It is well known to provide a towel cabinet which dispenses a length of a clean fabric towel into a loop beneath the cabinet. An individual may then use the dispensed towel to dry their hands. The soiled towel is subsequently retracted into the cabinet. Towel cabinets of this type may be referred to as continuous towel cabinets because a continuous loop of towel is provided.

The towel for towel cabinets of the above types is generally supplied in a roll and this is stored in a clean towel bin in the towel cabinet ready for dispensing. The towel is typically dispensed over a dispensing roller provided at the front of the clean towel bin. However, there are a number of problems associated with known towel cabinets and these are outlined below.

It is an essential requirement of known cabinets that the roll of clean towel is inserted into the clean towel bin such that the towel is unwound from the front of the roll.

Inserting the roll in this orientation ensures that when towel is dispensed it is drawn from the bottom of the roll and the roll is forced to the back of the clean towel bin away from the dispensing roller. If the roll is inserted into the clean towel bin such that the clean towel is drawn from the back of the roll, the roll is forced forward when towel is dispensed. The forward motion of the roll may cause it to foul with the dispensing roller and this may become jammed and further operation of the cabinet prevented.

Viewed from a first aspect the present application relates to a towel cabinet for dispensing a towel, the towel cabinet comprising a first compartment for receiving a roll of towel to be dispensed and a support member for supporting towel as it is drawn from the first compartment ; wherein, in use, a nip is formed between a length of towel being dispensed and the support member and the first compartment is adapted to bias the roll of towel away from said nip and/or means are provided to prevent the roll of towel from entering said nip. Viewed from a further aspect the present application relates to a towel cabinet for dispensing a towel, the towel cabinet comprising a first compartment for receiving a roll of towel to be dispensed and a support member for supporting towel as it is drawn from the first compartment; wherein the first compartment is adapted to bias the roll of towel, in use, away from the support member and/or means are provided to prevent the roll of towel from being drawn towards the support member. Thus, in use, when a nip is formed between a length of towel being dispensed and the support member, the roll of towel is biased away from said nip and/or prevented from entering the nip.

The adaptation of the first compartment to bias the roll away from the support member or to prevent it from entering the nip between the towel and the support member advantageously allows the roll of clean towel to be inserted such that towel may be drawn from either the front or back of the roll. This simplifies servicing of the towel cabinet and helps to reduce fouling as the towel is dispensed.

The compartment is preferably defined by a bin having sidewalls and a base. At least a portion of the base of the bin preferably slopes downwardly away from the support member such that, in use, the roll of towel is biased away

from the support member. The bin may be pivotably mounted so as, at least initially, to increase the slope of the base away from the support member. The support member is preferably a roller and the roller is preferably rotatable about the same axis about which the bin is pivotable.

The bin is preferably provided above a second compartment for receiving soiled towels. The bin is preferably movable at least partially into said second compartment in order to reduce the overall size of the towel cabinet.

Most preferably, the bin is movable into its lowermost position when the second compartment is empty, for example when the cabinet has been serviced and a clean towel installed. The bin is preferably displaced upwardly as soiled towel is drawn into the second compartment. The soiled towel is preferably wound onto a collection roller in the second compartment and the bin preferably rests on the soiled towel wound onto said collection roller. The bin may thereby be pivoted upwardly as the thickness of the soiled towel on the collection roller increases. The bin is preferably in its uppermost position when the clean towel has all been dispensed and drawn into the second compartment.

A metering roller is preferably provided to drive the collection roller. The collection roller is preferably biased towards said metering roller. Although a spring or other mechanism may be provided to bias the metering roller and the collection roller towards each other, the clean towel bin preferably rests on the collection roller (or on the soiled towel wound onto the collection roller) and biases it towards the metering roller.

In order to prevent the roll of towel being displaced towards the nip of the towel and the support member an inwardly projecting lip or flange may be provided to form a shield between the support member and the roll. Preferably, however, a step is formed in the base of the bin such that movement of the roll towards the nip is limited.

Advantageously, the formation of a step in the base of the bin does not hamper the loading of a new roll of towel.

The support member is preferably provided at the top of one of the sidewalls of the bin. Preferably the support member is inset relative to said sidewall.

