US3574431A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Continuous roll towel dispenser
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Corp
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Filing: 1968-12-23
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Granted: 1971-04-13
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Expires: 1988-12-23
Abstract
Abstract A continuous roll towel dispenser including an upper cabinet for housing a clean towel roll and a lower cabinet for housing a used towel roll. The two cabinets are vertically spaced from each other so that a length of towel extending from the clean towel roll in the upper cabinet to the used towel roll in the lower cabinet is exposed between the cabinets. The exposed length of towel between the cabinets is spaced a substantial distance away from the rear walls of the cabinets so that both sides of the exposed length of towel are readily accessible to the user. A first driving roll in the upper cabinet is driven in response to withdrawal of towel from the clean towel roll, and is connected through a chain and sprocket mechanism to a second drive roll in the lower cabinet for automatically driving the used towel roll each time a new length of clean towel is withdrawn. Each of the upper and lower cabinets includes a hinged wall portion for providing access to the towel rolls contained therein. A takeup rod is included in the lower cabinet for automatically drawing any slack towel into the lower cabinet after each driven movement of the used towel roll. A modified embodiment is disclosed in which an actuator must be operated by the user to permit the withdrawal of clean towel, and the length of towel that can be withdrawn following each operation of the actuator is limited to a predetermined length.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles A Henderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 10:37
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47K; A47K10/00; A47K10/24; A47K10/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser comprising the combination of an upper enclosed cabinet containing means for rotatably mounting a clean towel roll within said upper enclosed cabinet, a lower enclosed cabinet containing means for rotatably mounting a used towel roll within said lower enclosed cabinet, said upper having a bottom wall vertically spaced from the top wall of said lower cabinet so that a length of towel extending from said clean towel roll is exposed between said cabinets, and driving means responsive to withdrawal of towel from said clean towel roll in said upper enclosed cabinet for driving said used towel roll in said lower cabinet to take up the previously exposed length of towel from between the cabinets each time a length of clean towel is withdrawn from said clean towel roll.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
133 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser comprising the combination of an upper enclosed cabinet containing means for rotatably mounting a clean towel roll within said upper enclosed cabinet, a lower enclosed cabinet containing means for rotatably mounting a used towel roll within said lower enclosed cabinet, said upper having a bottom wall vertically spaced from the top wall of said lower cabinet so that a length of towel extending from said clean towel roll is exposed between said cabinets, and driving means responsive to withdrawal of towel from said clean towel roll in said upper enclosed cabinet for driving said used towel roll in said lower cabinet to take up the previously exposed length of towel from between the cabinets each time a length of clean towel is withdrawn from said clean towel roll.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower cabinets are adapted to space the exposed length of towel a substantial distance away from the rear walls of said cabinets so that both sides of the exposed length of towel are readily accessible to the user.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said upper and lower cabinets includes a hinged wall portion for providing access to the towel rolls contained therein when said hinged wall portion is in its open position, and for completely enclosing said towel rolls in said cabinets when said hinged wall portion is in its closed position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower cabinets are mounted on a common rear panel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper cabinet forms an elongated towel egress slot at the lower front corner thereof and said lower cabinet forms an elongated towel ingress slot at the upper front corner thereof so that the exposed length of towel between said egress and ingress slots is substantially free of the cabinet surfaces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
103 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said driving means includes a first roller in said upper cabinet and frictionally engaging said towel for movement in response to the withdrawal of towel from said clean towel roll, a second roller in said lower cabinet and frictionally engaging the towel on the used towel roll therein for driving said used towel roll, and means interconnecting said first and second rollers for automatically driving said second roller to drive said used towel roll in response to movement of said first roller upon withdrawal of towel from said clean towel roll.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
112 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 6 which includes control means operatively associated with said first roller for terminating movement of said first roller at a selected position, actuating means operated by the user to move said control means to an advanced position to clear said first roller for movement to permit withdrawal of the towel from said clean towel roll, said control means including means responsive to movement of said first roller for automatically returning the control means to its original position to terminate the movement of said first roller at said selected position and thereby limit the length of towel withdrawn from said clean towel roll.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1 which includes means in said lower cabinet for automatically taking up any slack in the exposed length of towel after each driven movement of said used towel roll.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
104 words
A continuous roll towel dispenser as set forth in claim 1 in which a transverse guide rod is mounted above the space for the used towel rod in said lower cabinet so that the towel entering the lower cabinet passes over said guide rod before being wound on the used towel roll, and a movable slack takeup member is included in said lower cabinet for resting on the towel span between said guide rod and the entrance to the lower cabinet so that the takeup member automatically draws any slack towel downwardly inside the lower cabinet whenever said towel is in an untensioned condition.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-04-12 | 1974-10-12 | 1975-04-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-04-12 | 1978-10-12 | 1979-04-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-04-12 | 1982-10-12 | 1983-04-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |