Paper Roll Holder With Tension Arm

This invention relates to paper roll holders particularly suited for supporting toilet tissue rolls and the like, but also suited for use with other types of paper rolls and the like. While the invention is described herein as relating to holders for paper rolls, the term "paper" is used in an exemplary sense to facilitate description of the invention and it is not intended to limit the invention, since the holders described and claimed herein can be used for rolls of other sheet material such as plastic or metal foil.

It is an object of the invention to provide a versatile type of holder structure for paper rolls and the like which can be adapted to diverse commercial and domestic applications; which can have the core of a used roll removed therefrom with one hand without requiring dismantling of the structure; which can similarly have a fresh roll inserted thereon with one hand and without requiring any dismantling of the structure; which will firmly retain a roll thereon while still permitting ready unwinding of the roll; and which lends itself to incorporation of a night light, cigarette lighter or locking mechanism with the holder structure. More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a push-on, pull-off type paper roll holder which may be readily constructed from wire rod material and which has tension arms designed to effectively reduce tension and provide substantial uniform pressure on all parts of a roll.

A paper roll holder in accordance with the invention is formed from resilient rod-like material, conveniently spring steel, which is formed with a support arm extending cantilever-wise from a support and a tension arm extending from the support arm in juxtaposition thereto for gripping and retaining a roll pressed onto the arms by tension developed therebetween, the roll having a core with a diameter slightly smaller than the spacing of the arms. Preferably, the tension arm has a first step adjacent its junction with the support arm and a second step leading to a roll-engaging portion of the tension arm which is parallel to the support arm and of substantially shorter length, for example, of the order of half the overall length of the support arm. The roll engaging portion of the tension arm is intended to extend only along a part of the length of a paper roll core. The stepped formation of the tension arm and the reduced length rollengaging section thereof are effective in reducing tension and providing uniform pressure on a paper roll as aforesaid.

In a preferred form of the invention, a pair of roll holder devices may be provided on opposite sides of a common central support. The respective support arms extend oppositely from the support and the respective tension arms extend from the free ends of the support arms to the opposite side of the device. In a further preferred form of the invention, a pair of support arms may be formed as the upper and lower limbs of a rod-like frame shaped as an elongate S, with the tension arms extending from inboard ends of the respective limbs.

Holders in accordance with the invention may be provided in models to fit in a wall recess or to project from a wall. They might also be provided with central locking arrangements, lights or other fittings.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first form of paper roll holder in accordance with the invention mounted in a wall recess.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the holder.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the holder.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a second form of paper roll holder in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the second form of holder.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of the second form of holder.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third form of paper roll holder in accordance with the invention.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a first form of paper roll holder 10, particularly for a pair of toilet paper rolls 12, the holder being mounted in a wall recess 14 and being made of resilient rod material such as spring steel rod of one-eighth inch or three-sixteenths inch diameter, or combinations thereof.

Holder 10 has a central mounting bracket assembly comprising a mounting plate 16 and arms 18 extending forwardly from the plate. The arms may be formed into a loop or hook 20 at the back for releasable receipt in a retention pocket 22 in plate 16 which is screwed onto the wall. Welded to arms 18 is an assembly of rods shaped and assembled, as will be described to provide left and right hand push-on, pull-off type roll holder sections A and B extending cantilever-wise from the support. The holder is formed predominantly from four elongate rods. A first rod 24 is centrally welded to the bottom of arms 18 and has its free ends formed as generally triangular headed portions 26. A second rod 28 is centrally welded to the top of arms 18 over rod 24 and has its ends welded to headed portions 26. Rods 24 and 28 form support arms for the respective holder sections A and B. A third rod 30 has one end portion 32 welded to the front of rod 24 at its right hand end, rod 30 having a first step 34, and a second step 36, the latter leading to a rod section 38 which is parallel to rods 24 and 28. The free end portion 40 of rod 30 is bent upwardly. Rod 30 forms a tension arm for the left hand holder section A with rod section 38 forming a rollengaging section which contacts interior of core 12a of roll 12. It will be noted that section 38 is shorter than core 12a and its spacing from rod 24 is slightly greater than the core diameter. Accordingly, when the holder is removed from recess 14, roll 12 can be worked over headed section 26 and onto holder device A where it is resiliently held in place by tension developed in rod 30. The design of section 38 serves to reduce tension of the paper roll and provide uniform pressure. The holder includes a fourth rod 42 of similar shape to rod 30 providing a tension arm for holder device B. Rod 42 has an end section 44 welded at the left end of holder 10 to the back of rod 28 and rod 42 again has a double step formation providing a roll-engaging section 46 of like character to section 38 of rod 30. Thus, device B operates in like manner to device A.

The holder may be provided with a central lock 48 operated by a key 50, the lock having a key-actuated rotary tab 52 which can be rotated to engage the central sections of the respective rods 30, 42 to prevent the rods from being flexed upwardly, thereby preventing a roll from being pulled off the holder past one of the headed portions 26, so as to prevent theft of the rolls. The lock may be of the kind disclosed in my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 729,952, filed May 2, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,153, issued June 17, 1986, and the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Also, holder 10 may be provided with a central light fitting, not shown, as disclosed in the co-pending application.

FIGS. 4-6 show a holder 10' of generally similar form to the holders shown in FIGS. 1-3, except that the lock is omitted. In either case, the holder frame portion consisting of rods 28 (28') 30 (30') and 42 (42.degree.) could be formed from a single elongated rod suitably bent to shape.

FIG. 7 shows another form of holder 60 in accordance with the invention for a pair of superposed paper roll 62, 64 such as rolls of paper towels. Holder 60 comprises a mounting bracket 66 of bent rod, similar to the previous rod, a rod 68 bent into the form of an elongated S with a central limb 70 welded to the bracket, and upper and lower limbs 72, 74 with triangular-shaped headed ends 76, 78, a second rod 80 welded at one end underneath limb 72, and a third rod 82 similarly welded to the underneath of limb 74. The limbs 72, 74 again form support arms for the respective paper rolls with rods 80, 82 forming tension arms, and again each of the rods 80, 82 has a double stepped formation defining respective roll-engaging sections 88, 90 parallel to limbs 72, 74 and which are shorter than the cores 62a, 64a of the respective paper rolls, as previously described. The rolls can be pushed onto the respective holders, resiliently retained thereon, and pulled off as in the previous embodiments.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.