US3265454A - Towel cabinet - Google Patents

Description

J. E. SCANLAND TOWEL CABINET 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed Aug. 14, 1964 N L i & QR N.- S. 8 g M R k w? NTWMTPIII R13 5. \Awf... 4 w k w x mm Q a w 2. m?

INVENTOR JOSEPH EUGENE SCAN LAND AZTOR 3,265,454 Umted States Patent cc m, 9, as,

clean roll. The towel takeup means may optionally be 3,265,454 set to maintain a slight tension on the withdrawn towel TOWEL CABINET Joseph Eugene Scanland, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 339,692 (Zlaims. (Cl. 312-38) This invention relates to improvements in towel dispensing apparatus and has for its principal object to provide means operable by a user for obtaining successive lengths of clean toweling, in combination with means controlled by the aforementioned means for causing each length to be automatically taken up after use.

The invention is applied to a type of cabinet in which a loop of toweling is formed at the outside of the cabinet, in this embodiment at a place below and in front of the cabinet, although modified and equivalent apparatus is equally capable of accommodating the invention.

In known devices the soiled loop hangs from the cabinet in an unsightly and objectionable condition until a new length of toweling is drawn, and the main object of this invention is to cause the soiled toweling to be whisked out of view a predetermined interval after being drawn for use.

In the present device, after the towel has been drawn out, the loop hangs freely without any tension whatsoever. A usuable length, or preferably a predetermined length of toweling can be withdrawn to hang freely and be used for a predetermined length of time, at the end of which it is promptly drawn up. The time period is selected from customary usage requirements and may be easily varied.

Other objects are to provide a simple and efficient structure to accomplish the above; to optionally provide means for preselecting the length of toweling withdrawn; to provide simple means for releasing the timing and length withdrawal apparatus to allowfree wheeling for continuous withdrawal and takeup of the towel, as when a new roll of towel is to be installed; to optionally gain on the towel takeup means to maintain a slight tension and neat appearance of the exposed portion of the drawn up towel; and other timing and towel locking operational means to be described hereinafter.

To accomplish the foregoing, and for the purpose of obliterating the loop after each use, energy storing means, e.g., a coiled spring, is operated during each clean towel dispensing operation to store energy, and means is provided to automatically release this energy a predetermined interval after the toweling is drawn, allowing such pe riod for use, a timer being set for action during the clean towel dispensing operation and simultaneously with the energy storing operation. Means are optionally provided to stop and lock the towel dispensing operation after withdrawing a preselected length of towel, although this feature may be omitted by removal of a simple locking plate or cam without otherwise alter-ing the structure. The structure also includes mechanism for operating the entire unit through the primary action ofa lever actuated by towel withdrawal, and means are provided for deactuating this lever and all timing and locking operations to permit continuous withdrawal and takeup of the towel when removing same as a used roll to be replaced by a for the sake of neatness before a new length of toweling is withdrawn.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, including details of combination and arrangement of parts and their equivalents, will be set forth in the following description with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical transverse section through one side of a towel cabinet, and with the mechanism positioned as when the soiled toweling is taken up;

FIG. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the other side of the cabinet, illustrating chiefly the driving connection between certain rolls;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevation of details of the timing and latch mechanisms at the beginning of the timing period for use of clean toweling;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary and partly sectional front elevation of the cabinet, the towel not shown throughout; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on about the line 5 -5 of FIG. 4.

The invention is embodied in a wall type of towel dispensing cabinet but the invention of course may be applied to other envorinments and equivalent structures.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer casing 1 of the cabinet is provided with suitable front doors 2, 3- which are respectively pivotally hinged at 4, 5 to swing-upwardly and downwardly from the cabinet front. The doors in closed position define a slot 6 from which clean toweling is drawn downwardly, the lower door 3 being provided at its upper edge with a transverse flange 7' over which the clean toweling passes. The rear bottom of the cabinet is provided with an opening 8- upwardly through which the soiled toweling passes to a soiled towel takeup roll. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toweling when drawn occupies the freely hung looped position 9 (in broken lines), hanging down below the cabinet, and when automatically taken up the toweling fits snugly as at 10 around the front and bottom of the cabinet, preferably'under' slight tens-ion, as will be described. The towel is less than the width of the cabinet and may be withdrawn by grasping the towel at opposite margins beneath the flange 7.

