US1959938A - Roller towel control mechanism - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 wvcmlo z Tracy 3. if Za Quota:

May 22, 1934. T. B. TYLER ROLLER TOWEL CONTROL MECHANISM Filed July 10, 1926 .l i l l4. Ill-Il May 22, 1934. 'r. B. TYLER 1,959,938

ROLLER TOWEL CONTROL MECHANISM.

Filed July 10, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Tray 5. *yd r May 22, 1934.

Filed July 10, 1926 T. B. TYLER ROLLER TOWEL CONTROL MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fay/0 fm/enzor Tracy 5. 7]]er d'froggg'vs portion of clean toweling.

Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED /S,TA-TES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims. (01. 312-38) This invention relates to towel cabinets, and more particularly to cabinets from which a rolled strip of toweling is adapted to be delivered by uniform advances.

It is an objectionable feature of cabinets of this character now in use that the user may be wasteful of the towel, even although an automatic stop may act to limit the portion of toweling delivered responsive to a continuous pull. That is to say. the user may immediately under present conditions repeat as often as he pleases the operation of advancing the towel a definite distance, and the automatic stop is not effective to prevent a wasteful delivery of the toweling through such repetitive operation of the feed mechanism.

An object of the present invention, therefore,

is to not only limit the portion of toweling discharged from the cabinet through a complete.

single operation of the feed mechanism, but to further prevent any repeated feed operation until there has elapsed a predetermined interval of time suflicient for use of the exposed unit More specifically expressed, the invention seeks to prevent-wasteful feeding of toweling from a cabinet by associating with an automatic stop, taking effect upon the delivery of a unit length of toweling, of'means for so retarding the release movement of the stop member that there can be no immediate repetition of the feeding operation.

Another object is to make an improved pro-1".

metal construction, the front of said casing being formed by a door 2, hinged as indicated 90 vision for preventing any contact .within the cabinet between .the clean and soiled tow'eling, and to thus avoid any possibility of contamination of the former by the latter.

Still another object is to facilitate loading and unloading of the cabinet by provision of a simple means for throwing the automatic stop completely out of operation, so that the towel may be fed freely and continuously from either of its carrying rollers to the other.

A further object is to adapt two rollers respectively, having'driven engagement with clean and soiled portions of a strip of toweling to engage oppositeffaces of said strip so as to minimize the resulting wear upon each of said faces. These and various other objects the invention attains by the construction hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying,

drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the cabinet with the door, which forms its front wall, partially broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of. the same taken upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing primarily the arrangement of the towelcarrying rollers, feed rolls, and guide rolls;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on, line 3-3 of Figure 1, disclosing the drive mechanism for the take-up roller, the automatic stop member and the retardedrelease means for said member.

Figure .4 is a detail sectional view, taken upon 66 1 the line 55 of Figure 3, of a dash-pot for retarding release of the automatic stop member.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a shifted position of certainparts.

Figure 6 is a cross section on line 66 of 70 Figure 3 showing stop means for limiting the action of a spring on a swinging dash-pot.

Figure 7 is a view of a disc as it appears in Figure 1 but drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detailed sectional view,

showing the parts in normal position;

Figure 9 is a detailed view, showing the means provided for actuating the dash-pot plunger, as the towel web is withdrawn from the cabinet;

Figure 10 is a similar view, showing the plunger at the limit of its downward movement;

Figure 11 is a view corresponding to Figure 10, but showing the parts in towel-locking position; and

Figure 12 is a detailed view on the line 1212 86 of- Figure 8. In these views, the reference character 1 designates a casing which; as shown, is of sheet at 3. Rollers 4 and 5 for respectively carrying a clean portion 6 and a used portion '7, of a strip of toweling, are mounted respectively in the lower and upper portions of the casing, projecting journal pins 8 being carried by the end portions of said rollers; The clean towel roller has its journal pins engaging in grooves 9 formed in a pair of stamped sheet metal mountings lowhich are welded or otherwise suitably secured in an opposed relation to the end walls of the casing, in the lower portion of the latter. The grooves 9 have vertical upper portions and their lower portions incline downwardly toward the rear of the cabinet. The journal pins 8 are adapted to be inserted in the open upper 106.

ends of the grooves, and the roll 6 of clean toweling rests upon a roller 11 mounted justbelow the mountings 10. Thus as the size of the roll 6 is diminished, the pins 8 are free to descend further in said grooves. The journal no pins 12 of the roller 11 engage bearings 13 suitably carried by the casing end walls.

