Abstract: A dispenser for a roll of sheet material has a body that defines an elongate chamber open at the front. Baffle and closure members are pivotally mounted to the body for movement between open and closed positions. The baffle member can be mounted at a lower edge, while the closure member is mounted at an upper edge. A closure member includes a cutting edge for a sheet of material. In the closed positions of the baffle and closure members, material from a roll passes through a gap formed between the baffle and closure members. A piece of the sheet of material can then be torn off by one hand, by pulling it against the cutting edge.

Abstract: A dispenser is provided having a chamber for a roll of material, for example a roll of paper towels. It has a base, a front wall and a slot in the base adjacent to the front wall for the free end of a roll of material. A control member is pivotally mounted to the body above the slot within the chamber. It has a control surface, which, in use, abuts a roll of material to maintain the roll of material adjacent to the front wall and slot. This enables a user to pull out the roll and tear off single sheets, by a single handed operation. The control member provides the necessary friction, while enabling the roll of material to be unwound. The dispenser can have a catch assembly for a door, which includes first and second part recesses. The first part recess has a vertical locking face. A catch can engage this locking face. The catch can also be displaced into the second part recess, to enable it to be disengaged.

Abstract: A water sensing apparatus has a housing and a circuit within the housing. An alarm, e.g. a piezoelectric horn, is driven by the circuit. An elongate sensor is secured to the housing and is connected to the circuit. The other end of the sensor is adapted for sensing the presence of water, to activate the alarm. The sensor is both sufficiently rigid to enable it to maintain a configuration in which the apparatus is hung by the sensor, and is sufficiently flexible to enable it to be bent manually to a desired configuration.

Abstract: A device for holding planar implements, for example knives, has a body. The body has a portion extending horizontally outwardly from it, and defining a number of vertical slots. For each slot, there is a number of gripping elements, and a spring urging the grippinig elements into the slot, for grasping a planar implement or knife. Each gripping element can be generally channel-shaped and include flanges projecting through openings of a side wall of a slot. The body can be shaped to include an intermediate part spaced rearwardly from the portion and a lower, forwardly projecting lip. This ensures that handles of knives or other gripping elements are spaced from the intermediate part, to enable them to be readily grasped. The gripping elements define a tapered entry zone, so that a knife can be inserted simply by pushing it into a slot.

Abstract: A rack for storing lids has a base and a plurality of support members extending from the base. The base is intended for mounting on a vertical surface with the support members extending outwardly and upwardly. The support members are arranged in pairs, for locating and holding lids. Each support member has a ledge portion and a support arm extending upwardly. The ledge portions of each pair have inclined support surfaces which are inclinded downwardly towards one another, to center a lid.