US2253742A - Dispenser for interfolded paper - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1941. w. H. wEsT ETAL I 2,253,742

DISPENSER FOR INTERFOLDED PAPER Filed May 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORJ'.

t ATTORNEYS.

W. H. WEST ET AL DISPENSER FOR INTERFOLDED. PAPER Aug; 26, 1941.

Filed May 8, 194Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNlfgyroRs. I 9% w, w 1:). 7mm

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 DISPENSER FOR INTERFOLDED PAPER Wilfred H. West and Lynn W. Moore, San Francisco, Calif., assignors to Crown Zellerbach Corporation San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 8, 1940, Serial No. 333,953

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a dispenser for interfolded paper, such as paper napkins and the like, and especially to a dispenser which is adapted to be placed on a table, counter, etc., and which is provided with a dispensing opening in the top or cover to permit the paper or napkins to be dispensed from the upper portion thereof rather than from the sides or front, as is usually the case. The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction and operation of dispensers of the character described; to provide a dispenser which is adapted to be quickly and readily filled or loaded with a stack or package of interfolded paper napkins or the like, and in which the mechanism employed is so arranged that a maximum of space for the reception and retention of the interfolded paper is provided; to provide a dispenser having a dispensing opening in the top thereof which is accessible from any direction, and from which the interfolded paper sheets may bereadily dispensed one by one; to provide a structure which completely covers and encloses the interfolded sheets of paper, to ensure the utmost in cleanliness and sanitation; to provide a dispenser in which the interfolded sheets of paper are disposed in vertical stack formation, and in which a spring-actuated follower plate gradually lifts or feeds the stack in an upward direction until the last interfolded sheet is dispensed; to provide means for maintaining a predetermined spacing between the top or upper end of the stack and the dispensing opening, so as to permit dispensing or withdrawal of the interfolded sheets one by one with as little frictional resistance as possible; to provide deflecting means to guide the interfolded sheets to and out of the dispensing opening while they are being withdrawn, and especially to guide and direct the dispensing end of each interfolded sheet into and through said dispensing opening while the interfolded sheet ahead is being withdrawn; and further, to provide deflecting means adjacent the dispensing opening which will prevent reinsertion of the projecting end of a napkin, accidentally or otherwise.

The dispenser is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an enlarged central vertical longitudinal section of the upper end of the dispenser;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the dispenser, drawn on a smaller scale than Fig. 1;

7 Fi 3 is a vertical cross section taken on line III-411 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the guiding and deflecting plates disposed adjacent the dispensing opening formed in the cover;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the dispenser;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 2; and

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic View showing the manner in which the paper napkins are interfolded.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 5, A indicates a container having a bottom portion 2 and a cover 3. Mounted within the container is a follower plate 5, actuated by a spring G, and adapted to be supported by the follower plate is a stack of interfolded paper napkins or like material, indicated at l. The type of interfold employed is known as a Z-fold, and is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. '7. The important feature, whether one type of fold or another is employed, is to provide a fold which will cause partial projection or withdrawal of the sheet below when the sheet above is withdrawn, so that continuous dispensing of the interiolded sheets one by one may be insured, until the last sheet is removed.

Where dispensing of the sheets takes place through the top, or the slot 8 formed in the cover of the container as shown in this structure, means must be provided for limiting upward movement of the stack, or in other Words, a predetermined spacing should be maintained between !the top of the stack and the dispensing opening, to ensure the best results. To accomplish this, a shoulder 9 is formed at each end of the container, at the upper end thereof. The shoulders extend crosswise of the container, and as such engage opposite ends of the stack and thereby limit upward movement of the same.

The dispensing opening 3 also extends crosswisegoi' the container, and is parallel to the shoulders 99. A plate generally indicated at It is secured to the inner face of the cover, and serves to engage the top of the stack to assist the shoulders 9-4 to maintain a predetermined spacing between the top of the stack and the dispensing opening. Formed integral with the plate ii! is a second plate ifia which functions, together with the first plate, as a deflector. This latter function is important. By referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the uppermost sheet H in the stack is being withdrawn through the dispensing opening 8. As the end of this sheet is approaching the dispensing opening, the foremost or dispensing end iii of the next sheet will be raised and pulled with the end of the uppermost sheet through the opening, to assume finally the position shown at lEa in Fig, 1. The pull on the foremost end l2 of the second sheet is purely frictional, and there is a tendency for the end to curl as shown in dotted lines at l2b, but by providing the plate Ida with a curved deflecting portion Nib, and by terminating the curved portion of said plate in the dispensing opening, the end l2 of the second sheet, even though it tends to curl, will be deflected and guided outwardly through the opening.

The plate Ida, or rather the curved portion liib thereof, serves a third function, to wit, that of preventing the projecting end IZa of a napkin from being pushed downwardly through the slot 3; that is, where a dispenser of this character is placed on a table or counter, there are types of individuals who are mischievously inclined, and other types who have to finger or play with objects disposed within their reach. Such persons will often attempt to push the projecting end i2a of the napkin down into the slot 8, and if the deflecting portion 9b were not provided the free end of the section 12a would engage the under side of the cover and would be deflected in under the same, necessitating the removal of the cover to replace and project the end We through the slot. This depression and displacement of the end 12a of a napkin is further prevented as down-turned flanges 15 are formed on the cover or opposite sides of the slot 8, which receive and support a neck 16 formed between the plates I0 and Ida; i. e., during the manufacturing operation the plates are formed by die operation from a single sheet of metal in the form shown in Fig. 3, with the neck portion l6 connecting them. This neck is inserted between the flanges 15, as shown in Fig. 1, and there secured by spot welding or the like, and so are the plates, as these terminate in flanges ll and I8 which are spot welded to the under side of the cover.

