Claims
- 1. In a dispenser for dispensing paper, said dispenser including a housing and a housing cover connected thereto movable between a closed position and an open position to provide access to the housing interior, said housing defining a dispensing outlet and including means for supporting a first paper roll having a free end thereof within said housing and means for supporting a second paper roll, a drive roller and a tension roller operatively associated therewith urging a paper web from one of the first and second paper rolls into contact with said drive roller for dispensing a length of paper from the paper roll in contact with said drive roller, drive means for rotating said drive roller and actuator means operatively connected to said drive means, the improvement comprising a roller frame assembly mounted within said housing carrying said tension roller and a transfer roller, said roller frame assembly being movable between a use position wherein said tension roller contacts the paper web from one of said rolls of paper urging the paper web against said drive roller and a maintenance position wherein said housing cover is in its open position and said roller frame assembly is spaced away from said drive roller to provide access to the housing interior and to said means for supporting the first and second paper rolls, said transfer roller being positioned to contact said drive roller in the absence of paper therebetween and when said roller frame assembly is in said use position, said transfer roller releasably holding the free end of the first paper roll while paper from the second roll is dispensed upon actuation of said actuator means to rotate said drive means and said drive roller connected thereto, the paper from said second paper roll being positioned between said drive roller and said transfer roller preventing rotation of said transfer roller during rotation of said drive roller until the second paper roll is exhausted whereupon further rotation of said drive roller causing rotation of said transfer roller to cause the free end of the first paper roll to be positioned between said drive roller and said tension roller, whereby movement of said actuator means when said housing cover is in its closed position and said roller frame is in its use position operating said drive means to rotate said drive roller causing the paper web in contact therewith to be unwound from its associated paper roll and dispensed through said dispensing outlet.
- 2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said roller frame assembly has a bottom and is biased toward its maintenance position such that when said housing cover is in its open position said tension roller is spaced away from said drive roller permitting easy insertion of one of the paper webs therebetween.
- 3. The dispenser of claim 2, and further comprising a serrated tear bar at the bottom of said roller frame assembly for tearing paper dispensed by movement of said actuator means.
- 4. The dispenser of claim 1, and further comprising a chassis mounted inside said housing and having a bottom on which rests the second paper roll, said roller frame assembly being mounted on said chassis for movement between the use and maintenance positions thereof, said drive roller and said actuator means being mounted on said chassis.
- 5. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein said actuator means includes a bar extending across substantially the entire width of said chassis pivotally mounted on said chassis, pivotal movement of said actuator means causing said actuator bar to travel through a path adjacent to said chassis bottom.
- 6. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein said actuator means carries an arcuate gear segment and said drive roller carries a gear operatively associated with said arcuate gear segment such that pivotal movement of said actuator means rotates said drive roller causing paper to be dispensed from one of said rolls of paper.
- 7. The dispenser of claim 6, and further comprising spring means operatively connected to said actuator means to bias said actuator means toward a rest position, movement of said actuator means from the rest position to a dispensing position requiring a force less than about 3 psi.
- 8. In a dispenser for dispensing paper, said dispenser including a housing and a housing cover connected thereto movable between a closed position and an open position to provide access to the housing interior, said housing defining a dispensing outlet and including means for supporting a first paper roll having a free end thereof within said housing and means for supporting a second paper roll, a drive roller and a tension roller operatively associated therewith urging a paper web from one of the first and second paper rolls into contact with said drive roller for dispensing a length of paper from the paper roll in contact with said drive roller, drive means for rotating said drive roller and actuator means operatively connected to said drive means, the improvement comprising a roller frame assembly mounted within said housing carrying said tension roller and a transfer roller, said roller frame assembly being movable between a use position wherein said tension roller contacts the paper web from one of said rolls of paper urging the paper web against said drive roller and a maintenance position wherein said housing cover is in its open position and said roller frame assembly is spaced away from said drive roller to provide access to the housing interior and to said means for supporting the first and second paper rolls, said roller frame assembly carries spring means contacting said housing cover when in its closed position urging said roller frame assembly and said tension roller toward said drive roller to maintain frictional contact between the paper web and said drive roller, said transfer roller releasably holding the free end of the first paper roll while paper from the second roll is dispensed upon actuation of said actuator means to rotate said drive means and said drive roller connected thereto, the paper from said second paper roll being positioned between said drive roller and said transfer roller preventing rotation of said transfer roller during rotation of said drive roller until the second paper roll is exhausted whereupon further rotation of said drive roller causing rotation of said transfer roller to cause the free end of the first paper roll to be positioned between said drive roller and said tension roller, whereby movement of said actuator means when said housing cover is in its closed position and said roller frame is in its use position operating said drive means to rotate said drive roller causing the paper web in contact therewith to be unwound from its associated paper roll and dispensed through said dispensing outlet.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/705,326 filed Aug. 29, 1996, pending.
US Referenced Citations (30)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
705326 |
Aug 1996 |
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