Self-securing roll holder and method

Abstract

A self-securing roll holder for easily exchanging rolls of sheet material. The holder comprises a mounting bracket, a mounting stanchion, a support, and a cap. The cap is pivotally connected to the support with a resilient retaining assembly. The cap has dimensions that allow the cap to act as a retainer in one position and, when moved to a second position, allow rolls of sheet material to be mounted and dismounted from the support. The retaining assembly further comprises a piston, a piston guide, a spring, and a pivot pin all of which are located inside the support. The cap is pivotally connected to the retaining assembly thereby maintaining forcible contact with the support and retaining rolls of sheet material on the support in one position until moved to a second position to exchange rolls.

1 . A self-securing holder attached to a wall for retaining and releasing a paper roll comprising:
 a support configured to be attached to and extending from the wall;   a piston guide attached to the support;   a piston slidably engaged with the piston guide;   a cap pivotally connected to the piston; and,   a biasing member, providing a bias between the piston guide and the piston, biasing the piston away from the cap.   
     
     
         2 . The self-securing holder of  claim 1 , wherein the piston has a cross sectional shape which is one of the group consisting of round, square, hexagon, rectangle and oval. 
     
     
         3 . The self-securing holder of  claim 1  further comprising;
 a slot in the support engaged with a facing support extending from the cap when the cap is pivoted with respect to the support. 
 
     
     
         4 . The self-securing holder of  claim 1  holder of  claim 1  wherein the paper roll has a diameter and wherein the cap further comprises:
 a first dimension greater than the diameter; and, a second dimension less than the diameter. 
 
     
     
         5 . The self-securing holder of  claim 1 , wherein the cap rotates through an angle α between a first position and a second position, wherein the angle α is between about 80° and about 100°. 
     
     
         6 . The self-securing holder of  claim 1  wherein the cap may be moved between a first position retaining the paper roll and a second position releasing the paper roll. The self-securing holder of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a damper connected to the piston guide and the piston. 
 
     
     
         8 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is one of the group consisting of a helical spring, a compression spring, a tension spring, a resilient annular ring and a magnet. 
     
     
         9 . A method of exchanging a first paper roll retained on a support with a second paper roll, the support configured to be mounted to a wall, a piston guide attached to the support and slidably engaged with a piston, a cap pivotally connected to the piston and adjacent the support, and a biasing member providing a bias on the piston relative to the support, comprising:
 extending the cap from the support against the bias;   rotating the cap in a first direction relative to the support;   removing the first paper roll from the support;   supporting the second paper roll on the support;   rotating the cap in a second direction relative to the support; and,   releasing the cap such that the bias positions the cap adjacent the support.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 engaging a slot in the support with the cap. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further where a damper is connected to the piston and the support, wherein the step of releasing the cap further comprises:
 damping the bias with the damper.