ROLL HOLDER

Abstract: In this publication there has been presented a movable roll holder for unwindable material, e.g. towel paper, equipped with a tightener based on a counterweight mechanism. The roll holder includes a foot (1) to which a shaft (2) is attached so that the shaft can easily be removed for changing the roll. It is possible to tear a piece of paper from the roll holder by one hand so that the paper tears off reliably along the perforation and that the paper left in the holder does not run from the roll holder. To the shaft (2) of the roll holder has been mounted a counterweight (3) which pulls a tightener (5) against the paper with constant load. The tightener prevents the paper from running during and after the tearing and thus enables the dosing of the paper by one hand.

Description: ROLL HOLDER The invention relates in accordance with the introduction of claim 1 to a movable roll holder for towel paper or material similar to that. For the comfort of using a roll holder it is important that paper does not run from the holder when it is not needed and that paper is torn off reliably along the perforation. For this purpose there has been a tightener or counter means in roll holders. Tighteners have been spring-loaded in which case the load having effect on the surface of the paper varies according to the amount of paper left on the roll and so the paper does not run from under the tightener in a suitable way. In movable roll holders there is to my knowledge not at all a tightener described above. On the other hand, in fixed and horizontally lying roll holders there has been a tightener for tearing off a piece of paper. In Finnish Patent Publications n:o 66740 and 78387 there are presented solutions in which to a horizontal paper holder has been mounted counter means i.e. tighteners functioning directly by means of gravity. The solutions presented work only in immovable to a wall fixed devices and are for that reason uncomfortable to use e.g. in various kind of situations and places in a household. Vertically functioning roll holders do not have a reliably functioning tightener. In Finnish Patent Publications no: 92461 and 93304 there are presented solutions in which for the tearing action of the paper there has been arranged friction elements, which should slow up the running of the paper in the tearing situation. These friction elements disturb the running of the roll also when unwinding the paper and especially in the solution of Publication no: 93304 the friction elements can not prevent the paper running from the roll after the tearing. The purpose of this invention is to accomplish a holder for keeping, unwinding and dosing of web shaped material, e.g. towel paper, said holder being movable and functioning reliably without the dosable material running from the holder when it is taken from the holder with one hand. The invention is based on a tightener mounted to a slot element in the upper part of the roll holder which tightens against the paper with the help of a counterweight placed around the shaft. More precisely the holder according to the invention is characterized in the characterizing part of claim 1. A movable roll holder equipped with a tightener based on a counterweight mechanism is easy to use and reliable. It can be used by one hand. This makes it easier to take paper from the holder when the other hand is used e.g. to hold a baby or when hands are so dirty that people do not want to touch the paper. The benefits of movability come out best when e.g. towel paper is needed somewhere else than in the room where the fixed holder would be. In the following, the invention is described more closely with references to the attached drawings. Fig. 1 shows a side view of technical structure of a roll holder. Fig. 2 shows a top view of technical structure of a roll holder. Fig. 3 shows the roll holder in using situation. Fig. 4 shows a structure of a toothed tightener used in roll holder. The invention described consists of to a foot 1 attached shaft 2, around which a counterweight 3 moves. The counterweight 3 has a tubular structure so that it can be easily mounted to the shaft. The counterweight is fastened with a string 6 to a tightener 5. The string runs via a hole 12 through a slot element 4 in the upper part of the holder and it is attached to the tightener 5 which moves freely in the slot of the slot element. The part of the tightener which comes to the slot of the slot element is made narrower so that the tightener moves freely in the slot but does not drop down from the slot. The holder has a head 7 by which the roll holder can be lifted up. To the upper end of the shaft 2 has been plunged the upper screw tap 10, by the help of which the slot element 4 and the head 7 which have holes matching the screw tap can be attached to the shaft. The paper is changed to the holder from below, and for that reason to the lower part of the shaft 2 has been plunged a screw tap 9 which goes through a hole in the foot matching the screw tap so that the shaft can be attached to the foot from below with a butterfly nut. In the lower side of the foot there has been made a hollow deep enough for the butterfly nut. The foot has also of rubber or other material made paws 8 which prevent the holder from sliding on a slippery surface when taking paper from the holder. The foot 1 is also made big enough so that the mass of the foot prevents the roll holder from falling or moving when paper is being taken from the holder. The roll around which unwindable material, e.g. towel paper, has been packed stands on the shaft and the counterweight is placed between the shaft and the core of the roll. The counterweight pulls the tightener against the paper and the paper tears reliably along the perforation and does not run by itself. Above there has been presented the most functional solution of a movable roll holder equipped with a tightener based on a counterweight mechanism. The holder can also be fastened to a wall by making the shape of the foot of the holder different, and it could be removed from the wall and the benefits of movability could still be achieved. The changing mechanism of the roll can be realized so that into the head 7 placed on the top of the roll holder is plunged a nut, so that the nut can be turned to the upper screw tap 10 fastened to the shaft 2, so that the slot element 4 can be tightened between the head and the shaft. When changing the roll the head is removed and the tightener, the string and the counterweight get up with the slot element so that a new roll can freely be placed around the shaft. The changing mechanism of the roll can also be realized so that into the foot is plunged a nut so that the foot can be turned to the lower screw tap 9 fastened to the lower end of the shaft. When changing the roll the shaft is loosened from the foot by turning and thus a new roll can freely be placed around the shaft. The changing mechanism of the roll can also be realized so that the shaft and the head are built as a one piece and the part of the slot element which points out from the shaft is made fixed and the part of the shaft which comes to the shaft is made removable. To the shaft is made a groove into which the slot element fits. When changing the roll the slot element is pulled out from the groove in the shaft and the tightener, the string and the counterweight will get up with the slot element and a new roll can freely be placed around the shaft. The tightening mechanism can also be realized so that the shaft and the head are built as a one piece and to the shaft is bored a quadratic hole to the hight of the tightener. The slot element is not needed at all, and instead of it to the tightener is mounted a quadratic stationary tap which fits into the hole in the shaft. After this the counterweight 3 which is attached to the tightener with a string going through the hole in the shaft pulls the tightener against the paper. In this solution the paper is changed by pulling the tightener, the tap and the counterweight from the shaft. When the web shaped material packed on the roll does not have perforation can the other edge of the counter means be toothed so that the toothing does not touch the material when unwinding it from the roll and lets the material run from the roll freely. When the material is teared off the toothing touches the material and enables a reliable tearing of unperforated material. The shaft 2 can also be made tubular and the counterweight 3 can thus be placed inside the shaft. The roll holder according to the application is made of wood which is the best alternative for material when the roll holder is used for towel paper. The holder can also be made of some other material.

