The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 12, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 02, 1995
John Hiram Brown, Marietta, GA (US);
Kenneth Harry LaCount, Pulaski, WI (US);
Terry Lyle Petty, Roswell, GA (US);
Kimberly-Clark Corp., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
A gravity-operated apparatus for sequentially dispensing sheet material from rolls of sheet material. The apparatus includes a housing having an opening; a rotatable turret; arms extending perpendicularly from the rotatable turret, each arm being offset and extending a sufficient distance to provide clearance for a roll of sheet material; a cantilevered spindle extending from a distal portion of each arm so that each spindle is positioned generally parallel to the rotating turret and is adapted to receive a roll of sheet material; means on each spindle to secure the roll of sheet material on the spindle; and a limit gate. Each cantilevered spindle extends from a distal portion of each arm so that the weight of a full roll of sheet material on the spindle urges the turret to rotate placing a full roll of sheet material at a dispensing position. The limit gate is positioned to impede rotation of the turret when the limit gate encounters a spindle containing a roll of sheet material that is less than substantially depleted.