Apparatus for dispensing web material from a coreless roll and for resisting end-wise removal of the roll until substantial depletion thereof

Apparatus for dispensing web material from a coreless roll of such material includes a fixed shaft having a spindle rotatably mounted thereon. The spindle is axially movable relative to the shaft. The spindle includes at least one dog which is cammed outwardly when the spindle is moved axially relative to the shaft to tightly engage the innermost convolution of a coreless roll mounted on the shaft and spindle to resist endwise removal of the coreless roll.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing web material from a 
coreless roll of such material. The invention has particular application 
to dispensing paper from a coreless paper roll having a plurality of 
convolutions and a central opening defined by the innermost convolution. 
The apparatus incorporates structure which deters against theft of a 
coreless roll until it has been substantially depleted. 
BACKGROUND ART 
It is known in the prior art to form and make available coreless rolls of 
toilet tissue, paper toweling and the like. Such products incorporate no 
inner core and are comprised wholly of a plurality of convolutions of the 
paper itself. A central opening is defined by the innermost roll of 
convolution and the central opening can accommodate spindles and shafts to 
support the roll as it is dispensed by being unwound by a consumer. 
Of course, if some means is not provided to prevent end-wise movement of 
the roll relative to the support spindle or shaft, the roll may be removed 
in its entirety simply by manually pulling it end-wise from the spindle or 
shaft. 
One approach for preventing end-wise removal of a coreless roll from its 
support is to position the roll and support within the confines of a 
cabinet. Cabinets, however, add to the cost of the dispenser, may be 
inconvenient to service, and are not always appropriate for use. 
Mechanisms have been devised for the purpose of resisting end-wise removal 
of a roll product from its support. U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,822, issued Feb. 
19, 1974, for example, discloses a tissue roll holder including a support 
member adapted for fixed mounting to a wall and a sleeve rotatably and 
permanently mounted thereon, the sleeve being provided with a plurality of 
sharp prongs for penetration of and locking engagement with the tubular 
core of a conventional roll of tissue placed thereon to prevent removal of 
the roll. 
The device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,822 is inappropriate for use with 
coreless paper rolls such as coreless toilet tissue rolls and paper towel 
rolls. The prongs illustrated in the patent, due to their sharp and 
relatively shallow nature, would engage only a very few inner convolutions 
of a coreless roll and cause them to tear upon application of minimal 
end-wise force on the roll by a person attempting to remove the roll from 
its support. Also, the prongs can possibly injure a person using or 
servicing the device. 
A search directed to the present invention located the following United 
States patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,389, issued Nov. 25, 1980, U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,984,915, issued Jan. 15, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,391, issued Feb. 
3, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,631, issued Nov. 7, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 
5,135,179, issued Aug. 4, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,423, issued Oct. 12, 
1971, U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,434, issued Jul. 15, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,314,678, issued Feb. 9, 1982, and U.S. Pat. Des. 246,021, issued Oct. 
11, 1977. 
The above-identified patents do not address the problems discussed above 
and solved by the present invention. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
The apparatus of the present invention is for dispensing web material, such 
as paper, from a coreless roll comprised of a plurality of convolutions of 
web material and having a central opening defined by the innermost 
convolution of the web material. 
The invention provides for ease of installation of the coreless roll on the 
apparatus so that the coreless roll can be dispensed by unwinding in the 
conventional manner but resists end-wise movement of the coreless roll on 
a support shaft and spindle until the roll has been substantially depleted 
during normal use by one or more consumers, i.e., by virtue of unwinding 
of the coreless roll. 
The invention is characterized by its simplicity, reliability and 
relatively low cost. No external cabinet structure is required to deter 
against theft of other than a stub roll comprised of very few 
convolutions. 
The apparatus of the present invention is for dispensing web material from 
a coreless roll comprised of a plurality of convolutions of web material 
and having a central opening defined by the innermost convolution of the 
web material. 
The apparatus includes support means and a shaft connected to the support 
means and projecting outwardly therefrom, the shaft having a distal end. 
The apparatus also includes a spindle for positioning into the central 
opening of a coreless roll to mount a coreless roll on the apparatus. The 
spindle defines a hollow spindle interior and i.e. rotatably mounted on 
the shaft with the shaft located in the hollow spindle interior. 
The spindle is axially slidable relative to the shaft between a first 
position and a second position, said spindle being closer to the support 
means when in the second position than when in the first position. 
The spindle includes a spindle body and coreless roll lock means movably 
mounted relative to the spindle body and engageable with the innermost 
convolution of a coreless roll when the spindle and the shaft are 
positioned in the central aperture of a coreless roll. 
The spindle and the shaft are cooperable to move the lock means outwardly 
when the spindle is slid axially relative to the shaft from the second 
position toward the first position to tighten the engagement between the 
lock means and the innermost convolution of a coreless roll mounted on the 
apparatus. 
