US3259271A - Dispenser for flat articles having at least one flap - Google Patents

Description

July 5, 1966 E. L BUMP 3,259,271

DISPENSER FOR FLAT ARTICLES HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLAP Filed Oct. 14, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

EDWARD L. BUMP ATTORNEY July 5, 1966 E. L BUMP 3,259,271

DISPENSER FOR FLAT ARTICLES HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLAP Filed Oct. 14, 1965 2 SheetsShee1 2 INVENTOR.

EDWARD L. BUMP a /1. mm

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,259,271 DISPENSER FOR FLAT ARTlCLES HAVTNG AT LEAST ONE FLAP Edward L. Bump, Madison, Wis, assignor to Industrial Research and Development Corp, Madison, Wis, a

corporation of Wisconsin Filed Oct. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 315,769 8 Claims. (Cl. 221-36) My invention relates to an improved dispenser for substantially flat articles having at least one fold or flap. Examples of such articles include C-fold, multi-fold and single fold paper towels. Other articles having the required folded form may also be dispensed with my invention.

One of the principal problems of providing good quality paper toweling in public washrooms and other locations is the problem of waste. The people who use such toweling for the most part do not pay for it, and consequently often use two, three and even more individual paper towels where one would suffice The cost of such toweling is significant, and in washrooms having a high rate of traffic the cost of such waste is appreciable.

Many attempts have been made to discourage excessive waste of paper toweling. However, such attempts have usually resulted in devices too complicated or not sufficiently durable for use by the general public, or too expensive or impractically designed for their intended use.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of my invention to provide a dispenser of substantially flat articles having at least one fold or flap which surely dispenses a single such article at a time, and which discourages excessive and wasteful use of such articles.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a dispenser which is designed to have a minimum number of moving parts.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide such a dispenser which is composed of parts that may be economically manufactured and assembled.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide such a dispenser which is inherently durable and trouble free.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the principles of the invention has been selected for exemplification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a dispenser employing the features of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a section view of my dispenser taken along section line 22 in FIG. 1 showing the slide in its forward position.

FIG. .3 is a partial section view of my dispenser taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section view of my dispenser taken along the same section line as FIG. 2 showing the slide in its rearward position.

Broadly, my new dispenser comprises an outer shell 11, a slide 12 having an opening 13 and adapted to re ciprocate within the shell 11, and a handle assembly 14 engaged in the slide 12 and adapted to reciprocate it, as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 4. Upon each complete reciprocation of the slide 12 by means of the handle assembly 14, the rear flap 49b of a C-fold towel 15 or other article to be dispensed is engaged by the slide 12 and guided through the slide opening 13 to an aperture 16 in the shell 11. There it may be pulled from the dispenser 10 as long as the slide opening 13 remains in communication with the aperture 16, as shown in FIG. 4. After the article has been removed, the handle assembly 14 is released and the slide 12 returns to the forward position HCQ shown in FIG. 2. The slide 12 and the handle assembly 14 are essentially the only two moving parts in my dispenser 10.

The outer shell 11 has sides 17 and 18, and a front face 19 composed of an inclined upper surface 20, a substantially vertical middle surface 21 and an inclined lower surface 22 having the aperture 16 through which C-fold towels 15 or other flat articles are removed. A single piece of material, preferably mild sheet steel, forms the sides 17 and 13 and the front face 19. The front face 19 of the shell 11 is preferably stiffened by the embossed ribs 29:: seen in FIG. 1. Sides 17 and 18 contain embossed guide ribs 17a which extend inward within the shell 11 to act as lateral guides for the articles to be dispensed and also to stilfen the shell 11. Support shelves 23 and 29 extend between the sides 17 and 18 of the shell 11 to support the articles to be dispensed.

The shell 11 is attached to a rear plate 23 which may be secured to a wall or other surface by any suitable means. The rear plate 23 has two substantially perpendicularly projecting tabs 24, one of which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, through which shafts 25 or other similar means may be inserted to rotatably secure the rear plate 23 to the sides 17 and 18 of the shell 11. Locking means 26 are preferably carried by the inclined upper surface 211 of the shell 11, and are adapted to engage a lug 27 projecting from the rear plate 23 to secure the shell 11 to the rear plate 23 in closed position. One or more embossd rear guide ribs 23a extend into the shell 11 from the rear plate 23 to guide the articles to be dispensed downward within the shell 11. When a person wants to fill the dispenser 10 with the articles to be dispensed, he releases the lock 26 and pivots the shell 11 out and away from the rear plate 23. The articles to be dispensed are then placed on the support shelves 28 and 29 with their rear flaps 4912 opening toward the slide 12, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the slide 12 has two side panels 30 and 31, a front base portion 32 and a rear base portion 33. The base portions 32 and 33, which are spaced from each other to define the slide opening 13, extend between the side panels 30 and 31 in fixed relation thereto. The embossed rear section 34 of the front base portion 32 adjacent the slide opening 13 is contoured to adapt it to easily engage the rear flap 49b of the adjacent article to be dispensed. In the illustrated embodiment of the slide 12, the rear section 34 curves upwardly and rearwardly from the remainder of the front base portion 32 to form a cam nose portion.