A further problem associated with known towel cabinets is that the towel may drift in a transverse direction as it is dispensed. This drifting may cause the towel to foul a dispensing or collecting mechanism provided in the cabinet.

Similarly, the soiled towel may be drawn from a reservoir into a soiled towel bin where it is wound onto a collection roller. The soiled towel is gathered in the reservoir in a folded or flaked condition and it may not be aligned with the collection roller when it is drawn into the soiled towel bin; this may result in binding or fouling of the collection roller. The binding or fouling of the towel may prevent further operation of the cabinet and may necessitate additional servicing.

Viewed from a further aspect the present application relates to a towel cabinet comprising a support member for supporting a towel as it is drawn from a first compartment provided in the cabinet, wherein the support member extends in a transverse direction and has a concave profile in said transverse direction. The concave profile of the support member helps to retain the towel in a central position and also helps to reduce east/west tracking. The likelihood of

the towel drifting and fouling the apparatus is thereby reduced. Advantageously, this arrangement allows towels of different widths to be used without modification of the towel cabinet.

Preferably the support member supports the towel across its width. The concave profile may be arcuate, dog-bone or V-shaped. Other polygonal profiles are also envisaged provided that the ends of the profiles extend above the middle thereof so as to guide the towel. Most preferably, the support member is a concave roller (i. e. a roller having increased diameter at each end).

Alternatively, the support member may be defined by a transverse edge of a fixed member so as to simplify construction of the cabinet. (The edge of the fixed member <BR> <BR> being saddle shaped. ) This arrangement is preferred when the first compartment is for storing a soiled towel and the support member is for supporting the soiled towel as it is drawn into a second compartment. A concave roller is preferred where the first compartment is for storing a roll of clean towel to be dispensed from the cabinet.

Viewed from a further aspect, the present application relates to a towel cabinet comprising a plurality of support members for supporting a towel as it is drawn from a first compartment provided in the cabinet, wherein the support members extend in a transverse direction and collectively define a concave profile in said transverse direction. The support members are preferably rollers and, more preferably the rollers are right cylindrical in shape.

It is known to provide a driven roller in towel cabinets to gather soiled towel into a reservoir compartment. The roller may be driven, for example, by an electric motor or other mechanical drive. It is known to

provide a unidirectional clutch bearing on the roller to resist rotation of the roller in a reverse direction to prevent soiled towel being drawn from the reservoir.

However, the application of sufficient force could overcome the clutch bearing or cause soiled towel to move over the roller thereby allowing the soiled towel to be withdrawn from the reservoir. This is unhygienic and may present a health risk.

Viewed from a further aspect the present application relates to a towel cabinet for dispensing a towel, the cabinet comprising a loop take-up roller and a pinch blade; wherein, in use, the loop take-up roller is rotatable in a first direction to draw soiled towel into a compartment, and rotation of the loop take-up roller in a second direction causes the pinch blade to be displaced to a position suitable for trapping the towel. The pinch blade may, for example, trap the towel against a fixed member but preferably the towel is trapped against the loop take-up roller. The pinch blade thereby provides a positive locking action which prevents soiled towel being drawn out of the towel cabinet once it has been retracted. If the force applied to the towel is increased the force transferred to the pinch blade is preferably also increased to trap more firmly the towel.

Most preferably, the pinch blade extends across the width of the loop take-up roller. The pinch blade is preferably pivotably mounted. The pinch blade is preferably biased away from the loop take-up roller.

The loop take-up roller may be provided with a uni- directional clutch which allows rotation of the loop take-up roller only in said first direction. Rotation of the loop take-up roller in said second direction preferably causes a

pinch blade actuating member to be displaced. The displacement of the actuating member preferably displaces the pinch blade into its trapping position. The loop take- up roller is preferably provided with a cam and the rotation of the loop take-up roller in said second direction preferably causes said cam to be rotated. The rotation of said cam preferably causes the actuating member to be displaced. Alternatively, the cam may engage the pinch blade directly.

