIS- PENSING TOWELS, WIPING CLOTHS AND LIKE ARTICLES Isadore E. Black, Cleburne, Tex.

Application May 20, 1957, Serial No. 660,172

3 Claims. (Cl. 221-34) This invention relates to automatic dispensing apparatus for dispensing towels, wiping cloths and like articles.

In large manufacturing plants and in such places as motor vehicle service stations, garages and repair shops, the problem of supplying wiping cloths and then recovering the same following use is a serious one. It is a general practice in many of these plants and other establishments to obtain wiping cloths on a rental basis. These cloths are supplied by a rental agency having laundering facilities and the practice is for such agency to deliver a given quantity of clean wiping cloths to a given plant and at the same time to pick up a like quantity of soiled wiping cloths. Naturally, the plant is responsible for the return of all delivered cloths.

Many employees are rather careless with wiping cloths and View them as disposable rags. Many wiping cloths are thus discarded when soiled, causing considerable loss and expense to the plant responsible for them.

In addition to the foregoing problem, there is the further problem of dispensing or issuing such wiping cloths to employees and eifecting their return when soiled. In a plant employing thousands of Workers, wherein each worker may require one or more fresh wiping cloths every day, the problem of storing fresh wiping cloths and handing them out and reclaiming and collecting soiled wiping cloths becomes very serious indeed. While it may take brief seconds to hand out a single fresh cloth to a single employee and to receive back from him a single soiled cloth, when this process is multiplied by the number of employees in such plants and by the number of times each employee would require such service during the course of his working day, the process becomes a somewhat involved and time-consuming procedure.

The object of this invention is the provision of mechanical means for storing a plurality of clean wiping cloths, receiving and collecting a plurality of soiled wiping cloths, and automatically dispensing a predetermined number of clean wiping cloths upon receipt of a predetermined number of soiled wiping cloths. For example, in one form of this invention, the dispensing apparatus is actuated when five soiled wiping cloths are deposited into the machine one at a time, and five clean towels are thereupon dispensed to take the place of the soiled ones. This arrangement may be varied at will and the apparatus may be set to dispense a single clean wiping cloth or towel each and every time a single soiled cloth or towel is deposited therein. Other arrangements are of course possible.

Another object of this invention is the provision of apparatus as above described wherein a selective mechanism is provided to select and accept only certain wiping cloths and to reject others. Only the accepted cloths would actuate the dispensing mechanism.

Specifically, the selective mechanism is a radio-sensitive device which distinguishes between wiping cloths which possess radioactivity and those which do not. It is proposed that the wiping cloths of a plant or towel service establishment would have embodied in them a slight trace of a radioactive material such as may be approved for this use by the Atomic Energy Commission or other appropriate governmental agency. A thread rendered radio-active by conventional means could be sewn or woven into these wiping cloths to provide the necessary radioactivity. The selective mechanism includes a Geiger counter which, of course, is sensitive to radioactivity. Only when said Geiger counter is actuated is the dispensing mechanism actuated and when a wiping cloth which is not radioactive is deposited into the machine, the Geiger counter will remain unaffected and the dispensing apparatus will not function. Instead, said wiping cloth will be rejected by the machine. The machine which is herein claimed has a number of important features which enable it to perform its several functions in satisfactory manner. For example, it is provided a series of platforms which are each adapted to support a plurality of clean wiping cloths so that in a single machine of this nature there may be as many as four or more piles or stacks of clean wiping cloths stored in readiness for dispensing. Another important feature is the pick-up mechanism which travels from one stack to another stripping only the topmost wiping cloth from each stack and dispensing the same before the next stack is reached. In this arrangement, the pick-up mechanism travels to the wiping cloths but it is obvious that the wiping cloths may be made to travel to the pick-up mechanism within the broad principles of this invention.

Another important feature is the fact that the entire pick-up mechanism may be elevated to an inoperative position in order to replenish the stock of clean wiping cloths on the several supporting platforms and said pickup mechanism may then be placed upon said wiping cloths to dispense them as described, said pick-up mechanism descending automatically as the several stacks of wiping cloths are reduced in height by the reduction in the number of wiping cloths in said stacks. Still another feature of importance herein is the means of evenly dispersing the soiled cloths in a collecting bin and compressing them to enable the bin to receive as many soiled cloths as possible. This dispersing and compressing means is a series of blades which are mounted within the collecting bin and move with the pick-up mechanism for engagement with the soiled wiping cloths which are deposited in said bin. These blades revolve about a vertical axis and when they engage the soiled cloths, they disperse and distribute the cloths horizontally while packing them down vertically.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine made in accordance with this invention, the showing being mainly of a cabinet or enclosure for the working parts of the machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the pick-up mechanism and especially of the track on which said mechanism travels from one stack of wiping cloths to another.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of arrows 4, 4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of arrows 5, 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the entire machine taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, showing the central shaft about which the pick-up mechanism revolves in traveling from stack to stack.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the pick-up mechanism, some of the parts thereof being shown broken away.

Fig. 10 is a side view of said pick-up mechanism.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view looking in the direction of arrows 11, 11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is an end view of the pick-up mechanism, showing the pick-up or stripper needle particularly.

Fig. 16 is asectional View through the pick-up head with particular" emphasis upon the pick-up or stripper needle mechanism.

Referring in the first instance to Fig. 1, a cabinet is provided which houses the claimed mechanism. An opening 12 is provided in the front wall of said cabinet through which soiled wiping cloths may be inserted therein. A second opening 14' is provided in the front wall of said cabinet through which clean wiping cloths are dispensed. Rejected soiled wiping cloths may also be thrown out of the machine through said opening 14 or a special opening may be provided for that purpose. Another possibility is topermit the rejected cloths todrop into bin 16 wherein the accepted soiled cloths are collected. This bin might be made in the form of a drawer which may be pulled out of the cabinet in order to get at the soiled cloths or it may constitute a stationary part of the cabinet with a door rendering its contents accessible. A door 18 may be provided in a side wall of the cabinet to provide access to the platforms 20 on which the clean cloths are stacked. and it may also provide access to the pick-up mechanism and other mechanical parts of the machine.

In the present embodiment of the invention, there are four platforms. 20 and they are arranged substantially as shown in Fig. 2 but it must be repeated that both the number of these platforms and their arrangement may be varied as desired. These platforms are fixedly secured to the framework of the cabinet and they occupy a common horizontal plane. Some of the framework supporting these platforms is indicated in Fig. 6 by the reference numeral 22. In the use of this machine, clean wiping cloths are piled in equal piles or stacks upon these platforms but the machine will function substantially as well when the stacks are of uneven height, within reasonable limitations.

Extending centrally of the cabinet is a vertical shaft 24 which is mounted in bearings 26 and 28 respectively, bearing 26 being supported on frame member 30 and bearing 28 being secured to a bracket 32which is attached to the top of the cabinet. A block 34 is mounted'on shaft 24 and said block is provided with a bearing or bushing 36 which enables said block to move vertically on shaft 24 or rotatably around it. A pair of arms 38 are pivotally secured to block 34 by means of screws 40 or other suitable means. These screws extend along a common horizontal line transversely of vertical shaft 24 and consequently thepivotal movement of arms 38 is about a horizontal axis.

An arm 42 extends between the two arms 38 and may be secured thereto or integral therewith. For the purposes of this the present description, arms 38 and 42 will be considered as constituting a single pivotally mounted arm and it will shortly be seen that it is this arm which carries the pick-up head. Secured to elements 38 of said combination arm is a pair of bars 44; bolts 46 being used to secure said'bars to said arm. It will be noted that these bars 44 are bent outwardly to by-pass block 34. andshaft 24 andthey extend behind said block and shaft diametrically opposite arm 38, 42. A block 48 is secured to the bars 44 and a rod 50 is secured to said block. At the far end of rod 50-is a weight 52 which serves as a counter-weight to counter-balance the pick-up head.

The pick-up head includes a drive mechanism which enables to travel in a circular path from one stack of wiping cloths to another. This drive mechanism includes a cog-wheel 60. mountedon a shaft 62 of motor 64, said motorhaving a speed reduction gear box of conventional construction. It will be noted that the motor is supported adjacent;the,outer. end of arm 38, 42v and that the cogwheel rides on a circular perforated track 66. Said track is supported by means of brackets 68 and blocks 70 on a supporting framework 72 mounted on upright supports 74. The track is circular in plan view as viewed in Fig. 2 but it will be seen in Fig. 3 that it dips and rises at various intervals.

