US3843071A

US3843071A - Strip material container and dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3843071A
Application number: US00320068A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Graham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-01-02
Filing date: 1973-01-02
Publication date: 1974-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-22

Abstract

A strip material container and dispenser, particularly adapted for use in containing and dispensing a roll of paper or the like. The container has a floor at the lower end thereof and an open upper end, which is normally closed with a lid or cover or the like. The container has an elongate longitudinally extending slit in the side wall thereof, through which a strip of paper extends from the container. The container and the cover or lid thereof are preferably of transparent material. Extending upwardly from the floor of the container at the central portion thereof is a stem, and encompassing the stem is a bearing member. Carried by the cover and extending downwardly therefrom is a stem which is coaxial with the stem which extends upwardly from the floor. Ordinarily, the roll of paper within the container is wound upon a tube or spool or the like which encompasses the stems and which rests upon the bearing member which encompasses the stem which extends upwardly from the floor.

Description

. United States Patent [191 3,843,071 Graham 1 Oct. 22, 1974 STRIP MATERIAL CONTAINER AND DISPENSER I Primary ExaminerWilliam I. Price Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jacox & Meckstroth [5 7 ABSTRACT A strip material container and dispenser, particularly adapted for use in containing and dispensing a roll of paper or the like. The container has a floor at the lower end thereof and an open upper end, which is normally closed with a lid or cover or the like. The container has an elongate longitudinally extending slit in the side wall thereof, through which a strip of paper extends from the container. The container and the cover or lid thereof are preferably of transparent material. Extending upwardly from the floor of the container at the central portion thereof is a stem, and encompassing the stem is a bearing; member. Carried by the cover and extending downwardly therefrom is a stem which is coaxial with the stem which extends upwardly from the floor. Ordinarily, the roll of paper within the container is wound upon a tube or spool or the like which encompasses the stems and which rests upon the bearingv member which encompasses the stem which extends upwardly from the floor.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing, Figures [75] Inventor: Tom L. Graham, Detroit, Mich. [73] Assignee: Tom L. Graham, Jr.,'Bel1brook,

Ohio

. [22] Filed: Jan. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 320,068

' 52] us. Cl 242/5553, 206/397, 206/408, 206/414 [51] Int. Cl B65d 65/672, B65h 19/00 I [58] Field of Search..... 206/52 R, 52 A52 S, 52 F, 206/52 W, 58, 389, 397, 403, 408, 414; 223/106; 242/552, 55.53, 55.54

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,385 5/1914 Barns 206/52 S 1,127,053 2/1915 MacDonald....; 206/52 R 1,518,749 12/1924 Nelson 242/5554 1,588,577 6/1926 Heifler 206/52 R 1,950,908 3/1934 Stone et a1. 206/52 W 2,151,387 3/1939 Leatherbury 242/5554 X 3,195,721 7/1965 Weckesser 206/52 S 3,490,578 1/1970 Speakman 206/52 R 3,680,810 8/1972 Jarmalow 206/52 W X t i in? 1 STRIP MATERIAL CONTAINER AND DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In numerous situations it is desirable to have a roll of paper sitting on a table or shelf or the like, for example, in a bathroom, or bedroom, or kitchen of a home, or in a workshop of a home or industry. The roll of paper consists of an elongate strip which is wound into a roll and when desired a length of the strip is unwound from the strip and then torn from the roll for use.

It is an object of this invention to provide an attractive container for a roll of paper'as the roll is positioned upon a shelf or table or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a container which is also a dispenser from which a length portion of the strip extends and from which a portion of the stripmay be severed.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a container which includes means for assisting in the severing of a desired portion of the strip from the remainder of the roll thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a container which is provided with means to maintain the roll in a fixed central location within the container.

tion, as will become more apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container and dispenser of this invention, showing a roll of strip material therein, with a portion of the strip material extending DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A container and dispenser of this invention comprisesa shell 10, which has tubular side walls 12 and an integral floor 14. The side walls 12 have a vertical slot 15 therein. Resting upon the floor 14 and in firm engagement with, the side walls 12 is a base'16. Extending upwardly from the base 16, integral therewith, at the central portion thereof is a stem 20. Encompassing the stem 20 is a bearing member 21 which may be loose with respect to the stem 20 and the base 16, or the bearing member 21 may be attached to the stem 20 and/or to the base 16. Preferably the bearing 21 is made of a material having a very low coefficient of friction, such as nylon or teflon or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shell 10 is open at the top thereof, but is normally closed with a cover or lid 23 having a flange 22. The cover 23 is shown as being provided with a knob or handle 26, attached thereto at the upper part thereof.