Viewed from a still further aspect the present application relates to a towel cabinet for dispensing a towel, the cabinet comprising a rotatable member and a stop member, wherein rotation of the rotatable member in a first direction causes said stop member to be displaced to a position suitable for restricting movement of the towel relative to the rotatable member. The displacement of the stop member to said position preferably traps the towel.

Most preferably the stop member traps the towel against the rotatable member.

The stop member is preferably a pinch blade and the rotatable member is preferably a roller. Most preferably, the rotatable member is a loop take-up roller suitable for retracting soiled towel.

The rotatable member is preferably rotatable in a second direction to allow towel to be collected into the towel cabinet. Indeed, in use, the rotatable member may be rotated by a drive mechanism. Thus, rotation of the rotatable member may draw soiled towel into the towel cabinet.

The towel cabinets of the types known in the prior art are generally provided with a stop mechanism to prevent the continuous dispensing of towels. These mechanisms limit the

amount of towel which is dispensed in each operation of the cabinet and thereby extend the life of the roll of towel.

The stop mechanisms generally limit the rotation of a metering roller. However, considerable forces may be exerted on the stop mechanism as the towel is withdrawn and the mechanism may break. In known towel cabinets the failure of the stop mechanism typically prevents the dispensing of further towels as the metering roller is also affected.

Viewed from a still further aspect the present application relates to a towel cabinet for dispensing a towel from a roll, the cabinet comprising a stop mechanism for limiting the length of towel dispensed in a single operation, and a metering mechanism for winding soiled towel onto a roll in a soiled towel compartment, wherein the stop mechanism and the metering mechanism are operable independently of each other. Although in normal operation. the stop mechanism and the metering mechanism are both operable in response to the movement of the towel as it is withdrawn, if the stop mechanism fails, for example because an excessive force is applied, the metering mechanism may still be operable and the cabinet may continue to dispense towel.

The stop mechanism preferably comprises a stop roller rotatable in response to towel being dispensed from the cabinet. The stop mechanism preferably allows the stop roller to rotate through a predetermined number of revolutions, or through a predetermined angular rotation, during each operation of the towel cabinet.

Towel cabinets known in the prior art are generally provided with a fixed clean towel bin from which the towel is dispensed. The inventors in the present case have

recognised that this is undesirable as the size of the roll of clean towel located in the clean towel bin decreases as it is used up.

Viewed from a yet still further aspect the present application relates to a towel cabinet for dispensing a towel, the towel cabinet comprising a bin for receiving a roll of the towel to be dispensed and a soiled towel compartment for receiving soiled towel, the bin being provided above the soiled towel compartment, wherein the bin is movably mounted to facilitate nesting thereof in the soiled towel compartment. The size of the cabinet may thereby be reduced as the clean towel bin may be at least partially nested in the soiled towel compartment, for example, when a towel has been installed in said bin and the soiled towel compartment is at least partially empty. The bin is preferably pivotably mounted.

Most preferably, the bin is movable into its lowermost position when the soiled towel compartment is empty, for example when the cabinet has been serviced and the towel replaced. The bin is preferably displaced upwardly as soiled towel is drawn into the soiled towel compartment.

The soiled towel is preferably wound onto a collection roller in the soiled towel compartment and the bin preferably rests on the soiled towel wound onto said collection roller. The bin may thereby be pivoted upwardly as the soiled towel is wound onto the collection roller increases. The bin is preferably in its uppermost position when the clean towel has been dispensed and has all been drawn into the soiled towel compartment.

A metering roller is preferably provided to drive the collection roller. The collection roller is preferably biased towards said metering roller. Although a spring or

other mechanism may be provided to bias the metering roller and the collection roller towards each other, the clean towel bin preferably rests on the collection roller, or on the soiled towel wound onto the collection roller, and biases the collection roller towards the metering roller.

The clean towel bin is preferably provided with a support member for supporting and/or guiding the towel as it is drawn from the clean towel bin. The support member is preferably a concave roller.

A further problem arising with known towel dispensers is that it may be necessary to disassemble the towel cabinet to facilitate servicing. This generally requires removal of the complete towel cabinet from the wall on which it is mounted to provide access to the dispensing and retracting mechanism.