Any suitable means may be used to mount the slide 12 for reciprocation within the shell 11. The illustrated means includes the corresponding slots 35 in the side panels 30 and 31 of the slide 12, and the pins 36 or other similar means fixedly projecting from the sides 17 and 13 of the shell 11 into those slots 35.

To prevent the embossed rear section 34 of the front base portion 32 from binding on the pins 36, the portions of the rear section 34 adjacent each of the side panels 30 and 31 are not contoured. Rather, the rear section 34 is so embossed that those portions are substantially flat, as indicated in FIG. 3.

The handle assembly 14, which reciprocates the slide 12, preferably comprises a base 52, a rear lip 53 projecting from the base 52, and two substantially vertical sides 54 projecting from the base 52. The front portions 55 of the sides 54 are substantially flat and extend forwardly beyond the front edge 56 of the base 52. The front por tions 55 rest and travel in the substantially parallel grooves in the shell front face 19. A handle 39 is attached to the front portions by any-suitable means. The rear lip 53 is adapted to engage a slot 42 in the front base portion 32 of the slide 12, as shown in FIG. 3.

The base 52 preferably rides on the floor 44 of the section 45 of the shell lower surface 22 in front of the aperture 16. Preferably, the base 52, the rear lip 53 and the sides 54 are parts of a single piece of suitably rigid material.

Generally it is preferable to normally bias the slide 12 in its uppermost or forwardmost position, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein its contoured rear section 34 does not engage the rear flap 49b of the article to be dispensed. One or more of compression springs 46, one of which is shown in FIG. 2, may conveniently so bias the slide 12. The springs 46 are preferably disposed between the rear lip 53 of the handle assembly 14 and the curled lip 47 of the section 45 of the surface 22 of the shell 11. An alternate means for so biasing the slide 12 would employ one or more extension springs extending between the forward portion of the slide 12 and the shell front face 19 or the support shelf 28.

With the understanding that my invention may be used to dispense any substantially flat article having at least one fold or flap, the operation of the illustrated embodiment in specifically dispensing a C-fold paper towel may be described. The C-fold towel 15 has a central portion 48, a front flap 49a and a rear flap 4%, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The towels 15 are placed on the shelves 28 and 29 in the shell 11 with their rear flaps 4% opening downwardly. The shelves 28 and 29 should be so positioned that the rear flap 49b resting on shelf 29 extends onto the rear base portion 33 of the slide 12 when the slide 12 is in the position illustrated by FIG. 2. To simplify the drawing only one C-fold towel 15 is shown in FIG. 2. The towels 15 are maintained in proper alignment within the shell 11 by embossed ribs 29a, guide ribs 17a and rear guide ribs 23a.

Downward movement of the handle assembly 14 pushes the slide 12 downwardly and rearwardly to the position shown in FIG. 4. During such movement the slide 12 rides on the pins 36 projecting through the slots 35 in its side panels 30 and 31. As the slide 12 travels rearwardly, the contoured rear section 34 of the front base portion 32 slips between the central portion 48 and the rear flap 49b of the C-fold towel 15 to guide the rear flap 4% into the slide opening 13, as shown in FIG. 4. The slide opening 13 is sufficiently wide to easily receive the rear flap 4911. As the slide 12 continues rearward, the slide opening 13 moves into communication with aperture 16 in the shell 11. The rear flap 49b of the C- fold towel then extends through the slide opening 13 and the aperture 16 and is exposed to the person using the dispenser 10. He then simply pulls down on the rear flap 4% to remove the C-fold towel 15 from the dispenser, and releases the handle assembly 14, allowing the spring 46 to return the slide 12 to the position of FIG. 2.

The novel feed mechanism comprising the slide 12 and the handle assembly 14 thus discharges but one C-fold towel or other flat article at a time. Each flat article exposed through the aperture 16 of the shell 11 by the rearward movement of the slide 12 must be removed, and the handle assembly 14 must be released and returned to its uppermost position, before the slide 12 can again be reciprocated to expose the next flat article through the aperture 16. If the handle assembly 14 is released before the exposed article has been removed from the dispenser 10, the slide 12 will be returned to the position of FIG. 2 and the forward edge 33a of the rear base portion 33 will guide the exposed rear flap 4% back Within the dispenser to a concealed position.

