Paper toweling dispensing system

Paper towel dispenser apparatus for dispensing paper toweling from a roll of paper toweling responsive to a pulling force being applied to said paper toweling at a location on said toweling, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a housing;
• a roll support operatively associated with said housing for rotatably supporting the roll of paper toweling;
• a rotatable toweling support roller within said housing spaced from said roll support for receiving toweling from the roll of paper toweling and supporting the toweling, said toweling support roller having a cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion having an external surface and being rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation when a pulling force is applied to toweling supported thereby;
• a cutter blade located at the external surface of the cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion and having a cutting edge, said cutter blade being pivotally mounted on said toweling support roller about a pivot located at the external surface of said cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion and pivotally movable between a first position wherein said cutter blade lies substantially flat against the toweling support roller with the cutting edge thereof positioned closely adjacent to the external surface of said cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion and a second position wherein said cutter blade is disposed at an acute angle relative to the external surface of said cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion with the cutting edge thereof spaced from the external surface of said cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion, said cutter blade when in said second position projecting outwardly from said pivot in a direction generally opposed to the direction of rotation of said toweling support roller, and said cutter blade being disposed externally of said toweling support roller in both said first position and said second position;
• and
• blade actuator means for pivoting said cutter blade between said first and second positions responsive to rotation of said toweling support roller due to the pulling force being applied to said toweling and tensioning of said toweling, the cutting edge of the cutter blade when said cutter blade is in said second position engaging toweling on the toweling support roller during rotation of the toweling support roller to sever the toweling due to said pulling force and tensioning of said toweling between the cutting edge of the cutter blade and the location on said toweling where the pulling force is applied, said pulling force pulling the toweling directly against the cutting edge of the blade generally in the direction of rotation of said toweling support roller during severing of the toweling when said cutter blade is in said second Position.