Primo Brevetto (25 luglio 1871)

Il 25 luglio 1871 Seth Wheeler brevetta la carta da imballaggio arrotolata e perforata.

Prima versione (19 aprile 1887)

L'epoca della carta igienica moderna aveva appena preso avvio verso la fine del XIX secolo, il brevetto di Seth Wheeler datato 19 aprile 1887, rappresenta una delle prime versioni del rotolo di carta igienica. Nella descrizione del brevetto si specifica: "Questo miglioramento riguarda un nuovo prodotto, costituito da un rotolo di carta per imballaggio o igienica con estremità parallele, composto da fogli di forma poligonale o curva, ciascuno dei quali ha lati caratterizzati da bordi a linee spezzate o curve."

Di seguito viene riportato integralmente il testo con cui è stato brevettato il primo rotolo di carta igienica.

Wheeler - 15 Settembre 1891

S WHEELER -WRAPPING OB. TOILET PAPER ROLL.

Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

NVENTOR,

` W! T NE 555 NITE- STATES ATENT' O FICE;

SETH YVHEELER, OF ALBANY, NEYV YORK.

WRAPPING OR `TOILET PAPER ROLL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459516, dated September 15, 1891,

Application filed June 10. 1891. Serial No: 395.758. (No model.) I

To all whom it may cancer-n.-

Be it known that I, SETH WHEELER, of the city and county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVrapping or Toilet Paper Rolls; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ot' this specification.

My invention consists of a roll of paper for wrapping or toilet use so constructed that the points of attachment and severance between the sheets will be alternately out of parallel lines running through the whole body of the sheets, so that a pull upon the free end of the web will not be transmitted in a direct line through a series of sheets,but will be di- Verted by the spaces opposite the connecting points of the sheet pulled upon, thereby producing a transverse strain upon the next line of connecting points sufficient to break them. In carrying out my invention the sheets of paper are only partially separated, having their points of attachment arranged in a novel n'anner, whereby each sheet will easily separate'from the series as it is drawn from the roll, there being no litter occasioned, and any waste of paper is thereby prevented.

Since the advent of rolls of paper for the above-named uses many devices designed to prevent waste have been patented; but all effort in this direction has been apart from the roll of paper-namely, in the construction of holders for the rolls provided with means to prevent free unwinding of the roll and cause the sheets to separate singly at their conneeting points. All these devices have been more or less complicated, liable to derangement, and expensive to both manufacturer and Consumer, and consequently are lit- 'tle used now.

My improved roll may be used on the simplest holders.

Heretofore in the manufacture of rolls of paper the web of which is divided by lines of weakness into sheets it has been the practice to arrange the connecting points or bonds in parallel lines, or nearly so. Consequently, however slight the connection might be, it is evident, it the free end of the sheet be grasped at a point in line with the preceding connecting points, a long series of sheets may be drawn from the roli unless the free movement of the roll is prevented by friction or other means.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View of my improved roll suspendedon the si'm plest form of fixture with a sheet of paper hanging therefron, the points of attachment and severance being very near the margin of the sheets. Figs. 2 and 3 show my improved roll, the points of attachment and severance being nearer the line of center of the sheets than shown in Fig. l. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of my improved roll, showing two points of attachment and severance which alternate with one point of attachment and severance in the same sheet. Fig. 6 is a View of nyimproved roll as applied to a different 'or oblique form of sheet.,

a is myinproved roll, being com posed of a series of partially-connected sheets, and in Fig. 1 is applied to the sinplest form of fixture.

b is the fiXture, the arms of which pass through the core c of the roll.

d represents a sheet of paper ready to be detached from the roll.

In Fig. 1, e and e' represent the points of attachment and severance between two sheets and which alternate through the whole' roll of sheets. By so arranging these points near the margin they may be of considerable width and still part under slight strain. If the points of attachment and severance are arranged as at f and f' in Fig. 2, they should be narrower to avoid any probability of tearing into the body of the sheets when separating them. The points e and e', Fig. 1, alsofand f', Fig. 2, are so arranged that one will be on one side and the other on the other side of the central longitudinal line of the roll. I prefer to so arrange the points of attachment and severance, although they may be arranged in many other different positions with respect to each other, as shown at g and g', Fig. 3, where they are both on one side of the central longitudinal line of the roll, also as seen at 71, 77, and 77,', Fig. 4, where it is shown that two points of attachment and severance may alternate with one, and it is clear that more than two points may be arranged so as to alternately sever without departing fro n the spirit of my invention. These points are partly' on both sides and also upon the central longitudinal line of the roll.

In Fig. the points of attach ment and severance z 'L are shown on the margin of the sheets, where in Fig. 4 the points of attachment and severance h hare midway between the central longitudinal line of the roll and the margin of the sheet. Different forms of sheets may be wound in roll form, as shown in Fig. 6, having these alternating points of attachment and severance.

The princple of this invention, as shown appled in Figs. l and 5, is to so arrange the ponts of attachment and severance that those upon one edge of a sheet will be out of line with the points of severance uniting its opposte edge with the next sheet. By this method it will be seen that a pull upon the free end of the web will not be transmitted in a direct line through a series of sheets, but will be diverted by the spaces opposite the points of attachment and severance of the sheet pulled upon,producing a transverse strain upon the next line of connecting points sufficient to break them.

I claim- 1. A roll of paper for wrapping or toilet use so constructed that the points of attachment and severance between the sheets will be alternately out ofparallel lines running through the whole body of the sheets, so that a pull upon the free end of the web will not be transmitted in a direct line through a series of sheets, but will be diverted by spaces opposite the connected points of the sheets, thereby producing a transverse strain upon the connected points sufficient to break them, substantially as described.

2. A roll of paper for wrappin g or toilet use so constructed that the points of attachment and severance between the sheets will be alternately out of parallel lines running through the whole body of the sheets, such points of attachment and severance being upon both sides of the central longitudinal line of the web or series of sheets, so that a pull upon the free end of the web will not be transmitted in a direct line through a series of sheets, but will be diverted by the spaces opposite the connecting points of the sheet pulled upon, thereby producing a transverse strain upon the next line of connecting points sut? ficient to break them, substantially as described.

SETH YV HEELER.

witnesses: g

E. WVHEELER, WM. A. WHEELER.