The mountings 13a for the soiled towel roller 7 are also preferably formed of sheet metal, each comprising a horizontal upper portion and a portion extending downwardly at a slight rearward inclination from the rear end of said upper portion. A groove 13b extends continuously in both of said portions of each mounting,

and is open at the front end of the mounting to admit the journal pins 130. Said groove may also be open at the lower end of the mounting. Preferably the lower wall of the groove 13b of each upper mounting is depressed as indicated at 14 adjacent to the front end of said mounting to form a half bearing. The journal pins of the soiled towel roller may temporarily rest in the depressions 14 while the end of a clean towel is being connected to said roller or while an attendant is spinning said roller to complete the winding thereon of a towel preliminary to removal of said towel In the position of use of the soiled towel roller, its journal pins 13c engage in the downwardly extending portions of the grooves 131), said pins and the roller 5 being supported by the roll 7 of soiled toweling which in turn rests upon and is adapted to be driven by a roller 15 formed preferably of wood and having a pair of journal pins 16 and 16a, the former engaging a bearing 17 on one end wall of the casing and the latter passing through the opposite end wall. A drive means for the roll 15 will presently be described. As the roll 7 gradually increases in diameter, said roll is raised through its contact with the roller 15, and the journal pins 130 are correspondingly raised in the grooves 13b. The peripheral face of the roller 15 may be faced with sand paper or otherwise roughened to adapt it for driving engagement with the roll of soiled toweling.

The clean towel strip extends from the roll 6 into driving. engagement with a roller 18 mounted above said roll, and provided with journal pins 19 and 19a, the former engaging a bearing 20 on one of the casing end walls and the other projecting through the opposite wall. For a purpose hereinafter explained, it is preferred to let the diameter of the roller 18 slightly exceed that of the roller 15. The roller .18 is formed preferably of wood and has its peripheral face sanded or otherwise roughened to adapt it to be driven by the strip of towel. Just in front of said roller is arranged a somewhat smaller roller 21 preferably thickly faced with rubber or like yielding material, and journaled in a .pair of short arms or links 22 which are pivoted to swing upon a rod 23 extending between the casing end walls. The strip of clean toweling, after extending partially around the roller 18, passes. between the latter and the roller 21, and is then extended over the latter roller. Leaving the latter roller at the front thereof, said strip extends downwardly between the roll 6" and the door 2 and passes out of the casing through the bottom thereof. Below the casing the towel hangs, in the form of a loop 24, exposing sufficient clean toweling to serve for an ordinary single use. Extending from the rear portion of said loop (which portion is generally damp and soiled) the towel strip returns into the casing through the bottom thereof passing upwardly to the soiled towel roll 7 between the roll 6 and the rear casing wall.

It is desirable to so protect the clean towel roll and that portion of the strip unwinding therefrom as to prevent any possible contamination of said roll and unwinding strip by the returning soiled length of toweling. It is further desirable to prevent any dirt or the like that may be carried by the soiled toweling from falling upon the clean towel roll or the stripleaving said roll- These results are accomplished by the provision of a guard member or partition 25, formed pref it at its lateral edges with flanges 26 which are welded or otherwise secured to the casing end walls. Preferably a member 2'7 partially closing the bottom of the casing is formed integrally.

with said partition, and is sufliciently spaced, as indicated at 28, from the door.2 (in the closed position of the latter) to allow for the,downward passage of the clean toweling, being spaced to a greater extent from the rear casing wall as indicated at 29 so that, in loading the cabinet,

a free end of the toweling may be readily passed upwardly through the opening 29, between said partition and the rear casing wall. By reference to Figure 2, it will be seen that the partition 25 together with the bottom member 27 forms substantially a separate compartment within the casing to receive the clean towel roll and the roller 18 driven by the clean towel strip.

