# US 11,027,511 B2 · Sheet stock material configuration and apparatus, systems and methods for feeding sheet stock material to a dunnage system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,511 B2 - Document ID: US11027511B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/086,976 - Filed: 2017-03-20 - Published: 2019-04-04 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-21 - Assignees: Nuevopak Technology Company Limited - Applicants: Nuevopak Technology Company Limited - Inventors: Simon C. S. Chan; Wen Yong Jiang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027511B2 ## CPC - B31D 5/0047: {involving toothed wheels} - B65H 20/16: by web-gripping means, e.g. grippers, clips - B31D 2205/0035: as fan folded web - B31D 2205/0047: Feeding, guiding or shaping the material - B31D 2205/0064: Stabilizing the shape of the final product, e.g. by mechanical interlocking - B31D 2205/0076: involving particular machinery details - B31D 2205/0082: General layout of the machinery or relative arrangement of its subunits - B65H 2701/11231: Fan-folded material or zig-zag or leporello - 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 Methods and structures are provided for a dunnage system to facilitate efficient coupling together of supply units of pre-configured sheet stock material, such as, for example, separate units of fanfold stacks of pre-configured sheet stock material, in a manner of continuous supply with a continuous pocket extending longitudinally between the separate supply units, so that they can interact with an expander of the dunnage system without disruption as one supply unit is depleted and a next supply unit is fed through the dunnage system. Also, various methods, apparatus, and systems are provided to facilitate smooth operation of a dunnage machine of the dunnage system to reduce a tendency of the pre-configured sheet stock material to jam and to increase the tendency of dunnage product generated to reflect a desired shape and stability. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A supply unit of pre-configured sheet stock material for a dunnage machine comprising: at least one middle longitudinal section; a first laterally folded longitudinal section; and a second laterally folded longitudinal section, wherein a beginning section or finishing section of the supply unit comprises the first and second laterally folded longitudinal sections extending longitudinally further than the at least one middle longitudinal section or the at least one middle longitudinal section extending longitudinally further than the first and second laterally folded longitudinal sections, and wherein both the first laterally folded longitudinal section and the second laterally folded longitudinal section each include a folded leading edge portion folded in a longitudinal direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The supply unit of claim 1 wherein the supply unit is a fanfold stack of sheet stock material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The supply unit of claim 1 wherein the at least one middle longitudinal section includes a cut extending widthwise along a leading edge or trailing edge thereof, truncating the middle longitudinal section relative to the first and second laterally folded longitudinal sections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The supply unit of claim 1 wherein the folded leading edge portions of the longitudinal sections each form a portion of a triangular shaped larger folded portion that includes a portion of the at least one middle longitudinal section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The supply unit of claim 1 wherein the first and second laterally folded longitudinal sections extend longitudinally further than the at least one middle longitudinal section at a first end portion of the supply unit and the at least one middle longitudinal section extending longitudinally further than the first and second laterally folded longitudinal section at a second end portion of the supply unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The supply unit of claim 1 wherein the beginning section includes a tapered leading edge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The supply unit of claim 1 further comprising adhesive disposed on at least one of the beginning section and finishing section. ### Claim 8 A supply unit of pre-configured sheet stock material for a dunnage machine comprising: an end fold section including: a trailing fold edge; a middle longitudinal section having a first leading edge spaced apart from the trailing fold edge by a first dimension in a longitudinal direction; a first laterally folded longitudinal section integral with the middle longitudinal section, the first laterally folded longitudinal section having a second leading edge, the first laterally folded longitudinal section overlaps the middle longitudinal section in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, the second leading edge spaced apart from the trailing fold edge by a second dimension in the longitudinal direction, the second dimension being different from the first dimension; and a second laterally folded longitudinal section integral the middle longitudinal section, the second laterally folded section having a third leading edge, the second laterally folded longitudinal section overlaps the middle longitudinal section in the lateral direction, the third leading edge spaced apart from the trailing fold edge by a third dimension in the longitudinal direction, the third dimension being different from the first dimension. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The supply unit of claim 8 wherein the first dimension is greater than the second dimension. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The supply unit of claim 8 wherein the second dimension is greater than the first dimension. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The supply unit of claim 8 wherein the third dimension is equal to the second dimension. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The supply unit of claim 11 wherein the second dimension and the third dimension are greater than the first dimension. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The supply unit of claim 12 wherein: the first laterally folded longitudinal section having a first folded leading edge portion folded in the longitudinal direction; and the second laterally folded longitudinal section having a second folded leading edge portion folded in the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The supply unit of claim 11 wherein the second dimension and the third dimension are less than the first dimension. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The supply unit of claim 14 wherein: the first laterally folded longitudinal section having a first folded leading edge portion folded in a longitudinal direction; and the second laterally folded longitudinal section having a second folded leading edge portion folded in the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The supply unit of claim 8 wherein the second dimension and the third dimension are different from each other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The supply unit of claim 16 wherein: the first laterally folded longitudinal section having a first folded leading edge portion folded in a longitudinal direction; and the second laterally folded longitudinal section having a second folded leading edge portion folded in the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The supply unit of claim 8 wherein the first laterally folded longitudinal section has a first leading edge portion folded in a longitudinal direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 8) The supply unit of claim 8 wherein: the first laterally folded longitudinal section having a first folded leading edge portion folded in a longitudinal direction; and the second laterally folded longitudinal section having a second folded leading edge portion folded in the longitudinal direction.