# US 10,864,696 B2 · Dunnage system and method using a coil accumulator

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- Number: US 10,864,696 B2
- Document ID: US10864696B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/768,163
- Filed: 2016-10-24
- Published: 2018-10-25
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-23
- Assignees: Ranpak Corp.
- Applicants: Ranpak Corp.
- Inventors: Nico Lammers; Erwin Methorst; Reinhard L. M. H. Rothkranz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864696B2

## CPC

- B31D 5/006: {including controlled deformation of flat material, e.g. pleating, corrugating or embossing (including crumpling flat material B31D5/0043)}
- B31D 5/0047: {involving toothed wheels}
- B65H 19/2292: {Removing cores or mandrels from web roll after winding}
- B65H 19/29: Securing the trailing end of the wound web to the web roll (cores, formers, supports or holders, e.g. reels, with arrangements for securing ends of material B65H75/28)
- B65H 54/585: {Reels for rolling tape-like material, e.g. flat hose or strap, into flat spiral form; Means for retaining the roll after removal of the reel}
- B31D 2205/0023: as web from a roll
- B31D 2205/0035: as fan folded web
- B31D 2205/0064: Stabilizing the shape of the final product, e.g. by mechanical interlocking
- B31D 2205/007: Delivering
- B65H 2301/41447: discharging roll by, e.g. rolling it down a slope
- B65H 2301/418523: by movement of the wound web roll
- B65H 2405/421: and serving also as package
- B65H 2801/63: Dunnage conversion
- B31D: MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN SUBCLASSES B31B OR B31C (manufacture by dry processes of articles made from particles or fibres consisting of wood or other lignocellulosic or like organic material B27N; making layered products not composed wholly of paper or cardboard B32B; making articles from cellulosic fibrous suspensions, e.g. wood pulp, D21J)
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

A dunnage production system for producing coiled strips of dunnage includes a supply of strip-like dunnage, a coiler adjacent the supply and rotatable about a coiling axis for coiling a strip of the strip-like dunnage into a coil having a coiled configuration, and a tube aligned with the coiling axis. The tube has an internal diameter sized to receive the coil from the coiler in a discharge direction parallel to the coiling axis. The tube is capable of holding at least one coil in its coiled configuration until it is removed from the tube.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for producing a coiled strip of dunnage, comprising:
a supply of strip-like dunnage;
a coiler adjacent the supply, the coiler including a coiling mechanism configured to engage the strip of dunnage, and the coiling mechanism is rotatable about a coiling axis for coiling a strip of dunnage from the supply into a coiled configuration; and
a tube aligned with the coiling axis having an internal diameter sized to receive coils from the coiler in a discharge direction parallel to the coiling axis, the tube having a length dimension parallel to the coiling axis that is greater than a length of the coiling mechanism parallel to the coiling axis, whereby the tube is capable of receiving and holding at least one coiled strip of dunnage in the coiled configuration.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein an end of the tube at least partially surrounds the coiler to restrict access to the coiler.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a tube slide for moving the tube away from the coiler to improve access to the coiler, where the end of the tube is moveable between an operating position adjacent the coiler to a service position removed from the operating position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A system as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a coiler lock preventing displacement of the coiler when the tube is not in the operating position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

A system as set forth in claim 3, further comprising at least one sensor detecting when the tube has moved away from the operating position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a pusher moveable between a coiling position and a displaced position removed from the coiling position to axially displace the coiled strip of dunnage from the coiler into the tube.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A system as set forth in claim 6, further comprising a pusher actuator connected to the pusher to move the pusher from the coiling position to the displaced position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A system as set forth in claim 7, further comprising at least one sensor that detects when a strip of dunnage has been coiled, wherein the pusher is actuated when a strip of dunnage has been coiled.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the pusher is moveable along an axis axially aligned with the coiling axis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the pusher is moveable through at least a portion of the tube.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

A system as set forth in claim 6, further comprising a pusher slide located externally to the tube, wherein the pusher moves along the pusher slide between the coiling position and the displaced position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor for detecting when the coiled strip of dunnage has been axially displaced into the tube.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor includes a sensor for detecting when a predetermined number of coiled strips of dunnage are being held in the tube.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor for detecting when a coiled strip of dunnage is removed from the tube.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A system as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a coiler controller in communication with the at least one sensor to activate the coiler when the sensor indicates that the tube has capacity to receive a coiled strip of dunnage.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a converter operable to convert a sheet stock material into the supply of strip-like dunnage, the converter having an outlet for dispensing a strip of the strip-like dunnage in a downstream direction towards the coiler.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A system as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a converter controller in communication with at least one sensor to activate the converter when the sensor indicates the tube has capacity to receive a coiled strip of dunnage.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the sheet stock material is paper.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tube includes a coil tray adjacent the tube in the discharge direction for further holding and conveying of the coiled strip of dunnage from the tube.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the coil tray is an axially extending portion of the tube remote from the coiler.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tube has a cylindrical wall defining the diameter of the tube.

### Claim 22

A method of producing coiled dunnage, comprising the following steps:
coiling a strip of dunnage about a coiling axis; and
axially displacing the coiled strip of dunnage into a tube to hold the coiled strip of dunnage in a coiled configuration.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising detecting when the coiled strip of dunnage has been axially displaced.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising detecting when a coiled strip of dunnage is removed from the tube.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising coiling a strip of dunnage in response to a signal indicating that a coiled strip of dunnage has been removed from the tube.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising detecting when a predetermined number of coiled strips of dunnage are being held in the tube.

### Claim 27 (depends on 22)

The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising controlling a converter operable to convert a sheet stock material into the strip-like dunnage in response to a signal indicating that the tube has capacity to receive a coiled strip of dunnage.

### Claim 28 (depends on 22)

The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising controlling the coiling of the strip of dunnage in response to a signal indicating that the tube has capacity to receive a coiled strip of dunnage.