Apparatus, system and method for dispensing paper from a paper roll

Abstract

A paper roll dispensing apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means for restraining inner windings of the paper roll from unrolling while simultaneously separating an outer winding of said paper roll from its inwardly-adjacent winding, and tension-supplying means for pressing a restraining edge of the outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means against an outside layer of the paper roll, both when the paper roll is substantially full and as the paper roll becomes depleted. Preferably, the paper roll also comprises tack adhesive means for adhering successive windings of the paper roll to one another when the outer winding is not pulled away from its inwardly-adjacent winding and simultaneously enabling the adhesion to be broken without substantial tearing of the paper when the outer winding is pulled away from its inwardly-adjacent winding.

1 . A paper roll dispensing apparatus, comprising: 
 outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means for restraining inner windings of said paper roll from unrolling while simultaneously separating an outer winding of said paper roll from its inwardly-adjacent winding; and    tension-supplying means for pressing a restraining edge of said outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means against an outside layer of said paper roll, both when said paper roll is substantially full and as said paper roll becomes depleted.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said restraining edge is located to press against said outside layer of said paper roll only in regions of said paper roll where successive windings of said paper roll are not adhered to one another.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said restraining edge is located to press against said outside layer of said paper roll in at least one region of said paper roll where successive windings of said paper roll are adhered to one another.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising said paper roll, said paper roll comprising: 
 tack adhesive means for adhering successive windings of said paper roll to one another when said outer winding is not pulled away from its inwardly-adjacent winding and simultaneously enabling said adhesion to be broken without substantial tearing of the paper when said outer winding is pulled away from said inwardly-adjacent winding.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said restraining edge is located to press against said outside layer of said paper roll in at least one region of said paper roll where said successive windings of said paper roll are adhered to one another.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising said paper roll, said paper roll comprising: 
 general adhesive means for adhering successive windings of said paper roll to one another along regions of said paper roll comprising said general adhesive; and    tearable lines bounding said regions of said paper roll comprising said general adhesive means from regions of said paper roll not comprising said general adhesive means; wherein:    when said outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means causes said outer winding of said paper roll to separate from its inwardly-adjacent winding, said regions of said paper roll not comprising said general adhesive means separate by tearing along said tearable lines while said regions of said paper roll comprising said general adhesive means remain adhered to one another.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said restraining edge is located to press against said outside layer of said paper roll only in said regions of said paper roll where said successive windings of said paper roll are not adhered to one another.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an overlap region circumscribing an angle through which said outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means overlaps with a dispensing case of said paper roll dispensing apparatus adjacent a cutting edge of said dispensing case.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 directional rotation restriction means for restricting said paper roll from rotating in a rolling direction through an angle substantially greater than a predetermined angle, while allowing said paper roll to rotate in an unrolling direction without restriction.    
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 directional rotation restriction means for restricting said paper roll from rotating in a rolling direction through an angle substantially greater than the angle circumscribed by said overlap region, while allowing said paper roll to rotate in an unrolling direction without restriction.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the angle circumscribed by said overlap region is greater than approximately ten degrees; and    said angle circumscribed by said overlap region is less than approximately one hundred eighty degrees.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the angle circumscribed by said overlap region is greater than approximately thirty degrees; and    said angle circumscribed by said overlap region is less than approximately sixty degrees.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said angle circumscribed by said overlap region is greater than approximately ten degrees; and    said angle circumscribed by said overlap region is less than approximately one hundred eighty degrees.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1   0 , wherein: 
 said angle circumscribed by said overlap region is greater than approximately thirty degrees; and    said angle circumscribed by said overlap region is less than approximately sixty degrees.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , in combination with writing means for producing written markings, further comprising: 
 said writing means, attached to said paper roll dispensing apparatus.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1:   said tension-supplying means comprising mechanical means for pressing said restraining edge against said outside layer of said paper roll.    
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1:   said outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means comprising said tension-supplying means; and    said tension-supplying means comprising materially-based means for pressing said restraining edge against said outside layer of said paper roll.    
     
     
         18 . A method for dispensing paper from a paper roll using a paper roll dispensing apparatus, comprising the steps of: 
 restraining inner windings of said paper roll from unrolling while simultaneously separating an outer winding of said paper roll from its inwardly-adjacent winding, using outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means therefor; and    pressing a restraining edge of said outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means against an outside layer of said paper roll, both when said paper roll is substantially full and as said paper roll becomes depleted, using tension-supplying means therefor.    
     
     
         19 . The method-of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of: 
 pressing said restraining edge against said outside layer of said paper roll only in regions of said paper roll where successive windings of said paper roll are not adhered to one another.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of: 
 pressing said restraining edge against said outside layer of said paper roll in at least one region of said paper roll where successive windings of said paper roll are adhered to one another.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of: 
 adhering successive windings of said paper roll to one another when said outer winding is not pulled away from its inwardly-adjacent winding and simultaneously enabling said adhesion to be broken without substantial tearing of the paper when said outer winding is pulled away from said inwardly adjacent winding, using a tack adhesive.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of: 
 pressing said restraining edge against said outside layer of said paper roll in at least one region of said paper roll where said successive windings of said paper roll are adhered to one another.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of: 
 adhering successive windings of said paper roll to one another using a general adhesive along regions of said paper roll comprising said general adhesive;    bounding said regions of said paper roll comprising said general adhesive means from regions of said paper roll not comprising said general adhesive means using tearable lines;    separating said regions of said paper roll not comprising said general adhesive means by tearing along said tearable lines while regions of said paper roll comprising said general adhesive remain adhered to one another, when said outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means causes said outer winding of said paper roll to separate from its inwardly-adjacent winding.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step of: 
 pressing said restraining edge against said outside layer of said paper roll only in said regions of said paper roll where said successive windings of said paper roll are not adhered to one another.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of: 
 circumscribing an angle through which said outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means overlaps with a dispensing case of said paper roll dispensing apparatus adjacent a cutting edge of said dispensing case, thereby defining an overlap region.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of: 
 restricting said paper roll from rotating in a rolling direction through an angle substantially greater than a predetermined angle, while allowing said paper roll to rotate in an unrolling direction without restriction, using directional rotation restriction means therefor.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of: 
 restricting said paper roll from rotating in a rolling direction through an angle substantially greater than the angle circumscribed by said overlap region, while allowing said paper roll to rotate in an unrolling direction without restriction, using directional rotation restriction means therefor.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: 
 circumscribing the angle of said overlap region to be greater than approximately ten degrees; and    circumscribing the angle of said overlap region to be less than approximately one hundred eighty degrees.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: 
 circumscribing the angle of said overlap region to be greater than approximately thirty degrees; and    circumscribing the angle of said overlap region to be less than approximately sixty degrees.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the steps of: 
 circumscribing the angle of said overlap region to be greater than approximately ten degrees; and    circumscribing the angle of said overlap region to be less than approximately one hundred eighty degrees.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the steps of: 
 circumscribing the angle of said overlap region to be greater than approximately thirty degrees; and    circumscribing the angle of said overlap region to be less than approximately sixty degrees.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 18 , in combination a method for producing written markings using writing means therefor, further comprising the step of: 
 attaching said writing means to said paper roll dispensing apparatus.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of: 
 pressing said restraining edge against said outside layer of said paper roll, using said tension-supplying means comprising mechanical means therefor.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comprising said outer winding separation and inner winding restraint means of said tension-supplying means; and    pressing said restraining edge against said outside layer of said paper roll, using said tension-supplying means comprising materially-based means therefor.