Power transfer system apparatus

• US 6,736,348 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
• Inventors: Isaksson, Will, Murphy, James H., Dowd, Paul, Morris, Andrew, Formon, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schlak, Daniel K
• Application Number:
  US09/604,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 242/564.4, 242/560, 242/563, 242/560.1, 242/559.4
• US Class Current: 242/560.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3612 with drive and pinch rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/3687 with one or more reserve rolls

Abstract

A paper towel dispenser which provides for hands free, automatic feeding of the first sheet of a primary web roll, such as a paper towel roll, into a feed mechanism when its cover is closed. The dispenser also automatically transfers its web feed supply from a primary roll to a reserve roll upon the exhaustion of the primary roll. The present invention eliminates the need for an attendant to thread the leading edge of a primary or reserve roll into the feed mechanism of the dispenser. The dispenser also eliminates wasted paper because it does not begin to feed the reserve roll until the primary roll has expired. The dispenser can include either a manual feed mechanism or a powered feed mechanism. The dispenser relies on a sensor for determining when a portion of the web is absent from a side of the feed mechanism proximate a web discharge opening. When such an absence is sensed, an automatic, powered web transfer mechanism contacts the web located in front of the feed mechanism and positions it between the rollers of the feed mechanism. The transfer mechanism includes a web transfer member and a motor for driving the transfer member in the direction of the feed mechanism. The dispenser also includes a retraction mechanism for returning the transfer bar to a rest position after the web has been introduced into the feed mechanism.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing a flexible web, said apparatus comprising:

a chassis including a web discharge opening;

a feed mechanism for advancing first and second webs to the web discharge opening;

a sensor for determining when the first web is absent from a side of the feed mechanism; and

an automatic web transfer mechanism including a web transfer member for engaging the second web and a motor for driving said transfer member in response to a signal of said sensor from a rest position where said web transfer member is spaced from said feed mechanism to a web feed position where said web transfer member is in contact with the second web and positions the second web in a feed nip of the feed mechanism.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said transfer member includes a transfer bar having a plurality of web engaging members for introducing the second web into said feed mechanism.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said transfer bar is pivotally connected to the chassis for rotating relative thereto.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a transfer bar retraction mechanism for returning the transfer bar to the rest position after the second web has been sensed proximate the discharge opening.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said transfer mechanism further comprises a drive gear secured to an output drive shaft of said motor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said transfer bar includes a plurality of transfer fingers for engaging the second web and advancing said second web toward the feeding mechanism.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said transfer mechanism further comprises a transfer gear and a transfer link extending between said transfer gear and said transfer bar.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said transfer bar is pivotally connected to said chassis.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said chassis includes a front cover which supports said transfer bar when said transfer bar is in the rest position.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said transfer link includes an open transfer bar engaging hook which permits said transfer bar to rotate away from said chassis.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor includes a photo sensor for sensing the absence of the first web and activating the web transfer mechanism.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is positioned along a web discharge path between said feed mechanism and said web discharge opening for determining the absence of the first web on a discharge side of the feed mechanism.

13. A web dispenser comprising:

a chassis including a web discharge opening;

a feed mechanism for advancing first and second webs to the web discharge opening;

a photo sensor for determining when the first web is absent from a side of the feed mechanism; and

an automatic web transfer mechanism including a web transfer member for introducing the second web into said feed mechanism, wherein said web transfer mechanism moves from a rest position where said web transfer member is spaced from said feed mechanism to a web feed position where said web transfer member is in contact with the second web and positions the second web in a feed nip of said feed mechanism for feeding the second web when the absence of the first web is sensed within the dispenser.

14. The web dispenser according to claim 13 further comprising a motor for driving said transfer member from said rest position toward said feed mechanism.

15. The web dispenser according to claim 13 wherein said transfer member includes a transfer bar having a plurality of web engaging members for contacting the second web and positioning the second web in said feed mechanism.

16. The web dispenser according to claim 15 wherein said transfer bar is pivotally connected to the chassis for rotating relative thereto.

17. The web dispenser according to claim 15 further comprising a transfer bar retraction mechanism for returning the transfer bar to the rest position after the second web has been sensed proximate the web discharge opening.

18. The web dispenser of claim 13 wherein said sensor is positioned along a web discharge path between said feed mechanism and said web discharge opening for determining the absence of the first web on a discharge side of the feed mechanism.

