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Method and apparatus for dispensing flexible sheet material

  • US 5,441,189 A
  • Filed: 07/14/1993
  • Issued: 08/15/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of dispensing a web of flexible sheet material without need of a positive stop mechanism from a dispenser having a discharge opening and containing a feed roll traversed by said web, knife means for perforating the web as the web traverses the feed roll, and an energy storing spring operatively connected to said feed roll, comprising the steps of:

  • pulling the web to impart rotation to said feed roll and to load said spring over one portion of the rotational cycle of said feed roll;

    actuating said knife means for perforating said web to produce a line of cut therein containing a plurality of residual unsevered segments;

    driving said feed roll by the energy stored in said spring over another portion of the rotational cycle of said feed roll to deliver the portion of said web containing said line of cut to a predetermined position accessible to a user; and

    thereafter, severing said web along said line of cut by causing said feed roll to rotate beyond a position corresponding to said predetermined position of said web portion containing said line of cut in which said spring is again loaded to generate against the pull of the user tensile stresses in said residual segments that increase gradually until said segments break.

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