Dual roll, center pull, paper toweling dispenser

A paper towel dispenser, comprising: PA1 a support structure; PA1 a platform forming a part of the support structure and adapted to support two rolls of center pull paper toweling in side-by-side relationship, the platform having a bottom, a first opening in the bottom, and a second opening in the bottom, each opening capable of receiving paper toweling from an inner end of a roll of center pull paper toweling; and PA1 a selectively positionable access-blocking member attached to the support structure, the access-blocking member having a first position and a second position for alternatingly blocking access to one of the first and second openings while providing access to the other one of the first and second openings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to paper towel dispensers and methods of using such 
dispensers, and in particular, the invention relates to center-pull paper 
toweling dispensers and methods of using such dispensers. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Paper toweling is a part of our daily lives. We use it in the home, at 
school, at work, in restaurants, in airports, and in numerous other 
settings. For example, you, no doubt, have been in that frustrating 
position of using a public restroom, washing your hands, and then turning 
around to the paper toweling dispenser, only to find that the dispenser is 
empty! At which point, you are often left with the options of"drip 
drying", pulling out that personal hand towel that you always carry with 
you, or using that favorite towel-like section of your dress, suit, or 
shirt. 
Despite the ease and convenience of single-roll, center-pull paper toweling 
and dispensers, these dispensers simply do not solve this annoying 
problem. As is often the case in a heavily trafficked area, someone before 
you has pulled at that last sheet of toweling from the center-pull 
dispenser before a custodian returned to the restroom or other facility to 
refill the unit. Alternatively, even if a facility had a custodian or 
custodians checking and refilling the dispenser with great frequency, a 
great deal of paper toweling likely would be wasted. For example, in order 
to avoid an empty dispenser, a custodian likely would remove whatever 
paper toweling is in the dispenser, throw that toweling away, and fill the 
dispenser with a new roll, as an alternative to risking the potential for 
an empty dispenser. 
One company has developed a center-pull dispenser assembly which is 
actually two center-pull dispensers molded together in a side-by-side 
relationship. If this assembly were installed in a facility, a person 
using the facility would have the option to pull paper toweling from 
either the right dispenser or left dispenser of the side-by-side unit. 
Accordingly, this side-by-side unit would increase the total volume of 
paper initially available in the dispenser assembly. However, because 
people using the facility would be able to freely draw toweling from the 
left and right dispensers at will, there would still be a significant 
possibility that when you turned to the dispensing unit in search of a 
sheet of paper toweling, once again, you would come up empty handed. As 
with the single-roll dispenser, a custodian would either have to be very 
lucky in his or her timing, or that custodian would have to throw away one 
or more partially used rolls, in order to restock the unit. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks by providing 
a paper towel dispenser, comprising: 
a support structure; 
a platform forming a part of the support structure and adapted to support 
two rolls of center-pull paper toweling in side-by-side relationship, the 
platform having a bottom, a first opening in the bottom, and a second 
opening in the bottom, each opening capable of receiving paper toweling 
from an inner end of a roll of center-pull paper toweling; and 
a selectively positionable access-blocking member attached to the support 
structure, the access-blocking member having a first position and a second 
position for alternatingly blocking access to one of the first and second 
openings while providing access to the other one of the first and second 
openings. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be 
made apparent from the accompanying drawings and description of the 
drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
With reference to FIG. 1, one version of the paper towel dispenser 
according to the principals of the invention is shown. This particular 
dispenser 10 includes a support structure 12, with a platform 14 forming a 
part of the support structure 12 and adapted to support two rolls of 
center-pull paper toweling in side-by-side relationship. As shown in FIG. 
1, this particular dispenser 10 is loaded with a left-side roll 16 and a 
right-side roll 18. The platform 14 itself includes a bottom 20, a first 
opening in the bottom 20 and a second opening in the bottom 20. As best 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, this particular version of the dispenser 10 
includes a left-side opening 22 and a right-side opening 24, in operative 
position below the left and right-side rolls 16, 18. It should be noted 
that either the left-side opening 22 or the right-side opening 24 may 
represent the "first opening" presented in the claims. For example, if the 
left-side opening 22 is considered to be the first opening, then the 
right-side opening 24 would represent a "second opening." Conversely, if 
the right-side opening 24 is considered to be the "first opening," then 
the left-side opening 22 may be the "second opening." 
