This invention relates particularly to a development in the design and construction of holders to aid the dispensing of short lengths of materials from a roll containing a bulk quantity of paper, textile, foil, or film.

Background to the Invention Holders of rolls of materials are commonly available in a number of sizes to hold different widths and diameters of roll. The rolls are normally wound around a hollow central core from a length of material of constant width. The material wound onto the roll may be perforated at regular intervals to provide single sheets, or be pre-formed or folded at regular intervals to create bags or wrappers.

Holders for these rolls normally snugly support the roll about its hollow core, allowing the roll to rotate freely as its content is dispensed by pulling the free end of the outer winding.

The holder is usually fixed horizontally to a wall or other upright surface or to a supporting framework.

With these holders, dispensing material from the roll normally requires the use of both hands. Hand one is required to pull the free end of the material from the roll, whilst hand two is used to stop the roll from continuing to revolve after sufficient material has been withdrawn. Hand one continues to pull the free end until it separates from the main body of the roll along a line of perforations, or by passing the withdrawn length across a cutter.

Summary of the Invention In a first broad independent aspect, the invention provides a holder for dispensing material from a roll with a hollow core, comprising an axle located in use through the hollow core of the roll and around which, the roll of material is rotated to dispense material and a bralce adapted to engage the periphery of the roll, characterised in that the axle is adapted to be sufficiently displaceable relative to said brake and the axle's diameter is sufficiently reduced relative to the hollow core's diameter of the roll so that: in a first mode of operation when a user draws on the material in a first direction, the brake engages the periphery of the roll, the roll tends to pivot about the bralce, the axle is lifted by the roll, and the pivoting motion is prevented when the roll then jams between the axle and the brake, thereby allowing the user to separate a length of material drawn at that moment from the roll ; and in a second mode of operation when the user draws on the material in a second direction, generally at right angles to the first direction, the roll can be sufficiently lifted that it does not sufficiently engage the brake to pivot about the brake but tends to rotate around the axle, whereby the material may be freely drawn from the roll without any jamming of the roll occurring.

One of the advantages of this configuration is that it allows a length of material to be separated from the roll in a one-handed action.

The holder is also particularly advantageous because it allows the user, by simply choosing a given direction, to either draw a length of material or cause the roll to rapidly jam to facilitate the separation of a length of material from the roll. Furthermore, since the axle is adapted to be displaceable relative to the brake, the holder is particularly practical in that it allows rapid replacement of rolls without having to release the axle from what would customarily be, in prior art systems, a fixed axis of rotation.

In a subsidiary aspect, in accordance with the first broad aspect of the invention, the axle is spring loaded to facilitate the lifting of the axle in said second mode of operation.

This optional configuration is advantageous because it allows material to be more freely drawn from the roll than would be the case, should the axle not be spring loaded. It therefore allows material to be freely drawn in the second mode of operation in an improved manner whilst in the first mode of operation achieving the necessary jam position to facilitate the separation of the length of material.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the bralce is mounted in the holder so as to pivot about its central axis.

This configuration is particularly advantageous because it allows the roll to more easily return to its conventional position after operating in the first mode of operation.

In a further subsidiary aspect, a levelling device is provided as part of the axle.

Brief Description of the Figures Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the holder in perspective.

Figure 2 shows in cross-section a view of the loaded holder at rest, with the roll of material (1) at an initial stage of dispensing as the free end of the material is pulled by hand, upwards and away from the roll.

Figure 3 shows in cross-section a view of the loaded holder as the pull of the free end of material is continued and the angle is changed to a forward direction.

Figure 4 shows in cross-section a view of the loaded holder at the final stage of dispensing, where the pull of the free end of the material is continued at a lower angle, immediately before separation of the required length.

Figure 5 shows a perspective exploded view of a further embodiment of a holder in accordance with the invention.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of the holder's axle.

Figure 7 shows an end view of the embodiment of figure 5 with a roll in place and the holder being attached to the wall.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of the holder alongside its roll.

Figure 9 shows a further embodiment of a holder alongside its roll in a perspective view.

Detailed Description of the Figures Referring to figure 1, the holder comprises an integrated skeletal frame comprising two vertical guide post (5) which are extended in length to make side frames. The side frames are spaced apart by, and joined to the ends of, the horizontal brake bar (6) and fixing bar (7). The axle (3) is free-standing.

The frame of the holder is secured to a wall or other vertical surface through fixing holes in the fixing bar (7).

Loading the roll of material onto the integrated frame first requires the axle (3) to be passed into the core (2) so that both ends of the axle project equally at either end of the roll (1).

The hole at each end of the axle (3) passes over the open ends of the guide posts (5), allowing the bottom of the roll of material to drop into contact with the brake bar (6) [figure 2]. The holder is then at rest.

The tops of the guide posts (5) are angled towards the back of the integrated frame sufficiently to prevent the accidental removal of the axle during the process of dispensing, whilst allowing sufficient room for the roll to be loaded or removed.

