Patent ID: 7832678

Claim:
A method for dispensing rolls of flexible sheet material, each of said rolls having spindle means extending axially outwardly beyond the ends thereof, wherein a first roll is in a dispensing position and a second roll is in a reserve position above said dispensing position, said method comprising the steps of: sensing the diameter of the first roll via at least one first sensor means in contact with at least a planar portion of an end surface of the roll, triggering movement of said at least one first sensor means when the diameter is below a predetermined value, whereby the first sensor means is no longer in contact with the least least planar portion of the end surface of the first roll and is displaced past the plane of the end surface of the first roll, releasing at least one first catch holding the first roll in place, said at least one first catch holding the first roll in place by contact with a center end portion of the first roll, said at least one first catch being released by the displacement of said at least one first sensor means interacting with said at least one first catch, allowing the first roll to move out of the dispensing position for subsequent actuation of at least one second sensor means by the end surface of the first roll contacting with said at least one second ‘sensor means, releasing at least one second catch holding the second roll in the reserve position, said at least one second catch being released by the movement of the first roll out of the dispensing position, and allowing the second roll to move from the reserve position into the dispensing position.