Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CLOTH TOWEL DISPENSER WITH TW~ ADJOINING TOWEL UNITS ~ 15 5 5
The invention relates to a cloth towel dispenser with two adjoining towel
units, whereof each towel unit has a casing with a cover, a delivery
point with a delivery roller for receiving and for the porti~nwise
unrolling of a clean towel roll and a draw-in point with a draw-in roller
for drawing in and winding up the used t~wel part to fonn a roll and
usable for drying the hands by manually pulling out a towel locp, the
delivery roller being connected with the draw-in r~ller by means of a
gear and on the underside of the casing is located an indicator flap
pivotably mounted in the casing side walls and which in the visible
position indicates that the towel unit is ready to use.
Towel dispensers in which a cloth portion is made available for drying
the hands are kncwn in numerous different constructions. In most towel
dispensers the user draws a cloth portion out of the dispenser so that
he can dry his hands. The cloth towel is a strip of finite length
available for a certain number of uses and which must then be replaced.
To be able to bridge the resulting interruption in use, it is known from
the Applic~nt's EP-A-0 283 554 to use a cloth towel dispenser ccmprising
tw~ adjoining or abutting towel units. The two towel units of this
so-called twin dispenser are constructed precisely identically. The
cloth tcwel thereof is passed by means of a delivery roller onto a draw
off roller. On pulling out the cloth for forming a towel lo~p the draw-in
roller is also rotated by means of an envelope drive or gear. The draw-in
roller contains a s~ring tensi~n accumulator, which is drawn up during
each towel loop formation. The length of the towel which can be drawn
out is limited by a catch. Following the drawing out of a tawel loop
and at the end of a certain period of time the spring tension accumulator
rotates the draw-in roller and consequently winds the towel loop onto
the same, so that the used l~cp disappears. This known twin dispenser
functions reliably. As soon as the cloth towel of one towel unit is
used up, the sec~nd towel unit is freed for çperation, in that its signal
or indicator flap is pivoted into the visible positi~n. The towel unit
with the used cloth towel can be replaced during the cperation of the
second towel unit and made available in such a way that when the towel
in the second towel unit has been used, the first towel unit is ready to
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operate again.
To ensure that the cloth towel of a towel unit is c3np1etely used, it is
known to block the next towel unit to go into operation and to only free
it when the towel in the operating unit has been completely used. When
towel users appear in quick succession, it is unavoidable that one of
the waiting people will attempt to use the blocked towel unit. However,
the force which is exerted leads to a problem and consequently said towel
unit fails.
Therefore the problem of the present invention is to avoid the risk of a
fault of the towel unit not in operation in that although a use thereof
is possible, this is not indicated.
According to the invention this problem is solved in that during the
readiness for use of one towel unit, a towel loop can be pulled out for
use from the other towel unit provided with a towel, although in the case
of the latter the indicator flap is not in the visible position and is
only pivoted into the latter when the towel of the first towel unit has
been used and rolled onto the draw-in roller.
The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to a
non-limitative emho~ nt and the attached drawings, wherein sh~w:
Fig. 1 A front view of a towel dispenser with two tcwel units, one
towel unit being in operation and the other towel unit ready
to operate.
Fig. 2 A diagrammatic view of the essential inner parts of a towel
unit in a three-dimensonal view.
Fig. 3 A view of the left-hand side wall, seen from the front, of a
towel unit with the side cover removed.
Fig. 4 A view of the right-hand side wall of a towel unit with the
side cover removed.
2~7~3~
Fig. 5 A diagrammatic view of the draw-in point of a towel unit
with an indicator flap and a bottom flap in a three-dimensional
view.
Fig. 6 The draw-in point according to fig. 5 with the indicator flap pivoted into the visible position to indicate the readiness
for use.
Fig. 7 A plan view of the partly shown, two-part signal flap, which
is kept in its extended position by a torsion spring.
Fig. 8 A vertical section through the indicator flap according
to fig. 7.
Fig. 9 A vertical section through a towel unit.
