US3844500A

US3844500A - Support for roll of paper and other articles

Info

Publication number: US3844500A
Application number: US00356613A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Krause
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-05-02
Filing date: 1973-05-02
Publication date: 1974-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-29

Abstract

A shelf having front and rear ends is adapted to rest on a horizontal bar spaced from a wall to which it is attached. A vertical stabilizing member extends downwardly from the rear end of the shelf between the bar and wall and has an adjusting screw projecting from the back of its lower portion into engagement with the wall to hold the shelf horizontal. The shelf may support a portable carrier base that has a vertical post extending upwardly for receiving a roll of paper. In such case the shelf is provided with means for preventing lateral movement of the carrier base thereon.

Description

111111001 Mates Patent 1191 1111 3,844,500

Krause Oct. 29, 1974 SUPPORT FOR ROLL OF PAPER AND OTHER ARTICLES Primary ExaminerGeorge F. Mautz [76] Inventor: Richard P. Krause, 1503 Highland g fg Murray Flick Ave., New Castle, Pa. 16101 ec am [22] Filed: May 2, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 356,613 A shelf having front and rear ends is adapted to rest on a horizontal bar spaced from a wall to which it is attached. A vertical stabilizing member extends downi i l ig 'i wardly from the rear end of the shelf between the bar [58] Fieid 55 42 55 2 and wall and has an adjusting screw projecting from 242/55 3 21 5 1 the back of its lower portion into engagement with the wall to hold the shelf horizontal. The shelf may sup- 56] References Cited port a portable carrier base that has a vertical post extending upwardly for receiving a roll of paper. In such UNITED STATES PATENTS case the shelf is provided with means for preventing 1,224,106 4/1917 Golod 242/5554 lateral movement of the carrier base thereon. 2,562,923 8/1951 Ko ivoski 3,076,556 2/1963 White 211 1051 4 Clalms, 3 Drawing Figures 1 1 l l 1 1 I 1 '-fir v /5 E 11 /4 */0 ,E-H I SUPPORT FOR ROLL OF PAPER AND OTHER ARTICLES Most bathrooms are provided with towel bars that are rigidly supported at their opposite ends by side walls of the rooms. The same thing is often true of kitchens. These towel bars are intended for hanging towels made of cloth, but it would be desirable in many cases to also have paper towels available. Paper towels ordinarily are dispensed from boxes or from rolls. It has been customary heretofore to use special wall brackets for supporting paper towel rolls; otherwise, they have to be placed on anything that is handy, which detracts fromthe appearance of the bathroom. The same thing applies to rolls of facial tissue.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a holder for a roll of paper, which can be quickly and easily hung from a wall without attaching it to the wall, which can be located in any desired position along the usual towel bar, which includes a carrier by which a roll of papercan be carried to another location temporarily, and in which part of the holder fonns a shelf that can support other articles when the roll carrier is not resting on it.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. I is a front view;

FIG. 2is a plan view; and

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the roll carrier lifted from the shelf.

Referring to the drawings, a conventional towel rack is shown attached to a wall I of a bathroom or kitchen. This rack is formed from a horizontal towel bar 2 of any desired cross sectional shape supported at its ends by brackets 3 secured to the wall and spacing the bar from the wall in the customary manner. Supported by the towel bar is a flat shelf 4 that extends several inches in front of the bar. The front part of the shelf may be curved in a horizontal plane if desired, as shown in FIG. 2.'To hold the shelf on the bar, a vertical stabilizing member 5 is rigidly secured at its upper end to the bottom of the shelf adjacent its rear end. This member may be a plastic, hard rubber, metal or wooden block, or it can be made of any other suitable material. It extends downwardly between the towel bar and the wall of the room and its lower end is provided with a threaded opening 6 extending through it from front to back. Screwed into this opening is an adjusting screw 7, the rear end of which projects from the back of the stabilizing member and engages the surface of the wall. The front end of the screw is provided with a head so that it can be turned. By adjusting the screw, the stabilizing member can be adjusted into vertical position with its upper portion engaging the back of the towel bar to hold the shelf horizontal. The weight of the portion of the cantilevered shelf in front of the bar is great enough to prevent the weight of the stabilizing member and adjusting screw from swinging the front end of the shelf upwardly. Such a shelf can be used as additional small shelf space for supporting many different articles; such, for example, as rings or a wrist watch while a person is washing his hands.