To subject the soiled portion 'of the towel strip to a drag such as will tend to avoid its winding to loosely in forming the roll 7, it is preferred to maintain contact between said portion and the partition 25. As is best seen in Figure 2, the strip makes such a contact with a rib 33 formed by, said partition approximately midway of its height. Thus the strip is spaced from the partition except where it contacts with said rib, and drying of the strip is not appreciably retarded by the partition.

To an end wall of the casing 1, there is secured exteriorly a relatively small housing or cover member 34, formed preferably of sheet metal, within which a gear train 35, 36, 37, 38, establishes a drive from the roller 18 to the roller 15. Said housing further receives a means for establishing a unit delivery length of clean towelingand for automatically limiting delivery to said unit length, responsive to a pull on the exposed portion of toweling 24. Also there is arranged in said housing a means for effecting a retarded release of the limiting means, so that repeated pulls on the exposed loop are ineffective until a definite time has elapsed. Thus the journal pin 19a of the roller 18 projects into said housing and rigidly carries therein a disc 39 having on its outer face a pin 40 and a lug 41 circumferentially spaced and differentially spaced from the disc center, the outward extent of the pin 40 exceeding that of the lug 41.

Associated with this disc is a plunger 42 which projects downwardly from a-dash-pot cylinder 43 arranged substantially above said disc and normally occupying the vertical position shown in Figure 3. Said plunger is slidable in the lower head 44 of said cylinder and its portion engaging said head is of rectangular cross-section, as shown in Figure 6, thus restraining the plunger from rotationv about its longitudinal axis.

Within the cylinder a piston is fast upon the upper end of said rod, said piston, as best seen in Figure 5, comprising a cup leather 45 having an upwardly flanged margin and a follower disc 46, which is marginally grooved as indicated at 47 to provide for an upflow of air (or other fluid). A coiled spring 4711 is compressed within the cylinder 43 between said piston and the lower cylinder head whereby the piston is urged to its uppermost limiting position. The end portion oi the plunger carrying said piston is reduced as indicated at 48, and extends sufiiciently above the cup leather to carry a collar 49 preventing any contact of the cup leather with the upper cylinder head 50. Said head has a central upward-projection 51 formed witha tapped bore 52 receiving an adjusting screw 53, which controls the exit of air from said bore through a restricted port 54 opening in the side of said projection and which thereby controls the escape of such air from the cylinder through a passage 55 downwardly extending from said base. 55 designates a lock nut carried by the screw 53 and bearing upon the projection 51 to maintain adjustment of the screw.

The cylinder 43 is pivotally mounted to swing about its upper end between the positions indicated respectively in Figures 3 and i. This mounting is established in the illustrated embodiment of the invention by extending alug 5'7 laterally from the head and pivoting said lug, as at 55, upon an car 59 projecting from a bracket 60 secured to the casing end wall. A coiled spring 61, one end of which engages the lower cylinder head 4A normally maintains the vertical position of the cylinder, this position being established by the engagement of a projec: tion 62airorn an arm 62 uponthe head d4. with a lug 63 projecting outwardly from the lower end of the bracket 60.

The lower portion of the plunger 42 is spaced from the outer race of the disc 39 and terminally rigidly carries a head 5% upon its side adjacent to said face. The manner in which the plunger co-acts with the disc 39 and its projections, to and ll will be hereinafter explained.