As best shown in FIGS. 1-3, the paper towel dispenser includes a 
selectively positionable access-blocking member 26 attached to the support 
structure 12. As shown in these figures, and discussed in further detail 
below, the access-blocking member 26 has a first position and a second 
position for alternatingly blocking access to one of the first and second 
openings while providing access to the other one of the first and second 
openings. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the access blocking member 
26 is positioned toward the left-side 28 of the dispenser 10, so as to 
block access to the left-side opening 22, while simultaneously allowing 
access to the right-side opening 24. Alternatively, and as will be 
discussed in further detail below, the access blocking member 26 may be 
positioned toward the right-side 30 of the dispenser 10, in which case, 
the access blocking member 26 blocks the right-side opening 24, while 
providing access to the left-side opening 22. With respect to the claims, 
it should be understood that the left-side position and right-side 
position of the access blocking member 26 may correspond with the claimed 
"first position" and "second position." Alternatively, the reverse may be 
possible, with the right-side blocking member 26 representing a "first 
position," and the left-side position corresponding with a "second 
position." 
As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, this version of the dispenser 10 also 
includes a left-side sensing member 32 and a right-side sensing member 34 
slidingly positioned in a left-side channel 36 and a right-side channel 
38, respectively, in a back plate 40. 
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, each of the sensing members 32, 34 
includes an upper end 42 with a resting element 44, a lower end 46 with a 
blocking element 48, and a connecting portion 50 between the upper and 
lower ends 46, 48. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the left-side 
and right-side channels 36, 38 includes a partially open face 52, thereby 
enabling each of the sensing members 32, 34 to move up and down within 
there respectively channels 36, 38. The importance of the sliding ability 
of these sensing members 32 and 34 will become more apparent upon a 
reading of the additional detailed description provided below. 
Turning, for a moment, to the access blocking member 26, and with reference 
to FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the access blocking member 26 includes a front-side 
54, a base 56, and a back-side 58. The back-side 58 further includes an 
elongated obstruction bar 60. 
As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, when the dispenser 10 is loaded with two 
full rolls 16, 18 of center-pull paper toweling, and the access blocking 
member 26 is positioned toward the left-side 28 of the dispenser 10, then 
the blocking element 48 of the right-side sensing member 34 is in general 
alignment with the elongated obstruction bar 60 of access blocking member 
26, whereby if one attempts to move the access blocking member 26 toward 
the right-side 30 of the dispenser 10, the right end 62 of the obstruction 
bar 60 makes contact with the blocking element 48 of the right-side 
sensing member 34 sufficient to prevent the access blocking member 26 from 
being moved to the right-side 28 of the dispenser 10 so as to expose the 
left-side opening 22. The right-side sensing member 34 is in this 
particular alignment with the obstruction bar 60 because the resting 
element 44 of the right-side sensing member 34 is resting on the top 
surface 64 of the right-side roll 16 of paper toweling. 
Again with reference to FIG. 2, the positioning of the left-side sensing 
member 32 relative to the elongated obstruction bar 60 of the access 
blocking member 26 is somewhat different. As shown in that Figure, the 
blocking element 48 of the left-side sensing member 32 is positioned above 
the obstruction bar 60, and as shown in the figure, the resting element 44 
of the left-side sensing member 32 actually is positioned slightly above 
the top surface 64 of the left-side roll 16 of toweling. 
These different positions of the right and left side sensing members 34, 32 
may be further appreciated with reference to FIG. 5. This Figure shows the 
blocking element 48 of the right-side sensing member 34 in blocking 
alignment with the obstruction bar 60. However, the sensing member 34 and 
blocking element 48 also are shown in two other positions, represented by 
the phantom lines. One phantom sketch shows the blocking element 48 
positioned above the obstruction bar 60, with the blocking element 48 
identified by the letter "A". This positioning of the blocking element 48 
of the right-side sensing member 34 is substantially similar to the 
vertical alignment of the blocking element 48 of the left-side sensing 
member 32 relative to the obstruction bar 60 as shown in FIG. 2. 
In the particular version of the invention shown in the Figures, the access 
blocking member 26 is slidingly connected to the platform 14. As best 
shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, this is accomplished by providing the bottom 20 of 
the platform 14 with a front slide track 66 and a rear slide track 68. In 
addition, the access blocking member 26 includes a front flange 70 and a 
rear flange 72 for corresponding with the front slide track 66 and rear 
slide track 68, respectively. The access blocking member 26 also has a 
handle 74 on the front side 54 to assist in moving the access blocking 
member 26 from one side of the dispenser 10 to the other. 