Viewed from a further aspect, the present application relates to a towel cabinet for dispensing a towel from a roll, the. cabinet comprising a first compartment for receiving the roll of towel to be dispensed and a second compartment for storing soiled towel, the cabinet further comprising a mechanism for drawing soiled towel into the second compartment, wherein said mechanism is detachably mounted on a frame assembly, the frame assembly being suitable for mounting on a wall. Thus, the mechanism and preferably also the second compartment can readily be detached from the frame assembly to facilitate servicing.

The cabinet preferably also comprises a cover suitable for covering the mechanism and the first and second compartments. The cover is preferably pivotably mounted on the frame assembly.

The first compartment is preferably defined by a bin mounted on said frame assembly. The bin is preferably pivotably mounted.

More preferably, the mechanism and the second compartment are provided in a unit which is pivotably mounted on at least one mounting element. The at least one mounting element is preferably removably mountable on the frame assembly. The frame assembly is preferably provided with at least one resilient locking member suitable for locking the at least one mounting element in place.

Viewed from a still further aspect, the present application relates to a timer mechanism for a towel cabinet, the timer mechanism comprising a locking member, a sucker, and a spring ; the locking member being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position ; the sucker being suitable for adhering to a surface to retain the locking member in said locked position and the spring applying a force to the stop member to bias the stop member towards said unlocked position; wherein the force applied by the spring may be varied to vary the period of time to elapse before the stop member is biased from a locked position to an unlocked position.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of the towel dispensing cabinet in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention in a first position; Figure 2 shows a front perspective view of the towel dispensing cabinet of Figure 1 in a second position;

Figure 3 shows a front perspective view of the retracting mechanism removed from the towel dispensing cabinet for servicing; Figure 4 shows a front perspective view of the towel dispensing cabinet with the clean towel bin in a raised position ; Figure 5 shows a rear view of the dispensing and collecting mechanism in accordance with the present invention ; Figure 6 shows a front perspective view of the towel dispensing cabinet from the other side to that shown in Figure 1; Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the loop take-up roller and pinch blade of the present invention; Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the towel dispensing cabinet in accordance with the present invention ; Figure 9 shows a side view of a second embodiment of the towel cabinet in accordance with the present invention ; Figure 10 shows a side view of the retracting mechanism of the towel cabinet according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 shows a second side view of the retracting mechanism shown in Figure 10.

A continuous towel dispensing cabinet 1 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 1. The cabinet 1 comprises a cover portion 3 which is shown in its open position in Figure 1. The cabinet 1 further comprises a mechanism 5 for retracting a length of towel 7. The hood 3 and the mechanism 5 are both mounted on a wall mounting frame 9. The cover 3 is pivotally mounted on arms 11 such that the cabinet may be opened to provide access to the mechanism 5.

The mechanism 5 is pivotally mounted on first and second side supports 13,15 so that it may be pivoted to a forward position, as shown in Figure 2, to provide access to the interior thereof. First and second resilient locking handles 17,19 are provided on the first and second side supports to retain the mechanism 5 in a rearward position.

The first and second side supports 13,15 are removably mounted on the frame 9 so that the mechanism 5 may be removed for servicing, as shown in Figure 3, if required.

First and second resilient locking members 21,23 are provided on the wall mounting frame 9 to lock the first and second side members 13,15 in position.

The clean towel 7 is rolled on itself and the resulting roll located in a clean towel bin 25 provided above the mechanism 5. The clean towel bin 25 is pivotally mounted on first and second arms 27,29 which are fixedly mounted on the frame 9. The pivotal mounting of the clean towel bin 25 allows it to rest at least initially inside a soiled towel bin 31, as shown in Figure 1.

A dispensing roller 33 is provided at the front of the clean towel bin 25. The dispensing roller 33 and the clean towel bin 25 are rotatable about a common axis. The dispensing roller 33 is concave in profile to help ensure that transverse movement of the towel 7 is minimised as it is dispensed.

The mechanism 5 further comprises a stop roller 35 having a rough surface over which the towel 7 passes. A stop member 37 is connected to the stop roller 35 via a gear train. As best shown in Figure 4, a cam 36 is provided on a first gear 38 rotated by the stop roller 35 and rotation of the cam causes the stop member 37 to be displaced upwardly.