The twin dispenser 1 sh~wn in fig. 1 has two juxtaposed towel units 2, 3
between which is provided a narrow transition frame 4. The towel unit
2, 3 is essentially a par~llel~ipedic body whereof, viewed from the side,
it is only possible to see the cover 5, 6 covering the casing behind it.
The towel unit 2 is in operation and is sh~wn with a cloth towel loop 8pulled out on the underside of said unit and which can be used for drying
the hands. It is also possible to see on the underside a signal or
indicator flap 10, which in the represented visible position permits the
pulling out of the clean towel and when the cloth reserve is used up
indicates that refilling is necessary.
Casing walls 11, 12 are indicated in broken line form in the covers 5, 6
and within these the cloth transport takes place and the loop 8 is formed.
Between the casing walls 11, 12 and the outer c~vers 13, 14 there is con-
sequently a narr~w space h~using all the drive and contr~l oo~ponents.
In fig. 2 A is a delivery point for receiving a clean towel roll 15 andE is a draw-in point located below the delivery point A for receiving and
rolling up the used or spent towel roll 16.
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The clean towel r~ll 15 is located in a roll tray 18 pivotable about a
spindle 17 and which is drawn upwards by not shown spring tension to the
extent that this is all~wed by the roll 15. The cloth towel 7 delivered
by the roll 15 is guided over the free edge 19 of the roll tray 18 around
a delivery roller 20 provided with a rough circumference and then over a
pressure roller 22. The towel 7 within the cover then extends downwards
to the indicator flap 10 (not shown in fig. 2) and then upwards to the
draw-in point E. The hands are dried after pulling out the loop 8. Fbr
inserting the roll 15 the tray 18 can be drawn downwaLds by means of a
handle 105 (cf. fig. 9).
In the draw-in point E the used cloth towel is guided by means of a
draw-in roller 25, which is also prov;~ed with a rough surface and on
which the used towel roll 16 is wound on a mandrel 26, which is guided
in a guide groove 70 located in the casing walls 11, 12 and can conse-
quently give way in accordance with the increasing diameter of the
roll 16.
The pressure roller 22 in the delivery point A is guided in guide slots28. As a result of the guidance of the towel the delivery roller 20 is
pressed on fo~ming the loop 8 and reliably rotated.
The delivery roller 20 is fixed to a delivery shaft 29 and the draw-in
roller 25 to a draw-in shaft 30. The delivery roller 29 drives via a
slip clutch 31 an envelope drive 32, which comprises a driving gear 33,
a driven gear 34 and an envelope member 35, e.g. a toothed belt, the
driven gear 34 being fixed to the draw-in shaft 30. The latter is con-
nected by means of a spring tension accumulator 36 to the draw-in roller
35. It would also be conceivable to place the slip clutch 31 on the
draw-in shaft 30 instead of on the delivery shaft 29.
On the other end of the delivery roller 20 the delivery shaft 29 drivesan envelope drive 38 by means of a slip clutch 37, said drive c~mprising
a driving pinion 39, a driven ge æ 40 and an envelope member 41. The
driven ge æ 40 is located on a shaft 42 with a cam disk 43, which
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o~operates with a retaining catch 44. The cam disk 43 and the retaining
catch 44 limit the length of towel which can be drawn out on pulling the
towel 7 for forming the loop 8. The release of the retaining catch 44
is br~ught about by a timer, as will be explained with the aid of fig. 4.
On the side of the draw-in r~ller Z5 remote fr~m the spring tension
accumulator 36 is connected a draw-in shaft part 45 with a multistage
gear 48 (only one stage is sh3wn), by means of which a brake wheel 50
is driven at very high speed. The function of the brake wheel 50 is to
prevent the relaxing of the spring tension accumulator 36 when the towel
unit is open and to block the draw-in shaft 30 on switching on the timer.
Fig. 3 sh~ws an external view of the casing wall 11. The reference
numerals coinciding with those of fig. 1 indicate the same parts.