"When the plunger 42 and the dash-pot carrying said plunger are swung to one side or the disc, as Figure 4 illustrates, n'o restraint is exercised upon travel oi the towel strip. As a provision for establishing and maintaining this inefiective position, a small rock-shaft 65 is journaled in a bearing 55 passing through the casing end wall, as shown in Figure 5. As shown, this bearing is an integral portion of the bracket 66. Within the casing said shaft rigidly carries an actuating lever 57, and within the housing 34 a short arm 68, fast upon said shaft, has upon its free end a crank pin 69 projecting outwardly from the casing end wall and functioning as an anchorage for the fOT-a ward end of the spring '61. The shaft 65, lever 67, arm 68, and crank-pin 69 may all be formed from a single length of material, as shown. When the dash-pot is in its working position, (see Figure 3) the lever 6'7 projects rearwardly and the spring dl extends below the extended axis of the rock-shaft 65, tending consequently to maintain the arm 68 downwardly inclined, and bearing against the lug 63. To shift the dash-pot to its ineflective position, the attendant swings the lever 67 downwardly and forwardly through approximately one hundred and' eighty degrees, whereby the crank pin 69 acts through the arm 62 upon the dash-pot to swing the latter rearwardly; to the position shown in Figure 4, in which position, as will presently appear, it has no eflect on travel of the towel strip. It is to be noted that when the plunger 42 and the dash-pot carrying the same are thus swung to an ineffective position the lever 67' projects far enough forwardly to interfere with closing of the cabinet door by engagement with a bracket 6741. on said door. This eliminates the possibility of the cabinet being closed after loading without a return of the plunger and dash-pot to their position of use. A plate '70, secured to the casing end wall by rivets 71 or other suitable means, journals the outer ends of the various journal pins and stub shafts which lie within the housing 34 and maintains the proper proximity of the lower portion of the plunger 42 to the disc 39. Also a lug '72 upstanding from a said plate pivotally mounts a pawl 73 which engages the teeth of the gear 38 and thus opposes any effort exerted to unwind the soiled toweling from the roll 7. (SeeFigures 3 and i.)

In the use or the described towel mechanism, a rolled strip of clean toweling is first mounted upon the roller 4 and the free end of said strip is passed upwardly between the rollers 18 and 21, the latter at this time being preferably swung to the dash line position indicated in Figure 2 so as to provide ample space between the rollers 18 and 21 for a free passage of the towel strip. Said strip is then extended downwardly in front of the clean towel roll, and the roller 21 is swung back to its normal position of use. A quantity of toweling is now drawn from. the roll 6 sufilcient to form a suitable loop below the cabinet and permit the strip to be returned into the cabinet between the back thereof and the partition 25. It will be noted that the attendant may reach down into the cabinet between the upper portion of the partition 25 and the rollers 15 and 5 to grasp the free end of the strip as the latter is extended upwardly rearwardly of said partition. Finally the free end portion or the strip is attached in any suitable manner to the soiled towel roller 5. Any suitable provision (not shown) may be made for locking the door 2 of the cabinet after loading the same, as

described. I

Users of the towel will grasp the front portion of the depending loop 24 and exert a downward 'pull thereupon to deliver from the cabinet a clean portion of the toweling and such pull,

acting downwardly upon the roller 21, will tend to swing said roller about the pivotal axis established by the rod 23 causing said roller to press the towel strip firmly against the roller 18. The latter consequently is driven by the towel strip as the latter is withdrawn from the cabinet, and the rotative advance of said roller 18 has a substantially definite relation to the length of towel withdrawn.

Since the roller 17 rotatively drives the roll '7 of soiled toweling and is itself driven through the gearing 35, 36, 3'7, 38 from the roller 18, it follows that the soiled toweling will be taken up upon the roll 7 at substantially the same rate that it is delivered from the roll 6. The fact, however, that the roll 15 is of a diameter slightly less than that of the roller 18 causes the taking up of the. soiled toweling to lagvery slightly the delivery of the clean toweling, this being Discussing now the provision for establishing a substantially definite limit as to the amount of toweling which may be withdrawn at a single operation, it. is to be understood that the disc 39 will be rotatively advanced by the roller 13 proportionately to the length of toweli withdrawn. As the withdrawal operation beg s, the

'pin 40 lies against the plunger 42 just above the plunger head 64, as shown in Figure 8; and as the disc 39 is driven, said pin'bears upon said head to eifect a downward stroke of the plunger, incidentally swinging the latter at the same time slightly about the pivot 58 against the tension of spring 61, as shown in Figure 9. Said stroke terminates when the plunger reaches the dash position shown in Figure 10, and effects compression of the coiled spring 47a. When the plunger reaches this limiting position the pin 40 rides clear of the head 64 leaving the plunger free for retraction by the action of the. plunger spring 470.. The disc 39 continues to rotate,' responsive to the pull on the towel, until it has returned to its initial position in which the pin 40 again encounters the front edge of the plunger 42, as shown in Figure 11.

