IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HOLDING ROLLED TOILET PAPER, AND PAPER THEREFOR,
Year: 1885

page_text: and raper therefor.
I, OLIVER HEWLETT HICKS of Chicago, United States of America, manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR HOLDING ROLLED TOILET PAPER, AND PAPER THEREFOR, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the manner of preparing rolls of toilet
paper and in apparatus for holding the same, whereby it can be rotated and pieces
of suitable length be automatically severed therefrom, the object being to provide
improved means for holding a roll of toilet paper from which there can be easily
seperated by seizing the end of the paper, piece after piece in succession, of sub-
stantially the same length.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view
of the improved roll-holding apparatus and the roll of toilet paper thereon,
embodying the improvements.
Figure 2 is a vertical section and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pivoted
center-plate or roll-holder.
D, is a metallic plate having the projecting arms E, E, thereon. The plate D,
for greater convenience in properly suspending or attaching it to a wall or other
place, is secured to the flat piece A, preferably of wood, but if desired the piece A
may be omitted.
Between the arms E, and adjoining the face of plate D, is fixed a paper-severing
edge M, which may have a serrated edge as shown, or the latter may be straight
and sharp like the edge of a knife.
A roll-holding plate F, preferably of metal, having suitable pivots H and I, on
opposite edges thereof, is suspended between the armis E, by the engagement of
said pivots with suitable bearings in said arms.
thereon, but the pivot H is removable, and said pivots are located on said plate
The pivot I, on plate F, is fixed
to one side of its center of gravity, or, so that one of the ends, f, of the plate,
will, when the latter is suspended between said arms, rest normally in an oblique
position, substantially as shown in Figures 1 and 2, its heavier. end extending
owards the under side of the severing-edge, M.
In order to render it more or less difficult for a person unacquainted with the
pparatus to disconnect and remove the roll of paper therefrom, and at the same
ime to provide convenient means for removing and replacing the plate F, the
CPmine Gir

page_text: pivot H, is made of a suitable piece of wire having its rear end h, bent at right
angles, and capable of being passed through a chambered hoss, a, on said plate, said
end h, hooking on to the end of said boss, as shown in Figure 3. A projection b,
opposite the end of the boss a, serves to stop the pivot H, from moving too far
inward on plate F.
By moving pivot H, laterally to disconnect its end h, from the end of boss a, its
bent end is drawn through the latter and away from plate F, leaving one side free,
and the latter easily removable from arms E, for the purpose of placing thereon
the roll of paper B, and the latter and the plate having been replaced between the
arms, the pivot H, is again placed in the position shown in Figure 3.
To provide a roll of paper capable of being placed upon the plate F, and of
possessing when thereon or of assuming an oval form, as shown, said roll needs to
be either wound upon such a former as will give it said oval shape, preparing it to
receive within it the flat plate F, or it needs to be collapsable in order that it may
take that form. It is preferable, however, that the strip of toilet paper be primarily
wound to form a round hollow roll having an internal diameter which, when the
roll is compressed to an oval form, provides an opening through the roll of sufficient
length to receive therein the flat pivoted plate F, and 'said rolls are so prepared.
To provide, first, a circular form upon which said strip of paper, may be wound and
which will properly support it for handling and transportation, and, secondly,
which, when the roll is pressed to an oval form, yields thereto, and supports the
sides of the oval roll, giving the latter a suitable form on the plate F, a semi-rigid
cylinder G, of paper-board, preferably, is provided, on which the paper is wound,
and when the latter is placed on the plate F, occupies the relative position to. the
latter and to the roll of paper, shown in Figures 1 and 2, and serves the purposes
above set forth.
In constructing and arranging the above-described apparatus to properly cooperate
with an oval shaped roll of paper whereby pieces of the latter are severed therefrom,
as hereinafter described, the plate F, is pivoted at such a distance from the cutting
'or severing edge M, as prevents the paper upon said plate from rotating except to a
certain limit, which limit is determined by the said severing edge, whether the roll
of paper be a full one, or nearly exhausted, and thereby the. length of the severed
piece of paper is determined.
The operation of said apparatus is as follows:-
To separate a piece of paper from roll B, the pending end C, is seized, and by
drawing it downward, said roll and plate F, are rotated until the outer high edge
'of the roll swings over and the side of the latter is brought against the edge M, as
shown in doted lines in Figure 2, whereby the roll is stopped, and then by pulling
said end C, drawing the paper against the edge M, the piece grasped is severed
from the rolled strip whereupon, the roll and plate F, being freed, and the heavy
end f, of the latter being elevated, the roll swings. back to the position it occupied
before being operated and the cut-end of the strip falls off from the outer edge of
the roll and drops down as shown by the end C, ready to be seized again, as
aforesaid.
:
.
Thus it will be seen that the piece of paper torn off will be of a length limited
to the distance from the extreme end of C, to the point of contact of the upper side
of roll B, Figure 1, with the severing edge M.
The apparatus may be arranged, as above described, so that longer or shorter
pieces of paper will be cut off, by increasing or diminishing the diameter of roll B,
and correspondingly arranging the position of the severing edge M, relative to the
surface of the roll.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1 A roll holder for toilet naner consisting of a supporting plate having arms