When multi-fold or single fold paper towels are to be dispensed by my device, such towels are placed in the shell 11 in the same manner as described with respect to the C-fold towels. The folds of adjacent multi-fold towels should not be interlocked when placed in the shell 11. Operation of my device is the same for dispensing such multi-fold or single fold towels as that described above for C-fold towels.

Because my dispenser 10 has essentially only two moving parts, the slide 12 and the handle assembly 14, operation is sure and little or no servicing is required. Manufacture of the dispenser 10 is economical. The parts of the dispenser 10 are simple and easily made, and they are advantageously mounted directly in the shell 11. The pins 36 are virtually the only extra elements required to mount either the slide 12 or the handle assembly 14 in the shell 11.

The slide 12 is specifically shown as traveling an inclined path in the illustrated dispenser 10. It may easily be adapted, however, to dispense a flat article having at least one flap while traveling in any path from the horizontal to the vertical. When the slide 12 is reciprocated in a substantially vertical path, gravity biasing may sometimes be substituted for the biasing of the illustrated compression springs 46. In such a case, the articles to be dispensed will usually be biased in the direction of the slide 12 by springs or other means.

It is understood that my invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for substantially flat articles having at least one flap comprising, an outer shell having a pair of side sections and a front face with an upper surface, a middle surface and a bottom surface, an aperture in said bottom surface adapted to allow said flat articles to pass there through, front and rear shelf means extending between said side sections of said shell and adapted to support a plurality of said articles, one on top of another, in a manner such that one flap of the bottom supported article extends from said rear shelf means toward said aperture, said front and rear shelf means being further adapted to allow said bottom supported article to be individually removed therefrom when the flap of said article extending toward said aperture is pulled through said aperture, a rear plate adapted to be supported in substantially vertical relation, means for pivotally mounting said outer shell on said rear plate whereby said outer shell may be pivoted between an open and a closed position, locking means for maintaining said outer shell in closed position, a slide mounted within said outer shell between said front and rear shelf means and said shell aperture in reciprocable relation, said slide including a front base portion and a rear base portion which are spaced apart in substantially parallel fixed relation to define a slide opening therebetween, said slide opening being of sufiicient dimensions to individually receive the flap of each article to be dispensed from said dispenser, said slide being reciprocable between a first position wherein said slide rear base portion is adapted to support the flap of a supported article extending from said rear shelf means toward said shell aperture and prevent said flap from being exposed to said aperture and a second position wherein said slide opening and said aperture are in communication to allow said flap to extend therethrough and be removed from said dispenser, said slide front base portion having a contoured rear section adapted to engage said flap of said article during movement of said slide between said first position and said second position and guide said flap through said slide opening and said aperture, spring means for biasing said slide to said first position, and lever means for moving said slide to said second position.

2. The invention described in claim 1 wherein said shelland said rear plate carry a plurality of ribs which are disposed in substantially vertical relation when said dispenser is in use, said ribs being adapted to position and guide the movements of the articles to be dispensed when said articles are supported by said front and rear shelf means.

3. The invention described in claim 1 wherein the slide includes two side panels each having a slot and attached to opposite ends of said front and rear base portions, wherein pins fixedly project from the dispenser into said slots in said side panels to mount said slide for reciprocation, and

wherein the contoured rear section of said front base portion comprises an embossed portion extending rearwardly from the plane of said slide toward the lowermost supported article to engage the flap of said article during movement of the slide, said embossed portion being of greater width than that of said flap but terminating on said front base portion a suflicient distance from each of said side panels to avoid said pins during reciprocation of said slide.

4. A dispenser comprising, a closed outer shell having a bottom surface, an aperture in said bottom surface through which substantially flat articles each having at least one flap may be discharged, means for supporting a plurality of said flat articles, one on top of another, in a manner such that one flap of the bottom supported article extends from said supporting means toward said aperture, a slide located Within said outer shell between said supporting means and said shell aperture, means for mounting said slide in reciprocable relation, said slide comprising substantially coplanar first and second base portions and two side panels, said first and second base portions extending between said side panels in fixed relation and being spaced from each other to define a slide opening therebetWeen of sufficient width to individually receive the flap of each flat article, a handle assembly engaged with said slide to reciprocate said slide within said shell between a first position and a second position, said slide second base portion extending substantially across said shell aperture when said slide is in its said first position to close said aperture and prevent the flap of the lowermost said flat article from being exposed to said aperture for withdrawal or tampering, said slide first base portion having a cam nose portion adjacent said slide opening, said cam nose portion extending upwardly and rearwardly at an angle from the plane of said first base portion toward the fiat articles supported above said slide, the end of said cam nose portion having a curved upper surface and terminating at a point above the flap of said lowermost flat article which extends toward said aperture, said cam nose portion engaging the upper surface of said flap as said slide is reciprocated from said first position to said second position to guide the end of said flap through the said slide opening and through said shell aperture uncovered by movement of said slide to permit removal of said lowermost said fiat article from said outer shell while said slide is maintained in its second said position.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein means are provided to normally bias the slide to its first position.

