Machine for dispensing towels and the like

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING CLEAN TOWELS IN EXCHANGE FOR SOILED TOWELS DEPOSITED THEREIN: A CABINET HAVING A SOILED TOWEL RECEIVING OPENING AND A SOILED TOWEL STORAGE COMPARTMENT THEREIN; A CONVEYOR TO CONVEY TOWELS FROM SAID RECEIVING OPENING INTO SAID CABINET; AN ELECTRIC CONVEYOR MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYOR; A FIRST SWITCH FOR ENERGIZING SAID CONVEYOR MOTOR; SWITCH ACTUATING MEANS AT SAID RECEIVING OPENING FOR ACTUATING SAID FIRST SWITCH TO ENERGIZE SAID CONVEYOR MOTOR UPON INSERTION OF A TOWEL THROUGH SAID OPENING; A PAIR OF SWITCH ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING ELEMENTS, SAID ELEMENTS BEING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ALONG SAID CONVEYOR TO BE DEFLECTED BY A TOWEL MOVING ALONG THE CONVEYOR; SWITCH MEANS ACTUATED BY THE LAST-MENTIONED SWITCH ACTUATING MEANS UPON DEFLECTION OF EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS; AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT INCLUDING SAID SWITCH MEANS IN SERIES CONNECTION TO THEREBY CLOSE SAID CIRCUIT WHEN A TOWEL OF SUFFICIENT DIMENSIONS TO HOLD BOTH SAID ELEMENTS DEFLECTED AT THE SAME TIME PASSES ALONG SAID CONVEYOR; A SECOND SWITCH FOR DE-ENERGIZING SAID CONVEYOR MOTOR; AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO EXCESSIVE DEFLECTION OF ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS TO ACTUATE SAID SECOND SWITCH TO DEENERGIZE THE CONVEYOR MOTOR.