Patent GB-973001-A (GB)
Title: Dispenser for sheet material
IPC: A47K10/28
Filed: 1961-10-26
Abstract: 973,001. Dispensing paper-strip. STEINER CO. LAUSANNE S.A. Oct. 26, 1961 [Nov. 8, 1960; June 14, 1961], No. 38342/61. Heading A4G. [Also in Division B4] A machine for dispensing a web 30a in predetermined lengths comprises means 26, 27 defining a first path along which the web is moved, a knife 63 movable along a second path intersecting the first path, and means actuated by the movement of the web in the discharge direction for storing potential energy in the knife and releasing the knife when a predetermined length of the web has been moved along the first path thereby causing the knife to be moved by the stored energy along the second path and sever a predetermined length of web. The means defining the second path consists of a pair of guide plates 26, 27 between which the web is passed from a roll 30, the plates having cut-outs to enable a pair of friction rollers 47, 50 to be pressed by springs 55 against the web which runs over a roller 45 on a shaft 40. The knife 63 is carried at the end of a pair of arms 61 pivotally mounted on a shaft 60 and is normally retained in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a spring 62c. An actuating lever 70 is secured to the shaft 40 of the roller 45 and when the end of the web 30a extending through a slot 36 is pulled downwardly or the roller 45 rotated by a handwheel 75, the shaft 40 rotates causing the lever 70 to move in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. During the movement of the lever, a roller 72 engages a flange 73 on the arm 61 to raise the knife in a clockwise direction about the shaft 60, the mount 63c for the knife engaging a lever 80 which is freely rotatable about the shaft 60 and carries a suction cup 81 which engages a second suction cup 82 mounted on the frame of the machine to retain the lever 80 in an upper position wherein a stop 80a is moved into the path of the roller 72. The continued rotation of the roller 45 causes the roller 72 to be disengaged from the flange 73 and move into engagement with the stop 80a and the knife to fall under the force of gravity and cut the web, the knife, which may be slightly curved and provided with tooth-like serrations, entering a slot 67 in a backing member 65 and then being returned to its normal position by the spring 62. The roller 45 is prevented from rotating further and dispensing a further portion of the web until a time delay determined by the rate of flow of air through a spongy mass 85, Fig. 5, and a passage 84 permits the cups to separate and the stop 80a carried by the lever 80 to be removed from the path of the roller 72 so that a spring 77 can rotate the roller 45 and move the web until an end projects from the slot 36 in preparation for the next dispensing operation. The time delay can be varied by adjusting the compression of the spongy mass by means of a screw 86. In an alternative embodiment, if the time delay produced by the suction cups is substantially zero, a catch is operated to ensure the knife completes its cutting operation prior to the automatic feed effected by the spring 77 to pass the end of the web through the slot 36. Specification 938,765 is referred to.