Abstract: Disclosed is a dispensing cabinet for sequentially dispensing material from a primary roll and a reserve roll by passing the sheet material through a nip formed by two rotatably mounted feed rollers. The dispensing cabinet has transfer means and trnasfer actuation means for feeding sheet material from the reserve roll into the nip in response to substantial depletion of sheet material from the primary roll. The transfer means is adapted to press the sheet material from the reserve roll into contact with both of the feed rollers at spaced-apart locations on the sheet material and on the inwardly rotating side of the nip. The transfer means and feed rolles are adapted to drive the reserve roll sheet material towards the nip by the cooperation of the transfer means and one of the feed rollers and to block the reserve roll sheet material from being driven past the transfer means by the cooperation of the transfer means with the other feed roller, whereby the reserve roll sheet material is crowded into the nip.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for dispensing sheet material such as bathroom tissue from a roll. The apparatus includes a cabinet having a dispensing zone from where the sheet material may be removed first from a primary roll and later from a reserve roll. The cabinet also has a storage zone where at least one reserve roll of sheet material is stored for use after depletion of the sheet material on the primary roll. A first spindle for holding the primary roll is attached to the cabinet in the dispensing zone, and a second spindle for holding the reserve roll is attached to the cabinet and is movable from the storage zone to the dispensing zone. The apparatus includes a holding element for holding the second spindle in the storage zone until depletion of the sheet material on the primary roll. The apparatus further includes a release member for releasing the holding element, preferably automatically, only upon depletion of the sheet material on the primary roll.