Within the casing 1 is a plate metal housing which is composed of two vertical side plates 11, 12 parallel to and spaced from each side of the cabinet and extending from front to back of the cabinet. Each plate is provided with a rear inwardly extending flange 13, 14 which are received between a back plate 15 and the rear wall 16 of the cabinet, the overlapping parts being bolted as at 17. The front ends of the plates 11, 12 are provided with outwardly extending flanges 18, 19 by which they are spaced from the upper cabinet door 2' by resilient spacers 20, 21.

The top of the back plate 15 is slotted. at 22', 23 (FIG. 4) to be received over hooks 24, 25, and the lower endof the back plate is accommodated in back wallrecesses 26, 27 (FIGS. 1 and 4), whereby all the component parts of the apparatus mounted on back and side plates, may be simply and completely removed from the cabinet.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the back plate 15 is provided at an intermediate level with a pair of horizontal and inward configurations 28, 29 sloping toward one another and then horizontally rearwardly at 30, 31 to a mutual vertical wall 32 to define a passageway rectangular in cross-section through which a towel may pass upon being taken up. A pair of stiffener and wall support members 33, 34 are connected to the wall 32 of the groove 35 or to the side plates 11, 12 to make the wall structure rigid.

Pivotally connected at 36, 37 to the low rearward portions of the side plates 11, 12 are a pair of upwardly and rearwardly extending flanges 38, 39, inwardly concave, and joining between them at their outer edges an inwardly concave bent plate 40. This plate is notched at its upper edges at 41, 42 to be guided over stiffener legs 43, 44 in a swingable motion. The plate terminates in a horizontal reversibly bent portion 45 in the passageway 35, the used towel being slidable thereover. In the lower rear edges of side plates 11, 12 are provided substantially horizontal T- shaped slots 46, 47 in which are entered slidable flanges 48, 49 of horizontal flat bars 50, 51 extending along the outer faces of plates 11, 12 forwardly of the cabinet, through slots 52, 53 of the flanges 18, 19 and terminating at the vicinity of the lower front door 3. The flanges 48, 49 enter respective slots 54, 55 of the pivotable arcuate flanges 38, 39 and extend in front of the pivotable arcuate plate 40, to prevent a tensioned soiled towel portion drawn up behind the plate 40 from swinging into contact with the supply roll 56 of clean towel.

Extending between the side plates 11, 12 are a h0rizon tally spaced measuring or dispensing roll 57 and a takeup roll 58, a pinch roll 59 associated with the dispensing roll 57, and a soiled towel storage roll 60 associated with the takeup roll 58. Additionally, a gravity pressing plate 61 extends between the side plates 11, 12 in pivot holes 62, 63 therein and has a downwardly biased end 64 on top of the pinch roll 59. Intermediate gravity plate guide lugs 65, 66 are received in arcuate slots 67, 68 of the side walls 11, 12.

Before further proceeding with this disclosure, it would be well to describe the movement of the towel through the apparatus. To this end, a roll of clean towel 56 is placed on the base of the cabinet. From it the towel extends upwardly between the dispensing roll 57 and the gravity biased pinch roll 59, over the latter and out through the slot 6 in front of the cabinet, down and under the cabinet, up through opening 8, behind plate 40, around flange 45 in channel 35, and upward to soiled towel roll 60 which is in engagement with the takeup roll 58. This description will be amplified after the remainder of the apparatus has been described.

The measuring or dispensing drum or roll 57 is provided with end heads 69, 70 which are secured to the drum 57 and fixed to stub shafts 71, 72 which are respectively journalled in inwardly recessed cylindrical bearings 73, 74 in end plates 11, 12. Shaft 72 has a reduced extension which mounts a sprocket wheel 75 fixed to the shaft by nut 76. Shaft 71 has a reduced portion journalled and extending through a partial auxiliary end plate 77 adjacent end plate 11 and mounting a three-lobed cam or wiper 78 fixed to the shaft by nut 79. One lobe includes near its periphery a stop lug 88 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The pinch roll or drum 59 is smoothly surfaced and gravity biased against the friction surface of dispensing drum 57. The drum 59 extends between the side plates 11, 12 and includes end stub shafts 81, 82 received respectively in the generally vertical shaft slots 83, 84 in the end plates 11, 12. Bolted to forward side plate flanges 18, 19 are the respective pinch roll retaining and slot forming brackets 85, 86. The combination of the friction measuring drum 57, pinch roll 59 and pressing plate 61 aid in positive and smooth delivery of clean toweling as it is pulled from the cabinet, and the friction surface of drum 57 insures its rotation to operate the takeup roll 58.

