Metering mechanism for paper towel dispenser cabinets

Claim 1

A paper towel dispenser cabinet including an operating mechanism for dispensing paper towel stored in the cabinet and a metering mechanism for enabling a metered length of paper towel to be dispensed upon each actuation of the operating mechanism, said metering mechanism comprising, in combination: (1) a metering gear in meshing engagement with the operating mechanism and including (a) a cam portion integral with and extending axially from a first side surface of the metering gear, the cam portion defining a radial cam surface which extends continuously around the axis of the metering gear in a first angular direction from a larger radius end to a smaller radius end and defining an abutment wall adjacent to the larger radius end of the cam surface; and (b) a resilient finger integral with the metering gear and biased outwardly of the plane of the first side of the metering gear, the resilient finger including an outer edge substantially aligned with the larger radius end of the cam surface adjacent to the abutment wall; (2) release means adjacent to the first side surface of the metering gear and movable relative to the metering gear between (a) a stopped position in which the release means presses the resilient finger toward the plane of the first side surface of the metering gear and abuts the abutment wall to stop rotation of the metering gear in a second angular direction opposite to the first direction; and (b) a dispensing position in which the resilient finger is in its outwardly biased position and the release means is in engagement with the outer edge of the resilient finger to hold the release means in position to follow the cam surface; (3) means operable by a user for moving the release means to its dispensing position; and (4) biasing means for urging the release means toward the axis of the metering gear to cause the release means to follow the cam surface to the stopped position of the release means as the metering gear is rotated in the second angular direction, wherein the release means presses the resilient finger toward the plane of the first side surface of the metering gear as the release means follows the cam surface to the stopped position.