19. The web dispenser of claim 13 wherein said transfer mechanism further includes a motor that operates in response to a web absence signal from said sensor, wherein said motor causes said transfer member to move from said rest position to said web feed position.

20. A web dispenser comprising:

a chassis including a web discharge opening;

a feed mechanism for advancing first and second webs to the web discharge opening;

a sensor for determining when a leading edge of the first web is absent from a discharge side of the feed mechanism;

an automatic web transfer mechanism including a web transfer member for moving from a rest position where said web transfer member is spaced from said feed mechanism to a web feed position where the web transfer member is in contact with the second web for introducing the second web into a nip of the feed mechanism; and

a retraction mechanism for returning said transfer member to the rest position after the second web has been introduced to said feed mechanism.

21. The dispenser according to claim 20 wherein said retraction mechanism comprises at least one spring biased member secured to said transfer mechanism.

22. The dispenser according to claim 20 wherein said transfer mechanism includes a transfer gear operatively connected to said transfer member and a motor for driving said transfer gear such that said transfer member moves from the rest position toward said feed mechanism;

and wherein said retraction mechanism includes a spring having a first end secured to said transfer gear.

23. The dispenser according to claim 20 wherein said transfer mechanism includes a motor for driving said transfer member toward said feed mechanism, and said retraction mechanism comprises a reverse drive portion of said motor.

24. The dispenser according to claim 20 wherein said transfer member includes a transfer bar having a plurality of web engaging members for introducing the second web into said feed mechanism.

25. The dispenser according to claim 24 wherein said transfer bar is pivotally connected to the chassis for rotating relative thereto.

26. The dispenser according to claim 20 wherein said sensor is a photo sensor.

27. The dispenser of claim 20 wherein said sensor is positioned along a web discharge path between said feed mechanism and said web discharge opening for determining the absence of the first web on the discharge side of the feed mechanism.

28. The dispenser of claim 20 wherein said transfer mechanism further includes a motor that operates in response to a web absence signal from said sensor, wherein said motor causes said transfer member to move from said rest position to said web feed position.

29. A method of positioning a web in a feed mechanism of a dispenser, said method comprising the steps of:

a) positioning a leading edge of at least one of a first and a second web proximate a first side of the feed mechanism;

b) sensing the absence of the first web on a second side of said feed mechanism;

c) activating a powered transfer drive mechanism;

d) automatically advancing a transfer bar from a rest position, where said transfer bar is spaced from said feed mechanism, toward the feed mechanism after the absence of the first web has been sensed;

e) engaging said second web with said transfer bar; and

f) advancing the second web into said feed mechanism.

30. The method according to claim 29 further including the steps of:

a) opening a cover of the dispenser;

b) moving the transfer bar away from the feed mechanism to an open cover position; and

c) loading at least one of the first and second webs into the dispenser.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein said at least one of said first and second webs is loaded into the dispenser before the leading edge is positioned proximate the feed mechanism.

32. The method according to claim 30 further including the step of moving the transfer bar from the open cover position to the rest position by closing the cover of the dispenser.

33. The method according to claim 29 wherein the step of automatically advancing the transfer bar includes rotating the transfer bar from said rest position to a web engaging position.

34. The method according to claim 33 further including the step of automatically returning the transfer bar from the web engaging position to the rest position after the second web has been sensed on the second side of said feed mechanism.

35. The method of claim 29 wherein said engaging step includes engaging said second web with a plurality of positioning members extending from said transfer bar in the direction of the feed mechanism.

36. A dispenser for dispensing a flexible sheet material, said dispenser comprising:

a chassis including a web discharge opening;

a feed mechanism for advancing first and second webs to the web discharge opening;

a sensor for detecting an absence of the first web from a discharge side of the feed mechanism; and

an automatic web transfer mechanism for introducing the second web into said feed mechanism, said web transfer mechanism including a web transfer member and a motor, wherein when the absence of the first web is sensed within the dispenser said motor is operated and said web transfer member moves from a rest position where said web transfer member is spaced from said feed mechanism to a web feeding position proximate said feed mechanism for positioning a portion of the second web proximate the feed mechanism.

37. The dispenser of claim 36 wherein said motor drives said web transfer member from said rest position to said web feeding position.

38. The dispenser of claim 36 wherein said feed mechanism includes a feed nip for receiving the portion of the second web.