Specifically, the track dips adjacent a pile of wiping cloths to enable the pick-up mechanism to engage the topmost cloth. in said pile. There is asimilar dip for each. of the other piles of wiping cloths and there is a corresponding rise between such dips. This not only assists the pick-up mechanism to do its work in picking up the topmost cloths, but it also helps prevent it from engaging. cloths: other than the ones. which are scheduled for removal from. their respective stacks.

When the motor is energized, the cog-wheel is caused to rotate and to move the entire pick-up mechanism in a circular path with its several dips and rises. A single revolution of the pick-up head should result in, the dispensing of four wiping cloths.

Motor 64 derives its current through wipers which engage contact ring or rings 82. It. will be observed that a plate 84 supports the wipers on block 34 and contact ring 82 is supported on posts 86 mounted on a block 88. Conductors 90 and 92 lead from block 88to a suitable source of electric current and it is these conductors which conduct current to contact ring or rings 82 and wipers 80. It will now be noted in- Fig, 3 that framework 72 is secured at its inner ends to block 88 which functions in the manner of a hub, said framework 72 functioning in the manner of spokes or arms radiating from said hub, and the circular track 66 constituting a peripheral ring to which the outer ends of said spokes or arms aresecured.

The entire mechanism thus far described, that is, the pivoted arm 38, 42 with its pick-up head and cog-wheel drive, and the circular track with its supporting framework, is vertically movable from a position directly on top of the stacks of Wiping cloths to an elevated position a suflicient distance above said stacks to render it possible to replenish the supply of Wiping cloths therein. Said mechanism is also movable in downward direction, not only to meet the stacks of cloths, but also to descend to the platforms 20 as the stacks are reduced in height by the removal ofthe cloths which comprise, them. A cable is secured at one end to. said entire assembly and, at its opposite endit issecured to a counterweight 102. Between its two ends it extends across apair of pulleys 104 and 106 which are situated at the top of the cabinet, as shown in Fig.6. A handle 108' is secured to the cable at a convenient heightand it may be grasped by hand to move the cable in either direction, depending. upon whether it is desiredto elevate. or lower said assembly. The assembly is, of course, heavier than the counterweightand a catch maybe providedto engage the cable or handle IDS-when it is desired-to support said assembly in elevated position.

Referring now. to the pick-up head, it will be observed that it is mounted ona bracket 110-which is secured to pick-up arm 38; 42 exteriorly of the circular track 66. The pick-up head comprises a block 112'which is secured 'by screws 114 to bracket 110; The forward portion of block- 112 curves upwardly to'forma shoe 116. A hole 118 is is formed'in said block 112 at an-inclined'angle relative to the horizontal. Mounted in said-hole 118is a plunger 120 which is longitudinally slidable'th'erein. A compression spring 122 engages said plunger andurges it forwardly, that is, leftwardly and downwardly as viewed in Fig. 13.

A pick-up orstripper needle projects forwardly and axially of plunger 120and its pointprojects through ahole 132 in the shoe 116 of block 112. It is this needle which engages the wiping cloths and strips them'from their respective piles or stacks on' platforms 20. It will be observed 'in Figs. 10 and"12 that bracket 110 is vertically adjustable by means of screws 134 extending through vertically extending slot 136 in said bracket 110. It is by means of these screws that said bracket is attached to the pick-up arm. This vertical adjustment renders it possible to adjust the position of the pick-up or stripper needle relative to the wiping cloths.

It will now be observed in Figs. 2 and 4 that bifurcated plates 140 are secured by means of brackets 142 to the underside of circular track 66. These bifurcated plates are situated adjacent and above the several platforms 20, there being one such plate for each platform. When the entire pick-up assembly rests upon the wiping cloths, it does so by means of these bifurcated plates. In other words, these bifurcated plates support the weight of the entire assembly (over and above the weight of the counter-weight 102) upon the piles or stacks of wiping cloths. In the nature of things, the two arms of each bifurcated plate bear down upon the wiping cloths and cause the cloths to bulge upwardly through the space between said arms. The pick-up needle is so situated on the pick-up head that it is directed into engagement with this upwardly bulging portion of the cloths. Since it is only the topmost cloth which is immediately affected at any one time, it is this cloth which the pick-up needle engages and strips from the pile while the arms of the bifurcated plate retain the remaining cloths in place.