Claims: CLAIMS A roll holder comprising - a foot (1) to which a shaft (2) is attached so that to the shaft, positioned vertically when being used, can be placed web shaped material winded around a core, e.g. towel paper, for purposes of keeping, unwinding and dosing of it characterized in that - around the shaft (2) of the holder there is a counterweight (3) which is attached to a tightener (5) with a string (6) so that the tightener which moves freely in the slot of the slot element (4) presses the dosable material and enables the tearing of it reliably. 2. A roll holder according to claim 1 characterized in that the counterweight (3) has a constant force effect on the tightener (5) irrespective of the amount of the dosable material left on the roll. 3. A roll holder according to claim 1 characterized in that the tightener (5) is equipped with toothing (13) for the tearing of the dosable material. 4. A roll holder according to claim 1 characterized in that to the foot of the roll holder has been mounted rubber paws having sticky surface or similar to them (8), the purpose of which is to keep the roll holder in it's place when dosable material is being taken from it. 5. A roll holder according to claim 1 characterized in that the foot (1) of the roll holder weighs at least as much as other parts of the holder and the roll on the holder together in order to prevent the roll holder from falling or moving when the dosable material is being taken from it. 6. A roll holder according to claim 1 characterised in that in the middle of the foot (1) of the roll holder there is a hole (14) to which the shaft (2) is attached by means of the lower screw tap (9) so that the shaft is easily removable from the foot.

Inventors: MARTTILA ARI, MARTTILA, ARI
Applicants: MARTTILA ARI, MARTTILA, ARI
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A47K10
IPC codes: A47K10