A resilient arm 39 is provided to engage a projection 41

provided on a side of the stop member 37. The stop member 37 is also provided with a first sucker 43 which contacts a projection 45 when the stop member 37 is in its uppermost position and retains the stop member 37 in this position.

When the stop member 37 is in its uppermost position, the rotation of the first gear 38 is prevented as a stop (not shown) provided on the first gear 38 abuts the stop member.

Once the sucker 43 releases the stop member 37 (under the action of the gravity and the resilient arm 39), the stop member is lowered and the first gear 38 is again free to turn. Thus, the first sucker 43 creates a time delay between each operation of the mechanism 5.

The mechanism 5 further comprises a front metering roller 47 and a rear metering roller 49. The front metering roller 47 is provided below the stop roller 35 and the rear metering roller is provided in the soiled towel bin 31 (as shown in Figure 5). The front metering roller 47 is coupled to the rear metering roller 49 by first and second metering gears 51,53 such that rotation of the front metering roller 47 results in a corresponding rotation of the rear metering roller 49. The front and rear metering rollers 47,49 both have a rubberised outer surface.

A guide member 55 is provided at the base of the mechanism 5 to guide the towel 7 around the base of the cabinet 1. A recess 57 is provided in the front of the guide member 55 so as to provide a space behind the towel 7 to allow a user to grip its sides.

A loop take-up roller 59 is provided at the base of the mechanism 5 to the rear of the guide 55. The loop take-up roller 59 also has a rubberised surface. A first series of flutes 61 are formed in the outer surface of the loop take- up roller 59 to accommodate first stripping members 63

formed in the guide 55. The first stripping members 63 prevent the towel 7 from being wrapped around the take-up roller 59 and fouling the mechanism 5. The loop take-up roller 59 is driven by a power spring provided in a drive gear 65. The operation of the loop take-up roller 59 is described in greater detail below.

As shown in Figure 6, a pivotably mounted locking arm 67 is provided on the second side support 15. The locking arm 67 can pivot to engage a saw-tooth profile 69 provided on the drive gear 65 and lock it in position. While the drive gear 65 is locked, the rotation of a charging gear 71 mounted on the axle of the rear metering roller 49 causes the power spring to be compressed and thereby to store energy. The front metering roller 47 is mounted in a channel (not shown) in the second side support 15 such that one end thereof is movable rearwardly in response to an increase in the tension in the towel 7. The rearwards movement of the front metering roller 47 causes the locking arm 67 to move to its locking position such that the drive gear 65 cannot rotate.

The locking arm 67 is biased towards an unlocked position away from the drive gear 65 by a leaf spring 72 integrally formed with the locking arm. The leaf spring 72 also biases the front metering roller 47 to its forward position. A further spring may be provided to help bias the locking arm 67 to its unlocked position if required.

A second sucker 73 is provided on the locking arm 67 and this contacts a second projection 75 and retains the locking arm 67 in a locked position after the force provided by the front metering roller 47 is removed. After a period of time, the leaf spring 72 overcomes the suction force provided by the second sucker 73 and the locking arm 67 is

displaced away from the saw-tooth profile 69 on the drive gear 65. The power spring causes the drive gear 65 to rotate and this rotation is transmitted to the loop take-up roller 59 via a gear train 77. The rotation of the loop take-up roller 59 causes soiled towel to be retracted into a reservoir area 79. The power spring provides a constant force when it is released thereby ensuring uniform collection of the soiled towel.

A pinch blade 81 extends along the length of the loop take-up roller 59. As shown in Figure 7, a spring 83 biases the pinch blade 81 away from the surface of the loop take-up roller to allow the towel 7 to be retracted into the reservoir area 79. However, a pinch blade actuation mechanism 85 is provided on the end of the loop take-up roller distal from the gear train 77. The actuation mechanism 85 is provided with an L-shaped member 87 which engages an edge of the pinch blade 81. If the towel 7 is pulled downwardly to the rear of the cabinet 1 it causes a cam (not shown) forming part of the actuation mechanism 85 to rotate. The rotation of the cam displaces the L-shaped member 87 downwardly against the pinch blade 81. The downward movement of the projection 87 causes an edge 89 of the pinch blade 81 to trap the towel 7 against the surface of the loop take-up roller and thereby limits the displacement of soiled towel 7 from the reservoir area 79.