Material is dispensed from the roll by pulling the free end away from the roll in a continuous outward, and increasingly downward, movement using one hand [figures 2,3.

& 4]. Tension is maintained through an arc as the hand is dropped down. A final sharp diagonal pull causes the dispensed length to separate along the line of perforations nearest the top of the roll.

The initial lift of the free end of the material causes the roll and its core to rise from contact with the brake bar (6), allowing the roll to revolve freely enabling a length of material to be pulled away. [fig 2].

When the angle of pull is dropped to about 10 degrees above horizontal, the tension on the material tips the roll (1) and its core (2) forward from its rest position. This realignment lifts the axle (3) within the core. The roll can then revolve freely allowing the required length to be withdrawn [fig3]. In order to improve the manner in which material is drawn from the roll in this mode of operation, the axle may be spring loaded in order to cause the axle to tend to lift when material is drawn from the roll in this direction.

The axle may also be spring loaded so that when material is drawn as per Figure 4, the roll jams more rapidly than would have been the case without such loading.

As the line of pull lowers further, the tension on the material causes the roll and its core to move further forward and downward so that the bottom of the roll comes into hard contact with the brake bar (6) [fig 4], thus jamming the roll and preventing the release of more material. By increasing the tension and pulling the end of the material diagonally, the

withdrawn length will tear along the line of perforations nearest the top of the roll. After separation, the roll and axle return to the rest position [fig2j.

Holders of the type described are normally fixed to a wall or other vertical surface and are required to be fixed horizontally. The use of a spirit level is therefore normally required to fit them accurately.

Figure 5 shows a further embodiment of a holder in accordance with the invention having a tubular brake bar 6 adapted at both ends to be able to be secure to an essentially U- shaped guide rod 5 by fixing screws 8. At approximately a fourth of the guide rods height (as shown in the figure) the guide rods which are themselves circular in cross section each incorporate a bend of a relatively shallow angle of say 10 degrees in order to prevent the roll inadvertently being vertically removed from the holder when in normal use. The portion above the bend extends to a greater height than the opposite end of the U-shaped guide rod.

A washer 7 is provided to be located when the holder is fixed to a wall (as shown in figure 7) between the appropriate end of the U-shaped guide rod and the wall. The end of the U- shaped guide rod may have an appropriately sized cut out region to accommodate the washer.

The axle 3 incorporates the necessary through holes 4 (see figure 5 and 6) in order to slide-ably engage the U-shaped guide rods. The axle is essentially D-shaped having an upper portion in use which is domed and a flat lower face. At a central location of the axle, a recess 10 is provided which accommodates a levelling vial ; the vial being set inside the recess so that it cannot interfere with the rotation of the roll in use. The vial allows the axle to be placed horizontally the flat face being located against the wall. Using bits 9 which fit snugly into holes 4 and end in a conical centre point, a user may mark with precision by forming a dimple by exerting pressure on the bits where he/she is to drill to be able to fix the screw 12 to the wall.

The holder of figure 5 incorporates no joining member between the first and second guide rods other than the brake bar 6 and the axle 3.

Figure 8 shows a holder with a wall mountable portion 7 incorporating two fixing holes and an axle receiving cylindrical member 11. Axle 3 is U-shaped, one portion of the U being retained within member 11 whilst its opposite end portion is destined to receive roll 1. Axle 3 is mounted to member 11 so as to pivot with respect to member 11. The wall mountable portion 7 is L shaped when viewed in cross-section. The outer extremity 6 of the wall mountable portion functions as the brake in the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The dimensions of end portion 6 and its location relative to axle 3 are such that should roll 1 be loaded onto axle 3 and displaced in a direction such as that shown on Figure 4, the roll would jam between the axle 3 and the end portion 6.

Similarly to the holder described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, the holder also operates in a mode when the user draws the material in a direction where no jamming occurs between axle 3 and end portion 6 so as to allow the user to draw as much material from the roll as is required.

Figure 9 illustrates a further holder destined to operate with an axle 3. The axle's diameter, as can be seen from the Figure, is an example of how the axle of the invention may be sufficiently reduced relative to the hollow core's diameter of the roll. The diameter of the axle is in this embodiment less than a fourth of the diameter of the hollow core. Other diameter ratios are envisaged and will be selected by the person skilled in the art as appropriate. The holder incorporates a wall mountable portion 8 with two through fixing holes. The holder incorporates two side walls extending from portion 8 each comprising a recessed line or trough 9 into which axle 3 may be slotted and retained.

Once the roll and its axle are held by the holder, the holder may operate in a first and a second mode of the kind described with reference to the preceding figures.

Brake 6 of the holder of Figure 9 may be mounted between the side walls of the holder so as to be free to displace or pivot about its axis in order to allow the roll to be more easily released when in its jammed position.