In actual practice the upper end of the stack is held in engagement with the lower faces of the shoulders 99 by the pressure exerted by the spring 6. This produces some friction against withdrawal of the interfolded sheets, but the friction is in this instance considerably reduced by extending the plate IE] downwardly a sufficient distance to engage the top of the stack, at the point indicated at illc. In other words, by extending the plate to engage the top of the stack, the pressure exerted by the spring is equalized or distributed over a larger area, and the frictional resistance at any one point is accordingly reduced. In Figs. 3 and 4 the lower face of the plate is shown at M as corrugated. This tends further to equalize and reduce friction. In addition thereto, guide tracks in the form of ribs 25 are formed at each end of the container to engage the opposite ends of the stack, thus further reducing friction. The intermediate ribs 23 are for ornamental purposes only.

In Fig. 1, the shoulders 99 are shown as secured to or formed integrally with the container. It should also be noted that the length of the stack is greater than the spacing between the inner ends of the shoulders 9--9. Thus when a stack is being inserted it must be bent or bowed in the middle to permit the ends 20-26 of the stack to pass by the shoulders, and while this bending of the stack causes no difficulty or inconvenience, it is obvious that the obstruction presented by the shoulders 9-9 becomes iess if both are provided with upper inclined faces 9a.

After a stack is introduced, the cover is held over the top of the container, and the free end of the uppermost sheet is directed through the discharge or dispensing opening 8 before the cover is fully closed; the end will thus assume the position shown at Na in Fig. 1 when the cover is finally closed, and as such is ready to be dispensed.

While any suitable cover fastening may be tim ployed, spring arms 21 secured at their lower ends to the inner surface of the container are here illustrated. Their upper ends terminate in latches 22 which project through slots in the cover, and these latches are released by the depression of button-like members formed on each arm, which project through openings in the container.

The dispenser as a whole is exceedingly simple both in construction and operation. It consists of the container A, having the cover 3 secured thereto by latches; the only other mechanism employed is the follower plate with its actuating spring, the shoulders 9-9, and the deflectors l0 and Ma. These structural features, together with their arrangement, provide a maximum of space for the interfolded sheets, and the capacity of the dispenser is thus maintained at a maximum. The mechanism is of such characacter that there is nothing to wear or get out of order. The container proper completely encloses the stack of interfolded sheets, and as such excludes dust and dirt and ensures the utmost sanitation. By placing the dispensing opening 8 in the top of the cover, the projecting end ll of each sheet to be dispensed is in a position where it can be reached conveniently from practically any direction. This is not only a great convenience, but it is important as it permits the dispenser to be placed in almost any desired position on a table or counter.

W'hile certain features of our invention have been more or less specifically described and illustrated, we nevertheless wish it understood that changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, and that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the maker desires or varying conditionsv of use dictate.

Having thus described and illustrated our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispenser of the character described comprising a vertically disposed container, a cover for the upper end thereof, said cover having a dispensing opening formed therein and extending crosswise thereof, a spring-actuated follower plate in the container adapted to support a vertically disposed stack of interfolded paper sheets, with one end of the uppermost sheet projecting through the dispensing opening, a plate secured to the under side of the cover at one side of the dispensing opening, said plate engaging the upper end of the stack and maintaining a predetermined spacing between the stack and the dispensing opening, and a second plate secured to the under side of the cover, the ends of said plates adjacent the dispensing opening being rounded to form deflecting surfaces,

and the last named plate being elevated with relation to the first named plate to provide additional space for the free removal and deflection of the dispensing end of a second sheet when a first sheet is being removed, H

2. A dispenser for interiolded sheets comprising a container having a cover provided with a dispensing opening, said container adapted to receive a stack of interfolded paper sheets, with one end of the uppermost sheet to project through the dispensing opening, a spring-actuated follower plate adapted to support said stack, and a pair of shoulder members on opposite sides of the container and adjacent to the cover end of the container, which shoulder members are adapted to be engaged by the opposite edges of the stack, said shoulder members each having an inclined surface telescoping with the cover and operative to facilitate the insertion of a stack of paper when the cover is removed and the container is to be refilled.

3. A dispenser for interleaved sheets comprising a container, a removable cover for one end thereof, said cover having a dispensing opening formed therein and extending crosswise thereof, a spring-actuated follower plate in the container adapted to support a vertical stack of interfolded paper sheets, a pair of shoulder members adjacent to the cover end of the container and parallel to the dispensing opening, said shoulder members adapted to be engaged by the upper end of the stack, an inclined surface in continuation of each shoulder member to facilitate insertion of a stack when the container is to be refilled, a plate carried by the cover disposed on one side of the dispensing opening and adapted to be engaged by the upper end of a stack, a second plate carried by the cover disposed on the other side of the dispensing opening, said two plates functioning toguide the dispensing end of a second sheet of paper out through the dispensing opening when a first sheet is being pulled out of the opening, and corrugations formed in the face of the first named plate to reduce the frictional area of contact with a contained stack.

4. A dispenser for interfolded paper sheets comprising in combination an enclosed container, one end of which is provided with a transverse centrally disposed Withdrawal opening, a springpressed follower to support a stack of sheets to be dispensed, the container having opposed, shallow ledges or shoulders adjacent to the slotted end of the container to support the opposed side edges of such a stack, a guide plate within the container on one side of the slot and projecting a substantial distance into the container and presenting an extended supporting surface to the contained stack and acting to maintain a predetermined spacing between the contained stack and the dispensing stack, and a second and com plementary guide plate on the opposite side of the slot but projecting a lesser distance into the container than the first named guide plate to provide a space for deflection and free projection of a sheet to be dispensed.

WILFRED H. WEST.

LYNN W. MOORE.

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