Abstract: The device for dispensing multi-fold paper towels has a housing for holding a generally vertical stack of the paper towels and including a lower portion through which individual towels can be dispensed from the stack. The lower portion includes an elongated opening through which a fold of the bottommost towel can extend and be accessible for a user to grab and pull the bottommost towel from the stack. One side portion of the towels rest on a plurality of laterally spaced ribs or ramps located in the vicinity of the front edge of the opening and inclined at an angle upwardly and forwardly relative to the front edge. These ribs or ramps effectively transfer a portion of the pressure applied by the stack on the bottommost towel toward the rear, thereby reducing the force required to pull the bottommost towel from the stack. The opening preferably is shaped to cause the fold of the bottommost towel to assume a C-like shape and thereby reduce the amount of the fold readily accessible to a user.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing material from the outer surface of a roll. The dispenser includes a cabinet, and a drive roller having an outer surface. The drive roller is rotatably mounted in the cabinet so that the outer surface of the roll rests directly on the outer surface of the drive roller.

Abstract: The device for dispensing paper towels has a housing for holding a generally vertical stack of the paper towels and including a lower portion through which individual towels can be dispensed. The lower portion includes an elongated opening through which a fold of the bottommost towel can extend and be accessible for a user to grab and pull the bottommost towel from the stack. Improved towel dispensing is enabled by laterally spaced and upwardly-directed ramps located in the vicinity of the front edge of the opening and upon which an edge of the stack rests, opposed end pads angled downwardly to the opening and upon which the stack ends rest, and/or a bottom cabinet portion angled with respect to the rest of the cabinet to transfer stack weight. The opening preferably is shaped to cause the fold of the bottommost towel to assume a C-shape.

Abstract: A device for dispensing flexible sheet material, such as paper toweling, from a roll has a feed mechanism including a crank- or lever-operated roller having a drive section and a pressure element engageable with toweling extending around a portion of the roller. The pressure element is spring-biased toward the outer surface of the roller drive section and provides sufficient friction between the roller drive section and the toweling to cause it to be unwound from a roll and advanced for dispensing with out the need for an idler roller which can cause jamming. In one embodiment, a transfer assembly is provided for sequentially dispensing toweling from a primary roll and a reserve roll, after all the toweling has been dispensed from the primary roll.

Abstract: A distribution cover for a napkin dispenser is in the form of a four-sided member, with three sides conforming to three sides of a truncated, four sided pyramid. The fourth side of the member is a relatively broad, gently sloping face at relatively angle to the base of the cover. A dispensing opening is formed in the lower aspects of this face of the member. A drag area in the form of a step in this face is created on the distribution cover adjacent and below a lower rim of the dispensing opening. Napkins are slightly confined for dispensing along three outer edges by the sides of the pyramid and over a surface area adjacent the opening the drag area. A spring loaded napkin storage container urges napkins against the distribution cover. The cover can dispense napkins of different sizes without adjustment and dispense napkins with reduced likelihood of tearing. The napkins are also removable at different angles from the cover without tearing.