US3529877A - Toilet tissue reserve cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 22, 1-970 H. E. CASSIDY JQOILIE'I TISSUE RESERVE CABINET Filed May 19. 1969 INVENTOR- Hmzav E. CAssmY i'I/III Yn wfiw m IIIIIA I EA'I'I'ORNEYS United States Patent 3,529,877 TOILET TISSUE RESERVE CABINET Harry E. Cassidy, 1625 NE. 160th St., North Miami Beach, Fla. 33160 Filed May 19, 1969, Ser. No. 825,512

Int. Cl. B65h 19/00 US. Cl. 312-39 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of storing and dispensing and is more particularly related to a uniquely simple and inexpensive means for storing and dispensmg one or more rolls of toilet paper. Even more specifically, this invention relates to the field of toilet paper storing and dispensing means of the type which can either be supported on a flat surface such as a table, or can be alternately attached to a wall.

The need for a satisfactory toilet paper storing and disepnsing means has been long felt and has resulted 1n numerous attempts to meet this hitherto unmet need. Various types of magazine and dispensing apparatus for toilet paper, towelling and the like have been proposed in the past, but comparatively few of such devices have found acceptance. This lack of acceptance has been espeically true proposed for use in the home for various reasons. Examples of such reasons .are high initial cost and/or overly complicated or sophisticated mechanisms which tends to be unreliable and break down. Moreover, certain of the other prior known devices for this purpose have suffered from the defect that they were complicated to load and beyond the mechanical ability or dexterity of the persons having the responsibility of loading and maintaining such devices.

Another disadvantage of a large segments of the prior known devices has been that they have been almost universally designed to be mounted and supported by a vertical wall and have been incapable of being separately used by being supported on a flat surface such as a table, or the top of a toilet tank.

Other drawbacks of the prior known devices have been that they have universally relied upon a single, vertical stacked array of rolls of toilet paper for providing storage in the device. This arrangement, while fairly satisfactory in many instances, sometimes requires an overly great vertical space for mounting and is impossible to use in certain locations. The US. patent to Scogin No. 2,592,346 provides an example of a device of this sort. Similarly, the US. Pat. No. 2,620,991 to Deffenbaugh also discloses a similar storage array and is also exemplary of many of the more complicated devices which have been proposed for this relatively simple problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is the primary objection of this invention to provide a new and improved toilet paper storage and dispensing means which is both cheap to construct and easy and reliable to use.

Additionally, it is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved toilet paper storage and 3,529,877 Patented Sept. 22, 1970 ice dispensing means which can be employed by merely setting same on a horizontal surface or can be alternatively attached to a vertical wall or the like.

Attainment of the objects of this invention is enabled through the provision of a uniquely simple construction employing three vertical panels in the form of a left side panel, a right side panel, and a middle panel. The left side panel, the right side panel and the middle panel are parallel to each other and are connected across their bottom edges by a fioor panel. The vertical panels form two vertical shaft type openings, each of which openings can hold and retain two or more rolls of toilet paper which are maintained in position by the floor panel. An arcuate cutout is provided in each of the vertical panels adjacent the lower ends thereof extending inwardly from the edges so as to enable an easy removal of toilet paper from the device. Moreover, a rail panel extends across the front of the device immediately below each of the arcuate cutouts and connects the forward edges of the left, right and middle panels and the floor panel so that the lowermost roll of paper stored within each of the shaft type openings cannot accidentally roll fonward and out of the storing and dispensing means.

A rear panel is also provided on the rear side of the storing and dispensingmeans and can be provided with holes or the like for connection to a vertical wall if such a support should be desired. However, the flat floor panel is of sufiicient size so that the device is equally satisfactory when merely resting on a horizontal table surface or the like. Moreover, the fact that the device is substantially wider than any of the prior known devices of this sort gives it an additional stability over any of the other known prior devices which might rest on a flat surface. It should be noted that most of the prior devices are incapable of being supported on a fiat surface and must be attached to a vertical wall or similar support.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of this invention illustrating a pair of rolls of toilet paper T in stored condition; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken alonglines 22 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Attention is initially invited to FIG. 1 which pictorially illustrates the preferred embodiment in a manner easily understood. The preferred embodiment includes a vertically oriented leftside planar panel 20 forming the left side of the device. Similarly, the right side of the device is defined by a vertically oriented right sideplanar panel member 22 which is parallel to the leftside panel member 20.

