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Few months ago, a toilet paper dispenser was installed at my work place. It looks nice, and usually functioning well, here is how it looks like normally:

dispenser when it's working fine

As you can see, there is a big toilet paper roll inside the dispenser, and one can just pull the paper out of a small hole in the middle.

However, sometimes when taking the paper out, it gets stuck right in the exit, and it's impossible to pull it out in such situation:

Toilet paper stuck in dispenser

I can see there is paper, it's just stuck there inside the dispenser.

I also can't open the dispenser itself since it's locked:

dispenser is locked

The workplace does have a janitor who fix this when seeing it or when someone tells him, but this can take a while, and he's not always around, so it's better if I'll have alternative.

Is there any way to reach the paper?

Shadow Wizard Love Zelda
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  • Remove the cover, as the toilet paper assistant would to install a new roll? – Weather Vane Jun 22 '20 at 13:59
  • @WeatherVane thanks, but the cover is locked. – Shadow Wizard Love Zelda Jun 22 '20 at 15:12
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    I have not seen this style before, does the toilet paper feed from the center where your red circle is? If so it seems like a really bad design. – James Jenkins Jun 22 '20 at 17:29
  • Get a pair of thin-nosed pliers and try to tease the paper out gently. – Weather Vane Jun 22 '20 at 18:09
  • @stan I am pretty sure now it is circled to show where the paper comes out, so I deleted my answer. I now remember having seen this ridiculous design, which I suppose is intended to prevent the roll being stolen. The hack answer is to inform the servicing / janitorial department. – Weather Vane Jun 23 '20 at 09:09
  • @WeatherVane informing the janitor will "solve" it, sure, but 1) Not a hack, and 2) Won't help in the immediate need. (Will have to find alternative for the paper.) – Shadow Wizard Love Zelda Jun 23 '20 at 10:07
  • But "finding an alternative to paper" isn't the question, which is "how to unblock the dispenser." It is unlikely that you have a pointed tool such as a bradawl in your pocket, which is one thing you could try to hook out the paper. If this is a frequent occurrence, instead of carrying such a tool, I suggest bring your own paper which is perhaps more of a hack solution to the unasked question. – Weather Vane Jun 23 '20 at 11:30
  • @WeatherVane sure, and I do bring my own, but still would like to know about alternatives, e.g. if I forget to bring paper. "There's no way to do what you ask" is also a valid answer. :) – Shadow Wizard Love Zelda Jun 23 '20 at 11:50
  • Such equipment is often supplied under contract, so one thing you can do is get up a petition to hand to the school bursar (?) saying the equipment is not fit for purpose. – Weather Vane Jun 23 '20 at 11:52
  • @WeatherVane workplace, not school... but yeah, can do that. – Shadow Wizard Love Zelda Jun 23 '20 at 11:55
  • @Stan thanks, please see the edit I've just made. This isn't a big deal, I wasn't stuck without paper yet, and there are four dispensers in the floor, but each of them get "stuck" like that once in a while. – Shadow Wizard Love Zelda Jun 23 '20 at 15:28
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    +1 for a clear well-defined question with some research effort. Nice revision. – Stan Jun 23 '20 at 15:44

2 Answers2

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Hack: You could make a key to fit the lock in the centre on the dispenser.
Any flat scrap of stiff material should work.
While you are sitting there, you could use a small file to make one if you have the materials handy. Alternately, bending stiff wire to make the '+' shape could also work with some practice, too.

A Universal Paper Dispenser key looks like this: It is 1cm wide.
Universal Paper Dispenser key

Good Luck!

Stan
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  • It's not a lock, it's just a hole through which the paper should come out. The lock is on top of the dispenser, I'll take some more pictures and edit the question to make it more clear. Thanks, and sorry for being unclear. – Shadow Wizard Love Zelda Jun 23 '20 at 06:30
  • Either way, this is a good option for opening it if needed. If you watch Lock-Picking Lawyer videos, you soon realize that locks like these aren't designed for security, just to slow down vandals :) – Luke Sawczak Jun 27 '20 at 14:00
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Hack: If the tissue is packed tightly enough, try twisting a cork-screw into the centre of the packed opening. Then, after it has become seated, pull gently.

enter image description here

With a bit of luck, you can pull enough of the paper to grip to finish pulling the next sheet from the dispenser.

Good Luck

Stan
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