A clutch (not shown) is provided on the loop take-up roller to allow the towel 7 to be drawn directly into the soiled towel bin 25 when there is no soiled towel stored in the reservoir area 79. The clutch also allows the loop take- up roller 59 to rotate in response to the drive gear 65 and retract soiled towel into the reservoir area 79.

A second guide roller 91 is provided above the loop take-up roller to guide soiled guide 7 into the reservoir area 79. The soiled towel 7 is allowed to gather in the reservoir area 79 and remains there until it is retracted into the soiled towel bin 31. The soiled towel 7 is fed into the soiled towel bin 31 over a concave edge 93 which helps ensure that it is aligned centrally when it is fed into the soiled towel bin.

The soiled towel 7 is collected on a collection roller 95 provided in the soiled towel bin 31. The collection roller 95 is rotatably mounted in first and second channels 97,99 formed in the side walls of the mechanism 5. The collection roller 95 is rotated by the rear metering roller 49 provided in the soiled towel bin 31. A second series of flutes 101 are provided in the rear metering roller to accommodate second stripping members 103 which are provided to prevent the soiled towel 7 fouling the rear metering roller.

The rotation of the collection roller 95 causes the soiled towel 7 to be wound onto the collection roller and, as more towel 7 is wound onto the collection roller 95, it is displaced upwardly in the first and second channels 97, 99.

In use, the clean towel bin 25 may rest on the soiled towel 7 wound onto the collection roller 95. The upward movement of the collection roller 95 causes the clean towel bin 25 also to be raised. It will be appreciated that as the clean towel 7 is used up less space is required in the clean towel bin 25 and, thus, the clean towel 7 is accommodated in the clean towel bin even when the bin is in a raised position.

The cover 3 is provided with a stop tension plate 105 which closes onto the clean towel 7 above the stop roller 35 to ensure a good contact is maintained between the towel and the stop roller. First and second metering guide rollers 107,109 are also provided on the interior of the hood 3 to ensure a good contact between the clean towel 7 and the front metering roller 47. An opening 111 is provided in the base of the cover 3 to provide access to the clean towel 7 as it passes over the guide 55.

As outlined above, the mechanism 5 is pivotably mounted on first and second side supports 13,15. A pair of dog leg channel 113,115, 117,119 are provided in each of the side supports 13,15 and the mechanism 5 is provided with bearings 121,123, 125,127 associated with each of the dog leg channels. First and second linear channels 129,131 are also provided in the first and second side supports 13,15 below the dog leg channels 113,115, 117,119. The mechanism 5 is provided with additional bearings 133,135 associated with the linear channels 129,131. The mechanism 5 advantageously is movable forwards in the channels 113, 115,117, 119,129, 131 to provide improved access to the rear of the mechanism and more readily to facilitate servicing. Moreover, as the mechanism 5 moves forwards it pivots and the displacement of the centre of gravity of the mechanism 5 from the lower bearings 133,135 is reduced so that the movement of the mechanism may be better controlled.

The end of the dog leg channels 113,115, 117,119 closest to the wall mounting frame 9 extend downwardly so that the mechanism 5 is positively locked into its closed position.

The installation of a towel 7 in the mechanical towel dispenser 1 will now be described with reference to Figure 8 which shows the cabinet 1 in cross-section. The cover 3 is

raised to its uppermost position and is retained there by a locking mechanism (not shown). The mechanism 5 is then moved to its open position by depressing the first and second locking handles 17,19 and allowing it to pivot forwards.

The roll of clean towel 7 is then loaded into the clean towel bin 25 and the towel 7 fed over the concave dispensing roller 33. The roll of towel 7 is preferably inserted into the clean towel bin 25 such that the towel is drawn from the front of the roll and the roll is displaced towards the wall mounting frame 9 when towel is dispensed.

