Georgia-pacific Corporation

Georgia-pacific Consumer Products LP

Georgia-pacific Consumer Operations LLC

George-pacific Corporation

Andrew R Morris

John Stephen Formon

Michael A Susi

James H Murphy

Paul Dowd

Will Isaksson

Bruce T Boone

David Gahris

Bernie Dodge

A powered dispenser tor dispensing individual sheet segments from a continuous roll of sheet material provided with spaced tear lines comprises a powered feed mechanism, a releasable, powered drive mechanism, a powered transfer mechanism, a pair of web sensing sensors, a capacitive sensing system providing automatic sensitivity adjustment, and control circuitry. A dual power supply system provides a mechanical lock-out functionality, and the control system is protected from electrostatic build-up on the surface of the feed roller. The web sensor, and an antenna plate of the capacitive sensing system, are provided on respective printed circuit boards mounted in overlying relation. Utilizing signals received from the pair of web sensors and the capacitive sensing system, the control circuitry senses the presence of a user to activate the powered drive mechanism, and prevents further dispensing of the sheet material until a previously dispensed segment is separated from the roll. The web sensors detection of a leading edge of the sheet material initiates a predetermined interval of sheet material advancement providing a proper placement of successive tear lines.

Sheet material dispenser

A powered dispenser for dispensing individual sheet segments from a continuous roll of sheet material provided with spaced tear lines comprises a powered feed mechanism, a releasable, powered drive mechanism, a powered transfer mechanism, a pair of web sensing sensors, a capacitive sensing system providing automatic sensitivity adjustment, and control circuitry. A dual power supply system provides a mechanical lock-out functionality, and the control system is protected from electrostatic build-up on the surface of the feed roller. The web sensor, and an antenna plate of the capacitive sensing system, are provided on respective printed circuit boards mounted in overlying relation. Utilizing signals received from the pair of web sensors and the capacitive sensing system, the control circuitry senses the presence of a user to activate the powered drive mechanism, and prevents further dispensing of the sheet material until a previously dispensed segment is separated from the roll. The web sensors detection of a leading edge of the sheet material initiates a predetermined interval of sheet material advancement providing a proper placement of successive tear lines. Various approaches may be utilized to accommodate inadvertent sheet 'tabbing' scenarios. The web sensors, together with the control circuitry, are also used to detect the depletion, or absence, of a working roll of sheet material, whereupon the control circuitry controls the powered transfer mechanism to automatically transfer the web feed supply from a depleted working roll to a reserve roll. The powered transfer mechanism may include a motor driven transfer bar, or provide motor driven release of a spring biased transfer bar. Another arrangement allows for ready release of a roll core, and drop of the same into an open dispenser cover for removal.

Apparatus and methods usable in connection with dispensing flexible sheet material from a roll

A powered dispenser for dispensing individual sheet segments from a continuous roll of sheet material provided with spaced tear lines comprises a powered feed mechanism, a releasable, powered drive mechanism, a powered transfer mechanism, a pair of web sensing sensors, a capacitive sensing system providing automatic sensitivity adjustment, and control circuitry. A dual power supply system provides a mechanical lock-out functionality, and the control system is protected from electrostatic build-up on the surface of the feed roller. The web sensor, and an antenna plate of the capacitive sensing system, are provided on respective printed circuit boards mounted in overlying relation. Utilizing signals received from the pair of web sensors and the capacitive sensing system, the control circuitry senses the presence of a user to activate the powered drive mechanism, and prevents further dispensing of the sheet material until a previously dispensed segment is separated from the roll. The web sensors detection of a leading edge of the sheet material initiates a predetermined interval of sheet material advancement providing a proper placement of successive tear lines. Various approaches may be utilized to accommodate inadvertent sheet &ldquo;tabbing&rdquo; scenarios. The web sensors, together with the control circuitry, are also used to detect the depletion, or absence, of a working roll of sheet material, whereupon the control circuitry controls the powered transfer mechanism to automatically transfer the web feed supply from a depleted working roll to a reserve roll. The powered transfer mechanism may include a motor driven transfer bar, or provide motor driven release of a spring biased transfer bar. Another arrangement allows for ready release of a roll core, and drop of the same into an open dispenser cover for removal.

A powered dispenser for dispensing individual paper towel segments from a continuous roll of paper provided with spaced lines of tearing comprises a housing, a support for the roll of paper, a feed mechanism, and a control device. The control device senses the presence of a user to activate the feed mechanism, controls the amount of material which is dispensed from the housing for any one cycle, and prevents further dispensing of the paper until the previous segment is separated from the roll. The control device detects the leading edge of the paper to initiate monitoring of the length of paper to be dispensed to prevent any cumulative error in dispensing the segments.

Paper towel dispenser

A paper towel dispenser which provides for hands free, automatic feeding of the first sheet of a primary web roll, such as a paper towel roll, into a feed mechanism when its cover is closed. The dispenser also automatically transfers its web feed supply from a primary roll to a reserve roll upon the exhaustion of the primary roll. The present invention eliminates the need for an attendant to thread the leading edge of a primary or reserve roll into the feed mechanism of the dispenser. The dispenser also eliminates wasted paper because it does not begin to feed the reserve roll until the primary roll has expired. The dispenser can include either a manual feed mechanism or a powered feed mechanism. The dispenser relies on a sensor for determining when a portion of the web is absent from a side of the feed mechanism proximate a web discharge opening. When such an absence is sensed, an automatic, powered web transfer mechanism contacts the web located in front of the feed mechanism and positions it between the rollers of the feed mechanism. The transfer mechanism includes a web transfer member and a motor for driving the transfer member in the direction of the feed mechanism. The dispenser also includes a retraction mechanism for returning the transfer bar to a rest position after the web has been introduced into the feed mechanism.

Power transfer system apparatus

A proximity sensor circuit of a powered dispenser for dispensing individual sheet segments from a continuous roll of sheet material includes an antenna, an oscillator circuit and an automatic sensitivity control circuit. The antenna has a baseline stray capacitance. The oscillator circuit is coupled to the antenna and generates an oscillation signal having a predetermined oscillation amplitude corresponding to the baseline stray capacitance of the antenna. Preferably, the oscillator circuit has a Colpitts oscillator-type topography. The oscillation amplitude of the oscillation signal increases in response to an increase in stray capacitance from the baseline stray capacitance of the antenna and decreases in response to a decrease in stray capacitance from the baseline stray capacitance of the antenna. The automatic sensitivity control circuit is coupled to the oscillator circuit and detects a change in the oscillation amplitude of the oscillator signal.

The present invention provides a web perforating apparatus which includes a system for detecting and indicating when a blade in the apparatus is broken, dull or otherwise not perforating the web. The apparatus is typically used with rewinders or other similar machines that produce perforated sheets of products, such as paper, using sets of stationary anvil blades and rotating perforating blades. The apparatus comprises at least one anvil including a blade holder and an anvil blade which is positioned within the blade holder. The blade holder is formed of an insulating material for electrically isolating the anvil blade from the machine frame of the rewinder. An electrical conductor is coupled to the anvil blade for supplying an electric current to the anvil blade from a current source. The apparatus also includes at least one grounded perforating blade for moving relative to the anvil blade and cooperating with the anvil blade to perforate the web at predetermined points along its length. The perforating blade will contact the anvil blade after perforating the web. A closed circuit is formed and maintained along the anvil blade at points where the blades are in contact with each other. The apparatus further includes means for detecting if a closed circuit has been formed and maintained along the anvil blade when the perforating blade moves into a position where the blades should contact each other.

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Green Cove Springs, FL, United States of America

Andrew R Morris