Bathroom Tissue Dispenser

Abstract

A disposable pre-packed rack containing several rolls of toilet tissue which fit into a mating floor mounted dispenser. Springs and latches in the dispenser engage the rack to expose one roll at a time of tissue mounted on a rotatable spindle fastened to the rack. Upon complete use of the exposed roll, the dispenser is unlatched to expose a second roll of tissue, and the portion of the rack containing the initial spindle is broken off, or otherwise detached.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a dispenser of toilet tissue on rolls, and particularly to a dispenser which holds a pre-packed rack containing several rolls of such tissue.

An advantage of this device is that when the initial roll of tissue has been completely used, the rack is unlatched to expose a second roll, and the spindle of the first used roll is detached from the rack.

The pre-packed rack may be furnished in multiples of two, three, four or more rolls of tissue as desired, although the preferred embodiment utilizes a rack which is initially formed with three rolls of tissue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the rack being detached from a used spindle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the dispenser 20 in use, with a roll 15 of toilet tissue exposed in rack 10, with the additional rolls 16 and 17 packaged on the rack concealed inside of the dispenser 20.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the rack 10 is formed with two side guides 18 between which spindles 11, 12 and 13 are rotatably mounted. The handle supports 26 join each pair of side guides 18 above each roll of tissue, with a handle cut-out 29 located in each handle support 26.

Break-off grooves 19 are located in each side guide 18 between rolls of tissue, so that the used tissue core 15A mounted on spindle 11, together with the respective handle section 26, may be detached from the remainder of the rack 10 after the initial roll 15 of tissue has been completely used. Similarly after the use of the second roll 16, the second segment of the side guides 18 may be detached at grooves 19 to permit exposure of the third roll 17 of tissue.

The rack 10 may be held at the proper exposed height by the combined effect of the compression springs 21 against the remaining weight of the rack 10, or a pulley and ballast weight attached to the rack 10 and the dispenser 20 may be used to raise the rack 10 in the dispenser 20 as each roll of tissue is used.

In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a round pin 27 to which an external knob 28 is fastened, fits into a hole 30 in the side guide 18 of the rack and a matching hole 31 in the guide members 22 of the dispenser 20 to latch the rack into place at the desired height. Removal and replacement of pin 27 permits readjustment and relatching of the height of the rack member 10 in the dispenser 20.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A dispenser of roll-mounted toilet tissue which engages a rack on which more than one roll of toilet tissue is rotatably mounted, with means to expose one roll of the tissue on the rack out of the dispenser, with the remainder of the rolls of said tissue mounted on the rack concealed inside the dispenser.

2. The combination described in claim 1 in which sections of the rack structure are scored so as to be frangible for the purpose of breaking off that section of a rack which bears the spindle and spindle core of a used roll of tissue.

3. The combination described in claim 2 in which latching means on the dispenser serve to hold the rack fixed at a given location in the guides of the dispenser in which the rack is engaged, said latching means serving to maintain the rack in the position which permits one fresh roll of tissue to be exposed from the dispenser, after the section of the rack bearing the used roll has been detached from the rack and dispenser.

4. The combination described in claim 3 in which said latching means include a pin which fits into one of a series of holes in the rack structure, and into a hole in the guides of the dispenser which engage the rack structure.