Brake to facilitate dispensing of material from a roll
AssigneeEncore Packaging LLC
InventorTimothy H. Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rolled material dispenser includes a brake mechanism designed to govern the rolling of a roll of packing material during dispensing of the packing material to reduce unintended tearing of the packing material and improve the user experience of handling such material dispensing. In one example, the brake mechanism includes a first portion configured to engage the roll during normal unloading of material from the roll and a second portion configured to engage the roll to impede rotation of the roll when unloading of material is uneven. An idler roller engages the material being dispensed, which idler roller may be resiliently supported to absorb forces on the material.
Claims12
An apparatus for dispensing packing material, the apparatus comprising:
- a support arm configured to support a roll of packing material;
- an idler roller configured to engage and roll with packing material dispensed from the roll;
- a brake arm disposed to extend along a length of the roll, a first edge of the brake arm supporting at least one brake arm roller, a second edge of the brake arm disposed opposite of the first edge, the brake arm supported to rotate to selectively engage the roll with either the first edge or the second edge, the brake arm biased to engage the roll on a side of the roll toward the idler roller with the second edge to restrict rotation of the roll;
- wherein the brake arm is configured to rotate to engage the roll with the at least one roller in response to packing material being dispensed from the roll to engage the idler roller.
An apparatus for dispensing packing material, the apparatus comprising:
- a support arm configured to support a roll of packing material;
- a brake arm disposed to extend along a length of the roll to engage the roll with at least one brake arm roller during dispensing of packing material from the roll;
- wherein the brake arm comprises:
- a first edge supporting the at least one brake arm roller, and
- a second edge of the brake arm disposed opposite of the first edge and comprising a brake edge;
- wherein the brake arm is configured to engage the roll with the brake edge in response to uneven rolling of the roll on the support arm.
A method for dispensing packing material from a roll, the method comprising:
- biasing a brake arm comprising a first edge supporting the at least one brake arm roller, and a second edge of the brake arm disposed opposite of the first edge and comprising a brake edge to engage a roll of packing material with the brake edge;
- rotating the brake arm tension in the packing material sufficient to rotate the brake arm, the rotating effecting moving the brake edge away from the roll and engaging the roll with at least one of the at least one brake arm roller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.