US2859814A - Control system for dispenser for strip material - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 11,1958 I J. c. BERNEY 2,859,814

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DISPENSER FOR STRIP MATERIAL Filed Feb. 6, 1956 cl'osE/ H CI BEE/way,

INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 11, 1958 CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DISPENSER FOR STRIP MATERIAL Joseph C. Berney, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Towlsaver, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif a corporation of California Application February 6, 1956, Serial No. 563,510 4 Claims. (Cl. 16484.5)

This invention relates to a control system for dispensers for strip material which is customarily supplied by the manufacturer in roll form.

, In describing the construction and operation of the quality control mechanism, it will be illustrated as embodied in a dispenser for roll paper towels but it is, of course, not intended that the principles of the invention be limited to such a specific application since it is readily conceivable that it may be applied to dispensers for other types of material. 1

As is Well known to those skilled in the art, paper toweling is provided in rolls of different sizes containing paper toweling of different qualities. For instance, it is now conventional practice to provide paper towels not intended for use in drying the hands, but for use as machine and tool wipers in manufacturing plants and special dispensers are set up in the manufacturing plants for the reception of rolls of such towels. On the other hand, roll paper toweling dispensers for ordinary bathroom use are provided in the restrooms for the reception of conventional roll paper toweling of predetermined quality.

Furthermore, machines of the character under consideration here are usually intended for the reception of a roll of toweling of predetermined size containing an established quantity of toweling which will permit the custodian who services the restroom to determine, in a general way, when refilling of the towel dispenser is necessary. When the towel dispenser is refilled with the brand of toweling for which it is designed, no problems arise since the purchaser of the toweling and the custodian can be assured that the same quantity of toweling of known quality is being provided. On the other hand, there are many toweling suppliers who pro vide rolls of toweling of inferior quality and smaller quantity and, therefore, the installation of such substitute rolls of toweling involves injury both to the purchaser of the toweling and to the individual utilizing the toweling.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a control system for a roll toweling dispenser whereby the substitution of a roll of toweling of inadequate size or of different quality from that customarily installed in the dispenser may be detected and whereby the discharge of such toweling from the dispenser may be prevented.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a control system of the aforementioned type which is incorporated in the towel dispenser and which is adapted to be utilized in conjunction with roll toweling of a predetermined configuration. Therefore, as the toweling is dispensed, the control mechanism incorporated in the housing of the towel dispenser will sense the presence of the configuration and will permit the toweling to be dispensed from the towel dispenser. On the other hand, should the control mechanism detect the absence 'of the configuration from the toweling being dispensed from the dispenser, it is adapted to treat or otherwise mark the toweling in order that means for preventing the discharge of the inferior toweling from the dispenser may operate upon said toweling and prevent the dis-. charge thereof.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a control mechanism for a roll towel dispenser which includes a sensing member adapted to sense the presence or absence of a configuration on the roll toweling as it is dispensed, said sensing member being provided with means for automatically deforming, marking, or other: wise treating the strip of toweling as it is fed through the dispenser to prepare it, prior to its advance to means for preventing the discharge of the strip of toweling so deformed, marked or treated in order that the means for preventing the discharge of the toweling will op.- erate upon the marked, deformed, or treated strip of toweling and prevent the discharge thereof from the towel dispenser.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing which is for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a paper towel dispenser incorporating the control mechanism of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view showing the manner in which one form of the control mechanism of my invention can be incorporated in the dispensing mechanism of the towel dispenser shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view taken from the broken line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the sensing member of the control mechanism of my invention initiates its sensing cycle;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the sensing member detecting the presence of the configuration on the toweling being dispensed; and

Fig. 6 is a view showing the manner in which an inferior or inappropriate roll of toweling is altered and marked by the sensing member of the sensing mechanism to permit the means for preventing the discharge of such toweling to operate upon an altered portion thereof and prevent discharge of the same from the dispenser.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof I show a towel dispenser 10 constructed in accordance with my invention and incorporated in a housing 12 which is adapted to be aflixed to a vertical surface such as a wall, not shown, so that paper toweling may be dispensed therefrom. The housing 12 includes a lower portion 14 on which is pivotally mounted a closure 16 constituting the upper part thereof.

Located in the lower portion 14 of the housing 12 is a dispensing mechanism, generally indicated at 18, said dispensing mechanism including a rotatable handle 20 which is secured to a shaft 22 journaled in a side wall of the lower portion 14 of the housing 12 and which has mounted thereupon a main drive gear 24, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The main drive gear 24 is in mesh with an idler gear 26 which, in turn, engages a gear 28. The gear 28 is mounted on one extremity of a shaft 30 which supports a dispensing roller 32, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing.

