Patent GB-972438-A (GB)
Title: Towel dispensing machine
Inventor: KIENEL JOSEPH EDWARD
IPC: A47K10/26
Filed: 1962-09-17
Abstract: 972,438. Feeding sheets. CALLAWAY MILLS CO. Sept. 17, 1962, No. 35294/62. Heading B6B. [Also in Division G4] A towel dispensing machine wherein clean towels are dispensed in exchange for soiled towels comprises a closed cabinet having a soiled towel receiving portion and a clean towel dispensing portion, the receiving portion having means for sensing the length of a soiled towel, and for preventing the dispensing of a clean towel if a similar towel is not inserted in the machine. The cabinet 10 is fitted with a removable front provided with slots for the soiled and clean towels. A soiled towel 73 is attached at its top corner to a needle on a motor-driven endless chain 32 supported on sprockets 34, 36, 38, and is fed within the cabinet past a first sensing switch device 50, and then past a similar device 64 which is spaced the length of a towel away from the first device 50. Each device 50, 64 includes a pivoted sensing arm and microswitch, and these arms are only actuated if the soiled towel has the requisite length. Separating clean towels.- Clean towels 73 are stacked on the base of the cabinet 10 in a separate portion 30, and the separator carriage 74 is supported by a frame 80 having a triangular presser plate 81 resting on the top of the stack, and guided vertically on a rod 76. The separator carriage 74 is counterweighted by weights 100 attached to cables 96, and includes a motor-driven endless chain 85 mounted on sprockets 83, 84, and a towel pick-up shoe 86 secured on the chain. The shoe 86 has a flexible metallic backing 88 provided with numerous aligned rows of needle-like members 90 which are adapted, as they are moved past the top of the stack from front to rear, to penetrate and pick-up the top towel. Since the presser plate 81 only presses on the front part of the stack, the rear part of the top towel is humped-up to facilitate removal. The towel is fed upwardly at the rear of the cabinet and then over to the front, where it is released by gravity on a small shoot 136 which directs it to a large front shoot 130, and it then drops through an opening near the bottom of the cabinet. The needle-like members 90 are bent and made of steel. When the last towel has been removed the presser plate 81 operates a switch 150, 152 to stop the machine and light a red lamp. Electric circuit details, and operation.-The two sensing switch devices 50, 64 constitute a device for inspecting the length of a soiled towel 73, and include, respectively, pivoted sensing arms 52, 66 and microswitches 60, 68. A motor 44 drives the endless chain 32, and a motor 110 drives the chain 85 for the clean towel separator shoe 86. The circuit includes a safety switch 155, 156 which is closed when the front of the cabinet is in closed position, a switch 118, 120 which is opened by the shoe 86 when it releases a clean towel, and an electrically-operated towel counter. In operation, a soiled towel 73 is hooked on the chain 32, a start-button is manually depressed to start the motor 44 and, if the soiled towel is of the right length, the towel closes the switches 60, 68 as it is carried by the chain: the towel is then released by gravity into the base of the soiled towel portion 28, and a lug on the chain 32 opens the motor switch 72. The closing of both switches 60, 68 operates a relay to start the motor 110 to cause the delivery of a clean towel, and this motor is stopped by the lug on the chain 85 operating the switch 118. If the towel is shorter than normal, both the switches 60, 68 are not closed, and the switch of the motor 110 cannot be closed.