US1761071A - Towel cabinet - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 193o. H, w, CRGWSON 1,761,071

TowEL CABINET Filed June al1, 1927 s sheets-sheet v1 iglfif I .a7 ab' INVENTOR.

' f BY 12 LM` 55" ms ATTORNEY June 3, 1930.

H. w. cRowsoN TOWEL CABINET Filed June 24. 1927 :s

Sheets-Sheet 2 HisiTToRA/EY June 3, 1930. H. w. cRowsoN TOWEL CABINET Filed June 24, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H S ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 1930 'UN1TED -sTATEs minnaar w. cnowsoN, or NEW Yonx, N. Y., assTeNon'zro ruLLcLnaN NANUTACTUBJ PATENT -oI-*Flclaz-i ING CORPORATION, OF BBIDGEPOT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OIE' DELAWARE Town. caBiNE'r appumion mea :une A24, 1927. seriaiN. 261,192.

This invention relates to towel cabinets of the type in which'a considerable length of towelling, usually in the form of a roll, 1s su ported within the cabinet and adapted to e drawn therefrom in relatively short lengths as required' for individual use. .In the use of these cabinets, however, there is a tendency on the'part of the users to draw olf more towelling -for each individual use than 1s really required and in this way add-unnecessarilyto the expense of maintaining the cab 1- net. With this in mind, it has been the mam object of my present inventionto provide these cabinets with a simple and eicient means' for so controlling the delivery of the towelling, that it will be drawn or measured oi only in lengths of predeterminedv size which, for hand or face drying purposes, will be relatively short. This obJect I attain by the novel construction and arran ement of parts hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanyin drawings.

Other objects an vention will appear and be referred to inthe detailed description of the invention which follows. Y

Referring now to the accompanying draw'- ig. 1 1s a front elevation of a cablnet equipped with my `invention, with part of` the cabinet proper or casing broken away for the better illustration of the contained towel controlling mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. n

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectlon on the line 4 4 of Fi 1.

Figgs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged details showing the roller for measuring ot the towelling in predetermined lengths and its cooperating stop device, at different times during operation of the same.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are enlar ed views, in front elevation and section, o part of the measuring roller stop device, and a cooperating latching means, illustrating the operation of the latter in effecting its engagement with and release from the stop devlce, and

advantages of the in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are corresponding top plan views, respectively, of the same.

The cabinet roper or casin which may bev of any suita le or desired esigmis here shown as com rising a b ody portion 1, having a hinged oor 2 at the front side thereof, through which access may bev'conveniently had to the interior ofthe casing for the purpose of placing clean towelling therein, removing soiled towelling therefrom, or for anjyA other desiredp urpose.

ocated within the casing adjacent opposite ends thereof are' a pair of frame brackets 5, 5which are secured in position b fastening bolts 6. These brackets provide supports for a plurality of parts to be presently described which, function to control the delivery of the clean towelling from the cabinet and the return of the soiled towelling therein. Within the upper part of the casing is a suitable towel support, here shown as com- .A

prising a pair of plates 7, 7, which are pivotally mounted at their front ends on a rod 8 carried by arms 8, 8', fixed tothe end brackets, and at their rear ends rest against the adjacent wall of the casing, the plates intermediate-of their ends having a concaved form to provide a trough-like structure or shelf in which the roll of clean towelling, indicated at t,^may be loosely supported. The purpose of this particular form of towel support will be hereinafter explained.

When a roll of towelling' is placed in its support, the leading end of the towelling is led from the roll forwardly over the rod 8, thence backwardly and around a roller 10, and from this forwardly again through an opening 11 in the front wallof the casing to and over a guide roller 12, which lat-4 ter is journaled in extensions of the frame tween which the towel is passed and about one of which the towel is re-wound.

In the use of the cabinet, the user grasps vthe loop portion Z of the towel and' pulls the same downwardly over the guide roller 12, which pulling action serves to rotate the roller 10, located intermediate of said guide roller and the towel support, by reason of the frictional engagement of the towelling therewith. As a means for controlling the delivery of the towelling from the cabinet, I provide this intermediate roller 10 with an abutment, here shown in the form of a pin 15 located at one end thereof adjacent its peripheral edge, which abutment, at each complete rotation of the roller, is adapted to be brought into engagement with a suitable stop device to thereby stop the further rotation of the roller and at the same time stop the further delivery of the towelling; the frictional engagement between the roller and the towelling being such as to pi ercnt any substantial slippage or relative movenient between the same. In this way, a length of towelling will be delivered or measured off at each rotation of the rollei which will substantially correspond to the circumference of the roller, and by substituting rollers of different diameters the length of towelling delivered or measured off may be varied correspondingly.

The stop device for limiting or stopping rotation of the roller 10 as described, is. here shown as comprising a pair of end members, 20, 20, pivotally connected at their rear end; with a cross rod 9 carried by the frame brackets and at their front ends extending slightly forward of the roller 10 at opposite ends of the latter and there connected by a crossbar 21 which is adapted to engage with the towelling at the under side thereof at a point between the roller 10 and the guide roller 12. Formed or located on the under side of one of the side members 20 is a detent 22 adapted for stopping engagement with the roller abutment 15. This detent however is normally held in a position above the path of movement of the roller abutment by means of springs 25, 25 engaging with the under side of pins or projections 26 on the end members 20, 20, of the stop device. When the detent 22 is thus held in its normal raised position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the towel engaging bar 2l at the front end of the members 20, 20, is in a position to deflect the engaged towelling upwardly from its normal path of movement between the roller 10 and guide roller 12, whereby, when the user pulls upon the towelling hanging from the roller 12 this acts to depress the bar 21 and connected member 20 and thereby lowers the detent 22 into operative position in the path of movement of the roller abutment 15, as shown in Fig. 6,' to engage the same and stop the roller 10 upon the completion of its next again lowered into stopping engagementwitli the roller abutment 15 and so prevent rotation of the roller and consequent further delivery of the towelling if such parts were not first moved out of registry with each other. Therefore, in order to effect this, the end members 2() have a sliding connection with their pivot support 9, through the medium of elongated slots 30 therein, wherebv, when the roller abutment 15 comes into coiltact with the stop detent 22, as shown in Fig.

6, a final pull on the towelling and a consequent further rotation of the roller will cause a backward movement of the members 20 on the pivot rod 9, as from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 7, whereafter, upon the release of the stop deyice by the towelling or other holding means, it. will be operated by the springs 25 to first disengage the detent 22 from the roller abutment 15 and then be returned by a forward movement to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 5, with its detent 22 slightly forward of and out of registry with the roller abutment. With the parts so positioned, when the stop device is again lowered upon the next pull on the towelling, the roller abutment 15 will be back of the stop detent 22 and free to permit of another rotation of the roller. The described horizontal movement of the members 20 under the influence of the springs 25 is effected through the frictional engagement of the pins 26 with said springs, which is sufiicient to cause a slight distension of the front ends of the engaged springs upon the backward movement of the members 20, whereby, upon the release of the towelling by the user, the recoil of the springs will return the members 20 to their normal position as described.

In the use of the hereinbefore described means for controlling the delivery of towelling from the cabinet by measuring the same off in predetermined lengths, it has been found that there is a tendency on the part of users to draw off in successive lengths more towelling than may be actually req uired, this being readily accomplished by simply pulling out a length as measured ofll by one rotation of the roller 10, and then, after simply loosening up on the towelling to permit of the rele-ase of the stop detent from the roller abutment, pulling ofi' another length of towelling; these successive withdrawals bein laccomplished without the necessity of t e'user remov1ng his or her grasp on the towelling. It has therefore been a further object of my invention to provide means for rendering it necessary that a user shall release his grasp on the towel at each withdrawal of a measured length of towelling, in order to more electually break the continuityof the towel deliveryropera-l tions and in this way have a tendency to limit the withdrawals to only the amounts required. In carrying this part of my invention into effect, I provide an automatically acting latch that will engage the stop device when in its lowered operative position and hold the same in such position with the roller locked against movementfor the delivery of more towelling, until the latch.A has been released by the user by an operation requiring the use of one of the users hands; in this way causing the user to release h1s grasp on the towel and so causing a break or interruption in the withdrawal of the towelllng which will ordinarily be sufficient to stop further withdrawals until actually required.

Such a latching means as here shown comprises a lever 35 pivoted at 36 to a su porting block 37 attached to the inner wall o the casing door 2; this lever at its lower end pro'- jecting through anopening in the casmg to provide an operating handle at the exterior of the easing, as at 38, and at its upper end provided with a lateral extension 39 for latching engagement with a latch member 4.0 attached to one of the end members 20 of the stop device. The latch member 40 has a cutout 41 in one edge thereof registering with the latch 39 whereby, when the stop device is lowered by the pulling action of the towelling, such cut-out will permit of the lowering of the member 40 to a position below the plane of the latch 39 in order that said memier. upon the described backward movement oi" the stop device transversely of its axis u nder thefinal pull of the towelling, will move into a position beneath and in latching engagement with the latch 39, as shown in Figs. 1, 2. 8 and 11. When the stop device is thus latched in its lowered operative position, it will of course be necessary for the user to release his grasp on the towel to operate the latch to release the stop device, as shown in Figs. 9 and 12.

As a means for rendering the latch releasing operation of a character requiring more definite attention on the part of the user than that required with the use of the single latch 3S), and so more efi'eetually interrupt the towel delivery operation, I have provided a second latch member in the form of a lever 50 pivoted to one wall of the supporting block 3T at 51, with its lower end bifnrcated for engagement with a pin 52 on one side of the first latch lever, as at 53, and with its upper end extended slightly above the latch extension 39 of said first lever and provided with a similar extension 54. With this combination and arrangement of parts, the -movement of the first latch device 39 to releasing position, as shown in Figs. 9 and 12, will act to throw the second latch device 54 into latching engagement with the latch member 40 of the sto lease o the lever 38 by the user and the return of same to its normal position under the action of a sprin 55, in order to completely' release the stop evice, as shown in Figs. 10 and 13.

In the measuring off of the towelling through the medium of the roller 10 as described, it is necessary that the frietional engagement between the towelling and said roller be sufficient to avoid any substantial device; thus necessitating the reslippage between the same." This is eected in part by providing the roller with a sanded surface (not shown). In o rder however to increase such frictional engagement, I have pivotally mounted the towel supporting plates 7, 7, at their front endson `the rod 8, as hereinbefore described, and arranged the same whereby they will extend to a position opposite the roller 10 and bear against the towelling passing thereover with sufficient e pressure to maintain the desired frictional engagement of the towelling with said roller; the plate 7 being yieldingly held to such position by means of springs 60 connecting at one end with the plates and at their opposite ends anchored to the rod 9, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

What I claim is 1. In a towel cabinet, a towel measuring de-l and thereafter impart a further movement v to the same to bring it out of registry with said abutment.

2. In a towel cabinet, a towel measuring device comprisin a stop roller `having an abutment, said rol er engaging with the towel and being rotated thereby during its withdrawal, a pivoted stop device having a detent rigid therewith and being engaged and oper ated by the towel during withdrawal to bring its said detent into position for stopping engagement with the roller abutment, said stop device being slidably mounted for movement transversely of its axis, and a spring operative to disengage the stop device detent from the roller abutment following release of the device by the towel and thereafter impart a further movement to the same to bring it out o f registry with said abutment.

3. In a towel cabinet, a towel measuring device comprising a stop roller having an abutment, said/roller engaging with the towel and being rotated thereby during its withdrawal, a pivoted'stop device engaged and operated by the towel during its withdrawal to be moved thereby into position for stopping engagement with the roller abutment,

' said-stop device being slidably mounted for movement transversely of its axis, and a spring yieldingly holding the stop device in normal position and permitting of a movement of said device in one direction under the impact therewith of the roller abutment and thereafter disengaging it from said abutment and moving it in the opposite direction out of registry with Vthe latter.

4. In a towel cabinet, a towel measuring device, comprising a stop roller having an abutment, said roller engaging'with the towel and being rotated thereby during its withdrawal, a towel supporting shelf positioned adjacent the roller and bearing on the towel in its passage over the latter and holding it in frictional engagement therewith, and a stop device engaged and operated by the towel during its withdrawal tobe moved thereb into position for stopping engagement wit the roller abutment.

5. In a. towelD cabinet, a towel measuring device comprising a stop roller having an abutment, said roller engaging with the towel and being rotated thereby duringits withdrawal, a stop device engaged and operated by the towel during its withdrawal, whereby i said stop device will be moted by the pull of the towel into position for stopping engagement with the roller abutment, a latch device holding the stop device when brought to its roller stopping position, and a second latch device operatively connected with the first one for movement in opposition thereto whereby the second one will engage the latch member upon the release of the lirst one therefrom.

6. In a towel cabinet, a towel measuring device comprising a. stop roller having an abutment, said roller engaging with the towel and being rotated thereby during its withdrawal, a stop device engaged and operated by the towel during its withdrawal to be moved thereby into position for stopping engagement with the roller abutment, a pivoted latch device holding the stop device when brought to its roller stopping position, and a second pivoted latch device having a pivotal connection with the first one for movement thereby in a direction in opposition thereto whereby the second one will engage the latch member upon the release -o the first one therefrom.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERBERT W. CROWSON.

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