The takeup roll 58 is a hollow drum extending between the side plates 11, 12 and having a shaft 87 at its center. One end of the drum is provided with a head 88 fixed to the drum and to a bushing 89 through which the shaft 87 is journalled, and the shaft extends through an inwardly recessed bushing 90 and terminates in a sprocket wheel 91 fixed to the shaft by a nut 92. A sprocket chain 93 connects both sprockets 75 and 91 whereby rotation of dispensing roll 57 upon withdrawal of clean toweling will automatically rotate shaft 87 and store energy in a coiled spring 94 around shaft 87.

The spring 94 is received within shaft 87 at a bore 95 and at its other end is pivoted into a bore in a takeup drum head 96 which is fixed to a stub shaft 97. The shaft 87 is journalled in the stub shaft 97. The shaft 97 has an extension journalled through an inwardly recessed bearing 98 of plate 11 and auxiliary plate 77 and terminates in a ratchet wheel 99 fixed to the shaft by a nut 100.

The takeup roll 58 is friction surfaced and has in gravity biased engagement with its top the soiled towel roll 60 which is provided with end shafts 101, 102 in respective sliding position in generally upward slots 103, 104 in side walls 11, 12. This engagement permits used toweling to be drawn around the used towel roll when the energy stored in torsion spring 94 in roll 58 is released for the purpose.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, as well as the remaining views, the takeup roll 58, and its internal torsion spring 94 for storing energy by which this roll is operated for takeup purposes, and means is provided for controlling a timed release of the stored energy to quickly attain soiled towel takeup, at the end of the timed period which corresponds substantially to the time occupied by the user in drying the hands or face.

Mounted on the side plate 11 is an oscillatable lever 105 which is pivoted at an intermediate point on a cap screw 106 threaded into wall 11 and secured by nut 107. The lever is biased against the plate 11 by a compression spring 108 around the screw, and is generally horizontally disposed. Its forward end is slotted to receive the bottom end of a stern 109, held by a cotter-pin 110, of a piston (not shown) of a known dashpot type of timer 111. The timer 111 is substantially vertical and mounted on plate 11 by a screw 112 about which the timer pivots under oscillation of lever 105 and the upward and downward movement of shaft 109. An adjusting knob 113 is provided for adjusting the time in which the stem 109 is retracted to release the spring stored energy in take'up roll 58.

Slightly rearward of the forward end of the lever 105 is an upward extension 114 which mounts a roller 115 which is associated with the lobes of the wiper cam 78, so that upon withdrawing a clean length of toweling, the forward end of the lever 105 is cam urged downwardly by the lobes to extend the shaft 109 of the timer 111 to set the latter into actuation to retract the stem 109 after an adjustably selectable time limit. This latter movement will release the torsion spring energy in takeup roll 58 to rotate the roll to retract the used toweling, as will now be described.

The rear end of lever 105 is releasably cotter-pinned at 116 to the lower end of a substantially vertically upward extending link 117 which at its upper end is coupled through a longitudinal lost motion slot 118 to a horizontal lug 119, by means of a cotter-pin 120, of a pawl 121. The pawl is oscillatable about a bolt 122, and upon being pivoted to the right, as seen in FIG. 3, upon withdrawing a new length of toweling, engages and holds the ratchet wheel 99 to prevent rotation of the takeup drum 58 and to store energy in the torsion spring 94 of said drum. The ratchet engaging shoulder 123 (FIG. 3) of the pawl temporarily holds the ratchet wheel 99 and its drum 58.

The disclosure thus far is for a machine fully operable in the broadest sense. Upon withdrawal of a fresh length of new toweling, the dispensing roll 57 and its axial cam 78 are rotated counterclockwise (FIGS. 1 and 3) to cause a cam lobe to wipe the roller 115 of lever 105 to pivot that end downward to extend the stem 109 of the timer 111 for a preselected time interval. Simultaneously the rear end of lever 105 slides the link 117 upward to actuate the shoulder 123 of pawl 121 into engagement with a tooth of the ratchet 99. The slot 118 in the link 117 permits lost motion to maintain the pawl in engagement when the roller 115 rides over the tip of a lobe on cam 78.