In an alternate version of the invention (not shown), the access blocking 
member 26 may perform its same function in cooperation with the left and 
right-side sensing members 32, 34, without the access blocking member 26 
being connected to the platform 14. For example, the support structure 12 
may include a separate mounting bracket for mounting a separate frame 
beneath the platform 14, with the frame including front and rear slide 
tracks, or any other feature or features which slidingly connect the 
particular access blocking member to the separate framework. 
Returning back to the particular version of the dispenser 10 shown in the 
Figures, and with particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, the dispenser 10 
also includes a cover 76 having a top 78, a front 80 and a right and 
left-side (not shown), thereby protecting the paper toweling within the 
dispenser 10. The side walls of the cover 76 are substantially 
rectangular, as shown by the phantom diagonal line in FIG. 4. Each of 
these sidewalls has a diagonal ledge which corresponds with an opposing 
diagonal ledge of a left-side panel 82 of the supporting structure 12 and 
a right-side panel 84 of the supporting structure 12 (See FIG. 2 for 
panels 82 and 84). 
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the supporting structure 12 further includes a 
vertical plate 86 positioned centrally between the left-side opening 22 
and right-side opening 24, and connected to the platform bottom 20 and 
back plate 40. This vertical plate 86 includes a top edge 88 and a front 
edge 90, with the top edge including a detent 92. 
As best shown in FIG. 4, this particular version of the invention further 
includes a pair of lifting members, in the form of a left-side elasticized 
band or cord 94 and a right-side elasticized band or cord 96. One end of 
the right-side band 96 is connected to the resting element 44 of the 
right-side sensing member 34 while the other end of the band 96 is 
connected to the inside surface 98 of the top 78 by an eye screw 100. In 
addition, the dispenser 10 includes a cover prop-rod 102 pivotably mounted 
by a pin 104 to a bracket 106 depending from the inside surface 98 of the 
cover top 78, with the positioning of this pivotal mount being slightly 
toward the front 80 of the cover 76 relative to the eye screw 100, whereby 
the cover prop-rod 102 rests in a substantially vertical alignment when 
the cover 76 is in a closed position. The cover 76 further includes a back 
portion 108 which is flexibly mounted an upper portion 110 of the back 
plate 40 by a piano hinge 112, thereby enabling the cover 76 to be raised 
and lowered without becoming separated from the rest of the dispenser 10. 
Furthermore, as shown in phantom in FIG. 4, the cover 76 may be maintained 
in an open position (designated by the reference letter "O") by placing 
the free end 114 of the cover prop rod 102 in the detent 92 on the top 
edge 88 of the vertical plate 86. This ability to maintain the cover 76 in 
an open position is particularly beneficial when a custodian installs a 
new roll or rolls into the dispenser 10. 
As shown in the Figures, this particular version of the dispenser 10 also 
includes a left-side dispensing member 116 and a right-side dispensing 
member 118. In this particular version of the invention, each of the 
dispensing members 116, 118 is identical. FIG. 5 shows many of the details 
of the right-side dispensing side 118 and because of the two dispensing 
member 116, 118 are identical in this particular version of the invention, 
the partial cross section shown in FIG. 5 may be used to understand the 
shape and design of both the left-side and right-side dispensing members 
116, 118. Accordingly, with reference to FIG. 5, each dispensing member 
116, 118 includes a top portion 120 and a bottom portion 122, with the top 
portion having an aperture for receiving paper toweling 126 from an inner 
end of a roll of center-pull paper toweling. The bottom portion 122 of 
each dispensing member 116, 118 is operatively connected to the top 
portion 120, with the bottom portion 122 having an upper end 128 connected 
to the top portion 120, and a lower end 130 having an orifice 132 capable 
of receiving the paper toweling 126. 
As seen most clearly in FIG. 3, the aperture 124 in the top portion 120 
includes a substantially circular central portion 134 and 3 extending legs 
136 which get progressively narrower as they radiate away from the central 
portion. With reference to FIG. 3, the first leg 138 is oriented toward a 
left-side 140 of the platform 14, the second leg 142 is oriented toward a 
front-side 144 of the platform 14, and the third leg 146 is oriented 
toward a right-side 148 of the platform 14. 