The envelope drive 32 and an intermediate gear 52, which is part of a
towel supply indicator 53 extend r~ughly diagonally. The anm 54 oon-
nected to the supply indicator 53 has a tooth sys~em 55, which cooperates
with a worm 57 fixed to a shaft 56. Shaft 56 is connected by means of a
further worm gear 56', 57' to the intermediate gear 52. As soon as the
towel is pulled out for forming a loop 8, there is al~o an adjustment of
the supply indicator 53. With the driven gear 34 on the draw-in shaft
30 is associated a locking mech~n;~n 58 with two disks 59, 60 having a
Maltese cross-like enga~"ellt and whose disk 59 has a cam 61 and whose
disk 60 has a gr~ove 62.
A shaft 63, cf. also fig. 9, which is tensioned by a spring 64 traverses
the casing and has a sensing rake 90 for establishing the presence of
towel material. The towel 7 runs between the sensing rake 90 and a comb-
like web 109 located on cover 5, 6 and extends further ar~nd the
~ndicator flap 10 (fig. 1).
65 is a locking r~d, which frees a bott~m flap 81 ~n opening the ocver
(cf. figs. 5 and 6) and wh~se pin 66 is located alongside the pivot pin
67 of the signal flap 10. The locking rod 65 prevents the closure of
the towel unit. If the cover 5, 6 is closed, firstly the bottom flap 81
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must be reengaged, the cover 5, 6 pressed against the casing and a locking
hook 68 pivoted into the closed positi~n by a not sh~wn key, the locking
hook cooperating with a pawl 68'.
The reference numerals 69, 70 designate- pr~tuberances in the casing wall
11 and which appear on the inside as depressions for housing the spring
system of the roll tray 18 or for guiding the mandrel 26 in the draw-in
p~int E.
Fig. 4 is an outside view of the casing wall 12. On the delivery shaft29 is located a pawl wheel 71, which prevents the turning back of the
delivery shaft 29 by c~cperation with a res;l;~nt catch 72. The driving
pinion 39 of the envelcpe drive 38 is also located on the shaft 29, being
connected by means of the slip clutch 37. The driving pinion 39 drives
the driven gear 40 on whose spindle is located the csn disk 43. A catch
44 in operative connection with the cam disk 43 constitutes part of a
pivot ann 74 pivotable about a shaft 73, which carries a suction cap 75
and a braking roller 77. On pulling out the towel 7 for fonning the loop
8, the suction cup 75 is pressed by the cam disk 43 onto a suction cup
76 and simultaneously the braking wheel 50 and therefore the drawing in
of the towel is blocked by the braking r,oller 77. At the end of the set
time separation occurs between the suction cup 75 and a further suction
cup 76, so that the braking wheel 50 is freed from the acti~n of the
braking roller 77. The cam disk 43 is set free, so that through the
spring tension accumulator 36 in the draw-in shaft 30 the drawing in of
the pulled out loop 8 ccmmences. The drawing in of the loop 8 is
acc~panied by the putting into action of the multistage gear 48 by the
draw-in shaft 30 and the braking wheel 50 is raised. During the pressing
together of the suction cups 75, 76 the braking roller 77 presses on the
braking wheel 50 and prevents any movement of the draw-in shaft 30.
If the cover 5, 6 is opened, a second braking roller 78 engages on the
braking wheel 50 and prevents the rotation of the draw-in roller 25 and
therefore the running dçwn of the spring tension accumulator 65. The
braking roller 78 is located over a locking rcd 80 oorresponding to the
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locking rod 65 on the wall 11 and with which the bottcm flap 81 pivotable
about the spindle 66 is locked and when the cover 5, 6 is opened the
closure thereof is prevented. The braking roller 78 is mounted on a
pivot lever 83, which projects into the vicinity of the locking shaft 85
carrying the locking hook 68 and is controlled by a cam 84 positi~ned on
said shaft.
