Variable support for fan-folded paper dispenser

Abstract

A dispesner for a stack of fan-folded sheet material is disclosed. The dispenser housing has a pivoting brake at the rear wall and contains a major support roller at a height above the rear support rollers to minimize the weight of the stack on the rear support rollers. The major support roller is movably mounted in a pair of vertically-disposed slots and connected at either end to one of a pair of pivot arms. The pivot arms are connected across the width of the dispenser by a connector. The weight of the stack causes the major suport roller to move downwardly in the vertically disposed slots which causes the pivot arms to rotate in the clockwise direction. The clockwise rotation of the pivot arms brings the connector into contact with the pivoting brake which presses against the stack of sheet material in the lateral direction. The lateral pressure on the sheet material decreases the vertical pressure on the bottommost piece of sheet material making it easier for such piece to be removed intact from the dispenser. A piece of friction material may be placed along the inner surface of the front of the dispenser to provide additonal friction on the stack to further decrease the vertical pressure on the bottommost piece of sheet material. An alternative embodiment uses a flat spring in lieu of the pivoting brake, pivot arms and connector. Another alternative embodiment uses two pivoting rollers and a rear brake which forms part of the back wall and is pivotally connected to each side of the dispenser.