US2534645A - Towel dispensing cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 w. H. WEST 2,534,645

TOWEL DISPENSING CABINET Filed May 28, 194 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I791. fA

INVENTOR. W. H. WEST.

ATTORNEY Dec. 19, E950 w. H. WEST 2,534,645

TOWEL DISPENSING CABINET Filed May 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. w. H. WEST.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a towel cabinet and a dispensing mechanism therefor whereby towels are removed one by one. Mechanism of this type is shown in my Patent 2,440,993 co pending herewith.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction and operation of towel dispensing cabinets; to provide a manuall operated mechanism whereby towels are dispensed one by one; to provide a dispensing mechanism which is automatically locked or dogged against further operation when a towel is dispensed and which requires partial reversal of the mechanism to release the dog or lock before the next towel can be dispensed; to provide a pair of cooperating rollers which require one rotation to dispense a towel, each roller being provided with an extended surface which first functions to engage the free end of the towel and direct it to a central position between the rotors, and second, functions frictionally to engage the free end of the towel and to feed it out through a dispensing slot to a point where it can be grasped and pulled out of the cabinet;

and further, to provide a dispensing mechanism l which requires the use of a folded towel.

The invention is shown b way of illustration in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the towel cabinet;

'Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross section of the same shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a folded towel;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the towel showing it unfolded and flat;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the rotors;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on line VI--VI, said view showing the gears and stop mechanism removed;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation showing a hand crank, the gears rotated thereby, and the stop mechanism;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section of the lower end of the towelcabinet showing the position of the rotors with relation to the position of the mechanism shown in Fig. 7

Fig. -9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the stop mechanism in another position;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the position of the rotor with relation-to the position of the mechanism in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a section ands'ide elevation taken on line XI-XI of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 1-2 is a perspective view of the stop'lever.

Referring to the drawings in-detail, and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, A indicates in general a cabinet which is adapted to contain a stack of paper towels, and B a hand crank which actuates a mechanism whereby the towels are dispensed one b .one. The cabinet has a back section 2 and afront'coveril which is hinged as at 4. The

cabinet also has sides 5 and a bottom consisting of two sections 6-5 spaced apart to form a dispensing slot i. Inner side walls 5a are provided to form spaces '8 and 9, one at each side of the cabinet. These inner side walls form bearing walls fora pair of rotors generally indicated at C and C which will hereinafter be described.

The stack of paper towels indicated at D is supported by a pair of shelf-like members lt-40 which extend between the inner side walls to and each shelf is widest at the middle of its length and becomes narrower toward each end as indicated at ltd-ma. The rotors C and C are disposed below the shelves -l-ll!9 and each is provided with a combination scoop and feeder whereby the towels are dispensed one by one. The rotors are actuated through the crank B and a pair of gear H and i2, and means are provided to automaticallystop rotation of the crank, the gears and the rotors so that only one towel can be dispensed at a time. This is accomplished as follows. The gears H and i2 intermesh and are disposed in the space 9 at one side of the housing. A common shaft M carries the crank B and the gear 1 i. This shaft is journaled in and projects through the side walls 5 and 5c and it is also connected to the rotor C so that when the crank is rotated, gear H and rotor C will rotate in unison and so will the rotor C as it is connected to rotate in unison withthe gear l2 which intermeshes with gear H.

One end of rotor C is carried by shaft I l while the other end is carried by shaft l5. Rotor 'C issu-pported by a shaft it which also carries the gear 12, While the other end of said rotor is supported b a shaft ll.

' One rotation of crank B, gears H and i2, and the rotors C and *C is required to engage the lowermost towel to be dispensed and to feed it through the slot 7 to a point below said slot where it can be grasped and pulled out of the cabinet. When one revolution is completed, the stop mechanism becomes effective. This mechanism-is constructed-as follows. Pivoted on a-pin lflcarried by the inner wall ta isa lever it (see Figs. 7 and 9) and limiting the-pivotal movement of the lever is an arcuate guide member Mia which is provided withstop lugs at each end as indicated at 2| and 23,-respective1y. Formed at the lower end of the lever and extending substantially crosswise of the same is a main stop lug 22, and formed just above said lug at one side of the lever isa secondary stop lug-23. Projeoting from the adjacent face of gear 12 is a pin 24 which is substantially half round incrosssection. Lever t9 and pin .24 normally assume the position shown in Fig. 7,-crank B the dotted line position shown in the same drawing, and the rotors C and C the position shown in Fig. 8, when the towel is to be dispensed. By grasping the hand crank and turning it clockwise, it is obvious that the gears II and 12 will rotate and so will the rotors C and C. During this one rotation a towel is engaged and fed out of the slot l to a point where it can be grasped and pulled out of the cabinet. As the crank B approaches the end of its revolution, pin 2:; will engage the upper face of the secondary stop lug 23 of the lever. As the pin 24 is substantially half round in cross-section, it will pass by said stop lug and will swing the lever to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 9 and will almost immediately engage the main stop lug 22. This stop lug is arcuate in shape, and when the half round pin engages it, the pin tends to seat in the center of said arcuate stop lug and in doing so it swings the lever back about the pivot [8 to assume the full line position shown in Fig. 9.