The shelf is especially suitable for supporting the base 8 of a carrier for a roll of paper 9. This base is provided in its center with a vertical opening 10 (FIG. 1),

in which the lower end of a post 11 is rigidly mounted.

The base preferably is circular as shown in FIG. 2. The

shelf is provided with upwardly projecting retaining means for preventing the roll carrier from moving laterally on the shelf. This retaining means may, for example, consist of a locating pin 12 rigidly mounted in the top of the shelf and projecting a short distance above it into a vertical hole 13 in the bottom of the base member, such as in the lower end of the post. The post is tall enough to extend up through the roll of paper encircling it. Preferably, a washer 14 on the carrier base encircles the post and has an upwardly projecting flange 15 that helps to center the roll on the post. The post extends far enough above the roll of paper to form a handle that can be gripped in the hand for lifting the carrier and roll from the shelf as shown in FIG. 3 so that, if desired, they can be carried to another location and set down there temporarily.

Ordinarily, the shelf will be only wide enough to support a single paper roll carrier, leaving the rest of the towel bar exposed so that cloth towels can be hung on it. If desired, however, theshelf can be made wider and even wide enough to support two or more paper roll carriers side by side.

The holder described herein is simple and inexpensive in construction, and can be quickly mounted in place-by anyone without the use of tools. It is not attached to the wall, so it can be removed readily without leaving any evidence of its having been there. It provides a definite place for a roll of paper towels or facial tissue, and yet the roll can be removed from the shelf for use elsewhere whenever desired, orto leave the shelf free for the reception of other articles.

I Instead of supporting shelf 4 on a towel bar as explained herein, it can likewise be supported in the same manner on the roller or bar of a toilet paper holder, provided the holder is the type in which the bar is held by its ends out away from a wall so that stabilizing member 5 can be inserted down between the bar and wall. When the shelf is supported in such a manner, a roll of toilet paper can be slipped over post 11 so that the roll will rest on the carrier base 8. The latter will be placed on the shelf but can be lifted from it by grasping the projecting upper end of the post.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

l claim:

1. An article support comprising a shelf having front and rear ends and adapted to rest on a horizontal bar spaced from a wall to which its ends are attached, a vertical stabilizing member extending downwardly from the rear end of the shelf for insertion between such a bar and wall, an adjusting screw extending rearwardly through said stabilizing member and projecting from its back for engagement with the wall to hold the shelf horizontal, retaining means projecting upwardly from the top of the shelf, a portable carrier base resting on the shelf and nonnally engaged by said retaining means to prevent lateral movement of said base on the shelf, and a vertical post extending upwardly from said base, the carrier base being adapted to support a roll of paper encircling said post.

2. A holder according toclaim I, in which said post is designed to extend far enough above an encircling 3 4 roll of paper to form a handle for lifting said carrier 4. A holder according to claim 3, in which said post base and from the Shelf- I extends far enough above an encircling roll of paper to 3. A holder according to claim 1, in which said retaining means is a pin, and said carrier base is provided with an upwardly extending opening normally receiving 5 the Shelf, and 531d bar a towel the pin.

form a handle for lifting said carrier base and roll from

Claims

1. An article support comprising a shelf having front and rear ends and adapted to rest on a horizontal bar spaced from a wall to which its ends are attached, a vertical stabilizing member extending downwardly from the rear end of the shelf for insertion between such a bar and wall, an adjusting screw extending rearwardly through said stabilizing member and projecting from its back for engagement with the wall to hold the shelf horizontal, retaining means projecting upwardly from the top of the shelf, a portable carrier base resting on the shelf and normally engaged by said retaining means to prevent lateral movement of said base on the shelf, and a vertical post extending upwardly from said base, the carrier base being adapted to support a roll of paper encircling said post.

2. A holder according to claim 1, in which said post is designed to extend far enough above an encircling roll of paper to form a handle for lifting said carrier base anD roll from the shelf.

3. A holder according to claim 1, in which said retaining means is a pin, and said carrier base is provided with an upwardly extending opening normally receiving the pin.

4. A holder according to claim 3, in which said post extends far enough above an encircling roll of paper to form a handle for lifting said carrier base and roll from the shelf, and said bar is a towel bar.