Figs. 5 and 6 show the function of the indicator flap 10 and the bottcmflap 81 pivotable about the spindle 66 and located behind the same. On
its free end the bottcm flap 81 has a rotary roller 82 about which is
passed the used towel 7. The bottcm flap 81 is kept in its operating
position by the locking r~ds 65, 80. As soon as the cover 5, 6 is opened,
the bottcm flap 81 is unlocked in the vicinity of the rotary roller 82.
The locking rcds 65, 80 move scmewhat in the direction of the cover,
which can only be closed again when the rotary roller 82 has brought the
bottcm flap 81 into its operating position.
In fig. 5 the indicator flap 10 forms part of the bottom and is therefore
not visible. However, it means that the cloth towel unit 3, cf. fig. 1,
is ready to operate, but the indicator flap 10 only pivots into the
position shown in fig. 6 when the towel 7 of the tcwel unit has been
used up. The signal flap 10 is in two parts, cf. figs. 7 and 8, with one
part 10' being fixed and the other part 10" pivotably mounted on the
shaft 67. The shaft 67 has a lever 86 (fig. 4), which is kept in positi~n
by a two-arm lever 88 in which a spring 87 exerts a pivoting force on the
lever 86. The two-arm lever 88 is m operative connection with a lever
89 fixed to the sensor shaft 63.
Figs. 5 and 6 show the sensor shaft 63 with a sensor rake 90. F~r as
long as the towel 7 c~vers the sensor rake 90, the lever 89 has a positi~n
such that the two-ann lever 88 keeps the lever 86 of the indicator flap
shaft 67 in the tensioned position. As soon as the end of the towel 7
has passed the sensor rake 90, under the action of spring 64, cf. fig. 3,
the sensor shaft 63 is pivoted with the sensor rake 90 against the cover
5, 6, on which is located a web 109 with recesses 111 for the passage of
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.
the bars of the sensor rake 90. Therefore the two-anm lever 88 is pivoted
by the lever 89, so that the lever 86 brings about a counterclockwise
pivoting of the indicator flap shaft 67. This pivoting m~vement is
utilized in order to bring into the operating position the adjacent cloth
towel unit 3 fr~m the readiness position shLwn in fig. 5 by swinging out
the indicator flap 10. This can be brought ab~ut in a simple manner by
a square tube, which is located at the end of the indicator flap shaft
67 and is engaged on a square end of the indicator flap shaft of the
adjacent towel unit. There is no need for any further connection to the
towel unit 3.
Both the tcwel unit 2 and the tcwel unit 3 can be operated indivi~ ly.
It is merely necessary to use the relevant cover. Only in the case of a
joint arrangement do these covers have to be replaced by the transiti~n
frame 4 and simultaneously the two indicator flap shafts 67 are inter-
oonnected by the connecting tube. On pivoting out the sensor shaft 63,
in addition a push rod 91 is raised through which the braking roller 77
is raised, so that the braking wheel 50 can be put into motion by the
spring tension accumulator 36, so that the towel end is drawn into the
draw-in point.
An aid when inserting a clean towel is provided in the form of a pawl
wheel 92 roughly in the centre of the casing wall 12 shown in fig. 4,
a spring-loaded catch 93 oooperating with the pawl wheel 92 and a push
rod 94. On cpening the cover the push rod 94 is moved forwards, so that
the catch 93 engages in the pawl wheel 92. If the start of the new cloth
strip is placed over the delivery roller 60 and the strip pulled out in
order to place the end around the mandrel 26 of the draw-in point E, the
cam disk 43 is also rotated. During each rotation it moves the pivot arm
74, so that the catch 93 is removed from the pawl wheel 92 and the latter
is rotated by one tooth by a further catch 93'. After passing through
the e.g. five teeth, the catch 93 blocks the pivot a~m 74, cf. fig. 4.
The unwound cloth length is sufficient for inserting the start of the
strip around the mandrel 26 and oonsequently need not be measured. If
further rotation takes place by force, the slip clutch 37 ocmes into
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action and prevents faults or problems on the dispenser. Thus, this means
not only facilitates the insertion of a clean towel, but prevents damage
to the dispenser by incorrect insertion or the use of force. Reference
sh~uld also be made to the description of EP-A-0 283 554 with details
concerning the draw-in r~ller 25.