During movement of the pin 40 from the position shown in Figure 10 to that shown in Figure 11, the plunger head 64 will be moved upwardly into the path of the lug 41, which willcause the lug to engage the head 64 at about the time that the pin 40 engages the front edge of the plunger, as shown in Figure 11. Such engagement of the pin 40 and lug 41 with the plunger 42 and head 64, respectively, will positively interrupt further rotation of the disk 39, and the latter will be retained in such locked position until the plunger head 64 reaches its normal starting position, shown in Figure 8.

By reference to Figure 12, it will be noted that the spacing of the plunger from the outer face of the disk 39, permits passage of the lug 41 therebetween, so that the lug 41 will not engage, the plunger 42, but will, engage the head 64:, secured to the lower end thereof. Thus, it will be seen that when the lug 41is engaged with the back of the head 64, as shown in Figure 11, it co-acts with the pin 40 to prohibit continued rotation of the disk 39 and, consequently, reacts through the roller 18 upon the towel strip, to prohibit further withdrawal of the towel from the cabinet. Thus it is evident that no further withdrawal of the clean toweling may occur until the plunger 42 has been returned to the normal raised position in which the head 64 is clear of the lug 41. Such a retraction of the plunger. is as hereinbefore stated, accomplished by the coiledspring 47a, but the dash-pot, comprised by the cylinder 43 and the piston 454S, produces a predetermined retardation of the retractive travel. That is to say, the air which during the downward actuation of the plunger flowed upwardly past the piston 45, 46 to fill the space above said pistonmust be displaced from said cylinder to permit the piston and plunger to assume their raised positions. The port 54 through which such air is required to escape is so restricted by the adjustable screw 53 that a predetermined time is required for such escape. This regulation is such that ample t:' me is afforded for use of a length of toweling just ejected before the piston and plunger reach their raised positions. As this. position is established, the plunger head 64 rises clear of the lug 41 and arepetitio'n of the'described operation may occur.

The pawl 73 circumvents any attempt that may be made to withdrawing soiled toweling from the cabinet through a pull exerted upon the rear portion of the loop 24.

As compared to cabinets now in use, the described construction accomplishes an important saving through its positive prevention of several feed operations immediately following one another.

Furthermore, the described construction effects a desirable saving of the attendants time by permitting a loading or unloading operation without hindrance by the automatic detent mechanism comprised by the disc 39 and plunger 42. That is to say, the attendant, by manipulation of the lever 67 may shift the dash-pot and said plunger to the dash line position illustrated in Figure 4 in which said parts have no co-action with or retarding effect upon the disc 39.

What l-claim is:

l. A towel delivery mechanism comprising means for mounting a strip of toweling operatively for delivery to the user, a dash pot having detent means normally efiective to oppose further delivery of toweling upon withdrawal of a predetermined length thereof, and means for moving the dash-pot detent to provide for a free travel of the toweling unlimited by said detent means.

2. A towel delivery mechanism comprising meansfor mounting a strip of toweling operatively for delivery to the user, a detent member effective to oppose further delivery of toweling upon withdrawal of a predetermined.

length thereof, release means'for said detent member, means for retarding the action of said release means, and manually operative means for shifting said detent member, its release means, and said retarding means as a unit to render said detent member inefiective.

3. The combination with a rotatable member, of two co-acting stops upon said rotatable member differentially spaced from the axis of said member, a detent member movable by the inner of said stops through rotation of the rotatable member into the orbit of the outer stop and coacting with the outer stop to limit rotation of the rotatable'member, means for retracting said detent rne'mber, and means for retarding retractive movement of the detent member.

4. The combination with a rotatable member, of 'a plunger detent extending adjacent to said rotatable member, and having a shoulder, a projection upon the rotatable member engageable through rotation of saidmember with said shoulder to eifect aprojection of the plunger and releasable from said shoulder jointly through such projection and through continued rotation of the rotatable member, a second projection upon the rotatable member engageable with the plunger in its projected position to stop rotation of the rotatable member, and means for eflecting a retarded retraction of the plunger.

