Toilet paper holder

Claim 1

A holder for a roll of toilet paper comprising an elongated rectangular base having a front surface, a back surface, opposed side edges, and opposed end edges, a plurality of mounting openings spaced apart on the base and extending therethrough between the front and back surface and adapted to receive suitable fastening means therethrough for mounting the base to a suitable support surface, a pair of longitudinally spaced apart and aligned arms extending from the top surface of the base at substantially right angles thereto, one of the arms being fixedly mounted on the base with the other arm being hinged to the base, an elongated cylindrical rod having one end fixedly connected to the hinged arm adjacent the outer end thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom in a direction toward the stationary arm, the rod being of a sufficient length to overlap the stationary arm and be detachably received therein, a spring loaded hinge disposed in the base extending parallel to the bottom edge of the hinged arm and having a spring coil wrapped thereabout over the midsection thereof with the opposed ends of the coil extending outwardly therefrom normal to the axis of the coil, the ends of the coil each being fixedly attached to spaced points on the hinged arm with the coil being tensioned in a manner to exert a constant force on the hinged arm in a direction to maintain the hinged arm in its normal operating position projecting at general right angles to the base with the rod engaged in the stationary arm, pivotal outward movement of the hinged arm about the spring loaded hinge pin in a manner to free the rod from the stationary arm effecting the tensioning of the coil spring about the hinge pin such that upon release of such forces the coil automatically returns the hinged arm to the normal operating position with the rod terminal end engaged on the stationary arm.