Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material
First Claim
1. Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
- a housing defining an interior for accommodating a roll of sheet material and additionally defining a sheet material outlet communicating with said interior;
sheet material engagement means for engaging sheet material unwound from a roll of sheet material within the housing interior, said sheet material engagement means extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said sheet material as said sheet material is being unwound from the roll of sheet material;
sheet material feed means positioned adjacent to said sheet material engagement means including a rotatable sheet material feed roller and a support member comprising a double-ended shaft supporting said sheet material feed roller, said double-ended shaft being disposed adjacent to and extending alongside said sheet material engagement means;
shaft support means supporting one of the ends of said double-ended shaft and allowing pivotal movement of said double-ended shaft relative to said shaft support means and movement of the other end of said double-ended shaft and said sheet material feed roller alternatively either toward or away from said sheet material engagement means; and
means including movable actuator means for rotating said sheet material feed roller to transport sheet material engaged by said sheet material engagement means and by said sheet material feed roller toward said sheet material outlet after pivotal movement of said double-ended shaft and after said other end of said double-ended shaft and sheet material feed roller have moved toward said sheet material engagement means and said sheet material feed roller and said sheet material engagement means exert pressure on said sheet material, pivotal movement of said double-ended shaft being responsive to movement of said movable actuator means.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material includes a rotatable sheet material engagement member having a smooth outer surface for engaging the sheet material. A pivoted shaft is mounted adjacent to the sheet material engagement member having a feed roller mounted thereon. The shaft and feed roller are moved toward the sheet material engagement member and the feed roller is rotated to transport the sheet material over the smooth outer surface of the sheet material engagement member. A tucker member is attached to the sheet material engagement member and rotates upon depletion of a primary roll of sheet material to position the lead end of a reserve roll between the sheet material engagement member and the feed roller.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
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a housing defining an interior for accommodating a roll of sheet material and additionally defining a sheet material outlet communicating with said interior; sheet material engagement means for engaging sheet material unwound from a roll of sheet material within the housing interior, said sheet material engagement means extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said sheet material as said sheet material is being unwound from the roll of sheet material; sheet material feed means positioned adjacent to said sheet material engagement means including a rotatable sheet material feed roller and a support member comprising a double-ended shaft supporting said sheet material feed roller, said double-ended shaft being disposed adjacent to and extending alongside said sheet material engagement means; shaft support means supporting one of the ends of said double-ended shaft and allowing pivotal movement of said double-ended shaft relative to said shaft support means and movement of the other end of said double-ended shaft and said sheet material feed roller alternatively either toward or away from said sheet material engagement means; and means including movable actuator means for rotating said sheet material feed roller to transport sheet material engaged by said sheet material engagement means and by said sheet material feed roller toward said sheet material outlet after pivotal movement of said double-ended shaft and after said other end of said double-ended shaft and sheet material feed roller have moved toward said sheet material engagement means and said sheet material feed roller and said sheet material engagement means exert pressure on said sheet material, pivotal movement of said double-ended shaft being responsive to movement of said movable actuator means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
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a housing defining an interior for accommodating a roll of sheet material and additionally defining a sheet material outlet communicating with said interior; sheet material engagement means having an outer surface for engaging sheet material unwound from a roll of sheet material within the housing interior; rotatable sheet material feed roller means having an outer feed roller surface with a coefficient of friction greater than that of the outer surface of said sheet material engagement means located adjacent to said sheet material engagement means; a double-ended shaft having first and second ends and supporting said sheet material feed roller means, said double-ended shaft being pivotally mounted relative to said housing to pivot said double-ended shaft about the first end thereof to selectively alternatively move said sheet material feed roller means and the second end of said double-ended shaft toward or away from said sheet material engagement means; and means for rotating said sheet material feed roller means to transport sheet material engaged by said sheet material feed roller means and said sheet material engagement means toward said sheet material outlet after said double-ended shaft has been pivoted about the first end thereof to move the second end thereof and said sheet material feed roller means toward said sheet material engagement means and exert pressure on said sheet material. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