. 5. A tow'el delivery mechanism comprising a cabinet having a door, means for mounting a towel in said cabinet operatively for withdrawal from the cabinet, detent means automatically effective to oppose further delivery of toweling upon withdrawal of a predetermined length thereof, automatic release means for said detent means and manually operative means for shifting said detent member from its operative position establishing an obstacle to closing of the cabinet door. when the detent member is so shifted. V

6. A towel delivery mechanismcomprising a cabinet having a door, means for mounting a strip of toweling operatively within the cabinet for delivery to' the user, a detent member effective to oppose further delivery of toweling upon withdrawal of a predetermined length thereof, a device for shifting said detent from its operative position to provide for a free travel of the toweling independently of said detent member, and a leverwithin the cabinet so connected to said device as to assume a position obstructing the door of the cabinet from fully closing when the detent member is in said shiftedposition.

7. A towel delivery mechanism comprising a cabinet having a door, means for mounting a strip of toweling in said cabinet, operativ'ely for withdrawal from the cabinet, a member carried by the cabinet means cooperative with said member and normally positioned to cause a restraint .upon withdrawal of the towel, and movable to a secondary position relieving the towel of such restraint and means connected with said member for obstructing closing of the door when the member is in its secondary position.

. 8. The combination with a rotatable member, of a plunger detent extending adjacent to said means carried by said rotatdetent, upon rotation of said member, and means carried by said rotatable member engageable,

' upon rotation thereof with theprojected detent towel in said cabinet .meaeaa- Tm B.

[with the rotation of the element, land then preto temporarily restrain'the rotatable member from a further rotation.

9.-A towel cabinet, means for mounting a operatively for withdrawal from the cabinet, a roller operable on withdrawal of the towel and means comprising a dashpot and connections "to said rollerfor establishing a predetermined time interval between consecutive operations of the roller and v wel withdrawal operations. I 10. A towel cabinet having therein an element rotatable by pull on the towel web to withdra the web from thecabinet a dash-pot having a plunger, and means on said element cooperative plunger to move the plunger during partial Patent dated ass1gnee,'Steiner Sales Company.

Herelg enters this disclaimer to loading of the cabinet.

vent further rotation of the element until the plunger is returned to normal position and means for returning the plunger to normal position.

11. A towel mally free to rotate by the the towel web to allow of toweling to be withdrawn from said cabinet, a dash pot having a piston. rod with means thereon to stop the rotation of said element after a predetermined amount of toweling has been withdrawn until a predetermined time limit has elapsed after the last rotation of said element.

. 12. A towel cabinet having a feed roll therein cabinet having an element n'orpull of the user on and a dash pot with connections to the feed roll to stop the rotation thereof after a predetera predetermined amount I mined amount of toweling has-been withdrawn and means for moving the dash pot to a position to disconnect it from the roller to allow the roller during the unrestrained operation of 13. A towel delivery mechanism comprising a casing having a support therein adapted to receive a supply of clean towel, a feed roll in said casing above said support and the towel supply and adjacent the front of said casing in position for its web which may be stretched upwardly from said supply, a pinch roll and means supporting it near said feed roll, the relative position of said feed roll and pinch roll being such that a web of towel may be stretched only from under said feed roll and over said pinch roll to depend at the front of the cabinet in position for use, said supporting means being adapted to directsaid pinch roll toward said feed roll when a user of the towel applies a downward pull thereto whereby the web of towel will be pressed against the surface of said feed roll and slippage thereon prevented.

14. A towel holder supply of clean towel may be delivered to the user, said surface to contact with a towel lbs . and a delivery feed 1011' mounted therein over which the feed a roll normally having an intermittent rotary movement and'means for locking it against movement at thecompletion of each stroke, and

shiftable means for holding said locking means Y in its release position to allow unlimited rotation of said feed roll. I

B. TYLER.

Tler,'Detro it,' R'oLLEa Townn Coiwraot Mncmlmsir.

ay 22, 1934. Disclaimer filed December 23, 19 38,; by the claimisbf aid Lem; Parana actic-January 31,1989,] v

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