A single wiping cloth is now supported by the pick-up needle and is carried forwardly as the pick-up arm continues to travel toward the next pile or stack of wiping cloths. It will now be seen that projecting laterally from plunger 120 is a pin 150 which may best be seen in Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 13. This pin projects through an elongated slot 152 in block 112. Secured to the circular track 66 is a plurality of downwardly extending pin engaging members 154. These members are secured by means of screws 156 to said track. It will be observed that there is one such pin engaging member 154 for each pile of wiping cloths and that it is situated a short distance in front of bifurcated plate 140. When the pick-up head is moved to a position adjacent any one of these pin-engaging members 154, pin 150 in said pick-up head engages said member 154 and is caused to retract plunger 120 and needle 130 against the action of spring 122. The needle is thereby withdrawn from the wiping cloth which it had stripped off the previous pile of cloths and said wiping cloth is now free to drop through chute 160 and outlet opening 14.

In Fig. 1 a bundle of five wiping cloths 162 is shown in the outlet opening 14. This is a purely illustrative showing and it is intended to indicate that the wiping cloths may be stacked in bundles of five or in bundles of any other number of cloths so that when the uppermost cloth in a particle bundle is engaged by the pickup-needle, the entire bundle will be stripped from the stack and deposited into the chute. On the other hand, the cloths may be stacked individually so that only a single cloth will be removed at any one time.

In this connection, two aspects of the mechanism may be mentioned. The first is that the pin-engaging member 154 may be provided with a cam face 164. It is this part of said member that engages the pin 150 and causes said pin to ride upwardly in slot 152 in order to retract the pick-up or stripper needle. But once said pin disengages the cam face 164, spring 122 projects the plunger 120 and needle 130 forwardly once again in readiness for the succeeding pick-up operation. In order to insure against carrying the stripped cloth into the succeeding pile of cloths, the yoke portion of each bifurcated plate 140 is disposed in advance of its particular pile of cloths so as to engage the stripped cloth and prevent it from being carried any further. The yoke of the bifurcated plate simply functions, in such case, as a barrier which catches the stripped cloth and prevents it from moving forwardly beyond that particular point. It may be found desirable to provide another barrier, independently of said bifurcated plate, and positioned adjacent the pin-engaging member 154 so as to engage the cloth the moment said cloth is released from the pick-up needle.

It will now be observed that a vertical chute 170 is provided in one corner of the cabinet and that opening 12 communicates therewith. The lower end of chute 170 projects below one of the walls of chute and it is open to a third chute 172. This third chute is directed to rotatably mounted blades 174 which are situated at the lower end of shaft 24. These blades are mounted for rotary movement in a horizontal plane'and about a vertical axis which coincides with the axis of said shaft. When a soiled cloth is dropped through opening 12, it falls through chute and down along chute 172 and into engagement with blades 174. It is the rotary action of these blades which tends to disburse the'soiled cloths and to distribute them uniformly throughout the collect ing bin 16. These blades also help to pack the soiled cloths down so as to enable the bin to receive as many soiled cloths as possible.

At the upper end of vertical chute 170 a Geiger counter 176 may be provided. This Geiger counter may be connected in conventional manner to a microswitch which is connected through wipers 80 and contact ring or rings 82 to the electric motor 64 which drives the pick-up arm. It is only when a radioactive wiping cloth is deposited into the cabinet through opening 12 that the Geiger counter is excited. Depending upon how the Geiger counter is set, and this is done by purely conventional means, the Geiger counter may actuate the microswitch when a single radioactive cloth is encountered or after a given number of such cloths are encountered. In any case, this closes the microswitch and thereby close-s the circuit to the motor causing said motor to operate. Again, depending upon how the circuit is set up, and this may also be done by conventional means, the motor will continue to function until wiping cloths are stripped from one or any given number of stacks of cloths and thereupon the circuit will break and await further action by the Geiger counter as additional soiled radioactive cloths are deposited into the cabinet.

