Napkin holder

• US 5,221,011 A
• Filed: 06/17/1991
• Issued: 06/22/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Julio C. Coto
• Original Assignee: Julio C. Coto
• Inventors: Coto, Julio C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin-Shue, Alvin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lechok, Sarah A.
• Application Number:
  US07/716,636
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 211/51, 211/43, 211/59.3, 211/175, 211/120
• US Class Current: 211/51
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/14 for pictures, e.g. in combination with books or seed-bags ; for cards, magazines, newspapers, books or booklike articles, e.g. audio/video cassettes racks or containers with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04; for cardboard panels, e.g. posters, A47F7/0042
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/16 Table-cloth or napkin holders

Abstract

A napkin holder includes a base, a pair of spaced-apart posts extending along respective axes, a pair of pivot arms,both mounted for pivoting movement in one circumferential direction about the axes to an open loading position, and both pivotable in an opposite circumferential direction about the axes to a closed position, and a spring for constantly urging the arms to the closed position to firmly and uniformly hold the napkins in an upright dispensing condition.

Claims

1. A holder for sheet materials to be dispensed, comprising:

(a) a base;

(b) a pair of upright posts mounted on the base in a spaced-apart relationship and extending along respective axes;

(c) a pair of pivot arms mounted on the base for pivoting movement in one circumferential direction about the axes to an open position in which the pivot arms are spaced apart and bound a space for receiving the sheet materials, and in an opposite circumferential direction about the axes to a closed position in which the pivot arms engage the sheet materials; and

(d) means operatively connected to the pivot arms, for constantly urging the pivot arms to the closed position for firmly and uniformly holding the sheet materials in an upright dispensing condition.

2. The holder as recited in claim 1, wherein each upright post is a hollow tube, and wherein each pivot arm includes an elongated rod mounted in, and extending through, a respective tube.

3. The holder as recited in claim 1, wherein each upright post is a hollow tube, and wherein each pivot arm includes a first rod mounted in, and extending axially through, a respective tube, a second axially-extending rod spaced apart in mutual parallelism with the first rod, a third rod extending in a transverse direction between the first and second rods, and a fourth transversely-extending rod spaced apart in mutual parallelism with the third rod.

4. The holder as recited in claim 1;

and further comprising anti-friction means on the pivot arms to facilitate withdrawal of the sheet materials.

5. The holder as recited in claim 4, wherein the anti-friction means includes at least one roller mounted on each pivot arm for rolling movement.

6. The holder as recited in claim 5, wherein each said one roller is a cylinder.

7. The holder as recited in claim 5, wherein each said one roller includes a plurality of balls.

8. The holder as recited in claim 1;

and further comprising means for interconnecting the pivot arms for joint pivoting movement.

9. The holder as recited in claim 8, wherein each pivot arm includes an elongated rod, and wherein the interconnecting means includes a link pivotably connected to a respective rod, and wherein the urging means is a spring operatively coupled between the base and the link.

10. The holder as recited in claim 1;

and further comprising a pair of upper arm assemblies and a pair of lower arm assemblies respectively mounted above and below the pivot arms; and

means for constantly biasing the upper arm assemblies toward each other, and for constantly biasing the lower arm assemblies toward each other.

11. A holder for sheet materials to be dispensed, comprising:

(a) a base;

(b) a pair of upright posts mounted on the base in a spaced-apart relationship and bounding a space for receiving a stack of sheet materials therebetween, said materials being in contact with said base; and

(c) anti-friction means on the arms to facilitate withdrawal of the sheet materials.

12. The holder as recited in claim 11, wherein the anti-friction means includes at least one roller mounted on each upright arm for rolling movement.

13. The holder as recited in claim 12, wherein each said one roller is a cylinder.

14. The holder as recited in claim 12, wherein each said one roller includes a plurality of balls.

15. A holder for sheet materials to be dispensed, comprising:

(a) a base;

(b) an arm mounted above, and spaced from, the base to bound a space for receiving a stack of sheet materials therebetween, said materials being in contact with said base; and

(c) anti-friction means on the arm to facilitate withdrawal of the sheet materials.

16. The holder as recited in claim 15, wherein the anti-friction means includes at least one roller mounted on the arm for rolling movement.

17. The holder as recited in claim 16, wherein said one roller includes a plurality of balls.