US3167367A

US3167367A - Sheet material dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3167367A
Application number: US195465A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rozlog Matt; James L Williams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-05-17
Filing date: 1962-05-17
Publication date: 1965-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 1982-01-26

Description

Jan. 26, 1965 M. ROZLOG ETAL SHEET MATERIAL DISPENSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1'7, 1962 INVENTOR-S M ROZLOG AND JAM S L. WILLIAMS ATTORNEY Jan. 26', 1965 M. ROZLOG ET AL SHEET MATERIAL DISPENSER Filed May 17, 1962 llll 5 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

INVENTORS.

MATT ROZLOG AND JAMES L. WILLlAMS A TTOR Y Jan. 26, 1965 M. ROZLOG ETAL 3,167,367

SHEET MATERIAL DISPENSER Filed May 17, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

lNVENTOR-i MATT ROZLOG AND JAMES L. WILLIAMS P I, r

TORNEY United States Patent 3,167,367 SHEET MATERIAL DISPENSER Matt Rozlog, 486 Cleveland Ave. SE., Brewster, Ohio, and James L. Williams, 11782 Bonnie Brae Drive SW., Massillon, Ohio Filed May 17, 1962, Ser. No. 195,465 9 (Jlairns. (Cl. 3112-39) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in material dispensing apparatus and more particularly to a motor driven dispenser for toilet tissue or the like material in rolled sheet form.

In the past mechanical dispensers, mostly hand operated, have been suggested for the unrolling and dispensing of web or sheet material such as paper towels, waxed paper, tape, tickets, and the like. These devices were generally cumbersome and expensive to build and did not generally present a neat unobtrusive appearance when installed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet material dispenser that is operated by an electric motor actuated by an accessible hand switch or button.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an electric tissue dispenser which may be housed entirely within a room wall and which presents a trim neat appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toilet tissue dispenser driven by an electric motor which may be easily swung out from a wall for refilling the paper supply or maintenance of the motor or drive mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a motor-driven feed-roll assembly for a sheet material dispenser which resiliently engages material being fed and which will not tear or crinkle even delicate material such as toilet tissue.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a motor-driven feed-roll assembly for a dispenser for perforated sheet material which will permit manual pulling of the material end without tearing intermediate two perforation lines.

It is another object of the invention to provide a chute structure for a motor-driven sheet material dispenser which serves to guide the material from its roll through mating feed roll pairs and out of the dispenser discharge opening without folding or fouling in the machine.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a motoroperated sheet material dispenser bearing the above objects in mind which is of relatively simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture, and is at all times efficient, reliable, and safe in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser of the present invention installed in a tiled bathroom wall;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the dispenser taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and showing the ice designated generally at 10 and is shown flush mounted in the usual tiled bathroom wall 11.

The dispenser body is generally fabricated in the form of a sheet metal box or housing 12 being open at the front and having a cut away portion at the bottom adja cent the open side. It is anticipated that plastic may well be utilized instead of sheet metal for this purpose. A mounting flange 13 is welded or otherwise attached around the four sides of the box to permit neat mounting in a wall recess regardless of the accuracy of the wall cut. A front sheet metal cover 14 is hingedly attached to the box in a novel manner as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Perforated cover hinges 15 are secured adjacent to the bottom corners of the front cover but spaced upwardly therefrom and are received within the bifurcation of each of the slide bars 16. Hinge pins 17 are employed to pivotally secure the hinges and slide bars together. Each of the slide bars is freely slideable within slide bar guide tubes 18 which are welded or otherwise secured to the bottom of the box 12. In order to limit the outward movement of the slide bars, stop screws 19 are threaded into each of the bars adjacent their free ends and will abut the inside end of the slide bar guide tubes 18 to prohibit complete withdrawal.

It can thus be seen that in order to open the dispenser, merely pulling outward near the top of cover 14 causes it to be pulled outwardly withdrawing the slide bars until stop screws 19 abut against the guide tubes 18 as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2. The cover can then be pivoted to the horizontal position about pins 17.

In order to permit ease of maintenance and of refilling, all of the mechanical elements of the feed mechanism are attached to the inside of the front cover '14 so as to be accessible upon opening of the cover. The rolled tissue paper or the like shown at 20 is also received within the front cover section.