Amiddle panel member 24, also vertical, is provided midway between theleft side panel 20 and theright side panel 22. Themiddle panel member 24 is also of planar construction.

The rear side of the preferred embodiment is defined by a commonvertical back panel 26 which is also of planar construction and connected to the rear edges of theleft side panel 20, theright side panel 22 and themiddle panel 24, as shown in FIG. 2. Holes or other supporting means can be provided in theback panel 26 if desired so as to enable supporting the entire device on a .vertical wall, or other similar vertical support by means of screws, nails or the like.

The lowermost edge ends of theleft side panel 20, theright side panel 22 and themiddle panel 24 are connected by acommon floor panel 28 which forms the lowermost extent of the device forming the preferred embodiment.

Afront rail panel 30 is connected to the front edge of thefloor panel 28 and is also connected to the lowermost portion of the front edges of theleft side panel 20, theright side panel 22 and themiddle panel 24.

Theleft side panel 20 is provided with anarcuate cutout 32 which has its lowermost edge beginning adjacent the top of thefront rail panel 30.

Theright side panel 22 is provided with anarcuate cutout 34 which has its lowermost extent in line With the top of thefront rail panel 30. The arcuate cut out 34 is in horizontal alignment with thearcuate cutout 32.

In like manner, themiddle panel 24 is also provided with an arcuate cutout 36 which has its lowermost portion adjacent the top of thefront rail panel 30 as shown in FIG. 1.

Anupper front panel 38 of planar construction having its bottom edge in alignment with the top of each of thearcuate cutouts 32, 34 and 36 is connected to the upper portion of the front edges of theleft side panel 20, theright side panel 22 and themiddle panel 24.

The space within the confines of theleft side panel 20, or themiddle panel 24 and the left half of therear panel 26 and the left half of the upper front panel constitutes a toilet paper roll storage and dispensing shaft type space which gives support for a vertical array of toilet paper rolls.

Similarly, a second toilet paper storage and dispensingshaft type opening 44 is defined by the right half of therear panel 26, theright side panel 22, the right half of theupper front panel 38 and themiddle panel 24. It should be noted that each of these shaft type openings can store and dispense a plurality of vertically arranged toilet paper rolls T as shown in conjunction with the secondshaft type opening 44.

Therefore, it is thought to be readily apparent that the preferred embodiment of this invention provides a uniquely simple, efiicient and reliable construction which can be manufactured and maintained at a minimal cost. Preferably, the entire device would be formed of plastic or other material. However, it should be understood that the subject invention can also be manufactured of other conventional material such as plywood, metal, wood particle board and practically any other suitable material formable into panels of the required strength and rigidity.

Only the preferred embodiment of this invention has been discussed and disclosed but it should be understood that other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art but which will not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, it should be understood that this invention is limited solely by the language of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toilet paper storing and dispensing means capable Of being supported on a flat surface or attached to a Wall for storing and dispensing toilet paper, said storing and dispensing means comprising a first vertically oriented shaft type storage opening having a lateral width slightly greater than the width of a roll of toilet paper to be stored therein and a horizontal depth slightly greater than the diameter of a roll of toilet paper to be stored therein, a second vertically oriented shaft type storage opening located adjacent said first shaft type opening and having a lateral width slightly greater than the width of a roll of toilet paper to be stored therein and a horizontal depth slightly greater than the diameter of a roll of toilet paper to be stored therein, said first and second vertical storage shaft type openings being formed of a common floor panel having a front edge, a common back panel, a left side panel, a right side panel, a middle panel separating said shaft type openings, said left side panel, right side panel and middle panel extending perpendicularly to and between said front panel and said rear panel, a common front rail panel extending upwardly a relatively short distance from and above the front edge of said floor panel, an inwardly extending cutout formed in the front edge of said left side panel and extending upwardly from a point adjacent the upper edge of said front rail panel, an inwardly extending cutout formed in the front edge of said right side panel and extending upwardly from a point adjacent the upper edge of said front rail panel, an inwardly extending cutout formed in the front edge of said middle panel and extending upwardly from a point adjacent the upper edge of said front rail panel, the height of all of said cutouts being greater than the diameter of a roll of toilet paper and an upper front panel connected to said left side panel, said right side panel and said middle panel above said cutouts for retaining a stored toilet paper roll in each of said shafts.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said cutous in said left side panel, said right side panel and said middle panel are arcuate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner

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