The argument over whether toilet paper should be rolled over or under now has a new point of reference.
Owen Williams, a tech writer for The Next Web, tweeted a photo on Monday of the original patent for toilet paper by S. Wheeler filed Dec. 22, 1891.
http://twitter.com/ow/status/577665896241504256
The diagram shows the paper going over the roll. The patent doesn't explicitly indicate that there is a specific way to place the roll on the holder:
"In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of my roll of paper having arched and serrated incisions with a sheet hanging therefrom. Fig. 2 represents a detached sheet of paper." (Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/patents/US465588" target="_blank">Google Patents</a>)
It is not clear if this will settle the debate once and for all.