Abstract: A towel dispenser for dispensing roll towel material, such as paper towel, cloth towel and the like. The dispenser includes an anti-free wheel mechanism incorporated therein to prevent the towel material from being pulled out of the dispenser without activating a dispensing mechanism. By preventing towel material from pulled out of the dispenser, excessive towel useage is prevented, thereby preventing towel material wastage. The anti-free wheel mechanism includes a latch that is secured to a pivoting lever of a dispensing mechanism, with the latch engaging with a dispensing gear of the dispensing mechanism to prevent rotation thereof when the lever is at its upper position. The latch is designed to disengage from the dispensing gear as the lever starts to move downward during a dispensing stroke.

Abstract: A towel dispenser, such as a paper towel dispenser, having a metering mechanism for preventing excessive towel dispensing. The dispenser includes a housing, a dispensing mechanism associated with the housing for dispensing towel stored within the housing, and a metering mechanism associated with the housing for metering a length of towel dispensed from the housing. The metering mechanism includes a metering bar that is slideably disposed within the housing and that is selectively engageable with the dispensing mechanism for controlling actuation of the dispensing mechanism. The metering mechanism also includes an actuation button that is accessible from outside the housing and that is connected to the metering bar for actuating the metering bar. The actuation button is moveable in a direction that is opposite the direction of movement of the metering bar.