The crank has now completed slightly more than one revolution, and before another towel can be dispensed, the direction of rotation must be reversed. Hence, the crank is pulled or rotated in an anti-clockwise direction and when it is so rotated, it almost immediately engages the lower surface of the secondary stop lug 23 and thereby swings lever i9 back to the full line position shown in Fig. 7. In this position it engages the stop lug 20 of the arcuate guide [a, and further rotation of the crank is stopped.

The mechanism is now set in its original position 9 and ready for the dispensing of another towel, and this is accomplished by again rotating the crank B in a clockwise rotation.

The type of towel to be dispensed by the cabinet here shown is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The towel, when flattened out, is shown at 26 in Fig. 4. However, before it is placed in the cabinet, it is folded on the score lines at 21-4! shown to form an intermediate section and a top and a bottom fold. It should also be noted that each end of the towel is cut in an angle so that one end of the top and bottom fold will extend further than the other. This is important as will hereinafter be described. The towels are not inter folded when placed in the cabinet. merely placed thereon, one on top of the other, and they rest on the shelves 19. These are spaced apart a considerable distance as shown in Figs. 8 and 10, and as such there is a tendency for the center portion of the stacked towels to bow or sag downwardly. In doing so the lowermost fold of the lowermost towel tends to drop or bend below the shelves if or assume the position shown at 29 in Fig. 8. In order to increase this bending tendency of the lowermost fold, a score line is formed on each fold as indicated at 27a.

The rotors C and C are each provided with a member which serves two functionsfirst that of engaging the downwardly bending lower fold 29 of the lowermost towel and directing it to a center point between the rotor, and second that of feeding the towel through the slot and to a point below the slot I as shown at 29 in Fig. where the towel may be pulled out of the cabinet. The members which perform these two functions are hook-like rotors indicated at 39-39. They are each identical and they extend from end to end of each rotor. The inner surfaces have a scooplike action (see Fig. 2) as one or another of the members will engage the downwardly bent fold 29 of the towel and direct it to a central position between the rotors as shown in dotted lines at 29a (see Fig. 10). The outer surfaces of the members 3!! then engage the towel and function They are as rollers which frictionally grip the towel and feed it down through the slot to the position shown at '29, and it may then be pulled out.

The rotors are fixed one to the shaft 14 and one to the shaft 16, and as these shafts are connected by gears and the gears are actuated by the hand crank B, it is obvious that the rotors will always assume fixed positions with relation to each other. Their normal position when a towel is to be dispensed is shown in Fig. 8. When they have engaged and scooped the towel and brought it to the position shown at 29a, they assume the dotted line position shown at Fig. 10. Further rotation feeds the towel through the slot to a point where it can be grasped and pulled out.

The stop mechanism employed is exceedingly simple and employs only a few parts, to wit the lever l9 and the arcuate guide member [9a together with the pin 24. The movement of the lever is positive as it is actuated by the pin 24 and the movement of the lever is furthermore limited by the stops 2B and 2|. The rotors are identical in construction and are also simple. The portions of the rotor indicated at 3i3l are merely connectors between each end of the respective rotors and the members 30 are extensions of the members 3|. Both the members 38 and 3| will present exterior surfaces which are formed on a true radius from the center of rotation of the rotor, the outer faces of the members 3U3G being such a radial distance from their center of rotation that they will grip and frictionally feed the towel when engaged by these surfaces. Furthermore, there is a slight spring action so that the radius may, if anything, be slightly increased towards the points indicated at 32-32. This may be desirable as it increases the frictional grip of the members 30 when feeding the towel. When the rotors reach the position shown in Fig. 10, the rounded outer surfaces of the members 3l3l function as guides while a towel is being withdrawn.

It was previously stated that the shelves Ill-49 tapered from the middle towards the ends. The angular outer edges Ilia thus formed are disposed on the same angle as the angular cut at each end of the towel, and thus permit the widest end of the lowermost fold to bend down below the shelves, this bending action being further increased by the score lines 27a. The towels when constructed and folded as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be placed up-side-down or downside-up and they may be placed end for end, such changing of position making no difference whatsoever as what is the upper fold when placed in one position becomes the lower fold when placed in another position. The only difference is that the lower fold projecting as shown at 29 will be reversed and will be engaged by the right hand member 36 rather than the left hand member 30 as shown in Fig. 8.

