Web transfer mechanism for flexible sheet dispenser
First Claim
1. A web transfer mechanism for providing, in a flexible sheet material dispenser, automatic transfer of web feed from a working roll to a reserve roll, comprising:
- a pair of feed rollers forming a nip for receiving a leading end of a sheet material web, a first one of said feed rollers including at least one circumferential groove;
a first arm movably mounted adjacent and to one side of said first feed roller, said first arm including a web transfer finger, said finger being movable into contact with a leading end portion of a sheet material web from said reserve roll, positioned on said one side of the first feed roller, to a transfer position close enough to said first feed roller to move said leading end portion into the vicinity of said nip such that upon driving of the feed rollers the web of the reserve roll is carried through the nip and along a path avoiding subsequent contact of the web with said finger;
a second arm movably mounted adjacent and to a second side of said first feed roller, said second arm including a web sensing finger biased toward said feed roller into a web-present sensing position wherein said sensing finger rides lightly upon the surface of a sheet material web as it passes around said first feed roller, and such that when no sheet material web is present said sensing finger moves into a no-web-present position within a said at least one circumferential groove;
a stop arm connected to said second arm, said stop arm being movable to a stop position preventing said web transfer finger from moving into said transfer position when said web sensing finger is in said web-present sensing position, said stop arm being movable with said second arm to a release position allowing said web transfer finger to move into said transfer position when said second arm moves into said no-web-present position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dispenser sequentially dispenses web material from a working web roll and then a reserve web roll. A web sensing mechanism senses the presence of the working web at a back side of the main feed roller and introduces the leading end of the reserve web roll to a feed nip defined by two feed rollers immediately after the trailing end of the working web roll passes over a back side of the feed roller. Web sensing, and controlled introduction of the leading end of the reserve web to the feed nip, are carried out by a simple and effective interaction of a grooved main feed roller, and a pair of pivotable lever arms—a web sensing arm mounted at the backside of the rollers, and a transfer arm mounted at the front side. The mechanism avoids double feeding of web by sensing the presence or absence of web at the back-side of the main feed roller. Transfer fingers of the transfer arm are movable against the reserve roll web and into corresponding grooves in the main feed roller such that a leading end portion of the reserve roll web is reliably moved into the vicinity feed roller nip, where serrations provided in the edges of the grooves facilitate a gripping of the leading end portion to pull the web through the nip. The feed path is arranged to extend away from the transfer fingers so as to avoid interference of the transfer fingers with the subsequent feeding of the web.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A web transfer mechanism for providing, in a flexible sheet material dispenser, automatic transfer of web feed from a working roll to a reserve roll, comprising:
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a pair of feed rollers forming a nip for receiving a leading end of a sheet material web, a first one of said feed rollers including at least one circumferential groove;
a first arm movably mounted adjacent and to one side of said first feed roller, said first arm including a web transfer finger, said finger being movable into contact with a leading end portion of a sheet material web from said reserve roll, positioned on said one side of the first feed roller, to a transfer position close enough to said first feed roller to move said leading end portion into the vicinity of said nip such that upon driving of the feed rollers the web of the reserve roll is carried through the nip and along a path avoiding subsequent contact of the web with said finger;
a second arm movably mounted adjacent and to a second side of said first feed roller, said second arm including a web sensing finger biased toward said feed roller into a web-present sensing position wherein said sensing finger rides lightly upon the surface of a sheet material web as it passes around said first feed roller, and such that when no sheet material web is present said sensing finger moves into a no-web-present position within a said at least one circumferential groove;
a stop arm connected to said second arm, said stop arm being movable to a stop position preventing said web transfer finger from moving into said transfer position when said web sensing finger is in said web-present sensing position, said stop arm being movable with said second arm to a release position allowing said web transfer finger to move into said transfer position when said second arm moves into said no-web-present position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A web transfer mechanism for providing, in a flexible sheet material dispenser, automatic transfer of web feed from a working roll to a reserve roll, comprising:
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a pair of feed rollers forming a nip for receiving a leading end of a sheet material web, a first one of said feed rollers including at least one circumferential groove with serrations formed in a sidewall thereof; and
a web transfer arm movably mounted adjacent said first feed roller, said arm being movable into contact with a leading end portion of a sheet material web from said reserve roll, positioned on a side of the first feed roller, to a transfer position close enough to said first feed roller to move said leading end portion into the vicinity of said nip such that upon driving of the feed rollers the web of the reserve roll is gripped by said first feed roller, assisted by said serrations, and carried through the nip. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification