GB1573084A

GB1573084A - Dispenser for light sensitive papers

Info

Publication number: GB1573084A
Application number: GB1513878A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-05-23
Filing date: 1978-05-23
Publication date: 1980-08-13

Description

(54) DISPENSER FOR LIGHT SENSITIVE PAPERS (71) 1, HARRY HERMAN ROSS, a British Subject of Holly House, 65 Bathgate Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to paper dispensers such as light sensitive papers.

Light sensitive photographic papers are wrapped and boxed by the manufacturer in a light tight fashion to protect them during storage and, in use of the papers, it is inconvenient if the papers have to be extracted from the manufacturers' package in the dark room. It is preferable if, instead, a light tight dispenser is provided in which a pack of light sensitive papers can be stored so as to protect the papers when the dark room is lit by other than the usual safe light and from which individual sheets of the paper can be readily dispensed, either in darkness, or while the safe light is in use.

In addition to providing a light tight photographic paper dispenser, the invention contemplates a paper dispenser for more general use, e.g. in a commercial office for holding stacked items of stationery for dispensing to a typist as the need arises.

The present invention provides a paper dispenser comprising a box having a front opening flap hinged along a horizontal axis at the top of the flap and a dispensing arm hinged to the inside of the flap and extending rearwardly and downwardly from the flap towards the back of the box, the arm being hingeable to carry a friction gripping surface, on the underside and at the free end of the arm, towards and away from the floor of the box.

For a dispenser intended safely to store light sensitive papers, means is provided to ensure that light cannot penetrate the box when the flap is closed; the said means can comprise light-blocking velvet or similar light seals, such as used at the throats of film cassettes.

The box may be of a size such that the bottom of the box will snugly contain a standard pack of, say, foolscap-sized paper or 12 inch by 14 inch photographic printing papers, for example, with the pack positioned immediately behind the flap. The arm slopes downwardly and rearwardly and rests with its friction gripping surface in contact with the top sheet of paper in the pack. The arrangement is such that when the front flap is opened, the friction grip of the arm on the sheet, generated by the weight of the arm causes the top sheet to be dragged forwardly so that a front edge portion of the sheet can be grasped by hand and the sheet pulled completely from the dispenser. As soon as the top sheet is moved forwardly, clear of the friction gripping surface of the arm, the friction gripping surface of the arm comes into contact with the immediately underlying sheet and the underlying sheet is restrained from any tendency to move forward with the top sheet as the top sheet is pulled by hand from the dispenser. The weight of the arm and the area of its friction gripping surface may readily be adjusted to ensure that only the top sheet is normally displaced when dispensing papers from the pack. However, if the underlying sheet of paper should inadvertently become displaced, the friction grip of the arm on the displaced sheet causes it to be dragged rearwardly when the flap is closed, so as to return the displaced sheet towards its original position in the pack. Finally, the flap may engage the front edge of the displaced sheet and any other such sheets to return the sheets fully to their original position.

According to a feature of the present invention, the friction gripping surface may be formed on a pad hinged to the arm at its free end about a horizontal axis.

Preferably, the front opening flap is hinged at its top to a top panel of the box, the flap extending downwardly to the level of the bottom of the box.

Thus, the front opening flap may constitute the whole of the front of the box.

According to a further feature of the present invention, spring means is provided urging the front opening flap into its closed position.

A latch may be provided to secure the front opening flap closed.

According to a still further feature of the present invention, the top panel of the box is hinged along its rear edge about a horizontal axis parallel with the hinge axis of the front opening flap.

This enables the top of the box to be opened in order to load a pack of papers into the box. When such a top-opening box is meant for safely storing light sensitive papers, light sealing means may be provided between the top and the sides of the box to prevent light penetration therebetween when the top is closed.

A latch, such as a pair of toggle clips, may be provided to secure the top panel closed.

The spring means urging the front opening flap into its closed position may be connected between the flap and the top opening panel.

Preferably, the top opening panel constitutes the whole of the top of the box.

It is envisaged that dispensers in accordance with the present invention may be stacked one on top of another and a range of dispensers could be provided for stacking in this fashion sized to house descending sizes of photographic papers.

To facilitate stacking, the dispensers could be provided with feet, and with depressions in their top panels sized and positioned to locate the feet of the next upper dispenser.

A largest sized dispenser for 14 inch by 12 inch paper may be adapted to locate a stack of smaller papers immediately behind the front opening flap and the arm may be of adjustable length or replaceable by an arm whose length suits the size of paper to be accommodated.

Thus, the bottom of the box might be provided with suitably positioned sockets for locating pegs for locating smaller sized paper stacks or magnets could be provided for this purpose.

Other means for reducing the back-to-front dimension of the box will be described hereafter.

When the dispensers are used individually, and not stacked one upon another, the top opening panel may be freed to partake in the dispensing movement of the front opening flap, in particular so that the front opening flap may be swung open and at the same time raised bodily. The gives better access for grasping the front edge of the sheet being dispensed.

A knob or the equivalent is provided on the front opening flap to enable the flap to be manipulated for opening and closing movements.

A front loading dispenser may have a fixed top panel and be loaded through the front opening flap. A front loading dispenser may comprise two or more compartments for different sizes of paper positioned one on top of the other and each having its own front opening flap and dispensing arm hinged to the inside of the flap.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment showing a front opening flap being opened and extracting a sheet of paper from the box; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the box of Figure 1; showing the top of the box opened to receive a supply of paper; Figure 3 is a section view of the box of Figures 1 and 2 taken on a longitudinal central plane through the box, and Figure 4 is a view, similar to Figure 3, showing a second embodiment of the invention, and illustrating alternative paper-extraction arms and means for adapting the boxes to paper of different lengths.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, a paper dispensing box 10 is shown which is of shallow, rectangular shape, its depth permitting a stack of papers 11 about 2 inches high to be accommodated. Box 10 has a bottom 12 mounted on feet 13, opposite sides 14, 15 and a rear wall 16. Overlying the bottom 12 is a top 18, and a front-opening flap 20 is provided at the front of the box. Flap 20 has a handle or knob 21 for use when opening the flap which is top-hung from a hinge 22 which secures it to the front edge of top 18. The flap opens through approximately 900.

In this example, the box 10 has an opening top, the top being secured to the rest of the box by a rear hinge means 23. Hinge means 23 can incorporate a staying mechanism whereby the top is held open of its own accord when a user is replenishing the supply of paper.

Top 18 could simply be a flat panel hinged, along an axis parallel to the hinge axis of flap hinge 22, to box rear wall 16. However, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the top panel has depending sides and rear portions 24, 25 respectively. Rear portion 25 respectively. Rear portion 25 defines rear wall 16 with an upstanding rear wall portion 26 of the box, portions 25 and 26 being connected by the hinge means 23.

Any convenient securing means can be employed to latch or hold the top 18 in a closed position. As shown, the securing means is a toggle clip 28 such as used in some suitcases. One such clip suffices at each side of the box, the clips being adjacent the front of the box.

Any convenient means is provided to bias the front flap 20 to a closed position, in which the flap engages the front edges of the sides and bottom of the box. As shown here, the biasing means consists of a tension spring 30 connected between the top 18 and flap 20. A plurality of such springs could be used. Instead of a tension spring, the biasing means could take other forms, for example hair-pin or torsion springs mounted at the hinge 22, to secure the objective of closing the flap 20 when it is released, and of holding it closed. In its closed position, flap 20 is at right angles to the top 18, and this disposition is maintained, even when top 18 is opened though the flap be released, thanks to stopping edges 31 or corners at the front of the top.

The box 10 is arranged to dispense automatically the top sheet 32 of paper in the stack 11 whenever the flap is raised to its open position against the biasing means 30. Raising of the flap causes the top sheet to be ejected by a distance of 1E inch or so, so that its projecting front edge can easily be grasped between thumb and finger and pulled from the box. Any tendency for the next sheet in the stack to be drawn forward as the user extracts the top sheet is resisted by the means to dispense the top sheet 32.