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a housing defining an interior for accommodating a roll of sheet material and additionally defining a sheet material outlet communicating with said interior; sheet material engagement means comprising a rotatable sheet material engagement member for engaging sheet material unwound from a roll of sheet material within the housing interior; sheet material feed means positioned adjacent to said rotatable sheet material engagement member including a rotatable sheet material feed roller and a support member supporting said sheet material feed roller, said support member being pivotally mounted relative to said housing to selectively alternatively move said sheet material feed roller toward or away from said rotatable sheet material engagement member; means for rotating said sheet material feed roller to transport sheet material engaged by said rotatable sheet material engagement member and by said sheet material feed roller toward said sheet material outlet after said sheet material feed roller has moved toward said rotatable sheet material engagement member; and a tucker member connected to said rotatable sheet material engagement member, said tucker member responsive to rotational movement of said rotatable sheet material engagement member to move toward a location between said sheet material feed roller and said rotatable sheet material engagement member to tuck the lead end of a roll of sheet material between said sheet material feed roller and said rotatable sheet material engagement member. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
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a housing defining an interior for accommodating a primary roll of sheet material having a tail end and a reserve roll of sheet material having a lead end; rotatable sheet material engagement means; rotatable sheet material feed means mounted for movement toward and away from said rotatable sheet material engagement means; a tucker member operatively associated with said rotatable sheet material engagement means; means for rotating said rotatable sheet material feed means and for moving said rotatable sheet material feed means toward said rotatable sheet material engagement means, said rotatable sheet material engagement means rotating in response to rotation of said rotatable sheet material feed means and passage of the tail end of a primary roll of sheet material between said rotatable sheet material feed means and said rotatable sheet material engagement means and causing movement of said tucker member to tuck the lead end of a reserve roll of sheet material between said rotatable sheet material feed means and said rotatable sheet material engagement means; and biasing means biasing said rotatable sheet material engagement means against rotation. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
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a housing defining an interior for accommodating a primary roll of sheet material having a tail end and a reserve roll of sheet material having a lead end; a rotatable sheet material engagement member; rotatable sheet material feed roller means mounted for movement toward and away from said rotatable sheet material engagement member; a tucker member operatively associated with said rotatable sheet material engagement member; and means for rotating said rotatable sheet material feed roller means and for moving said rotatable sheet material feed roller means toward said rotatable sheet material engagement member, said rotatable sheet material engagement member rotating in response to rotation of said rotatable sheet material feed roller means and passage of the tail end of a primary roll of sheet material between said rotatable sheet material feed roller means and said rotatable sheet material engagement member and causing movement of said tucker member to tuck the lead end of a reserve roll of sheet material between said rotatable sheet material feed roller means and said rotatable sheet material engagement member, said tucker member being connected to said rotatable sheet material engagement member and rotatable therewith.
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29. Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a roll of sheet material, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
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a housing defining an interior for accommodating a roll of sheet material and additionally defining a sheet material outlet communicating within said interior; sheet material engagement means having an outer surface for engaging sheet material unwound from a roll of sheet material within the housing interior; rotatable sheet material feed roller means having an outer feed roller surface with a coefficient of friction greater than that of the outer surface of said sheet material engagement means located adjacent to said sheet material engagement means double-ended shaft means supporting said sheet material feed roller means, said shaft means being pivotally mounted relative to said housing to selectively alternatively move said sheet material feed roller means toward or away from said sheet material engagement means; means for rotating said sheet material feed roller means to transport sheet material engaged by said sheet material feed roller means and said sheet material engagement means toward said sheet material outlet after said double-ended shaft means has been pivoted to move said sheet material feed roller means toward said sheet material engagement means, said sheet material engagement means comprising a rotatable sheet material engagement member and said outer surface being curved; and a tucker member connected to said rotatable sheet material engagement member and responsive to rotational movement of said rotatable sheet material engagement member to move toward a location between said sheet material feed roller means and said rotatable sheet material engagement member to tuck the lead end of a roll of sheet material between said sheet material feed roller means and said rotatable sheet material engagement member.
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Specification