The upper portion of the exterior surface of the side walls 12 of the shell 10 has spaced-apart tapered or sloping protuberances 30 and the inner surface of the flange 22 of the cover 23 has complementary tapered or sloping protuberances 34. The tapered or sloping protuberances 34 and the tapered or sloping protuberances 30 are so positioned as to intermesh one with the other, so that when the cover 23 is resting upon the shell 10 at the upper end thereof, slight rotative movement of the cover 23 results in intermeshing of the

protuberances

30 and 34 for locking the cover 23 in position on the shell 10, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The cover 23 has a stem 40 attached thereto on the lower surface thereof and extending downwardly therefrom at the central portion thereof. The stem 40 is thus substantially coaxial with the stem 20 which extends upwardly from the base 16.

If desired, the lower portion of the shell 10 may be positioned within a receptacle 50, which may rest freely upon a table or shelf or the like or which may be attached thereto, if desired.

An elongate strip of paper or the like in the form of a roll 60 is shown as having a tubular core 62 upon whichthe paper strip is wound. The core 62 rests upon the bearing 21 as the core 62 encompasses the stem 20.

A portion of the strip of paper extends from the roll 60 outwardly from the shell 10 through the slot 15. If desired, the slot 15 may have an enlarged portion 68 at the upper part thereof, to facilitate threading of the strip through the slot 15. The core 62 also encompasses the stem 40 which extends downwardly from the cover 23. Thus, as the strip is pulled outwardly through the slot 15, the roll 60 is maintained by the stems 20 and 410 in a central location within the shell 10. Also, as the strip is pulled outwardly from the shell 10 through the slot 15, the roll 60 rotatively moves as the core 62 rests upon the bearing 21. If the bearing 21 is loose with re spect to the stem 20 and the base 16,the bearing 21 may freely rotatively move as the roll 60 and the core 62 rotatively move. If the bearing 21 is attached to the stem 20 and/or to the base 16, the bore 62 easily rotates upon the bearing 21. Thus, the roll 60 readily rotates as continuous successive portions of the strip are drawn outwardly from the shell 10 through the slot 15.

When the desired length portion of the strip extends outwardly from the shell 10, the length portion is severed from the remainder of the roll by tearing the strip along an edge of the slot 15.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview .of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof, and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

The invention having thus been described, the following is claimed:

1. A device for containing a roll 'of paper-like strip material and from which the strip material is dispensed, comprising:

an'upright shell including vertical annular side walls and a floor at the bottom thereof, theside walls being provided with a portion having a vertically extending slot therein,

a circular base within the shell and resting horizontally upon the floor, but unattached thereto and engaging the internal surface of the side walls to position the base within the shell,

a stem' integral with the base at the central part thereof and extending vertically upwardly therefrom,

a removable circular cover member, the cover member having a horizontal portion having a lower surface resting upon the upper end of the shell and having a downwardly extending vertical annular flange encompassing the upper part of the shell,

a downwardly extending stem attached to the lower surface of the horizontal portion of the cover member at the central part thereof and being coaxial with the stem which is attached to the base,

a knob attached to the upper surface of the horizontal portion of the cover member for movement of the cover member from the shell for placing a roll of paper-like strip material into the shell and for rewardly from the base, the bearing member being adapted to support a roll of strip material and to permit rotation thereof with respect to the stems.

4. The device of claim 3 in which the bearing member loosely encompasses the stem which extends upwardly from the base and is rotatable with respect thereto.

Claims

1. A device for containing a roll of paper-like strip material and from which the strip material is dispensed, comprising: an uprigHt shell including vertical annular side walls and a floor at the bottom thereof, the side walls being provided with a portion having a vertically extending slot therein, a circular base within the shell and resting horizontally upon the floor, but unattached thereto and engaging the internal surface of the side walls to position the base within the shell, a stem integral with the base at the central part thereof and extending vertically upwardly therefrom, a removable circular cover member, the cover member having a horizontal portion having a lower surface resting upon the upper end of the shell and having a downwardly extending vertical annular flange encompassing the upper part of the shell, a downwardly extending stem attached to the lower surface of the horizontal portion of the cover member at the central part thereof and being coaxial with the stem which is attached to the base, a knob attached to the upper surface of the horizontal portion of the cover member for movement of the cover member from the shell for placing a roll of paper-like strip material into the shell and for re-positioning the cover member upon the shell, the roll of strip material encompassing the stem which is attached to the base and the stem which is attached to the cover member, a portion of the roll of strip material extending from the shell through the vertically extending slot in said portion of the side walls of the shell.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the shell and the cover member are transparent.

3. The device of claim 1 which includes a bearing member encompassing the stem which extends upwardly from the base, the bearing member being adapted to support a roll of strip material and to permit rotation thereof with respect to the stems.