The roll of towel 7 may, however, be installed in the clean towel bin 25 such that the towel is drawn from the back of the roll (and over the top thereof).

Advantageously, a step 137 is formed in the base of the clean towel bin and the base slopes downwardly away from the dispensing roller 33 to help prevent the roll being displaced to the front of the clean towel bin 25 when towel 7 is dispensed. Thus, the likelihood of the roll being caught in the nip between the towel and the dispensing roller 33 is reduced.

The towel 7 is then passed over the stop roller 35 and the front metering roller 47. The towel 7 is then fed around the guide member 55 and between the loop take-up roller and the first guide roller 91. The towel 7 is then drawn up into the soiled towel bin 31 and wound around the collection roller 95. Preferably, a length of towel 7 is inserted into the reservoir area 79 when it is installed.

The mechanism 5 is then returned to its closed position and the first and second locking handles 17,19 lock to retain it in position. The cover 3 is then closed and the cabinet 1 is ready for use.

The operation of the towel cabinet 1 will now be described. A user grips the towel 7 in front of the guide 55 and applies a downward force to draw the towel over the stop roller 35 and the front metering roller 47.

The movement of the towel 7 causes the stop roller 35 to rotate which in turn displaces the stop member 37 upwardly. When the stop member 37 is in its uppermost position, the projection on the first gear 38 then abuts the stop member 37 and prevents further rotation of the stop roller 35, as outlined above, thereby limiting the length of towel 7 which may be dispensed in a single operation. The stop member 37 is retained in its uppermost position by the first sucker 43 for a period of time before it is released under the action of the resilient arm 39. The stop roller 35 is then free to rotate and the cabinet 1 is ready to dispense another length of towel 7.

The movement of the towel 7 causes the front metering roller 47 to rotate at the same time as the stop roller 35.

The rotation of the front metering roller 47 causes the rear metering roller 49 to be rotated via the first and second metering gears 51,53. The rotation of the rear metering roller 49 in turn causes the collection roller 95 to rotate and wind soiled towel 7 from the reservoir area 79.

The clean towel bin 25 rests on the collection roller 95 and helps to ensure that rotation of the rear metering roller 49 results in a corresponding rotation of the collection roller. Thus, substantially the same length of towel 7 is dispensed as is retracted and a loop of soiled towel 7 does not form under the cabinet 1.

When the towel 7 is pulled it causes the end of the first metering roller 47 proximal to the second side support 15 to be displaced rearwardly and a roller bearing 48

provided on that end of the first metering roller 47 displaces the locking arm 67 into its locking position such that it engages the saw-tooth profile 69 on the drive gear 65 and prevents rotation of the drive gear. The rotation of the front metering roller 47 in turn drives the rear metering roller 49 and charges the power spring in the drive gear 65 via the charging gear 71. The second sucker 73 retains the locking arm 67 in its locking position to prevent the power spring releasing its energy immediately the tension in the towel 7 is released. Thus, the second sucker 73 creates a time delay which provides a predetermined period of time in which the user may dry their hands on the towel 7 which has been dispensed.

The leaf spring 72 subsequently causes the second sucker 73 to release the locking arm 67 and it returns to its unlocked position. The drive gear 65 is then free to rotate under the action of the charged power spring. The rotation of the drive gear 65 causes the loop take-up roller 59 to rotate and draw the soiled towel 7 from under the cabinet 1 into the reservoir area 79.

If a user attempts to draw soiled towel 7 from the reservoir area 79 or the soiled towel bin 31, then the pinch blade 81 is activated as described above. The pinch blade 81 traps the soiled towel 7 against the loop take-up roller 59 and prevents it being drawn from the reservoir area 79 or the soiled towel bin 31.

It will be appreciated that the rotation of the front metering roller 47 causes soiled towel 7 to be wound onto the collection roller 95 and also charges the power spring in the drive gear 65. The subsequent release of the drive gear 65 drives the loop take-up roller 59 and draws soiled towel 7 into the reservoir 79. The towel 7 in the reservoir

79 is then ready to be wound onto the collection roller 95 the next time that the cabinet 1 is used. This cycle is repeated until the clean towel bin 25 is empty.

