Support sled for rolls of absorbent sheet and dispenser incorporating same

A roll dispenser for sequentially dispensing rolls of absorbent sheet material comprising a housing and a support sled moveable between an upper dispensing position and a lower dispensing position within said housing;

• (a) said housing defining an upper enclosure and including a first supporting sidewall and a second supporting sidewall;
• (i) said upper enclosure being configured to sequester at least one reserve roll of said absorbent sheet material from exposure for dispensing in said upper dispensing position;
• (ii) said first supporting sidewall being provided with a first guide track;
• (iii) said second supporting sidewall being provided with a second guide track as well as with latch means defining a locking shoulder;
• (b) a roll support sled configured to receive a plurality of rolls absorbent sheet material and configured for slidably mounting in said first and second guide tracks of said first and second support sidewalls respectively of said housing, the support sled including at least first and second spindles for receiving rolls of said absorbent sheet as well as first and second frame rails for supporting said first and second spindles, said support sled including first guide means configured to cooperate with said first guide track of said first supporting sidewall of said housing to guide said support sled in generally vertical motion with respect to said first and second supporting sidewalls of said housing for movement between said upper dispensing position and said lower dispensing position and further including second guide means configured to cooperate with said second guide track of said second supporting sidewall of said housing to guide said support sled in generally vertical motion with respect to said first and second supporting sidewalls of said housing for movement between said upper dispensing position and said lower dispensing position;
• (i) at least one of said frame rails being moveable with respect to said first and second spindles of said support sled and further including a first retaining flange and a second retaining flange configured to releasably secure rolls of absorbent sheet about said first and second spindles of said support sled in a retaining position and to allow positioning of rolls of absorbent sheet material about said first and second spindles of said support sled in an open position;
• (ii) at least one of said frame rails being provided with an inwardly biased latch dog assembly disposed adjacent at least one of said first and second spindles, said latch dog assembly being configured so that it is urged outwardly to a locking position upon disposing a roll of absorbent sheet material about its adjacent spindle and said latch dog assembly is biased inwardly to a release position upon depletion of said roll of absorbent sheet disposed about its adjacent spindle;
• wherein said second guide track along with the locking shoulder of its latch means and the latch dog assembly of the support sled are configured and arranged so that upon mounting of said support sled in said guide tracks of said supporting walls of said housing the locking shoulder of the second guide track cooperates with the latch dog assembly of said support sled in the locking position to retain said support sled in said upper dispensing position and allow movement of said support sled to said lower dispensing position upon movement of the latch dog assembly to its release position so as to expose a reserve roll of absorbent sheet for dispensing.

A method for sequentially dispensing coreless rolls of tissue comprising:

• (a) securing a plurality of coreless tissue rolls including a reserve roll about the spindles of a support sled;
• and
• (b) mounting said support sled in a dispenser housing of the class including a pair of guide tracks for guiding the support sled in generally vertical motion between an upper dispensing position and a lower dispensing position, said housing defining an upper enclosure for sequestering a reserve roll from dispensing in said upper dispensing position and being generally configured to expose the reserve roll for dispensing in said lower dispensing position, said housing further including on one of its guide tracks latch means defining a locking shoulder, wherein support sled includes:
• (i) at least first and second spindles adapted for receiving the rolls of coreless tissue,
• (ii) at least first and second frame rails for supporting said first and second spindles, said rails being provided with guide means configured to cooperate with the guide tracks of the housing in which the support sled is mounted for guiding the support sled in generally vertical motion between said upper dispensing position and said lower dispensing position;
• (iii) at least one of said frame rails being moveable with respect to said first and second spindles of said support sled and further including a first retaining flange and a second retaining flange configured to releasably secure the rolls of coreless tissue about the first and second spindles of the support sled in a retaining position and to allow positioning of rolls of coreless tissue about the first and second spindles in an open position;
• (iv) at least one of said frame rails being provided with an inwardly biased latch dog assembly disposed adjacent at least one of said first and second spindles;
• said latch dog assembly being configured so that it is urged outwardly to a locking position upon disposing a roll of coreless tissue about its adjacent spindle and is biased inwardly to a release position upon depletion of the roll of coreless tissue disposed about its adjacent spindle,
• wherein the latch dog assembly of the support sled is adapted to cooperate with the locking shoulder of the dispenser to retain the support sled in the upper dispensing position while urged outwardly to its locking position and to allow movement of the support sled to the lower dispensing position upon movement of the locking surface of the latch dog assembly to its inner release position, thereby exposing the reserve roll of coreless tissue for dispensing.