Rolled web dispenser and cutting apparatus

• US 6,079,305 A
• Filed: 06/05/1997
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Bloch, Nathan D., Frazier, Alan D., O'Brien, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TROIANO, DOMINIC
• Application Number:
  US08/870,099
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 83/649, 83/650, 83/396, 83/436.3, 83/648, 83/335, 225/106, 225/14, 225/16, 225/12, 226/183, 242/564.1, 242/564.3, 242/564.4, 242/566, 242/615
• US Class Current: 83/335
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3643 by pulling the paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/10 in unwinding mechanisms or in connection with unwinding operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/04 longitudinally
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/06 by retarding devices, e.g. acting on web-roll spindle
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2407/10 Safety means, e.g. for preventing injuries or illegal operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/006 with means for delivering a predetermined length of tape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4807 With one-revolution drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/896 Rotatable wound package supply

Abstract

A roll towel dispenser is operative to deliver and sever sheets of web from a roll of towel. The dispenser comprises a housing defining a compartment in which the roll of towel is maintained. A drive roller is supported by a frame attached to the housing. Cutting means interconnected with the drive roller operate to sever a sheet of web from the roll of material in predetermined lengths. First and second guide rollers, each supported by the frame, form respective nips with the drive roller. The drive roller is driven by the action of a user pulling on a tail of the roll, which passes through the nips and extends from the housing. A plurality of guide clips, each attached to the guide rollers at aligned annular grooves defined therein, encircle a peripheral segment of the drive roller. The guide clips function to bias the first and second guide rollers toward the drive roller and assist in threading the roll towel through the nips.

Claims

1. A roll towel dispenser for delivering and severing sheets of web from a roll of towel comprising:

(a) a rear housing;

(b) a front housing closable on said rear housing to form a compartment;

(c) a dispensing slot through said front housing;

(d) means for supporting the roll of towel in said compartment;

(e) a frame mounted within said compartment;

(f) a drive roller rotatably supported on said frame, said drive roller having a slot therein;

(g) a cutting blade support member rotatably supported on said frame substantially parallel to said drive roller, said cutting blade support member having a cutting blade extending therefrom;

(h) a first guide roller supported by said frame and a second guide roller supported by said frame, said first guide roller forming a first nip with said drive roller, said second guide roller forming a second nip with said drive roller, said drive roller being driven by the action of a user pulling on a tail of the roll of towel passing through said first and second nips and extending through said dispensing slot;

(i) a drive gear attached to said drive roller;

(j) a spur gear attached to said cutting blade support member, said spur gear operatively connected with said drive gear such that rotation of said drive gear will cause rotation of said cutting blade support member and said cutting blade will be inserted into said slot to perforate the web allowing the user to separate a sheet of the web from the roll of towel;

said first guide roller and said second guide roller each defining at least one annular groove therein, said at least one annular groove of respective of said first guide roller and said second guide roller aligning with one another; and

at least one guide clip extending from said first guide roller to said second guide roller so as to encircle a peripheral segment of the drive roller and define a web travel path thereabout, said at least one guide clip being connected to said guide rollers at a respective of said annular grooves.

2. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a spring-loaded mechanism to facilitate rotation of said cutting blade into said slot of said drive roller.

3. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cutting blade and said slot in said drive roller are chevron shaped.

4. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cutting blade includes a plurality of teeth having points at the distal end thereof and which perforate the web as said teeth enter said slot in said drive roller.

5. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 4, wherein said cutting blade is comprised of two segments, each of said segments having a transverse bend therein substantially parallel to a line containing said points of said teeth.

6. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second guide rollers each include a plurality of said annular grooves to which a plurality of said guide clips are connected.

7. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 6, wherein said guide clips bias said first and second guide rollers toward the drive roller.

8. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cutting blade defines a plurality of blade slots through which said guide clips extend as said cutting blade rotates through said slot in said drive roller.

9. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 6, wherein said frame defines guide clip positioners engaging said guide clips to support said guide clips in a predetermined vertical orientation.

10. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 6, wherein said guide clips and said drive roller are located to provide a gap of about 1/16" to about 1/8" therebetween.

11. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 6, wherein said frame and said drive roller block access to said cutting blade when said front housing is in an open position from said rear housing.

12. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of annular slots defined in said drive roller;

a plurality of fins projecting from said front housing into said annular slots, said fins stripping the web from said drive roller and guiding the web to said dispensing slot.

13. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1, further configured to maintain therein both a first roll of towel and a second roll of towel.

14. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 13, further comprising an automatic transfer system operative to feed a tail of said first roll to said drive roller when said second roll has been exhausted to a predetermined extent.

15. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 14, wherein said automatic transfer system comprises:

(a) a pair of first rocker arms pivotally mounted at opposite ends of said cutting blade support member, each of said first rocker arms including a sensor support member and a gear member;

(b) a sensing means affixed to each of said sensor support members and spanning therebetween;

(c) a pair of second rocker arms pivotally mounted to the frame at opposite sides thereof, each of said second rocker arms including a transfer rod support member and a geared surface, each of said geared surfaces meshing with one of said gear members;

(d) a transfer rod affixed to each of said transfer rod support members and spanning therebetween;

(e) means for attaching the tail of the second roll of towel to said transfer rod; and

(f) biasing means for biasing said sensing means against an outside surface of said first roll of towel such that as the first roll is depleted, said sensing means remains in contact with the outside surface of said first roll of towel, the resulting rotational movement of said first pair of rocker arms driving rotation of said second pair of rocker arms through the interaction of said geared surfaces with said gear members thereby moving said transfer rod and the tail of the second roll of towel toward said first nip, the tail of the second roll of towel being delivered to said first nip when said first roll has exhausted to said predetermined extent.

16. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a braking mechanism operative to provide a positive stop to said drive roller when a predetermined length of web has been withdrawn by a user.

17. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 16, wherein said braking mechanism comprises:

(a) a jumping cam affixed to said spur gear, said jumping cam including one radial step;

(b) a pair of brackets extending from said frame proximate to said spur gear;

(c) a shock absorbing member mounted between said brackets and adapted for intermittent, bidirectional rotational movement about an axis of said cutting blade support member, said shock absorbing member including a shaft therein;

(d) spring means biasing said shock absorbing member to a normal position;

(e) a slotted piston residing in said shaft;

(f) a cam follower projecting from said piston, said cam follower interacting with said jumping cam when the cutting blade support member is rotated such that said piston is caused to reciprocate within said shaft;

(g) a brake stop extending from said piston toward said spur gear; and

(h) a gear stop extending from said spur gear toward said piston, said piston moving to a position wherein said brake stop is rammed by said gear stop after a predetermined length of web has been extracted by a user thereby interfering with further rotational movement of said spur gear and thereby preventing the user from causing the web to free spool from the dispenser, said jumping cam then allowing the piston to fall within the shaft moving such that said brake stop no longer interferes with gear stop allowing the user to extract another predetermined length of web.

18. A roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive roller is rotatably supported along a first longitudinal axis and said cutting blade support member is rotatably supported along a second longitudinal axis, said second longitudinal axis being located more rearward in said compartment and at least as far as said first longitudinal axis from a bottom portion of said housing.

19. A roll towel dispenser for delivering and severing sheets of web from a roll of towel comprising:

(a) a housing defining a compartment in which the roll of towel is maintained;

(b) means for supporting the roll of towel in said compartment;

(c) a frame attached to said housing;

(d) a drive roller rotatably supported on said frame;

(e) cutting means mechanically interconnected with said drive roller for severing a sheet of web from the roll of towel, said sheet having a predetermined length;

(f) a first guide roller supported by said frame and a second guide roller supported by said frame, said first guide roller forming a first nip with said drive roller, said second guide roller forming a second nip with said drive roller, said drive roller being driven by the action of a user pulling on a tail of the roll of towel passing through said first and second nips and extending from said housing;

(g) a plurality of annular grooves in said first guide roller and a plurality of annular grooves in said second guide roller, said annular grooves in said first guide roller aligning with respective of said annular grooves in said second guide roller; and

(h) a plurality of guide clips attached to said first and second guide rollers at said annular grooves, each of said guide clips encircling a peripheral segment of the drive roller, said guide clips biasing the first and second guide rollers toward the drive roller, said guide clips assisting in threading the roll towel through said first and second nips.

20. A web guide system for defining a web travel path in a dispenser, the web guide system comprising:

(a) a drive roller rotatably mounted within said dispenser;

(b) a first guide roller and a second guide roller rotatably mounted within the dispenser to form respective first and second nips with said drive roller;

(c) a plurality of annular grooves in first guide roller and a plurality of annular grooves in said second guide roller, said annular grooves in said first guide roller aligning with said annular grooves in said second guide roller; and

(d) a plurality of guide clips attached to said first and second guide rollers at said annular grooves, each of said guide clips encircling a peripheral segment of said drive roller to define the web travel path.

21. A web system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said guide clips bias said first guide roller and said second guide roller toward said drive roller.