Feed mechanism for flexible sheet material dispensers

A feed mechanism for a dispenser, comprising:

• feed roller means for guiding a web of sheet material from a material storage position to a user accessible position relative to a dispenser, said feed roller means being rotatable through a cycle having a web cutting cycle segment and a lead feed cycle segment after said web cutting cycle segment and during which a lead of the remaining web material is fed out generally away from the dispenser;
• a cutter blade operatively associated with said feed roller means and positioned to cut the web during said web cutting cycle segment;
• and
• energy storage means containing means for cocking and releasing stored energy to said feed roller initially during said web cutting cycle segment and for subsequently cocking and releasing stored energy to said feed roller during said lead feed segment.

A feed mechanism for a dispenser, comprising:

• a rotatable feed roller adapted to controllably feed a flexible sheet material web out of a dispenser, said feed roller having a feed roller periphery;
• a cutter slidably mounted within said feed roller, said cutter having a cutter edge projecting beyond said feed roller periphery during a flexible sheet material web cutting cycle portion of a rotation cycle of said feed roller and thereafter retracting into said feed roller;
• a spring associated with said feed roller;
• first cocking means for cocking said spring and subsequently unloading said spring and thereby assisting the rotation of said feed roller during the web cutting cycle portion;
• and
• second cocking means for cocking said spring directly after said web cutting cycle portion and subsequently unloading said spring and thereby assisting the further rotation of said feed roller to feed a lead of the flexible sheet material web out of the dispenser and accessible to the next user.

An apparatus for dispensing a web of flexible sheet material, comprising:

• feed roller means for feeding a web of flexible sheet material generally out of a dispenser;
• severing means for cutting a portion of the web during one cycle segment of rotation of the feed roller means;
• a cam element attached to said feed roller means and rotatable therewith;
• drive spring means for storing energy a first time to assist in a cutting cycle segment of said feed roller means and a second time to assist in propelling the web out of the dispenser during a lead feed cycle segment of said feed roller means;
• and
• cam follower means for loading and releasing said drive spring means.