Referring to-FIGS. 2 and 5, the sprocket connection between shafts 76 and 92 of the dispensing and takeup drum shafts permits rotation on shaft 87, although the drum 58 is held stationary by the pawl and ratchet means, to torsionally store energy in coil spring 94. After a selected time interval, determined by the timer 111, the shaft 109 of said timer moves upward to disengage pawl 121 from ratchet 99, which causes the energy stored spring to rotate the takeup roll 58 through its head 96 and thus whisk up the used towel.

As a matter of caution, though the new towel roll 56 is simply installed and wound through the apparatus, it is always desirable to maintain a minimum degree of tension in the energy storing and takeup spring 94, and this is accomplished by hand tensioning the spring 94 by means of ratchet wheel 99, and then resting the used towel roll 60 on the friction surface of the takeup roll 58 to always maintain at least the minimum spring tension. This assures a complete takeup of a used toweling. To promote this the sprocket 91 on the takeup roll 58 may have, for example, one less tooth than the sprocket 75 on the dispensing roll 57. This allows towel takeup with a little sliding friction between the takeup roll 58 and used towel roll 60 to maintain the drawn up towel snugly against the cabinet.

To assist in removnig used towel and installing a new towel, the apparatus may be set into free wheeling by disengaging the ratchet roller 115 of the lever 105 from the plane of the cam 78. Under this circumstance all the rolls are free to revolve and nothing in the way of the timing and towel latching means is operable. To accomplish this, there is mounted on the side wall 11 a lever 105 disengaging cam 124 which is manually slidable up and down in mating grooves 125, 126, this being accomplished by a cooperative slot 127 in plate 11 and mounting stud 128 received therein. The cam 124 is maintained in position by having its upward V-shaped portion 129 beneath the lever 105 at all times. An outwardly flared raised surface 130 is adapted upon raising cam 124 to bias the lever 105 outwardly against its pivot spring 108 to disengage said lever from the cam 78, thus releasing everything for free wheeling.

An optional and often desirable feature in a device of this kind is the inclusion of means to automatically stop towel withdrawal after a predetermined length has been extracted. In this disclosure the means are simple, effective and easily removed if not desired in any circumstance.

Referring principally to FIG. 3, the means include a towel dispensing stop bracket 131 and the stop lug 80 on cam 78. The bracket is provided with horizontal portions 132, 133 interconnected by a slanting intermediate portion 136. The horizontal portions are provided with horizontally elongated slots 134, 135 and there is a forward contact area 137 to stop the cam lug or pin 80, when the stop bracket is in the forward impeding position in relation to pin 80 to stop further withdrawal of clean toweling.

The bracket slots 134, 135 are slidable respectively on a retaining pin 138 in pawl 121 and on the stud mounting takeup roll nut 100. It is clear that the oscillation of the pawl 121 reciprocates the bracket 131 between the towel stop position of FIG. 3 and the rearward towel delivery position, the length of the bracket slots in relation to other related apparatus dimensions permitting a certain length of toweling to be Withdrawn before the bracket stopping action occurs.

To facilitate retaining the bracket 131 in either of its extreme positions, an off center tension spring 139 is utilized. The spring is substantially vertically disposed for slight oscillation, the spring being connected to the bottom of plate 11 at 140-, and terminating at its upper end in a connection 141 to the bottom of a link 142 having a top slot 143 receivable around pin 138 in pawl 121'. At the forward stopping position of FIG. 3 and the retracted towel wheeling position of FIG. 1, the spring is off center vertically and in bracket retaining position.