When the clean towel 7 has all been used, a service engineer may raise the cover 3 and wind the end of the clean towel 7 onto the collection roller 95 by manually rotating the front metering roller 47. The soiled towel 7 may then be removed by pivoting the mechanism 5 to its open position and removing the collection roller 95 out of the top of the first and second channels 97,99.

A cabinet 200 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 9,10 and 11. Like reference numerals have been used for like components in the following description of the second embodiment of the cabinet 200.

The cover portion 3 according to the second embodiment has been modified to replace the first metering guide roller 107 with a flap (not shown) which is spring biased towards the stop roller 35. This arrangement is particularly advantageous in that it allows the towel 7 to be passed over the stop roller 35 even when a length of it is bunched together (which may occur after the towel has been cleaned).

Thus, provision of the spring biased flap may help prevent the cabinet 200 from seizing if the towel 7 is caught between the stop roller 35 and the associated portion of the cover 3.

As shown in Figure 9, the clean towel bin 25 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has been modified to provide first and second springs 202,204 on each side of the clean towel bin. The springs 202,204 at least partially support the weight of the clean towel bin 25 and any clean towel stored therein. The springs 202, 204

are connected to an upper edge of each side of the clean towel bin 25 and to the first and second arms 27,29. This arrangement has been found to be particularly desirable since the additional weight of the clean towel bin 25 and any remaining towel 7 contained therein acting on the roll of soiled towel collected in the soiled towel bin 31 is not required once the roll of soiled towel has reached a certain size. The springs 202,204 can be adjusted to vary the degree to which the clean towel bin 25 is supported.

The dispensing roller 33 according to the second embodiment is not concave. Rather, the dispensing roller 33 is right cylindrical in shape and preferably is formed from metal, such as aluminium.

The modified retraction mechanism 5 of the second embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. The loop take-up roller 59 according to the second embodiment is not provided with a clutch but instead is allowed to rotate in both directions. Instead of the clutch, a pawl 206 is provided to allow rotation of the first gear 38 (rotated by the stop roller 35) in only one direction. This arrangement introduces a small amount of play into the gear system of the mechanism 5 and helps to prevent it locking, which may otherwise occur due, for example, to inaccuracies in the moulding of the gears employed.

The stop roller 35 according to the first embodiment of the present invention was provided with a roughened surface over which the towel 7 passes. The roughened surface of the stop roller 35 was typically provided by providing a gritted paper on the roller. In contrast, the stop roller 35 according to the second embodiment has a rubberised surface.

The provision of a rubberised roller advantageously reduces

the wear on the towel 7 and may thereby increase its serviceable lifespan.

The first embodiment of the mechanism 5 included a timer mechanism which delayed the retraction of the soiled towel 7 under the cabinet 1. This timer mechanism comprised the locking arm 67 and the second sucker 73. The timing of the release of the second sucker 73 was determined by the strength of the leaf spring 72 and, if required, a further spring (shown in Figure 3) extending from the top of the locking arm 67. The second embodiment of the mechanism 200 comprises an adjustable arm 208 to which a first end of a spring 210 is attached. A second end of the spring 210 is attached to the top of the locking arm 67. The spring 210 biases the locking arm 67 away from the drive gear 65 to an unlocked position. The adjustable arm 208 is pivotable about a screw member 212 and a second screw member 214, received in an arcuate opening 216 formed in the adjustable arm, is provided to fix the angular orientation of the adjustable arm. By pivoting the adjustable arm 208 the tension on the spring 210 may be varied and, thus, the delay before the locking arm 67 is displaced to its unlocked position may be controlled. In use, the second screw member 214 is tightened to prevent pivoting of the adjustable arm 208. The timer mechanism may vary the time delay from actuation of the locking arm 67 to the release thereof from between 10 seconds to 40 seconds, but it is typically set for a period of between 15 and 25 seconds.

The position of the first sucker 43 relative to the stop member 37-was adjustable in the first embodiment to allow the time period before the stop member 35 was unlocked to be adjusted. The corresponding arrangement in the second embodiment of the present invention is not adjustable in order to simplify construction. It will be appreciated that various modifications to the specific embodiment described herein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.