Electric paper cabinet

• US 4,738,176 A
• Filed: 10/03/1986
• Issued: 04/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steiner Co., Inc. (Alsco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Steiner Co., Inc. (Alsco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cassia, Antonio M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/915,090
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 83/208, 83/233, 83/277, 83/273, 83/649, 83/734
• US Class Current: 83/208
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/36 with mechanical dispensing, roll switching or cutting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3693 Selection of the size of the paper roll
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4455 Operation initiated by work-driven detector means to measure work length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4521 Nonfeed motion is reverse to feed motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6668 Interrelated work-feeding means and tool-moving means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/896 Rotatable wound package supply

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing paper towels of predetermined length includes a case, a supply roll of a continuous paper web, a mechanism for advancing the paper web outside the case, a mechanism for at least partially cutting the paper web protruding from the case, and a motor for driving both mechanisms, the motor shaft being rotated in a first direction until a paper web of predetermined length is advanced outside the case and then reversed so that the paper advancement is stopped and the paper web is cut. A first unidirectional coupler is arranged between the motor and the advancing mechanism and a second unidirectional coupler is arranged between the motor and the cutting mechanism to selectively actuate either of the advancing or cutting mechanisms according to the rotational direction of the motor shaft. The length of the dispensed towel is an integral multiple of an elementary length and the number of elementary lengths by which the paper web is advanced before being cut is switch selectable. In one embodiment, the start-up circuit includes a photoelectric arrangement affording non-contact type activation of the apparatus by a user, and in another embodiment, which is battery operated, includes a microswitch adapted for direct operation by a user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing s predetermined length of a paper web from a paper supply roll, comprising:

a housing provided with a slot through which the paper web is fed outside from the roll contained in said housing;

a bidirectional electric motor;

means for advancing the paper web through said slot;

means for transversely cutting at least a part of the paper web protruding outside said slot;

means for selectively coupling said motor to said advancing means and to said cutting means, said motor when coupled to the advancing means being capable of advancing the paper web through said slot and when coupled to said cutting means being capable of actuating the cutting means to cut the web;

a control circuit connected to a source of power for driving the motor when coupled to said advancing means for an duration proportional to the predetermined length, and then driving said motor after coupling to said cutting means, whereby the dispensed paper web is at least partially cut; and

switch means manually operable to enable said control circuit for starting a dispensing cycle.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch means comprises contact means connected in circuit with said control circuit, a microswitch, means mounting said microswitch within said housing in operative relation with said contact means, said housing having a cover portion formed with an aperture therethrough, said microswitch being located near said aperture, and mean secured to said cover portion in said aperture for facilitating operation of said microswitch.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said mounting means mounts said microswitch to the undersurface of said housing cover portion, said cover portion being movable between closed and open positions carrying with it said microswitch, and said mounting means icnluding means electrically connecting said microswitch to said contact means when said cover portion is in its closed position.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said source of power comprises at least one battery.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, further including a safety switch mounted within said housing and connected in circuit with said source of power, said cover portion having a projection extending rearwardly thereof within said housing, and coupling means coupling said projection to said safety switch for operating said safety switch when said cover portion is in its closed position for connecting at least said control circuit to said source of power only when said cover portion is in its closed position.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said coupling means includes a transmission member, means movably mounting said transmission member within said housing, and bias means biasing said transmission member out of engagement with said safety switch, said transmission member being moved by said projection against the force of said spring into engagement with said safety switch as said cover portion is moved to its closed position.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cutting means comprises a fixed blade, a movable blade. and lever means pivotally mounted on said housing and supporting said movable blade at each end, said movable blade including cam means engaged by said lever means whereby said lever means imparts reciprocating movement to said movable blade, optical sensing means connected in circuit with said control circuit, and said lever means including a rotatably mounted element disposed in operative relationship with said optical sensing means to cause said optical sensing means to generate an end of dispensing cycle signal after the cutting means has been actuated to cut the web.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said optical sensing means comprises a source of light and a light responsive device aligned therewith in a spaced relation, said rotatably mounted element having a barrier portion and being carried by said lever means to interpose its barrier portion between said source of light and said light responsive device with movement of said lever means during each cutting operation.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said advancing means and said cutting means includes respective first and second shafts and respective first and second pinions, and wherein said coupling means comprises first unidirectional coupling means interposed between said first shaft and said first pinion and second unidirectional coupling means interposed between said second shaft and said second pinion, said unidirectional coupling means each comprising a spring wound around a hub rigidly fixed to the associated shaft and having one end free and another end fixed to the respective pinion so that rotation in a determined direction of the two pinions causes loosening of the coils wound on the hub which remains free and tightening of the coils wound on the other hub which is thus driven into rotation, and means for stopping the shaft which is not driven into rotation.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for stopping comprises a further spring wound partially on one and partially on the other of two further hubs coaxial and rigidly fixed, respectively, to the shafts associated with said two first hubs.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, including a pair of brackets for supporting said paper supply roll within said housing, each of said support brackets having a rack portion with an idle pinion means which simultaneously engages both rack portions, said idle pinion means rotatable on an axis through which passes through the center plane of symmetry for said brackets.

12. An apparatus for dispensing a predetermined length of a paper web from a paper supply roll, comprising:

a housing provided with a slot through which the paper web is fed outside from the roll contained in said housing;

a bidirectional electric motor;

means including a first shaft and a first pinion for advancing the paper web through said slot;

means including a second shaft and a second pinion for transversely cutting at least a part of the paper web protruding outside said slot;

means for selectively coupling said motor to said advancing means and to said cutting means, said motor when coupled to the advancing means being capable of advancing the paper web through said slot and when coupled to said cutting means being capable of actuating the cutting means to cut the web;

a control circuit for driving the motor when coupled to said advancing means for a duration proportional to the predetermined length, and then driving said motor after coupling to said cutting means, whereby the dispensed paper web is at least partially cut;

said coupling means including first unidirectional coupling means interposed between said first pinion and said first shaft and second unidirectional coupling means interposed between second shaft and said second pinion, said unidirectional coupling means each comprising a spring wound around a hub rigidly fixed to the associated shaft and having one end free and another end fixed to the respective pinion so that rotation in a determined direction of the two pinions causes loosening of the coils wound on the hub which remains free and tightening of the coils wound on the other hub which is thus driven into rotation, and means for stopping the shaft which is not driven into rotation.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said means for stopping comprises a further spring wound partially on one and partially on the other of two further hubs coaxial and rigidly fixed, respectively, to the shafts associated with said two first hubs.

14. An apparatus for dispensing a predetermined length of a paper web from a paper supply roll, comprising:

a housing provided with a slot through which the paper web is fed outside from the roll contained in said housing;

a pair of brackets supporting said paper supply roll within said housing, each of said support brackets having a rack portion and idle pinion means which simultaneously engages both rack portions, said pinion means rotatable on an axis through which passes the center plane of symmetry of said brackets;

a bidirectional electric motor;

means for advancing the paper web through said slot;

means for transversely cutting at least a part of the paper web protruding outside said slot;

means for selectively coupling said motor to said advancing means and to said cutting means, said motor when coupled to the advancing means being capable of advancing the paper web through said slot and when coupled to said cutting means being capable of actuating the cutting means to cut the web;

a control circuit for driving the motor when coupled to said advancing means for a duration proportional to the predetermined length, and then driving said motor after coupling to said cutting means, whereby the dispensed paper web is at least partially cut.