Fixed to the inside of the cover 14 as by welds 24 are two spaced

parallel side plates

21 and 22 and a bottom plate 23 which spans and closes off the bottom between the two plates. Within the enclosure defined by these three elements all of the mechanical elements are supported. Adjacent the forward edge of each of the side plates a guide chute openng 25 is formed for reception of the outwardly directed forward portion of a material guide chute 26 later to be described. Additional openings 27, 28 which are slightly elongated and have rounded ends are provided for reception of the

pressure roll shafts

22 and 30. Further additional openings or holes are provided in each of the side plates, not shown, for reception and journalling of various gear shafts later described.

In order to maintain the rigidity and spacing of the

side plates

21 and 22,

spacer bars

31, 32 are provided adjacent the upper side of the plates and spanning them. Bar 32 also serves the secondary purpose of acting as a front support for the rolled material 20 and prevents it fro-m slipping down into the mechanical moving elements when the roll diameter diminishes in size.

Guide chute 26 receives the sheet material and guides it downwardly to the discharge opening 33 formed in the cover 14. This chute has a general box like construc tion of sheet metal or plastic and includes top plate 34, bottom plate 35 and side plates 36. The top and bottom plates flare outwardly adjacent the discharge end and the top plate is of shorter length and when viewed from above (as can be seen from FIGURE 4) starts and terminates inwardly of the lower plate. The entire chute is mounted angularly as shown in FIGURE 2 and 4 and extends between the

side plates

21 and 22. As can be seen, the distance between the upper and lower plates increases with the distance from the inward chute end. The forward or discharge end of the chute is welded or otherwise secured to cover 14 about the cover discharge opening 33. The widtho'f-thechute between the two side plates 36 is slightly greater than the width of the'sheet, material to be dispensed. It'has been found that toilet tissue is generallystandar clized iir'width'at 4 inches. If i the device is tobe adapted todispense such tissue a preferable width for. the" chute interior would be 4 /s inches. Each of'the' top and 'bott'or'n 'chute plates -'is provided 4 driven gear 44 of the drive roll gear train. It will be seen that inoperation '

drive rolls

38 and 39 will both be driven in the same direction due to the intermediate gear48.- W I I,

The motor 56 is connected to the 120 volt line and has. interposed therein. a cutolf safety'switch58 and a push button start and stop-switch 5?. Safety switch 58 with roll'receiving recesses. generally rectangular in shape enclosed from three sides. ing of the material.

Rubber drive rolls 3,8. andfhfl are fittedI securely on serves to shut oif electrical connection to the line whenever the front coverof'the dispenser, is opened. This switch isspring operated and is normally held engaged by the slide bar 16..As soon as the slidebar 16 is pulled out slig'htlyjthe springbutton will extend cutting olf o er to the motor. I Push button 59- is of the conventional spring t-Yp and is normally off until depressed. If

drive roll shafts 40Qand .41, which shafts are journalled in and extend throughopposite holes in thesi'cle plates 21 p and 22. The shafts are sopositioned that the rollv pe ripheries willlextend throughthe roll receiving recess'es' 37-, in the bottom plate 35:"of. thechute 26.. While the rolls 38 and3i9; are preferably made'ofihardrubbe'n'it v has been foundjthat wood; plastic and -cork are. equally effective, The, shafts are heldffroni axialdisplacement desired, a r everse'swi-tch 69 "may be'provided on the inside-of the'hox for actuation if for any reason the material should jam up in the chute and it is desired to reverse the driveor, wind in. I

Operation of the dispenser can be readily envisioned. Material, such as toilet tissue, in roll form or even squashed into an oval is dropped 'in' position between the side plate so' that itrests on the forward spacer bar 32.

