Towel dispenser

Claim 2

A towel dispensing apparatus comprising: a dispensing roller around at least a portion of which a length of toweling from a toweling supply passes, said dispensing roller being rotatable by said toweling as said toweling is dispensed from said apparatus, a primary soiled toweling take-up roll upon which the soiled toweling is wound, a soiled toweling drive roller for rotating said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, said soiled toweling drive roller being drivingly coupled to said dispensing roller and rotatable therewith, whereby rotation of said dispensing roller during dispensing of toweling causes rotation of said soiled toweling drive roller and thereby said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, an auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller engageable with said soiled toweling in advance of said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, motor means driving coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller for selectively rotating said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, said motor means comprising a shaft passing through and rotatably mounted within one of said rollers, said shaft being drivingly connected to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, a spring motor having a spring input end driving coupled to said dispeNsing roller and adapted to store energy as said dispensing roller is rotated during dispensing of toweling and a spring output end attached to said shaft, sensing means responsive to the passing of the trailing end of the toweling from the supply of toweling for operating said motor means to rotate said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller to take up the trailing end of the length of toweling into said apparatus, and locking means operated by said snesing means for locking said spring output end, said locking means being engageable with said shaft to lock said shaft against rotation.

Claim 3

A towel dispensing apparatus comprising: a dispensing roller around at least a portion of wich a length of toweling from a toweling supply passes, said dispensing roller being rotatable by said toweling as said toweling is dispensed from said apparatus, a primary soiled toweling take-up roll upon which the soiled toweling is wound, a soiled toweling drive roller for rotating said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, said soiled toweling drive roller being drivingly coupled to said dispensing roller and rotatable therewith, whereby rotation of said dispensing roller during dispensing of toweling causes rotation of said soiled toweling drive rollers and thereby said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, an auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller engageable with said soiled toweling in advance of said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, motor means drivingly coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller for selectively rotating said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, said motor means comprising a coil spring having an input end and an output end, a shaft element, and a housing element, said input end being connected to one of said elements and said output end being connected to the other of said elements, said one element being drivingly connected to said dispenser roller and said other element being drivingly connected to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, sensing means responsive to the passing of the trailing end of the toweling from the supply of toweling for operating said motor means to rotate said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller to take up the trailing end of the length of toweling into said apparatus, and locking means operated by said sensing means for locking said spring output end, said locking means comprising a lug mounted on said other member and a rod engageable with said lug and movable out of engagement with said lug in response to said sensing means.

Claim 4

A towel dispensing apparatus comprising: a dispensing roller around at least a portion of wich a length of toweling from a toweling supply passes, said dispensing roller being rotatable by said toweling as said toweling is dispensed from said apparatus, a primary soiled toweling take-up roll upon which the soiled toweling is wound, a soiled toweling drive roller for rotating said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, said soiled toweling drive roller being drivingly coupled to said dispensing roller and rotatable therewith, whereby rotation of said dispensing roller during dispensing of toweling causes rotation of said soiled toweling drive rollers and thereby said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, an auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller engageable with said soiled toweling in advance of said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, motor means drivingly coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller for selectively rotating said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, said motor means comprising a coil spring having an input end and an output end, a shaft element, and a housing element, said input end being connected to one of said elements and said output end being connected to the other of said elements, said one element being drivingly connected to said dispenser roller and said other element being drivingly connected to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, sensing means responsive to the passing of the trailing end of the toweling from the supply of toweling for operating said motor means to rotate said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller to take up the trailing end of the length of toweling into said apparatus, and locking means operated by said sensing means for locking said spring output end, said locking means comprising a lug mounted on said other member and a rod engageable with said lug and movable out of engagement with said lug in response to said sensing means.

Claim 5

A towel dispensing apparatus comprising: a dispensing roller around at least a portion of which a length of toweling from a toweling supply passes, said dispensing roller being rotatable by said toweling as said toweling is dispensed from said apparatus, a primary soiled toweling take-up roll upon which the soiled toweling is wound, a soiled toweling drive roller for rotating said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, said soiled toweling drive roller being drivingly coupled to said dispensing roller and rotatable therewith, whereby rotation of said dispensing roller during dispensing of toweling causes rotation of said soiled toweling drive roller and thereby said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, an auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller engageable by said soiled toweling in advance of said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, motor means drivingly coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller for selectively rotating said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, said motor means comprising a shaft element, a housing element loosely rotatably mounted on said shaft element, and a coil spring having an input end attached to said shaft element and an output end attached to said housing element, an input gear attached to said shaft element and coupled to said soiled toweling drive roller, an output gear attached to said housing and coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, sensing means responsive to the passing of the trailing end of the toweling from the supply of toweling for operating said motor means to rotate said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller to take up the trailing end of the length of toweling into said apparatus, and locking means operated by said sensing means for locking said spring output end, said locking means being engageable with said housing element.

