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Apparatus for dispensing individually predetermined lengths of a web material

  • US 6,328,245 B1
  • Filed: 03/05/1998
  • Issued: 12/11/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for dispensing a predetermined length of a web material from a roll of wound web material, said apparatus comprising:

  • a housing;

    unwinding means for unwinding web material from the roll, the unwinding means comprising an unwinding surface for reception and support of the roll, and unwinding conveying means for unwinding web material from the roll when positioned on the unwinding surface with the roll axis transversely to a conveying direction of the unwinding conveying means;

    severing means for separating web material from the roll; and

    conveying means for capturing a leading free end of unwound web material hanging by gravity downstream from said unwinding surface and for conveying said unwound web material from the unwinding means to the severing means, said conveying means including;

    a pivotable frame pivotally attached to said housing and pivotable about a first pivot axis;

    rotary measuring means attached to said pivotable frame for automatically engaging the web material and for measuring a predetermined length of web material conveyed to the severing means;

    a rocker arm pivotally attached to said pivotable frame and pivotable about a second pivot axis;

    pressure means attached to said rocker arm for pressing the web material against the rotary measuring means and for automatically bringing the unwound web material into forced operating engagement with the rotary measuring means so that the predetermined length of unwound web material can be automatically conveyed to the severing means, the severing means and the conveying means being adapted to cooperate with the rotary measuring means, so that the predetermined length of web material can be separated from the roll, said pressure means being displaceable from a first position to a second position, said rotary measuring means and said pressure means being spaced-apart and located on opposite sides of a path of the leading free end of the unwound web material hanging by gravity downstream from said unwinding surface when said rotary measuring means and said pressure means are in said first position, and said pressure means pressing the unwound web material against said rotary measuring means when said rotary measuring means and said pressure means are in said second position;

    sensing means for sensing the presence of the leading free end of the unwound web material in said path;

    displacing means for pivoting said rocker arm about said second pivot axis to move said pressure means from said first position to said second position to capture the leading free end of the unwound web material between said pressure means and said measuring means, and for pivoting said pivotable frame about said first pivot axis to move said measuring means together with said pressure means to a third position spaced horizontally downstream from said unwinding surface; and

    control means for actuating said displacing means to displace said pressure means from said first position to said second position upon detection of the leading free end of the unwound web material in said path by said sensing means, and to displace said pivotable frame about said first pivot axis to move said measuring means together with said pressure means to said third position.

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