An automatic paper dispensing apparatus for dispensing one of toilet paper and paper towels includes a protective cover hingably attached to the housing, in which the housing of the paper towel dispensing version of said apparatus further includes a pair of parallel end shields disposed in a lower part of said housing, each of the parallel end shields being perpendicular to a rear plane of said housing and spaced to allow positioning of a rotatably supported support drum and a pressure roller used to ensure feeding of a strip of paper from a take-off reel disposed in an upper part of the housing. Each of the end shields include elastically deformable tongues having recesses to accommodate the pressure roller and to position opposing ends of the support drum. The housing of the toilet paper dispensing version includes a front end shield and a rear wall, each of the front end shield and a rear wall of the housing being spaced to allow positioning of the support drum and the pressure roller therebetween. Each of the front end shield and rear wall include plastically deformable tongues having recesses to accommodate the pressure roller and scallopings to position opposing ends of the support drum and wherein the protective cover includes horizontal tabs capable of engaging the tongues of the end shields of either said housing.