On the right-hand side of the draw-in roller 25, i.e. in the vicinity of
the casing wall 12, it is possible to see part of the multistage gear 48
by means of which the braking wheel 50 is driven. The gear 48 is provided
with a covering 104, which has partly been cmitted in fig. 4.
It is important that the indicator flap 10 indicates the readiness to
cperate of the towel units 2, 3 or the end of the drawing of cloth onto
the draw-in roller 25, substantially independently of the r~;n;ng
functions of the twin dispenser. If one cloth towel unit is in operation,
the indicator flap is in the visible positi~n. For the other towel unit
the indicator flap 10 is in the invisible position, cf. the towel unit 3
in fig. 1, but is still ready to operate. It is important that it is
also possible to use the towel unit in this state, although the indicator
flap 10 is not visible. The indicator flap 10 pivoted out in the case
of towel unit 2 draws the attention of the user to the fact that the
towel unit with the visible indicator flap should be used. Thus, the
towel unit with the indicator flap which is not swung out remains in
reserve, but can be used at any time, e.g. when there is a surye of
prospective users. If the towel 7 has bec~me completely used up on the
towel unit with the visible indicator flap 10, then the sensor shaft 63
pivots against the cover 5, so that the flap 10 is freed from the two-
anm lever 88 and consequently can be pivoted into the visible position.
The cloth towel on the towel unit where the towel has been used up can
now be changed and the unit made ready to operate again, i.e. with the
indicator flap 10 in the invisible position. Due to the fact that the
pulling out of the towel can take place independently of the indication
by the indicator flap 10, there is a simplification to the control on the
cne hand and on the other it is easier to oontrol the situaticn when there
is a surge of users.
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Figs. 7 to 9 illustrate the special construction of the indicator flap 10,
which is necessary on the one hand to ensure the clean drawing in of the
used towel into the draw-in roller 25 and on the other to penmit a reli-
able pivoting out of the indicator flap 10 into the visible position.
It is apparent from figs. 7 and 8, that the indicator flap 10 ccmprisestwo flap parts 10', lOn. The flap part 10' is fixed to the sensor shaft
67, whilst the flap part 10" is pivotable on said shaft 67. The pivotable
flap part 10" is coupled to the fixed flap part by a torsion spring 106,
but can also be pivoted by expending a certain force. Thus, the indicator
flap still remains functional if force is used to attempt to operate the
tcwel unit. Fig. 8 shows that the indicator flap 10 has an upwardly
curved, angled marginal web 107. As can be gathered from fig. 9, the
web 107 projects into a cavity 108 formed on the cover 5, 6 and on which
are also provided the recesses 111 for the passage of the bars of the
sensor shaft 63. The cloth towel 7 m~ves between the recesses 111 and
the bars of the sensor shaft 63, as sh~wn in fig. 9. It is important
that when the indicator flap 10 is in the invisible position, the tcwel
7 is carried along by the marginal web 107 and a loop 110 is formed in
the cavity 108. Also when the used towel portion has been drawn into
the draw-in roller 27 and is therefore no longer visible, the loop 110
created by the edge 107 fonms a material reserve, as a result of which
the indicator flap 10 can be pivoted into the visible position, cf. fig. 9.
This on the one hand ensures the clean appearance of the towel unit and
on the other still ensures a reliable pivoting of the indicator flap 10
into the visible positi~n. Fig. 9 also shows the path of the cloth towel
7, as has been described in conjunction with fig. 2.
The described twin dispenser 1 is able to ensure an uninterrupted towelservice. However, it is still possible to use both towel units sh~uld
this prove necessary, but only one indicator flap 10 pivots into the
visible position. Therefore, in nonmal cperation, it is ensured that
firstly one towel unit is used and then when cloth stops passing through
the indicator flap 10 pivots in the adjacent towel unit, in that the
aforementioned locking of the lever 86 is released on pivoting the sensor
shaft 63.
