US1681840A - Towel dispensing and storage cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,840

A. E. CARLSON TOWEL DISPENSING AND SIORAGE CABINET Filed May 11, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .HIIHHHH E- /J t WITNES ES ATTORNEYS Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,840

A. E. CARLSON TOWEL DISPENSING AND STORAGE CABINET Filed May 11, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0| WITNESSES JZ ZI QVENEOR l an saw I, 4+ -1 J l BY 1: AT] ORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN E. CARIJSON, OI NEVIS, MINNESOTA.

TOWEL DISPENSING AND STORAGE CABINET.

Application filed May 11,

The present invention is concerned with the provision of a cabinet adapted to proyrde ample storage space for all of the necessities of the toilet, such for instance as paper towels, toilet paper, liquid soap, disinfectants, brushes, and which will at the same t1me serve as a. dispensing device for the paper towels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be of simple, practical construction, which will be rugged and durable in use, which will be entirely fireproof, and which may be manufactured with comparative economy.

A further object of the invention is to provide an altogether sanitary cabinet which. may serve to store several hundred towels, as well as other toilet accessories, and which at the same time may serve to accommodate a concealed waste basket for soiled towels.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a towel dispensing mechanism from which the towels may be readily manually removed without binding or jamming.

l/Vith the above noted and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claim. The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a View in vertical section through my combined storage and dispensing cabinet on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cabinet showing the door swung open.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating four of the towels folded together.

The cabinet which forms the subject matter of the present application is preferably of metal construction, and similar in general contour to the ordinary steel locker or filing cabinet. The device is relatively tall, and of approximately squarecross section including a rear wall 10, side walls 11, top wall 12, bottom 13, and a door 14 at the front hinged at 15 to one side of the cabinet. The cabinet may be mounted upon the usual supporting feet 16.

The means for housing the paper towels 17 to be dispensed is carried by the back of the door 14 at the upper end of the latter, and

1928. Serial No. 108,369.

behind the towel dispensing com artment there may be arranged a series of s elves 18 and 19 for the reception of other materials to be stored, such for instance as cleaning implements, soap, an additional towel supply, etc. The lower half of the cabinet is occupied by a removable waste basket 20, into which soiled towels are adapted to be inserted through a hinged flap 20 connected to the towel dispensing means in a manner to be later described.

The towel dispensing chamber or compartment includes an inclined bottom wall 21 rigidly connected to the door 14 at the upper edge of a rectangular opening 22 in the door. The bottom 21 inclines downwardly from its forward edge, and at its rear lower corners, the lower corners of a hinged back 24 are pivotally connected thereto as at 23, and normally retained in vertical position by a spring finger 25 engaging its free upper edge. The sides of the towel compartment are open, lateral movement of the towels being prevented by rails 26 and 27 carried by the door 14 and the back 24'of the towel compartment respectively.

I have illustrated inFig. 5, four of the towels 17 folded in the conventional manner. It will be noted that the towels are formed wlth single transverse folds 17 defining a pair of flaps 17 b which enter between the flaps of superadjaeent and subjaeent towels of the stack. This manner of folding is conventional, and when one towel is removed by grasping the flap 17 thereof which projects downwardly through a slot 30 in the partitlon 21, it will carry with it the lower flap of the towel immediatel thereabove, and expose this flap in position or pulling when another towel is needed.

When loading the towel dispensing compartment, the door 14 is swung open and the hinged rear plate 24 of the compartment is swung downwardly to the position of Fig. 4, at which time a stack of towels may be emplaced on the bottom partition 21 of the compartment. I find however, that instead of placing them directly on the bottom partition, it is advisable to provide a narrow supporting shelf 31 attached to the back 24 of the compartment. This shelf supports one edge of the stack, and a spring finger 32 carried by the door 14 supports the other edge of the stack. Thus, when the back 24 is swung to vertical position and locked by the spring finger 25 as shown in Fig. 1, the towels at the Ill) lower end of the stack will be crowded and somewhat bowed downwardly by the finger 32, so that the feeding action is more positive, so that a slight tension is exerted on the lower towels, and so that a direct pull on the lowermosttowel is had.

The lowermost shelf 19 at the rear of the compartment preferably carries at its forward edge, an upwardly presented partition member 35 to protect the contents of the shelf, and also to serve as a stop for the rearwardly swinging movement of the flap 20. This flap is hinged at its upper edge to the partition member 23 by a spring hinge 36, and is manually swung downwardly and inwardly to permit the insertion of a soiled towel into the removable waste basket or hopper 20.

The likelihood of a towel becoming jammed or torn in the slot is remote, but in order to guard against such a contingency, I associate a pair of downwardly extending curved guide members 38 with the slot, and cut away the real" guide members centrally at 39, so that if a towel does jam in the slot, it may be manually grasped and removed.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a combination storage and dispensing cabinet which is V the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit' myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A cabinet of the class described including a door at the front thereof, a holder vfor a stack of towels to be dispensed mounted on the back of the door, and including a bottom having a slot therein through which the towels are drawn, said door having an open ing therein exposing the slotted bottom of the towel holder, and a flap hinged to the bottom of the towel holder and spring pressed against the door, said flap being manually depressible to permit the insertion of soiled towels into the bottom of the cabinet.

ALVIN E. GARLSON.

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