DISPENSER FOR C-FOLDED PAPER TOWELS WITH HOT AIR DRYER

• US 3,785,523 A
• Filed: 10/30/1972
• Issued: 01/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur Goldstein
• Original Assignee: Arthur Goldstein
• Inventors: Goldstein, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Application Number:
  US05/301,880
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 221/15H,36,38-42,96,312 312/37,38
• US Class Current: 221/42
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/44 with mechanical dispensing means for prehension of the next sheet to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/485 combined with a textile or paper towel dispenser

Abstract

A hand drying appliance has a cabinet containing an air heating unit and a dispensing unit for individual paper towels. The cabinet has an air outlet communicating with the air heating unit so that heated air can pass to the outside of the cabinet. A magazine or holder is arranged inside the cabinet to contain a substantially vertical stack of C-folded paper towels. The cabinet also has a towel outlet through which the lowermost towel in the stack can be dispensed laterally of the stack. A dispensing member is arranged inside the cabinet beneath the magazine or holder. It engages the lowermost towel in the stack and moves it laterally through the towel outlet slot.

Claims

1. A hand drying appliance comprising a cabinet, an air heating unit mounted within the cabinet, an air outlet from the cabinet communicating with the unit so that heated air can pass to the outside of the cabinet, a magazine arranged inside the cabinet and arranged to support from below a substantially vertical stack of C-folded paper towels, each towel having a body portion, a rear fold and a forward fold, a towel outlet from the cabinet through which the lowermost towel in the stack can be dispensed laterally of the stack, and a dispensing member bearing against the lowermost towel and movable within the cabinet beneath the magazine and arranged to engage the lowermost towel in the stock between the body portion and the forward fold thereof and to move it laterally through the towel outlet in juxtaposition to the outlet for heated air.

2. A hand drying appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which the dispensing member has an arcuate portion with its convex surface presented to the bottom of the stack of towels, and a secondary discharge portion atop the arcuate portion and having a leading edge extending forwardly of the leading edge of the arcuate portion.

3. A hand drying appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dispensing member is mounted to swing about a pivot to and from the towel outlet and comprising a rotatable drive member, a first link member connected to the drive member so that it will be moved lengthwise of itself by rotation of the drive member, a second link member connected with the dispensing member and movable lengthwise of itself to swing the dispensing member about its pivot, the said second link member being also connected to the first link member, and a spring between the first and second link members whereby the two link members are normally movable together on rotation of the drive member, but are movable with respect to each other when the dispensing member encounters an obstruction during movement towards the towel outlet.