The foregoing is illustrative of preferred forms of this invention and it will be understood that these forms may be modified and other forms may be provided within the broad spirit of the invention and the broad scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A wiping cloth dispensing machine of the character described, comprising a plurality of platforms, each adapted to support a pile of wiping cloths, a pick-up arm mounted for movement across the top of each pile of cloths, and a stripper needle carried by said pick-up arm for engagement with the uppermost cloth in each pile, whereby said cloth is stripped from the pile as the pick-up arm moves across it, said platforms being arranged at selected points along a circular line, a circular track being provided in concentric relation to said circular line, bearing plates secured to the said track and supporting it upon the piles of wiping cloths, said pick-up arm being supported by said track and being movable in a circular path along said track to enable the stripper needle to strip the wiping cloths from the several piles in the order in which said piles are encountered by the pick-up arm and its said stripper needle, said bearing plates being bifurcated, forming a pair of spaced arms joined at one end by a yoke, the pressure of said arms upon the wiping cloths under the weight of the track and pick-up arm causing the uppermost wiping cloth to bulge upwardly in the space between said arms, the stripper needle being positioned on the pick-up arm to engage said upwardly bulging wiping cloth and to strip it off its pile without disturbing the Wiping cloths below it.

2. A wiping cloth dispensing machine of the character described, comprising a plurality of platforms, each adapted to support a pile of wiping cloths, a pick-up arm mounted for movement across the top of each pile of cloths, and a stripper needle carried by said pick-up arm for engagement with the uppermost cloth in eachpile, whereby said cloth is stripped from the pile as the pick-up arm moves across it, said platforms being arranged at selected points along a Circular line, a circular track being provided in concentric relation to' said circular line, bearing plates secured to the said track and supporting it upon the piles of wiping cloths, said'pick-up arm being supported by said track and being movable in a circular path along said track to enable the stripper needle to strip the, wiping cloths from the several piles in the order in whichsaid piles are encountered by the pick-up arm and its said stripper needle, said pick-up amr including a curved shoe which is engageable with the uppermost wiping cloths in the several piles of wiping cloths to facilitate movement of said pick-up arm, across said wiping cloths, said shipper needle being slidably supported by said shoe and being spring-urged in forward direction for engagement with said uppermost wiping cloths, a pin being connected to said stripper needle and being movable therewith in forward direction under said spring action and being movable therewith in rearward direction against said spring action, the point of said stripper needle projecting forwardly from said shoe for engagement with the wiping cloths when said stripper needle is in its forward position, the point of said stripper needle being retracted into said shoe when said stripper needle is in its rear position, and a pin-engaging member situated in the path of said pin a selected distance beyond each pile of wiping cloths, whereby the stripper needle is caused to release the wiping cloths 'which it strips from said piles when said pin engages said pin-engaging members and is caused to retract the stripper needle into the shoe.

3. A wiping cloth dispensing machine of the character described, comprisinga plurality of platforms, each adapted to support a pile of wiping cloths, a pick-up arm mounted for movement across the top of each pile of cloths, and a stripper needle carried by said pick-up arm for engagement with the uppermost cloth in each pile, whereby said cloth is stripped from the pile as the pick-up arm moves across it, said platforms being arranged at selected points along a circular line, a circular track being providedin concentric relation to said circular line, bearing plates secured to the said track and supporting it upon the piles of wiping cloths, said pick-up arm being supported by said track and being movable in a circular path along said track to enable the stripper needle to strip the wiping cloths from the several piles in the order in which said piles are encountered by the pick-up arm and its said stripper needle, said circular track being provided with downwardly extending portions at the approach to each pile of wiping cloths and with upwardly extending portions immediately thereafter, the pick-up arm being vertically movable to move downwardly along said downwardly extending track portions to bring the stripper needle into engagement with the uppermost wiping cloths in said piles, and to move upwardly along said upwardly extending track portions to elevate the stripper needle after it has engaged the uppermost Wiping cloths in said piles to avoid engagement with the wiping cloths immediately below said uppermost cloths.

References. Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,572,121 Dosberg Oct. 23, 1951 2,609,928 Doust Sept. 9, 1952 2,653,693 Dosberg Sept. 29, 1953

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