As best shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the top portion 120 of each of the 
dispensing members 116, 118 includes a peripheral "catch" at both the 
front 150 and the back 152 of the top portion 120. Each of these "catches" 
engages a "corresponding" in the bottom 20 of the platform 14. With 
particular reference to FIG. 5, the front "catch" is a notched-out cut 
154. The "corresponding" is a sliding latch 156 which is placed in an 
upper recess 158. The sliding latch 156 is slidingly connected to the 
platform 14 by a pin 160 having a retaining head, which moves back and 
forth in a slot 162. The top portion 120 also includes a "catch" at the 
back 152 of the top portion of 120. This particular "catch" is a locating 
tab 164, which fits into the corresponding "catch," which in this case is 
a corresponding slot 166. These front and rear catch mechanisms inhibit or 
prevent a user from accidentally, or even intentionally, forcing either of 
the removable dispensing members 116, 118 out of their respective 
positions. It is also worth noting that both the left-side opening 22 and 
right-side opening 24 include an annular recess 168. This annular recess 
168 corresponds with a stepped annular recess 170 on the lower surface 172 
of the top portion 120. In addition, as best shown in FIG. 1, the top 
portion 120 includes a peripheral edge 174 and a central, vertical axis 
176. As can be seen from the Figure, the cross-sectional contour of the 
top portion 120 is generally concave, with the lowest point of the concave 
shape being located at the central axis 176. 
With reference to FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the bottom portion 122 of each of the 
dispensing members 116, 118 is substantially funnel-like in shape. In 
addition, the orifice 132 of the bottom portion 122 is positioned off 
center relative to the central axis 176 of the upper end 128 of the bottom 
portion, the same central axis 176 as found in the top portion 120. 
In making a dispenser according to the principals of the invention, any 
suitable materials may be used, as will readily be understood by those of 
ordinary skill in the art upon a review of the Summary of the Invention, 
the drawings, and the Detailed Description of the Drawings. For example, 
the various components may be made of plastic, with the components being 
formed by injection molding. If desired, the dispenser support structure, 
including the platform, the front and rear slide tracks, the back plate, 
the side panels, and the central vertical plate may be formed as an 
integral unit. In addition, the access blocking member and the cover each 
may be formed as its own integral unit. Depending upon the construction of 
the back plate, it is possible to form the sensing member as an integral 
unit as well. For example, if each of the channels in the back plate 
includes a removable panel on the front surface of the back plate, then 
each of the sensing members may first be positioned into the channel, with 
the cover panel then being placed in position. Alternatively, the sensing 
member may be formed as separate pieces which are subsequently fastened 
together. For example, a separate resting element may be added to an 
integral connecting portion and blocking element, alternatively, a 
separate blocking element may be fastened to an integral connecting 
portion and resting element. With respect to the removable dispensing 
members, each of these members may be formed either as an integral unit, 
or as separate top and bottom portions which are subsequently fastened 
together. In addition to the various methods of manufacture described 
above, it will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art 
that a dispenser according to the principals of the invention may be made 
in any of a number of other different fashions. For example, various 
plainer sheets of plastic or any other suitable material may be cut and 
subsequently fastened together to form the dispenser. 
With reference to the Figures, in loading the dispenser, a custodian or 
other operator simply lifts the cover 76 and props it open by positioning 
the free end 114 of the cover prop-rod 102 in the detent 92 on the top 
edge 88 of the vertical plate 86. By way of example, if the 
access-blocking member 26 is positioned toward the left side 28 of the 
dispenser 10, as shown in FIG. 2, and both rolls of toweling are being 
loaded for the first time, the custodian may easily remove the right-side 
dispensing member 118, remove the cardboard core from a roll of 
center-pull toweling, pull some of the toweling out from the base of the 
roll, twist the exposed toweling into a "tail," and feed the tail through 
the dispensing member 118, including the orifice 132 of the bottom portion 
122. He or she then may position the member 118 into the annular recess 
168 of the platform bottom 20, and secure the various front and rear 
"catches" in place. Because the cover 76 is open, the elasticized band or 
cord 94 has already lifted the sensing member blocking element 48 above 
the level of the access-blocking member obstruction bar 60. Accordingly, 
the custodian may slide the access-blocking member to the right side 30 of 
the dispenser 10. 
If the left-side sensing member's blocking element 48 happens to be 
positioned below the elongated obstruction bar 60 of the access-blocking 
member 26, as opposed to being positioned above the bar 60 as shown in 
FIG. 2, this does not present a problem. Because the left-side sensing 
member 32 also is connected to the cover 76 by an elasticized band or cord 
94, the cover 76 may be fully opened and propped up, as discussed above. 
Because the band 94 is elastic, it simply stretches to accomodate this 
scenario. In this situation, when the custodian slides the access-blocking 
member 26 to the right, the left-side sensing member 32 will rise up as 
the obstruction bar 60 moves past the sensing member's blocking element 
48. At this point, the custodian may remove the left-side dispensing 
member 116 and install a new roll on the left side, as discussed above in 
conduction with the installation on the right side. At this point, the 
custodian simply releases the cover prop-rod 102 and closes the cover 76. 