The invention is subject to equivalent modifications, to those skilled in the art, Within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for dispensing a length of clean towel from a stored quantity of towel and automatically taking up a corresponding length of soiled towel comprising a clean towel dispensing roll, a shaft, a soiled towel takeup roll rotatable mounted on said shaft, a spring connecting said shaft and said takeup roll and adapted to store energy as said shaft is rotated independently of said takeup roll and thereby spring bias said takeup roll in a predetermined direction, means coupling said shaft and said dispensing roll for rotating said shaft as said dispensing roll is rotated to dispense a length of clean towel, locking means movable to lock and release positions for respectively preventing and permitting rotation of said takeup roll, linkage means connected to said locking means for moving said locking means to said lock and release positions, actuating means mounted on said dispensing roll for engaging said linkage means as said dispensing roll is rotated and moving said locking means to said lock position during the towel dispensing operation, timing means connected to said linkage means for moving said locking means to said release position subsequent to the towel dispensing operation and permitting said spring biased takeup roll to rotate and withdraw a corresponding length of soiled towel, and means for displacing said linkage means out of the path of said actuating means and simultaneously maintaining said locking means in said release position to thereby permit said dispensing and takeup rolls to rotate freely and facilitate loading and removal of said quantity of towel.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said means coupling said shaft and said dispensing roll includes means for angularly rotating said shaft a greater amount than the corresponding angular rotation of said dispensing roll whereby the portion of towel between said dispensing and takeup rolls is maintained in slight tension upon the completion of the takeup operation.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said linkage means includes an oscillatable lever mounted on a pivot and adapted to be laterally moved thereon, and said actuating means comprises a rotary cam mounted on said dispensing roll, said lever having a surface engageable by said cam during rotation of said dispensing roll, said lever being spring biased to a position wherein said surface is engageable by said rotary cam.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 wherein said linkage displacing means includes a slidable cam adapted to engage and laterally move said lever on its pivot and against its spring bias to a position wherein said surface is not engageable by said rotary cam.

5. Apparatus for dispensing a length of towel from a stored quantity and thereafter taking up a corresponding length of towel comprising a dispensing roll, a shaft, a hollow takeup roll rotatably mounted on said shaft, a torsion spring disposed interiorly of said takeup roll and connecting said roll to said shaft, means coupling said dispensing roll and said shaft for simultaneous rotation thereof, a ratchet mounted on said takeup roll, a movable pawl engageable with said ratchet to prevent rotation of said takeup roll, cooperative means operable by said dispensing roll for moving said pawl into engagement with said ratchet as said dispensing roll is rotated to dispense a length of towel and for moving said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet subsequent to said dispensing operation to permit said takeup roll to rotate and withdraw a length of towel, and means for optionally rendering said cooperative means inoperative and simultaneously maintaining said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet to permit said takeup roll to rotate freely as said dispensing roll is rotated and facilitate loading and unloading of said quantity of towel.

(3 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,100,729 11/1937 Birr et al. 312-38 2,172,482 9/1939 Steiner et a1. 31238 2,899,251 8/1959 Birr -4 31238 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

I. PETO, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING A LENGTH OF CLEAN TOWEL FROM A STORED QUANTITY OF TOWEL AND AUTOMATICALLY TAKING UP A CORRESPONDING LENGTH OF SOILED TOWEL COMPRISING A CLEAN TOWEL DISPENSING ROLL, A SHAFT, A SOILED TOWEL TAKEUP ROLL ROTATABLE MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, A SPRING CONNECTING SAID SHAFT AND SAID TAKEUP ROLL AND ADAPTED TO STORE ENERGY AS SAID SHAFT IS ROTATED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID TAKEUP ROLL AND THEREBY SPRING BIAS SAID TAKEUP ROLL IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, MEANS COUPLING SAID SHAFT AND SAID DISPENSING ROLL FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT AS SAID DISPENSING ROLL IS ROTATED TO DISPENSE A LENGTH OF CLEAN TOWEL, LOCKING MEANS MOVABLE TO LOCK AND RELEASE POSITIONS FOR RESPECTIVELY PREVENTING AND PERMITTING ROTATION OF SAID TAKEUP ROLL, LINKAGE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LOCKING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID LOCKING MEANS TO SAID LOCK AND RELEASE POSITIONS, ACTUATING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID DISPENSING ROLL FOR ENGAGING SAID LINKAGE MEANS AS SAID DISPENSING ROLL IS ROTATED AND MOVING SAID LOCKING MEANS TO SAID LOCK POSITION DURING THE TOWEL DISPENSING OPERATION, TIMING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LINKAGE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID LOCKING MEANS TO SAID RELEASE POSITION SUBSEQUENT TO THE TOWEL DISPENSING OPERATION AND PERMITTING SAID SPRING BIASED TAKEUP ROLL TO ROTATE AND WITHDRAW A CORRESPONDING LENGTH OF SOILED TOWEL, AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID LINKAGE MEANS OUT OF THE PATH OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY MAINTAINING SAID LOCKING MEANS IN SAID RELEASE POSITION TO THEREBY PERMIT SAID DISPENSING AND TAKEUP ROLLS TO ROTATE FREELY AND FACILITATE LOADING AND REMOVAL OF SAID QUANTITY OF TOWEL.

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