page_text: plate, a rigid roll holding plate, substantially as described, pivotally hung between
said arms and having a reciprocating rotary motion therebetween limited by said
paper severing edge, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
2. A roll-holder for toilet paper consisting of a supporting plate having arms
projecting therefrom and a paper-severing edge fixed between said arms near said
plate, a rigid roll-holding plate, substantially as described, pivotally hung between
said arms and having a reciprocating rotary motion therebetween limited by said
paper-severing edge, combined with an oval roll of paper supported on said pivoted
plate, substantially as set forth.
3. A roll holder for toilet paper consisting of a supporting plate having arms
projecting therefrom and a paper-severing edge fixed between said arms near said
plate, an oval roll. of paper mounted on a center-plate, substantially as described,
the latter pivoted between said arms and rotatible together with said roll by
seizing the end of the paper, whereby. one side of the roll is swung against said
severing-edge, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
4. A roll-holder for toilet-paper consisting of a supporting plate having arms
projecting therefrom and a paper-severing edge fixed between said arms near said
plate, an oval roll of paper mounted on a center-plate substantially as described,
said plate having pivot connection with said arms to one side of its center and
rotatible in one direction by seizing the end of the paper to swing one side of said
roll against said severing edge, and in the opposite direction by the overbalancing
weight of one edge of said center-plate, combined and operating substantially as
set forth.
5. A roll-supporting plate having projecting arms thereon, and a paper-severing
edge fixed between said arms near said plate, an oval roll of toilet paper pivoted on a
suitable supporting plate between said arins hanging normally in a position oblique
to said arms, the rear edge thereof extending under said severing edge and the end
of the paper on said roll pending therefrom, combined and operating substantially
as set forth.
6. A hollow roll of toilet-paper wound upon a semi-rigid collapsable cylinder,
combined with a flat pivoted roll-holder having a length exceeding the diameter of
said cylinder, supporting devices for said roll-holder, substantially as described, and
a paper severing edge against which said roll strikes when rotated, substantially as
set forth.
7. A roll of toilet paper, a suitable holder therefor substantially as described,
supporting arms for said holder attached to a supporting plate, a severing edge
fixed at the side of said roll whereby a piece of paper is separated from the rolled
strip and the end of the latter is permitted to hang from the roll, combined and
operating substantially as set forth.
8. The method of preparing a rolled strip of toilet paper for use on a fixture for
bolding and severing pieces from said strip, which consists in rolling the latter
on a semi-rigid collapsable cylinder whereby a hollow roll is produced which is
convertible into one of oval form, substantially as shown.
9. A hollow roll of toilet paper of oval form having an internal semi-rigid_tubular
center-piece, substantially as shown.