The coreless roll lock means includes at least one dog for engaging the 
innermost convolution of a coreless roll. 
The at least one dog has a slanted surface facilitating sliding movement of 
a coreless roll relative to the dog when the coreless roll is being 
manually mounted on the spindle and moved toward the support means. 
The shaft defines an indent on the periphery of the shaft and said at least 
one dog is in at least partial registry with the indent and at least 
partially disposed within the indent when the spindle is in the second 
position and the spindle is positioned in the central aperture of a 
coreless roll. 
Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will 
become apparent with reference to the following description and 
accompanying drawings.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIGS. 1-6, apparatus constructed in accordance with the 
teachings of the present invention is designated by reference numeral 10. 
Apparatus 10 includes a support member 12 in the form of a flat plate. 
Support member 12 may be affixed at any desired location, such as a wall, 
by conventional fastener means (not shown). 
A shaft 14 is affixed to support 12 and projects outwardly from the support 
member. Shaft 14 has a distal end in the form of an enlarged head 16 which 
is tapered at the outermost extent thereof to facilitate mounting of a 
coreless roll of web product such as a roll of toilet tissue 32 on the 
apparatus. This mounting procedure will be described in greater detail 
below. 
A spindle 20 is rotatably mounted on shaft 14 and is coaxial therewith, the 
spindle having a hollow spindle interior which is slightly larger in 
cross-section than the cross-section of the shaft at the location of the 
spindle. 
Shaft 14 defines an indent 22 which extends about the periphery of the 
shaft and is partially defined by a cam surface 24 extending about the 
shaft and inwardly from head 16. 
Spindle 20 includes a spindle body 28 and coreless roll lock means in the 
form of three dogs 30. Dogs 30 are integrally connected to spindle body 
28. An integral flange 26 is located at one end of spindle body 28. 
In the absence of outside forces being applied thereto, dogs 30 will occupy 
the positions shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. However, the dogs are free to 
flex relative to the spindle body and will move outwardly in a flaring 
formation if sufficient force is applied to the dogs urging them in the 
outward direction. 
The spindle 20 is axially slidably movable relative to shaft 14 when a roll 
32 is being mounted on the shaft and spindle. The roll is slipped over 
tapered head 16 of the shaft and slid over the dogs and spindle body of 
the spindle. It will be noted that the doge have a slanted surface 34 
which will facilitate sliding movement of the coreless roll 32 relative to 
the dogs when the coreless roll is being manually mounted on the spindle 
and moved toward the support means 12. Insofar as the mounting operation 
is concerned, the coreless roll 32 has a central opening 36 into which the 
shaft and spindle are positioned. Since the roll is coreless, the 
innermost convolution of the roll defines the central or center hole of 
the roll. 
If one were to exert a pulling force on the roll 32 after it has been 
mounted in position on apparatus 10, such pulling force will cause the 
spindle 20 to move from its position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 to that 
illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Such movement will cause the dogs 30 to flex 
relative to the spindle body and move or flare outwardly as they ride upon 
cam surface 24 of shaft 14. This will tighten the engagement of dogs 30 
with the innermost convolutions of roll 32 and make it extremely difficult 
for the person attempting such removal to complete the task. 
Outward movement of the spindle will be halted altogether due to engagement 
of the dogs 30 with an abutment 40 formed on head 16. It will be noted 
that inwardly disposed surface 42 of each dog is substantially at right 
angles to the primary axes of the shaft and the spindle. Thus, maximum 
resistance is provided by the dog to an outwardly directed axial pulling 
force on roll 32. The surfaces 34, 42 of the dog converge to form a 
pointed projection in the arrangement illustrated. 
Removal of a stub roll can be accomplished, if desired, once the roll of 
material has been reduced to a diameter substantially equal to the 
diameter of flange 26. An individual can restrain spindle 20 from forward 
movement by holding the flange in its rearward position. The stub roll can 
then be stripped from the spindle. 
FIGS. 7 and 8 show an alternative embodiment of the invention. Apparatus 
10A essentially operates in the same manner as apparatus 10 described 
above. However, in apparatus 10A the shaft 14A has an indent 22A located 
approximately mid-length of the shaft rather than at the end thereof. 
Indent 22A is for accommodating a dog 30A comprising part of spindle 20A 
in much the same manner that previously described indent 22 accommodated 
dogs 30. 
Outward movement of spindle 20A caused by exerting an outwardly directed 
axial force on a roll (not shown) on the spindle end shaft will cause the 
spindle to slide from the FIG. 8 position to the FIG. 7 position. This 
will cause dog 30A to cam outwardly and "bite" into the roll to prevent 
its removal. 
Shaft 14A has a distal end with an abutment surface 50 which is engaged by 
a stop 52 on the spindle 20A to terminate outward movement of the spindle 
20A relative to shaft 14A.