Claim 6

A towel dispensing apparatus comprising: a dispensing roller around at least a portion of which a length of toweling from a toweling supply passes, said dispensing roller being rotatable by said toweling as said toweling is dispensed from said apparatus, a primary soiled toweling take-up roll upon which the soiled toweling is wound, a soiled toweling drive roller for rotating said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, said soiled toweling drive roller being drivingly coupled to said dispensing roller and rotatable therewith, whereby rotation of said dispensing roller during dispensing of toweling causes rotation of said soiled toweling drive roller and thereby said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, an auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller engageable by said soiled toweling in advance of said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, motor means drivingly coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller for selectively rotating said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, said motor means comprising a shaft element, a housing element loosely rotatably mounted on said shaft element, and a coil spring having an input end attached to said shaft element and an output end attached to said housing element, an input gear attached to said shaft element and coupled to said soiled toweling drive roller, an output gear attached to said housing and coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, sensing means responsive to the passing of the trailing end of the toweling from the supply of toweling for operating said motor means to rotate said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller to take up the trailing end of the length of toweling into said apparatus, and locking means operated by said sensing means for locking said spring output end, said locking means being engageable with said housing element.

Claim 7

A towel dispensing apparatus comprising: a dispensing roller around at least a portion of which a length of toweling from a toweling supply passes, said dispensing roller being rotatable by said toweling as said toweling is dispensed from said apparatus, a primary soiled toweling take-up roll upon which the soiled toweling is wound, a soiled toweling drive roller for rotating said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, said soiled toweling drive roller being driving coupled to said dispensing roller and rotatable therewith, whereby rotation of said dispensing roller during dispensing of toweling causes rotation of said soiled toweling drive roller and thereby said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, an auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller engageable with said soiled toweling in advance of said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, motor means drivingly coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller for selectively rotating said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, a pinch roller adjacent to and in opposed relationship with said dispensing roller, said length of toweling passing between said dispensing roller and said pinch roller and around at lest a portion of said pinch roller, sensing means responsive to the passing of the trailing end of the toweling from the supply of toweling for operating said motor means to rotate said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller to take up the trailing end of the length of toweling into said apparatus, said sensing means comprising an annular groove in said pinch roller and a finger overlying said annular groove and urged theretoward, said finger normally being separated from said annular groove by the presence of said length of toweling around said pinch roller but being movable into said annular groove upon the passing of the trailing end of said toweling around said pinch roller, and locking means operated by said sensing means for locking said motor means, said locking means comprising stop means carried by said motor means and means operated by said finger engageable with said stop means.

Claim 8

A towel dispensing apparatus comprising: a dispensing roller around at least a portion of which a length of toweling from a toweling supply passes, said dispensing roller being rotatable by said toweling as said toweling is dispensed from said apparatus, a primary soiled toweling take-up roll upon which the soiled toweling is wound, a soiled toweling drive roller for rotating said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, said soiled toweling drive roller being driving coupled to said dispensing roller and rotatable therewith, whereby rotation of said dispensing roller during dispensing of toweling causes rotation of said soiled toweling drive roller and thereby said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, an auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller engageable with said soiled toweling in advance of said primary soiled toweling take-up roll, motor means drivingly coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller for selectively rotating said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, a pinch roller adjacent to and in opposed relationship with said dispensing roller, said length of toweling passing between said dispensing roller and said pinch roller and around at lest a portion of said pinch roller, sensing means responsive to the passing of the trailing end of the toweling from the supply of toweling for operating said motor means to rotate said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller to take up the trailing end of the length of toweling into said apparatus, said sensing means comprising an annular groove in said pinch roller and a finger overlying said annular groove and urged theretoward, said finger normally being separated from said annular groove by the presence of said length of toweling around said pinch roller but being movable into said annular groove upon the passing of the trailing end of said toweling around said pinch roller, and locking means operated by said sensing means for locking said motor means, said locking means comprising stop means carried by said motor means and means operated by said finger engageable with said stop means.

Claim 9

A towel dispensing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said motor means comprises a spring motor having a spring input end drivingly coupled to said dispensing roller and adapted to store energy as said dispensing roller is rotated during dispensing of toweling and a spring output end drivingly coupled to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, and locking means operated by said sensing means for locking spring output end.

Claim 10

A towel dispensing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said motor means further comprises a shaft passing through and rotatably mounted within one of said rollers, said shaft being drivingly connected to said auxiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, wherein said spring input end is attached to said one roller and said spring output end is attached to said shaft, and wherein said locking means engages said shaft to lock said shaft against rotation.

Claim 11

A towel dispensing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said spring motor comprises a torsion spring wrapped around said shaft.

Claim 12

A towel dispensing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said motor means comprises a coil spring having an input end and an output end, a shaft element, and a housing element, said input end being connected to one of said elements and said output end being connected to the other of said elements, wherein said one element is drivingly connected to said dispenser roller and said other element is drivingly connected to said auXiliary soiled toweling take-up roller, and wherein said locking means is engagable with said other element.