The means to dispense the top sheet 32 comprises a dispensing arm 34 hinged to the inside of the flap 20. One convenient way of hinging the arm 34 is to mount it pivotally between lugs 35 on the flap. The arm extends towards the rear of the box and has, at its free rear end a pad 36 providing a friction gripping surface.

The arm is hinged for swinging up and down movement relative to the floor or bottom 12 of the box 10. The arm geometry is such that it is substantially parallel to bottom 12 when a 2 inch high stack of paper is loaded in the box.

When the flap is raised, it will be appreciated that the arm will be moved forward a short distance. Thanks to its gripping pad, it will draw with it the top sheet 32. Upon the user pulling the partially ejected top sheet 32 from the box, the top sheet is pulled from under the pad which settles on the next sheet of the stack and holds the latter sheet stationary.

Release of the flap 20 causes the arm to slide back to its original position.

In the event that the said next sheet of the stack is inadvertently slid forward during dispensing of sheet 32, the next sheet is pushed back into the box by the returning arm. The flap 20 returning to its closed position may engage the edge of the said next sheet and itself help to push the sheet back into the box.

The box 10 has depressions 40 in its top 18 sized and positioned to locate the feet 13 of another paper dispensing box (not shown) to be stacked upon box 10.

To render the box 10 light tight, to protect photosensitive papers, light sealing means such as velvet may be provided to prevent light entering box 10 when flap 20 is closed.

The velvet can be applied to the inside of flap 20 and/or to the front edges of the box against which flap 20 closes. Side portions 14, 24 and 15, 24 can be arranged to overlap to stop light entering the box, and likewise can be furnished with light-blocking velvet.

For a box having a top 18 consisting of a flat panel, the sides 14, 15 can have in-turned or out-turned lips or flanges against which the top abuts when closed. Velvet or similar light sealing means can be provided between the lips and the top. The provision of such lips or flanges is especially convenient for a box 10 made of thin-gauge metal or plastics materials.

Such lips or flanges may be present at the front of the box for the flap 20 to engage when closed.

A second embodiment is shown in Figure 4, in which reference numerals used hereinbefore are again used for equivalent parts. Figure 4 shows a unitary, double-deck construction in which the two paper compartments 45, 46 are front-loading. Neither compartment has an opening top 18. The top of compartment 46 serves as the bottom of compartment 45. Each compartment has its own front-access flap 20 and dispensing arm 34.

For economy of illustration, Figure 4 shows two means for adapting paper dispensing boxes according to the invention-and including the box shown in Figures 1 to 3- to suit papers of different lengths (front to back). Compartment 46 has a block 47 between the back of the box and the rear end of the stack, the block 47 having dimensions to suit the stack so as to position the front edge of the latter adjacent the flap 20. For compartment 45, the same purpose is accomplished by a divider 48 which can be sprung into any selected pair of grooves 49 in the sides of the box.

In addition to blocks 47 or divider 48, the dispensing mechanism comprising arm 34 needs adapting to suit the length of paper to be dispensed, the shorter the paper the shorter the arm required. A range of replaceable arms of different lengths can be provided.

Alternatively, one arm of adjustable length can be used. Such an adjustable arm could be made in two or more parts and be telescopic.

Compartment 45 is illustrated with such a telescopic arm.

It will be appreciated that normally both compartments will feature the same type of arms and means for adapting the front to back dimensions of the compartments to the paper to be dispensed.

Instead of or in addition to the double deck construction, dispensing boxes of unitary construction could be arranged side by side.

The boxes so arranged could be of different widths according to a range of paper formats to be dispensed.

The flap 20 of any box embodying the invention can have a pocket thereon to receive an index card identifying the contents of the box.