6. The invention of claim 4 wherein the means to mount the slide for reciprocation comprises a plurality of pins fixedly projecting from the dispenser shell into a slot in each of the side panels of said slide.

7. The invention of claim 5 wherein the biasing means comprises a spring disposed between the dispenser and the handle assembly.

8. The invention of claim 4 wherein the first base portion of the slide has a slot and the handle assembly has a projecting lip, said lip of said handle assembly being adapted to engage said slot in said first base portion to connect said handle assembly to said slide.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 913,151 2/1909 Neher 2 221299 X 1,311,799 7/1919 Cottini et al. 221-38 2,190,100 2/1940 Harvey 22147 X 2,207,475 7/ 1940 Berger 221-47 2,830,728 4/1958 Krueger et al 22148 2,913,144 11/1959 Myers 221-36 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DISPENSER FOR SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT ARTICLES HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLAP COMPRISING, AN OUTER SHELL HAVING A PAIR OF SIDE SECTIONS AND A FRONT FACE WITH AN UPPER SURFACE, A MIDDLE SURFACE AND A BOTTOM SURFACE, AN APERTURE IN SAID BOTTOM SURFACE ADAPTED TO ALLOW SAID FLAT ARTICLES TO PASS THERETHROUGH, FRONT AND REAR SHELF MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE SECTIONS OF SAID SHELLE AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A PLURALITY OF SAID ARTICLES, ONE ON TOP OF ANOTHER, IN A MANNER SUCH THAT ONE FLAP OF THE BOTTOM SUPPORTED ARTICLE EXTENDS FROM SAID REAR SHELF MEANS TOWARD SAID APERTURE, SAID FRONT AND REAR SHELF MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO ALLOW SAID BOTTOM SUPPORTED ARTICLE TO BE INDIVIDUIALLY REMOVED THEREFROM WHEN THE FLAP OF SAID ARTICLE EXTENDING TOWARD SAID APERTURE IS PULLED THROUGH SAID APERTURE, A REAR PLATE ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL RELATION, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID OUTER SHELL ON SAID REAR PLATE WHEREBY SAID OUTER SHELL MAY BE PIVOTED BETWEEN AN OPEN AND A CLOSED POSITION, LOCKING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID OUTER SHELL IN CLOSED POSITION, A SLIDE MOUNTED WITHIN SAID OUTER SHELL BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND REAR SHELF MEANS AND SAID SHELL APERTURE IN RECIPROCABLE RELATION, SAID SLIDE INCLUDING A FRONT BASE PORTION AND A REAR BASE PORTION WHICH ARE SPACED APART IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL FIXED RELATION TO DEFINE A SLIDE OPENING THEREBETWEEN, SAID SLIDE OPENING BEING OF SUFFICIENT DIMENSIONS TO INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVE THE FLAP OF EACH ARTICLE TO BE DISPOSED FROM SAID DISPENSER, SAID SLIDE BEING RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID SLIDE REAR BASE PORTION IS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE FLAP OF A SUPPORTED ARTICLE EXTENDING FROM SAID REAR SHELF MEANS TOWARD SAID SHELL APERTURE AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID ESPOSED TO SAID APERTURE AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID SLIDE OPENING AND SAID APERTURE ARE IN COMMUNICATION TO ALLOW SAID FLAP TO EXTEND THERETHROUGH AND BE REMOVED FROM SAID DISPENSER, SAID SLIDE FRONT BASE PORTION HAVING A CONTOURED REAR SECTION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID FLAP OF SAID ARTICLE DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE BETWEEN SAID FIRST POSITION AND SAID SECOND POSITION AND GUIDE SAID FLAP THROUGH SAID SLIDE OPENING AND SAID APERTURE, SPRING MEANS FOR BIASING SAID SLIDE TO SAID FIRST POSITION, AND LEVER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SLIDE TO SAID SECOND POSITION.

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