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AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsRichard P. Lewis, Edward A. Raleigh, Jeffrey J. Brickl, Matthew T. Woerpel, Robert Godfrey
Estimating the term…
A dispenser is disclosed that facilitates loading of new rolls of material and the removal of empty cores. The dispenser includes a cradle roller spaced from a pair of abutment rollers. As a roll of material is dispensed, the diameter of the roll reduces causing the roll to drop from the cradle roller to a collection device. A transfer assembly pivots with the roll so that the sheet material continues to be dispensed from the dispenser without interruption. Once the roll of material drops to the collection device, a new roll of material can be loaded into the dispenser for automatic transfer to the new roll once the first roll of material has been completely depleted.
A dispenser for sheet materials comprising:
A dispenser as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein the collection device comprises an arc-shaped pan that partially surrounds the cradle device, the collection device having a shape sufficient to hold a plurality of cores collected from fully dispensed rolls of sheet material.
A dispenser as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer assembly includes at least one belt that extends around the drive roller and the transfer shoe, the belt being driven by the drive roller and, when pressed against a sheet material, facilitates movement of the sheet material through the dispenser.
A dispenser as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer shoe comprises a transfer roller.
A dispenser as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing mechanism further includes a pressure roller positioned adjacent to the drive roller, wherein the transfer assembly guides a sheet material into a nip formed between the pressure roller and the drive roller for dispensing the sheet material through the dispensing opening.
A dispenser as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer shoe has a size that passes in between the abutment devices when a roll of sheet material drops between the cradle device and the abutment devices and the transfer assembly pivots.
A dispenser as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer shoe moves from a first position to a second position when the transfer assembly pivots due to a roll of material dropping between the cradle device and the abutment devices and wherein the transfer shoe is biased towards the first position and when a roll of material drops between the cradle device and the abutment devices, the sheet of material pushes against the transfer shoe and moves the transfer shoe into the second position.
A dispenser as defined in any of the preceding claims wherein the transfer shoe includes a stopping member that is positioned to prevent a partially exhausted roll of sheet material located on the collection device from being displaced from the collection device.
A dispenser as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing mechanism further comprises a feed device for receiving a free end of a roll of sheet material loaded on the cradle device, wherein the feed device automatically feeds the free end of the roll of sheet material into the transfer assembly when a roll of material on the collection device is completely depleted.
A method of dispensing a roll of sheet material comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.