The. rear pressure roll49 is rai'sed by grasping one of the .knurledt-ake up'knobs' 61- onthe ends ofshaft 29. When Y on one side byrpositioning washers or clips 423wh'ich may};

fit in annularjrecesses formedein the. shafts. Onthe-op? positeend; of ie'ach of the shafts, outboard 'of' the'iside plate 21,;is fastened a driven

gear

43,44 by means of a set screw'passing through'gear-hubs 45, 46.; A countershaft 47; extends. between the-side plates. 21,

i 22 betweenthe drive roilshafts and is journalled'in' openings in the plates. A'similar positioning washer or clip 42 is employed atone .endcto prevent displacement. and a gear 48 is fitted on the. other end of the countershaft in the manner of'gears'43, 44- on their shafts. Gears 43,,

4d, and 48am preferably of the same size and number ment. v I

Mountedfor movement up and down in the elongated released, the spring 54 will cause the paper to bepressed against the drive r'oll.;38'. If desired the knob 61 may be" turned to initiate payingout of- :the material, otherwisezthe cover may. be closed and thegbutton SS -engaged. This will actuatethe motor 56 and rotate drive rolls '38 andi'39 rin aj paying-but direction pull-ing the paper or o thenmat'erial off of'the roll and into the guide chute openings 27. and '23 in the side plates are the

pressureroll shafts

29 and 30 which extend through the plates and are provided with clips or washers 42.- to prevent axialwith drawal andyetperrnit free play up and: down inthe slots or openings. Each of the pressure rollsha fts has. secured thereto a rubber, cork, or wood pressurerollzi-SO; These I pressure rolls a'removable into theroll receiving recesses 37 formedinythe chute, top plate 34. The elongated'side plate openings 27"and 2 8 'are'ofsuihcient length to permit the pressure rolls to engage thedrive rolls 38, 39.

will tear oif betweenIthe-twopressure rollers.

and thence out of'the dischargeopening 33. When the :desired amount'off material is in sight the user merely grasps the paper- 'and by only pulling on it slightly will cause it :to tear oif within the-chute leaving no unsightly paper protruding. through the discharge opening. It is thef'novel pressure bar construction which achieves this of teeth and areoperatively' connectedinnieshing engage- V result. 'When the paper is grasped and pulled-it isheld firmly by the rolls Q38 'and- 49 due to the spring action on the.- pressure has. Pressureroll' 50, however, being fur 'ther fromlthe'springand-not having so much downward force will be lifted; slightly; In most'cases ithas been found that thepaper'or tissue which has been perforated- It' is anticipated that the instant device will 'be 'useful in all: applications wherein=perforated material is to be While we haveshown and described a 'preferred-em- In order. to provide a resilient downward force .onthe pressure rollsso that they cooperate with'the'fe'ed roll and so that the pressure rolls can be lifted slightlywhen.

the dispensed materialfis'pulled for-tearing, meansare provided to urge the pressure rolls downwardly. This means comprises a' pairof pressure bars 51, 52 which i have openings on one side: to engage the pressure roll dispensed such as papertowelsgt'oilet tissue, wrapping tissue,.napkins, etc.-

bodiment-of the-invention, his to beunderstood that the drawingsand detailed disclosureare-to be construed inan illustrative'rather than alimiting sense since various modificationsand .substitutions of equivalentsmay be made by shafts 29 and as between the side plates 21,122 and the positioning washers42. Each pressure baris'provided with a small hole, 53..between the twobar openings but closer to the opening abovefthe inlet of the guide chute.

A tension spring for each pressure bar has one enclen--m gaged in hole-53iand the otherend engaged in a hole 55 formed in each

ofsside plates

21 and 22 With-this;

structure the pressure roll 49. will exert more pressure against drive roll 38 than will pressureroll 50' against those; skilled in the art within the spirit and scopeof the invention as defi ne'd in the appended claims. I 1

What'we claim as new anddesire to protect byLet-ters Patent of theUn-itedStates is: V v a l. A dispenser for sheet material comprising a housing havingan open side, a cover normally closing said open side of saidxhousingjsaidcover having a discharge opening therein,- means to support a roll of sheet material within said housing; a discharge opening in- 'said cover, ,a guide chute to guide ,said 'material'frorn said rollto said.dischargefopening, a drive rolLextendingwithin said drive roll 39. This is because the spring 54'is attached toeach'of the pressure bars closer to the engagement with the shaft of roll 49. a

Power to drive the dispenser is accomplished by' the use of an electric motor 56 which issecured to the bottom plate 23. This motor may be any commerciallyavailable model but is preferably a twospeed reversiblejgear ratio motor. A drive pinion 57 is 'mounted on the rotor shaft of the motor and isin driving engagementwith v chute and rotatably mounted below said chute within saidifhousing; a'. pressure roll" r'otatably mounted within said housing above said guide chute-and extending therewithin a-hdfirizcontact with' saiddrive roll, resilient means biasing said pressure-roll against said drive roll, and motor meansmo'untedwithin' said housing and in driving engagement with said driveiroll. T I

