Patent ID: 6354533
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: A47K,B65H

Abstract:
A web transfer mechanism for providing, in a flexible sheet material dispenser, automatic transfer of web feed from a working roll to a reserve roll, comprising:a pair of feed rollers forming a nip for receiving a leading end of a sheet material web, a first one of said feed rollers including at least one circumferential groove; a first arm movably mounted adjacent and to one side of said first feed roller, said first arm including a web transfer finger, said finger being movable into contact with a leading end portion of a sheet material web from said reserve roll, positioned on said one side of the first feed roller, to a transfer position close enough to said first feed roller to move said leading end portion into the vicinity of said nip such that upon driving of the feed rollers the web of the reserve roll is carried through the nip and along a path avoiding subsequent contact of the web with said finger; a second arm movably mounted adjacent and to a second side of said first feed roller, said second arm including a web sensing finger biased toward said feed roller into a web-present sensing position wherein said sensing finger rides lightly upon the surface of a sheet material web as it passes around said first feed roller, and such that when no sheet material web is present said sensing finger moves into a no-web-present position within a said at least one circumferential groove; a stop arm connected to said second arm, said stop arm being movable to a stop position preventing said web transfer finger from moving into said transfer position when said web sensing finger is in said web-present sensing position, said stop arm being movable with said second arm to a release position allowing said web transfer finger to move into said transfer position when said second arm moves into said no-web-present position.