An auxiliary guide roller 34 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 36 and is juxtaposed to the dispensing roller 32. Mounted in the side wall of the lower portion 14 of the housing 12 is a stub shaft 38, said stub shaft having a gear 40 which engages the gear 28 on the shaft 30 and which drives a bevel gear 42 on the opposite extremity of the shaft 38.

Mounted in a bracket 44 affixed to the side wall of the lower portion 14 of the housing 12 is a rotatable shaft 46, said shaft having a bevel gear 48 mounted thereupon and in mesh with the bevel gear 42 on the stub shaft 38. Secured to the opposite extremity of the shaft 46-is the sensing and detecting means 50 which constitutes apart of the quality control system and mechanism ofmy invention. The sensing and detecting means 50 is rotatable by the shaft 46 and has a cutter 52 @provided thereupon, for a purpose which will be described-ingreater detail below.

Therefore, as the actuating handle 20 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 54 in Fig. 2 ofthe drawing, the main drive gear 24 will cause rotation of the gears 26 and 28 to rotate the dispensing roller '32 in conjunction with the shaft 30 upon which it is mounted. Simultaneously, the gear 28 will rotate gears 40, 42, and 48 to cause concomitant rotation of the-shaft 46 about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft 36 which supports the dispensing roller'32; Rotation of the shaft 46 causes concomitant rotation of the sensing and detecting means 50 and the cutter 52 is rotated therewith so that downward movemerit of the cutter in the direction shown by the arrows 56 in Figs. and 6 of the drawing is accomplished.

The lower portion 14 of the housing 12 of the towel dispenser is provided with receptacle means 60 constituted by U-shaped yokes 62, such as that shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Supported in the receptacle means 60 by trunnions 64, or the like, is a roll 66 of paper toweling which is adapted to be dispensed in the form of an elongated strip 68 from the towel dispenser 10 through a dispensing opening 70 formed in the bottom wall portion 14 of the housing 12 which has a cut-ofr blade 72 juxtaposed thereto so that a piece of the strip may be torn off by the user of the dispenser 10.

The roll 66 of paper toweling is provided with a specific configuration 76, as best illustrated in Figs. 3-5 of the drawing, said configuration being constituted, in the present embodiment of the invention, by successive displaceable portions 78 along the edge of the strip of toweling dispensed from the roll 66, said displaceable portions being defined by preformed cuts or openings 80 in said edge of the strip of toweling. It will be noted that the configuration 76 is formed in that edge of the strip of toweling adjacent the sensing and detecting means 50 so that the sensing and detecting means 50 can discern J the presence of the configuration 76 on the juxtaposed edge of the strip of toweling being dispensed through the towel dispenser 10, or its absence from said strip. Thus, the configuration of the edge of the strip 63 is defined by the cuts or openings 80.

The roll 66 of paper toweling is located in the lower part 14 of the housing 12 by disposing the trunnions 64 at the opposite ends thereof in the slots in the U-shaped yokes 62,;as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The strip 68 of toweling is then wrapped around the guide rol1er 34 and about the dispensing roller 32 in order that the leading end thereof may be threaded through the dispensing opening 70 in the bottom wall of the bottom portion-1401f the housing 12. It is, of course, important that the ;edge of the strip 68 of toweling bearing the configuration 76 be juxtaposed to the detecting and sensing means 50 therefor. Rotation of the actuator handle 20 will cause concomitant rotation of the various gears of the dispensing mechanism 18 in the manner described hereinabove and, as the dispensing roller 32 rotates, thestrip 68 of toweling will be drawn thereover to cause movement of the strip 68 through the housing 12 of the towel dispenser 1t and thence out of the dispensing opening 70.

If desired, a pressure roll, not shown, can be juxtaposed to the dispensing roller 32 in a manner well known to those skilled in the art in order that optimum tractive efiort may be asserted upon the strip 68 of paper toweling disposed over the dispensing roll 32. V Rotation of the geartrain of the dispensing mechanism 18 causes concomitant rotation of the shaft 46 and the detecting and sensing means mounted thereupon. Therefore, the cutter 52 on the sensing and detecting means 50 is continuously rotated during rotation of the actuator handle 20 into engagement with successive displaceable portions 78 of the configuration on the edge of the strip 63 of toweling to displace the same downwardly in the manner graphically illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawing. After the displacement of the displaceable portions 78 on the edge of the strip 68 of the toweling, they spring back into the plane of the remainder of the strip and pass over the guide roller 34 between the periphery thereof and means 86 which prevents discharge of toweling not bearing the quality identifying means from the dispenser.

The means for preventing discharge of rolls of different quality of toweling not intended for use in the towel dispenser 10 is constituted by an elongated shearing blade 90 juxtaposed to the periphery of the guide roller 34 and its operation will be described in greater detail below. Therefore, since the edge of the cutter 52 on the sensing and detecting means 50 merely displaces the successive displaceable portions 78 of the configuration on the edge of the towel strip 68, free passage of the strip and ultimate discharge thereof through the dispensing opening is accomplished.