The access-blocking member 26 now is blocking access to toweling on the 
right side 30 of the dispenser 10, while enabling users to pull towels 
from the left side 28 of the dispenser 10. 
Therefore, users will not be able to pull towels from the right-side 
dispensing member 118 until the paper toweling above the left-side 
dispensing member 116 is depleted. As used herein, the term "depleted" 
does not require that all of the sheets of a given roll of center-pull 
paper toweling be removed from a particular side and dispensing member of 
the dispenser 10. Instead, "depleted" simply means that enough toweling 
has been removed from the roll so that the corresponding sensing member, 
which prior to depletion makes contact with the access-blocking member 26 
sufficient to prevent the access-blocking member 26 from being moved from 
one of the first and second positions to the other of the first and second 
positions, now moves downward to a point just sufficient enough to allow 
the access-blocking member 26 to be moved to the other of the first and 
second positions. With reference to FIG. 5, one example of such a downward 
position is the blocking element 46 shown in phantom and identified by the 
letter "B". Accordingly, by way of example, once the toweling above the 
left-side dispensing member 116 is depleted, a user may slide the 
access-blocking member 26 to the left side 28 of the dispenser 10, thereby 
providing access to a fill roll of toweling via the right-side dispensing 
member 118. 
In this manner, a custodian may return to the dispenser 10 and install a 
new roll on the left side 28, well before users have exhausted the roll on 
the right side 30. This ability of the invention to limit dispensing to 
one side of the device provides many benefits and advantages, both to 
users and to custodians. For example, the invention significantly reduces 
the expense associated with custodians throwing away partially consumed 
rolls of toweling because of the potential mismatch between the timing of 
their re-stock visits and the rates of consumption by users. And most 
importantly, the invention significantly increases the likelihood that, 
the next time you reach for that much-needed sheet of center-pull paper 
toweling, you will not come up empty-handed! 
In a particular version of the invention designed to accomodate two rolls 
of toweling, with each roll of toweling having standard dimensions of 8 
inches in height and 71/4 inches in diameter, and with the majority of the 
planar surfaces of the dispenser being formed of materials having a 
thickness of about 1/4 inch, suitable dimensions for the dispenser itself 
may be as follows: 
an overall dispenser width from left to right of about 151/2 inches; an 
overall dispenser depth from front to back of about 91/4 inches; an 
overall sidewall height of about 1411/16 inches; a height of about 41/2 
inches from the bottom of the sidewall to the point where the diagonal 
portion of the sidewall begins; a cover top to platform bottom height of 
about 93/8 inches; a vertical plate height of about 81/2 inches and width 
front to back of about 5 inches; a sensing member width of about 1 inch, 
height of about 1011/16 inches, resting element length of about 11/4 
inches, and blocking element length and height of about 1/2 inch; a 
channel width left to right of about 11/16 inches, and depth front to back 
of about 5/16 inch; an access-blocking member width left to right of about 
6 inches, front height of about 211/16 inches, front flange length of 
about 1/2 inch, base depth front to back of about 71/8inches, back height 
of about 211/16 inches, back flange length of about 1/2 inch; an elongated 
obstruction bar length of about 10 inches, and cross-sectional height and 
width of about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch; a front slide track external height 
of about 13/16 inch, external depth front to back of about 13/16 inch, 
internal height of about 5/16 inch, and internal depth of about 1/2 inch; 
a rear slide track external height of about 13/16 inch, internal height of 
about 5/16 inch and internal depth of about 1/2 inch; a distance from the 
back side of a sensing member to the back side of the access-blocking 
device of about 11/16 inches; a distance from the top of the back wall of 
the access-blocking member to the bottom of the elongated obstruction bar 
of about 21/8 inches; a dispensing member top portion diameter of about 
65/8 inches; dispensing member bottom portion dimensions at the orifice of 
about 3/8 inch by about 7/16 inch; and an angle of about 38 degrees formed 
between the horizontal base of the access-blocking member and the 
longitudinal axis running through the funnel-like bottom portion. In this 
particular version of the invention, the removable dispensing members are 
formed of materials thinner than 1/4 inch in thickness. 
While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of 
various versions, and while the illustrative versions have been described 
in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the inventor to 
restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such 
detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to 
those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is 
therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus 
and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, 
departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit 
or scope of the inventor's general inventive concept.