2'. A dispenseri fojr'sheet material comprising a housing having an open side, a cover normally closing said open side of saidfhousing, means to support a roll 'of sheet material withinsaid' housing, a discharge opening in said drive rolls rotatably mounted within said housing below said chute and extending into said chute, a plurality of parallel pressure rolls rotatably mounted within said housing above said guide chute and extending into said chute; said pressure rolls each being in contact with one of said drive rolls, each of said pressure rolls being mounted for movement toward and away from said drive rolls, bar means in contact with said pressure rolls, resilient means in contact with said bar means acting to bias the bar means and said pressure rolls downwardly against said drive rolls, and motor means mounted within said housing and in driving engagement with said drive rolls.

3. A dispenser for sheet material as defined in claim 2 wherein said motor means comprises an electric motor connected by a line to a source of electrical potential, an on-otf switch interposed in said line, and a safety means operative upon opening of said cover to disconnect said motor from said source.

4. A dispenser for sheet material comprising a housing 'having a discharge opening therein, means to support a roll of sheet material within said housing, a plurality of parallel drive rolls rotatably mounted in said housing between said roll of material and said opening, a plurality of parallel pressure rolls rotatably mounted in said housing between said roll of material and said opening and pressure rolls downwardly against said drive rolls, and

means to drive said rolls.

5. A dispenser for sheet material as defined in claim 4 wherein said'resilient means comprises a tension spring connected at one end within the housing below said bar means and at the other end to said bar means.

6. A dispenser for sheet material as defined in claim 4,

wherein said means to drive said drive rolls comprises an electric motor within said housing and a gear train operatively connected to said drive rolls,

7. A dispenser for sheet material comprising a housing having one open side, a cover normally closing said open side of said housing, said cover having a discharge opening therein, means to support a roll of sheet material on the inside of said cover, a plurality of parallel drive rolls rotatably mounted on said cover between said roll of material and said opening, a plurality of parallel pressure rolls ro-tatably mounted on said cover between said roll of material and said opening and above said drive rolls, each of said pressure rolls being mounted for movement toward and away from a respective drive roll, bar means above said plurality of pressure rolls and in contact therewith, resilient means acting on said bar means at a point immediately adjacent to the pressure roll nearest to the roll of material to force said pressure rolls downwardly against said drive rolls, and means to drive said drive rolls.

8. A dispenser for sheet material as defined in claim 7, wherein said means to drive said drive rolls comprises an electric motor.

9. A dispenser for sheet material as defined in claim 8, wherein said motor is connected to a source of electrical potential by a line, an on-oif switch interposed in said line, and a safety means operative upon opening of said cover to disconnect said motor from said source.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 454,317 Wheeler June 16, 1891 764,806 Ham July 12, 1904 804,307 Fonda Nov. 14, 1905 1,024,012 Matthews et a1 Apr. 23, 1912 1,072,055 Straight Sept. 2, 1913 2,277,051 West Mar. 24, 1942 2,576,526 Marchand Nov. 27, 1951 2,738,934 Dobkin Mar. 20, 1956 2,767,781 Hernpel Oct. 23, 1956 2,886,226 Batas et a1 May 12, 1959 2,910,736 Clark Nov. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 157,071 Germany Dec. 12, 1904

Claims

1. A DISPENSER FOR SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN SIDE, A COVER NORMALLY CLOSING SAID OPEN SIDE OF SAID HOUSING, SAID COVER HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING THEREIN, MEANS TO SUPPORT A ROLL OF SHEET MATERIAL WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A DISCHARGE OPENING IN SAID COVER, A GUIDE CHUTE TO GUIDE SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID ROLL TO SAID DICHARGE OPENING, A DRIVE ROLL EXTENDING WITHIN SAID CHUTE AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED BELOW SAID CHUTE WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A PRESSURE ROLL ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING ABOVE SAID GUIDE CHUTE AND EXTENDING THEREWITHIN AND IN CONTACT WITH SAID DRIVE ROLL, RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID PRESSURE ROLL AGAINST SAID DRIVE ROLL, AND MOTOR MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRIVE ROLL.