Dispenser housing with motorized roller transport
First Claim
1. For use with an electrically powered dispenser, a material transport mechanism comprising:
- a drive roller formed about an electrically conductive drive roller shaft and extending longitudinally along a drive roller axis;
a pinch roller formed about an electrically conductive pinch roller shaft and extending longitudinally along a pinch roller axis parallel to the drive roller axis; and
a unitary mounting bracket further comprising;
a first side plate for supporting a first respective end of each of the two shafts,a second side plate for supporting a second respective end of each of the two shafts, anda mounting bar attached between the two side plates;
wherein;
the unitary mounting bracket including both the two side plates and the mounting bar is integrally formed from a single sheet of electrically conductive material, the unitary mounting bracket providing a static electricity discharge path from each of the drive roller and the pinch roller through their respective shafts.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrically powered dispenser for paper towels uses a special roller bracket to provide not only proper positioning and support for the drive and pinch roller shafts, but also tension and grounding between the drive and pinch rollers, thereby producing a dispenser that is both reliable to operate and simple to assemble. The mounting bracket is integrally formed from a single sheet of conductive material and preferably includes a pair of side plates connected by a mounting bar which includes an integrally formed tear bar portion for cutting the material after it has been transported past the rollers. Each side plate incorporates a flexible bridge (arm) portion for biasing each of the two shafts against a respective bearing portion to thereby complete a static discharge path from the rollers to the mounting bar without requiring any separate springs, contacts or wires. In a preferred embodiment, a door mounted projection blade assists in proper paper loading, a removable top cover functions as a universal mounting bracket, and flexible paper protection fingers discourage unwanted contact between the paper and the tear bar.
166 Citations
18 Claims
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1. For use with an electrically powered dispenser, a material transport mechanism comprising:
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a drive roller formed about an electrically conductive drive roller shaft and extending longitudinally along a drive roller axis; a pinch roller formed about an electrically conductive pinch roller shaft and extending longitudinally along a pinch roller axis parallel to the drive roller axis; and a unitary mounting bracket further comprising; a first side plate for supporting a first respective end of each of the two shafts, a second side plate for supporting a second respective end of each of the two shafts, and a mounting bar attached between the two side plates; wherein; the unitary mounting bracket including both the two side plates and the mounting bar is integrally formed from a single sheet of electrically conductive material, the unitary mounting bracket providing a static electricity discharge path from each of the drive roller and the pinch roller through their respective shafts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for assembling a mechanism for transporting and cutting a web of material, comprising:
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providing a drive roller and a pinch roller each having respective electrically conductive drive roller and pinch roller shafts; forming an integral mounting bracket from a sheet of electrically conductive material, said bracket having a pair of side plate portions oriented in respective parallel planes separated by a connecting tear bar, each said side plate portion including a fixed bearing surface for supporting the drive roller shaft and a flexible spring arm terminated by a moveable bearing surface for supporting the pinch roller shaft, the spring arm being formed and positioned to provide a tension force for urging the pinch roller into contact with the drive roller, the mounting bracket providing a static electricity discharge path from each of the drive roller and the pinch roller through their respective shafts; securing the tear bar to a housing; providing a chassis with a pair of end plates for positioning the drive roller and pinch roller shafts and with a plurality of ribs for guiding said web from inside said housing, past said tear bar, and out of said housing; forming a chassis assembly, further comprising; installing the drive roller assembly into the chassis with the drive roller shaft inserted into the end plates, mounting a motor to the chassis, and coupling a gear train between the motor and the drive roller shaft; inserting the chassis assembly into the housing between the side plates such that the drive roller shaft is free to make ohmic contact with the fixed bearing surfaces; securing the chassis assembly to the housing and to the mounting bracket; displacing the spring arms away from the chassis assembly and inserting the pinch roller assembly into the end plates; and aligning the moveable bearing surfaces with the respective ends of the pinch roller shaft such that said tension force is applied between the pinch roller and the drive roller. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A dispenser for roll toweling comprising:
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a housing having a storage cavity defined therein adapted for receiving a roll of toweling; a discharge chute leading from said storage cavity to the exterior of said housing; a drive roll, a nip roll and a drive motor, said motor being adapted to drive said drive roll, said drive roll and said nip roll being disposed adjacent to said discharge chute and adapted for advancing toweling through said discharge chute upon rotation of said drive roll by said motor; a door hingedly mounted on said housing, movable by rotation between an open position and a closed position, said door having an insertion blade mounted thereupon; said cavity, drive roll, nip roll, door, and insertion blade being arranged such that upon installing a roll of toweling in said storage cavity and draping of a free end of said toweling over said insertion blade, the free end of said toweling is inserted between said drive roll and said nip roll upon rotation of said door into said closed position. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A dispenser for roll toweling comprising:
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a housing having a storage cavity defined therein adapted for receiving a roll of toweling; a discharge chute leading from said storage cavity to the exterior of said housing, said discharge chute being adapted to receive toweling from said roll; a drive roll, a nip roll and a drive motor, said motor being adapted to drive said drive roll, said drive roll and said nip roll being disposed adjacent to said discharge chute and adapted for advancing toweling through said discharge chute upon rotation of said drive roll by said motor; a tear bar mounted adjacent said discharge chute; at least one movable finger mounted adjacent said tear bar, between said tear bar and said storage cavity, said at least one movable finger being movable between a guard position and a retracted position, said movable finger being biased toward said guard position and movable into said retracted position upon imposition of tension upon toweling disposed within said discharge chute, movement of said movable finger into said guard position clearing residual toweling from said tear bar.
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Specification