The expedients shown in Figure 4 to shorten the front-to-back dimension of the box provide only a limited range of adjustment, it will be appreciated. "Infinite" adjustment can be obained if a partition, similar to divider 48, is provided with one or more magnets, to hold the partition in place magnetically to either the bottom 12 or sides 14, 15. This assumes box 10 is made of ferromagnetic material. The same idea could be used in a box of non-ferromagnetic material if its base or walls were furnished with a ferromagnetic strip or strips. Such strip or strips would extend in a front-to-back direction. Naturally, the strip or strips could be permanently magnetised to cooperate with a non-magnetised, ferromagnetic partition.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A paper dispenser comprising a box having a front opening flap hinged along a horizontal axis at the top of the flap and a dispensing arm hinged to the inside of the flap and extending rearwardly and downwardly from the flap towards the back of the box, the arm being hingeable to carry a friction gripping surface, on the underside and at the free end of the arm, towards and away from the floor of the box.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the arm is hinged to the box in such a position that the arm is substantially horizontal when its friction gripping surface rests on a full complement of paper which the box is designed to accommodate, the arrangement being such that when the front flap is opened, the friction grip of the arm on the sheet, generated by the weight of the arm, causes the top sheet to be dragged forwardly so that a front edge portion of the top sheet can be grasped by hand.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the front opening flap is hinged along its top edge to a top panel of the box, the flap extending downwardly to the level of the bottom of the box.

4. A dispenser according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the flap constitutes the whole of the front wall of the box.

5. A dispenser according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, including spring means urging the flap to a box-closed position.

6. A dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 5, including light sealing means between the flap and parts of the box which the flap engages when in a box-closed position.

7. A dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the box has a top which is hinged at the rear of the box along an axis parallel to the hinge axis of the front flap, whereby the top of the box can be opened to facilitate loading paper therein.

8. A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the top is a flat panel which engages inturned or out-turned lips or flanges along the top edges of sidewalls of the box.

9. A dispenser according to claim 7 or claim 8, including means for latching the box top closed.

10. A dispenser according to claim 7, 8 or 9, including light sealing means between the box top and parts of sidewalls of the box which the top abuts when closed.

11. A dispenser according to claims 7, 8, 9 or 10, wherein the hinge for the top includes a staying mechanism for holding the top in an open position during a paper loading operation.

12. A dispenser according to any of the pret ceding claims, having feet depending from its bottom and depressions in its top sized and positioned to locate the feet of another paper dispenser to be stacked thereon.

13. A dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, of unitary construction and comprising a plurality of boxes each to accommodate a stack of paper the boxes being arranged one above another and/or side-by-side 14. A dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, including means to restrict the front-to-back dimension of the box to adapt the box to suit papers of different lengths.

15. A dispenser according to claim 14, wherein the said means comprises a dividing wall to fit inside the box between selected grooves formed in the opposite side walls of the box.

16. A dispenser according to claim 14, wherein the dispensing arm is of adjustable length.

17. A dispenser according to claim 16, wherein the dispensing arm is of telescopic construction.

18. Paper dispensers substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. bottom 12 or sides 14, 15. This assumes box 10 is made of ferromagnetic material. The same idea could be used in a box of non-ferromagnetic material if its base or walls were furnished with a ferromagnetic strip or strips. Such strip or strips would extend in a front-to-back direction. Naturally, the strip or strips could be permanently magnetised to cooperate with a non-magnetised, ferromagnetic partition. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A paper dispenser comprising a box having a front opening flap hinged along a horizontal axis at the top of the flap and a dispensing arm hinged to the inside of the flap and extending rearwardly and downwardly from the flap towards the back of the box, the arm being hingeable to carry a friction gripping surface, on the underside and at the free end of the arm, towards and away from the floor of the box.

13. A dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, of unitary construction and comprising a plurality of boxes each to accommodate a stack of paper the boxes being arranged one above another and/or side-by-side

14. A dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, including means to restrict the front-to-back dimension of the box to adapt the box to suit papers of different lengths.