On the other band, should a roll 98 of different quantity or quality of toweling be installed in the towel dispenser 10 not bearing the configuration 76, the strip 102 of toweling can be threaded through the dispensing mechanism 18 and through the dispensing opening 70. Nevertheless, when the rotation of the gear train incorporated in the dispensing mechanism 18 is initiated by the rotation of the actuator handle 20, initiation of the rotation of the sensing and detecting means 50 will be accomplished causing the cutter 52 thereupon to engage the adjacent edge of the strip 102 of toweling 98. It will be noted that the outer portion of the cutter 52 is angularly oriented, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, to bite into the edge of the strip 102 of paper toweling as it is drawn from the roll 98.

Since the toweling is maintained under considerable tension, the cutter 52 will make a jagged tear 92 therein, as best illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing. Continued movement of the strip 102 of toweling causes the tear 92 to be increased until the sensing and detecting means 50 is rotated below the path of movement of the strip 102 of toweling. Upon ultimately reaching the means for preventing discharge of toweling of different quality from the dispenser 10, the leading edge 94 of the cut or tear 92 engages the shearing or cutting blade 90 and a complete cut or tear 96 is created across the width of the strip 102 which prevents further withdrawal of unauthorized or unsuited toweling from the towel dispenser 10.

Obviously, the rotation of the dispensing mechanism 18 must be carefully synchronized with the rotation of the sensing and detecting means 50 in order-that a proper number of revolutions of the detecting means 50 during a single dispensing cycle will be achieved and in order that there may be a correlation between the rotation of the sensing and detecting means and the configuration on the strip of paper toweling itself.

Of course, while I have disclosed the principles of my invention as embodied inthe specific form discussed in detail hereinabove, it is, of course, feasible that various adaptations of the concept of my invention might be made which will still fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a control system for preventing sheet material from being dispensed from a roll thereof where said sheet material is not of a predetermined configuration cooperative with said control system, the combination of: a housing having receptacle means therein for the receptionpf said roll; dispensing mechanism secured in said housing for withdrawing said sheet material from said roll and discharging it from said housing; detecting means in said housing engageable with said sheet material to determine whether said sheet material is of said predetermined configuration, said detecting means having means thereupon for altering the condition of said sheet material should it not be of said predetermined configuration; and means in said housing engageable with the altered portion of said sheet material to prevent further dispensing of said sheet material from said housing.

2. In a control system for preventing sheet material from being dispensed from a roll thereof where said sheet material is not of a predetermined configuration cooperative with said control system, the combination of: a housing having receptacle means therein for the reception of said roll; dispensing mechanism secured in said housing for withdrawing said sheet material from said roll and discharging it from said housing; a detector in said housing engageable with the portion of said sheet material upon which said configuration should appear, said detector being constituted by a cutter movable into engagement with said sheet material and adapted to tear the same should said configuration not be present on said sheet material to receive said cutter; and a blade on said housing engageable with said sheet material at the torn portion thereof to sever said torn portion within the housing and prevent further dispensing of said sheet material from said housing.

3. In a control system for preventing sheet material from being dispensed from a roll thereof where said sheet material is not of a predetermined configuration cooperative with said control system, the combination of: a housing having receptacle means therein for the reception of said roll; dispensing mechanism secured in said housing for withdrawing said sheet material from said roll and discharging it from said housing; a detector in said housing engageable with the portion of said sheet material upon which said configuration should appear,

said detector including a rotatable cutter operatively connected with said dispensing mechanism to synchronize its movement with said mechanism, said cutter being adapted to tear said sheet material if said sheet material is not of said predetermined configuration; and means in said housing engageable with the torn portion of said sheet material to sever said sheet material and prevent further dispensing thereof from said housing.

4. In a control system for preventing sheet material from being dispensed from a roll thereof where said sheet material is not of a predetermined configuration cooperative with said control system, the combination of: a housing having receptacle means therein for the reception of said roll; dispensing mechanism secured in said housing for withdrawing said sheet material from said roll and discharging it from said housing; a detector in said housing engageable with the portion of said sheet material upon which said configuration should appear, said detector including a rotatable cutter operatively connected with said dispensing mechanism to synchronize its movement with said mechanism, said cutter being adapted to tear said sheet material if said sheet material is not of said predetermined configuration; and a blade on said housing engageable with said sheet material at the torn portion thereof to sever said torn portion within the housing and prevent further dispensing of said sheet material from said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 736,783 Robinson et al Aug. 18, 1903 947,744 Stohr Jan. 25, 1910 1,128,518 Rohland Feb. 16, 1915 1,759,344 Chessman May 20, 1930 2,105,928 Perrin Jan. 18, 1938 2,215,052 Price et al Sept. 17, 1940 2,256,458 Morck Sept. 16, 1941

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