Abstract: A dispenser sequentially dispenses web material from a working web roll and then a reserve web roll. A web sensing mechanism senses the presence of the working web at a back side of the main feed roller and introduces the leading end of the reserve web roll to a feed nip defined by two feed rollers immediately after the trailing end of the working web roll passes over a back side of the feed roller. Web sensing, and controlled introduction of the leading end of the reserve web to the feed nip, are carried out by a simple and effective interaction of a grooved main feed roller, and a pair of pivotable lever arms—a web sensing arm mounted at the backside of the rollers, and a transfer arm mounted at the front side. The mechanism avoids double feeding of web by sensing the presence or absence of web at the back-side of the main feed roller.

Abstract: A dispenser for cutting and feeding a web of flexible sheet material is described in which a feed roller carries a web cutting blade and a spring connected to an eccentric crank affixed to the feed roll. While initial movement of the web through the mechanism and actuation of the cutter to effect partial separation of the web material is produced by the user's pull on the web, such pull also loads the spring which, upon unloading, delivers the cut web material from the dispenser. The spring is designed to gradually arrest rotation of the feed roll and to be exhausted of stored energy at a predetermined position of the feed roll whereupon the uncut segments of web material are efficaciously severed and the leading end of the succeeding web material is automatically positioned where it can be readily grasped by a subsequent user.

Abstract: A device for rotatably supporting a roll of flexible sheet material having trunnions at the ends is provided with structure forming a friction brake to effectively control overspin of the roll during dispensing of the sheet material. The device involves an end support particularly configured to provide a bearing surface formed of resilient, high friction material effective to engage a portion of an end cap forming a roll trunnion, whereby the braking action provided by the bearing surface is directly proportional to the weight of the roll.

Abstract: A dispesner for a stack of fan-folded sheet material is disclosed. The dispenser housing has a pivoting brake at the rear wall and contains a major support roller at a height above the rear support rollers to minimize the weight of the stack on the rear support rollers. The major support roller is movably mounted in a pair of vertically-disposed slots and connected at either end to one of a pair of pivot arms. The pivot arms are connected across the width of the dispenser by a connector. The weight of the stack causes the major suport roller to move downwardly in the vertically disposed slots which causes the pivot arms to rotate in the clockwise direction. The clockwise rotation of the pivot arms brings the connector into contact with the pivoting brake which presses against the stack of sheet material in the lateral direction.

Abstract: A feed mechanism for feeding a web of rolled flexible sheet material, such as soft paper towels, out of a dispenser. The mechanism includes a feed roller within the dispenser and a web cutting blade in the feed roller and projectable and retractable therewith as the feed roller rotates. A contoured cam is attached to an end of the feed roller, and a spring-loaded cam follower presses against the contoured cam. The cam follower, through the cam, controllably assists in the rotation of the feed roller during the feed roller cycle when the blade cuts the web and thereafter to feed a free end of the material to an accessible position outside of the dispenser. The needed maximum pull forces by the user on the material to cut and withdraw the material from the dispenser are thereby significantly minimized, and the likelihood of the soft towel material tearing off in the user's wet hands is accordingly reduced.

Abstract: A dispenser for rolls of flexible sheet material wound on cores is disclosed. The dispenser holds multiple rolls and includes guide tracks for guiding the rolls through the dispenser. A holding lever pivotably connected to each side of the dispenser selectively holds the rolls in position in the dispenser and has its pivoting motion controlled by a sensing plate which contacts a lower dispensing roll to sense when the sheet material is substantially depleted. The lower dispensing roll is always held out of contact with rollers of a dispensing mechanism. A shield is located between the roll surface of the lower dispensing roll and the rollers of the dispensing mechanism.

Abstract: A dispenser and dispensing method for flexible web material that is wound into a roll on a readily deformable hollow core has a housing carrying opposed parallel guide tracks to guidingly receive roll core supports projecting from the roll ends and a spring biased lever pivoted on such housing, the lever applying an axial force to the hollow core at one roll end and being maintained in a roll retaining condition by the presence, in a roll dispensing position, of a hollow roll core that is held against downward displacement from such position. An axial force is applied against the other end of the hollow core.

Abstract: A dispenser and dispensing method for flexible web material that is wound into a roll on a transversely split core utilizes a housing having opposed parallel guide tracks to guidingly receive roll core supports projecting from the roll ends and a pivoted control lever providing a lever sensing end to detect the presence of an intact roll core in a roll dispensing position and an upper support end to retain a roll in a reserve roll position. The lever has its sensing end biased toward the intact roll core thereby tending to buckle the split core into sections upon exhaustion of web material from the intact roll core whereupon the core sections with their roll core supports are disengaged from the tracks and the reserve rolls is freed from the lever support end to move to the roll dispensing position.