By referring to Figs. 7 and 9 it will be noted that a pawl 4| is shown which engages gear [2. A lug 42 forming a part of the pawl or secured thereto engages a cam carried by gear 12. This cam raises the pawl out of engagement with the teeth of the gear during the reverse movement of the crank and gears, but at any other position the pawl engages the teeth of the gear and prevents reverse rotation except at the proper time, and while this and other features of the invention have been more or less specifically described and illustrated, it should be understood that changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims and that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience or judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or varying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a towel dispensing cabinet of the character described, a pair of cooperating rotors mounted for rotation on fixed axes for engaging a downwardly hanging fold on a towel and for feeding it through a discharge slot formed in the cabinet, said rotors both having a hooklike raised portion extending substantially from end to end thereof, said raised portions being circumferentially arcuate in cross section to define a radially inner surface and radially outer surface, said radially inner surface of said hooklike portion engaging the downwardly hanging end of a towel fold and directing it to a central point between the rotors, and said radially outer surfaces of said hook-like portions frictionally engaging opposite sides of the towel fold and feeding it out through said slot.

2. In a towel dispensing cabinet of the character described, a pair of cooperating rotors for engaging a downwardly hanging fold on a towel and for feeding it through a discharge slot formed in the cabinet a sufficient distance to permit it to be grasped to pull the towel out of the cabinet, a pair of gears connecting the rotors to cause them to rotate in unison, a manually operated crank for rotating one of the gears, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent one of the gears, a main and a secondary stop lug formed on said lever, a pin projecting from the face of an adjacent gear, said pin during rotation of said gear engaging an upper face of the main lug and swinging the lever about its pivot to permit the pin to pass by said lug, said pin engaging the secondary lug and seating thereon to stop rotation of the gears when they have made one revolution, said hand crank being reversible in rotation and when reversible rotates the gears in a reverse direction to bring the pin into engagement with a lower surface of the main lug and again swing the lever about its pivot, and means to limit said last named swinging movement of the lever.

3. In a towel dispensing cabinet of the character described, a pair of cooperating rotors for engaging a downwardly hangingfold on a towel and for feeding it through a discharge slot formed in the cabinet a sufficient distance to permit it to be grasped to pull the towel out of the cabinet, a pair of gears connectingthe rotors to cause them to rotate in unison, a manually operated crank for rotating one of the gears, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent one of the gears, a main and a secondary stop lug formed on said lever, a pin projecting from the face of an adjacent gear, said pin during rotation of said gear engaging an upper face of the main lug and swinging the lever about its pivot to permit the pin to pass by said lug, said pin engaging the secondary lugand seating thereon to stop rotation of the gears when they have made on revolution, said hand crank being reversible in rotation and when reversible rotates the gears in a reverse direction to bring the pin into engagement with a lower surface of the main lug and again swing the lever about its pivot, means to limit said last named swinging movement of the lever, a pawl normally engaging one of the gears and preventing reverse rotation thereof, and a cam on one of the gears engageable with the pawl to raise it ofi the teeth of the gears when the pin moves in a reverse direction to bring the pin into engagement with the lower face of the main lug on the lever.

4. In a sheet towel dispenser, means for supporting a towel sheet with a freely extending portion, a pair of rotors spaced from said portion, circumferentially extending arcuate hooks on said rotors for deflecting, engaging and advancing towel sheets, and means for operating said rotors in unison and in symmetry to deflect said portion by contact with the inner surface of one of said hooks into a position to be engaged and advanced between the outer surfaces of said arcuate hooks.

5. In a towel dispensing cabinet having a dispensingslot in the bottom thereof and having a compartment formed therein for the reception of a stack of separately folded paper towels with straight ends, a pair of shelves disposed above and to either side of said slot to support the stacked towels, said shelves being spaced apart to permit the lower fold on each towel when it reaches the lowermost position to hang downwardly between the shelves, a pair of rotors disposed beneath the shelves for rotation on fixed axes parallel to said slot, mechanism for rotating the rotors in phase, each of said rotors having in cross section from end to end an arcuate circumferentially extending hook-like member functioning during a portion of the rotation of the rotors to engage with its inner surface the downwardly hanging towel fold and to direct said fold toward said dispensing slot, and the outer surfaces of the hook-like members during another portion of rotation of the rotors engaging the towel fold between them to feed the towel through said slot.

6. In a towel dispensing cabinet having a dispensing slot in the bottom thereof and having a compartment formed therein for the reception of a stack of separately folded paper towels with straight ends, a pair of shelves disposed above and to eithe side of said slot to support the stacked towels, said shelves beingspaced apart to permit the lower fold on each towel when it reaches the lowermost position to hang downwardly between the shelves, a pair of rotors disposed beneath the shelves for rotation on fixed axes, mechanism for rotating the rotors in phase, each of said rotors having a uniform cross section from end to end and including a portion of small radius and a circumferentially extending hooklike arcuate portion of large radius, said hooklike functioning during a portion of the rotation of the rotor to engage and direct said downwardly hanging towel fold toward said dispensing slot, and the hook-like portion of the two rotors during another portion of rotation of the rotors engaging said directed towel fold between them to feed said towel through said slot, and said portion of small radius functioning to guide the towel from the shelves toward the dispensing slot.

WILFRED H. WEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,362,817 Parsons Dec. 21, 1920 1,433,862 Wheeler Oct. 31, 1922 2,440,993 West May 4, 1948

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