Sheet dispenser with optional support or attachment means

A dispenser for flexible sheets from a stack of sheets disposed one on top of another, each sheet comprising a backing having first and second opposite major side surfaces and first and second opposite ends with the first end of each sheet being in alignment with the second end of an adjacent sheet in said stack, and a layer of adhesive permanently adhered to the first side surface of said sheet backing, the layer of adhesive of each sheet being releasably adhered along the second surface of the adjacent sheet in said stack, said sheets comprising release means for providing a first adhesion level along a first end portion of each of said sheets adjacent said first end of said backing between said first side surface and the second side surface of the adjacent sheet in the stack to which said layer of adhesive is releasably adhered, which first adhesion level provides a sufficiently low or no release force between said first side surface and the adjacent sheet to which the adhesive along that first side surface is releasable adhered to afford sliding movement between the side surfaces of the adjacent sheets along said first end portion, and attachment means for providing a second adhesion level along a second end portion of each of said sheets adjacent said second end of said backing between said layer of adhesive and the second side surface of the adjacent sheet in the stack to which said layer of adhesive is releasably adhered, which second adhesion level provides a release force that is higher than said sufficiently low release force along said first end portion and firmly adheres the sheet to the adjacent sheet in the stack during sliding movement of the sheet relative to the adjacent sheet along said first end portion while affording peeling away of the sheet from the stack along said second end portion, said dispenser comprising:

• walls having surfaces defining a cavity adapted to receive the stack, said walls including
• a generally arcuate bottom wall defining a bottom surface for said cavity and an opposite generally cylindrically convex outer surface,
• end walls defining end surfaces for said cavity at opposite ends of said bottom surface,
• first and second arcuate top wall portions normally both in normal positions extending generally toward each other from said end walls and defining arcuate top surface portions for said cavity spaced from said bottom surface, said top wall portions in said normal positions having spaced adjacent end surfaces defining an outlet opening for said cavity between said top wall portions, and
• opposite side walls defining opposing side surfaces for said cavity extending between said top surface portions and said bottom surface,
• said surfaces defining said cavity being shaped to afford reciprocating movement of the stack of sheets within the cavity in response to a force manually applied to the second end portion of the uppermost sheet in the stack projecting through the opening so that the uppermost sheet in the stack can be manually pulled through the opening and will carry with it the second end portion of the sheet beneath it in the stack to which the uppermost sheet is adhered by the adhesive coating, placing that second end portion in a position where it also may be grasped and pulled to withdraw that sheet from the stack, and
• said dispenser comprises a first housing portion including said bottom wall, said end walls, said side walls and said first top wall portion;
• a second housing portion comprising said second top wall portion, means mounting said second housing portion on said first housing portion for relative movement of said housing portions between said normal position and an open position with said second top wall portion spaced from said first wall portion to afford inserting a said stack of sheets into said cavity, and means for releasably retaining said second housing portion in said normal position.