Abstract: A dispenser for multiple rolls of web material such as paper toweling that is provided with dispensing mechanism to lead a web of material out of the dispenser to the user has supports for rotatably supporting rolls in primary and reserve positions, respectively, with transfer mechanism interactive with such roll supports and the dispensing mechanism to automatically transfer web feed from one roll to the other under predetermined sensed conditions.

Abstract: A dispenser for flexible sheet material having a reserve roll that automatically moves in the dispensing position when the dispensing roll is almost exhausted. The sides of reserve roll guide tracks are angled inwardly to engage the reserve roll spool at an off center point, so the spool is pushed downwardly into contact with a driving roller during rotation. The leading edge of the reserve roll towel engages the remaining portion of the almost exhausted dispensing roll and is moved therewith to be threaded through the dispensing mechanism. The perforating mechanism is assisted through the perforating stroke by a spring mechanism. The sensing roll is halted by a roll stop mechanism including a pivoted stop link and an anti-reverse pawl.

Abstract: Dispensing flexible sheet material involves mounting at least one roll on dispensing arm means pivotally connected to a dispenser near the lower end of the chassis so that as material on the roll is depleted the concomitant diminishing diameter roll will swing down on the dispensing arm means for the roll axis to move through an arc spaced from the axis of the feed roller to wedge the roll surface firmly against the surface of the feed roller as the axis of the roll moves toward a line extending through the feed roller axis and the pivotal axis where the dispensing arm means is connected to the chassis. When the roll is essentially depleted it swings past the line and the feed roller into a discard area.

Abstract: A dispenser for flexible sheet material having a reserve roll that automatically moves into the dispensing position when the dispensing roll is almost exhausted. The sides of the reserve roll guide tracks are angled inwardly to engage the reserve roll spool at an off center point, so the spool is pushed downwardly into contact with a driving roller during rotation. The leading edge of the reserve roll towel engages the remaining portion of the almost exhausted dispensing roll and is moved therewith to be threaded through the dispensing mechanism. The perforating mechanism is assisted through the perforating stroke by a spring mechanism. The sensing roll is halted by a roll stop mechanism including a pivoted stop link and an anti-reverse pawl.

Abstract: A dispenser for flexible sheet material having a reserve roll that automatically moves into the dispensing position when the dispensing roll is almost exhausted. The sides of the reserve roll guide tracks are angled inwardly to engage the reserve roll spool at an off center point, so the spool is motivated to move downwardly toward the dispensing position whenever it is rotated. The leading edge of the reserve roll towel engages the remaining portion of the almost exhausted dispensing roll and is moved therewith to be threaded through the dispensing mechanism. The perforating mechanism is assisted through the perforating stroke by a spring mechanism and is halted by a roll stop mechanism including a pivoted stop link and an anti-reverse pawl.

Abstract: A dispenser for flexible sheet material having a reserve roll that automatically moves into the dispensing position when the dispensing roll is almost exhausted. The sides of the reserve roll guide tracks are angled inwardly to engage the reserve roll spool at an off center point, so the spool is pushed downwardly into contact with a driving roller during rotation. The leading edge of the reserve roll towel engages the remaining portion of the almost exhausted dispensing roll and is moved therewith to be threaded through the dispensing mechanism. The perforating mechanism is assisted through the perforating stroke by a spring mechanism. The sensing roll is halted by a roll stop mechanism including a pivoted stop link and an anti-reverse pawl.

Abstract: A dispenser for liquids, including a supporting chassis, a supply tank for the liquid, a pump and a nozzle for conveying the liquid to the user of the dispenser. The nozzle has a housing member with an internal passage extending therethrough and has an insert and associated compressively elastically deformable sleeve positioned within. The insert has a passage extending from an opening in one end to at least one side opening, and the sleeve is interposed between the housing member and the inert with the portion of the sleeve adjacent the housing member being related against radially outward deflection by the housing member. The portion of the sleeve adjacent the insert encases the portion of the insert having the side opening to normally seal the side opening and thus prevent the liquid from leaking out of the nozzle.

Abstract: A mechanism for perforating a web of flexible sheet material which is adapted to be used in a flexible sheet material dispenser, said mechanism comprising; a rotatably mounted roller, a rotatably mounted knife positioned adjacent the roller and having a radially outward portion defining a cutting edge for perforating the web as the web passes between the roller and the knife, the roller being operatively connected to the knife for synchronous rotation therewith and having a slot therein for receiving the radially outward knife portion as the knife rotates past the roller, and means associated with the knife for orienting the cutting edge substantially in the direction in which the radially outward knife portion moves with respect to the web during the entrance of the portion into the slot so that when the portion enters the slot the cutting edge will effectively perforate the web.