# US 2014/0155241 A1 · Reduced footprint dunnage conversion system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0155241 A1 - Document ID: US20140155241A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/124,967 - Filed: 2012-06-06 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-07 - Assignees: Ranpak Corp. - Applicants: Ranpak Corp. - Inventors: Robert C. Cheich; David V. Murphy; Richard L. Gwynne; Steven M. Toneff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155241A1 ## CPC - B65H 45/04: Folding sheets - B31D 5/0043: {including crumpling flat material} - B31D 2205/0035: as fan folded web - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - 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) ## Abstract A method of converting a supply of sheet stock into a relatively less dense dunnage product, including the following steps of (i) providing a stack of fan-folded sheet material having fold lines parallel to a width dimension; and (ii) drawing sheet stock material from the stack in a direction parallel to the width dimension. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for converting a supply of sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product, the supply including a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material having a width dimension and fold lines generally parallel to the width dimension; the apparatus comprising a housing enclosing a feed mechanism, and a support for a supply of sheet stock material upstream of the housing to support a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material with the width dimension being aligned with a downstream direction through the housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, where the feed mechanism includes a pair of rotating members to draw sheet stock material from the support and advance the sheet material in the downstream direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, where the feed mechanism includes an upstream pair of rotating members to draw sheet stock material from the support and advance the sheet stock material in a downstream direction to a downstream pair of rotating members that interlock overlapping layers of sheet material as the sheet material passes between the downstream rotating members. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, where the upstream rotating members feed sheet material at a faster rate than the downstream rotating members feed sheet material to cause sheet material to crumple between the upstream and downstream rotating members. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, where the feed mechanism includes a tunnel that defines a path for the sheet material through the housing, the tunnel bounding at least two sides of the path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An apparatus as set forth in claim 5, where the tunnel has a rectangular cross-section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, where the support has at least three sides and a bottom that define a rectangular volume sized to receive a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An apparatus as set forth in claim 7, where the bottom of the support is defined by laterally-spaced portions to support lateral edges of a stack, the laterally-spaced surfaces extend in a downstream direction, and an elevated center portion between the laterally-spaced surfaces to support a central portion of a stack at an elevation above the laterally-spaced portions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, where elevated center portion is formed by a plurality of rollers whose upper extents extend progressively further above the plane of the lateral supports the nearer the roller is to a downstream end of the support. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, where the bottom of the support is inclined at an angle relative to a horizontal plane, with a downstream end of the support being higher than an upstream end opposite the downstream end. ### Claim 11 A method of converting a supply of sheet stock into a relatively less dense dunnage product, comprising the following steps: (i) providing a stack of fan-folded sheet material having fold lines parallel to a width dimension; and (ii) drawing sheet stock material from the stack in a direction parallel to the width dimension. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method as set forth in claim 11, where the drawing step is accomplished by one or more rotating members in a conversion machine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method as set forth in claim 11, where the drawing step includes drawing sheet stock material from a bottom of the stack. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A method as set forth in claim 11, comprising the step of connecting overlapping layers of sheet stock material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A method as set forth in claim 11, where the providing step includes supporting lateral edges of the sheet stock material in a plane below adjacent central portions of the stock material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method as set forth in claim 15, where the supporting step includes progressively supporting central portions of the stock material at positions further above the plane of the lateral portions at positions closer to a downstream end of the support. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A method as set forth in claim 15, where the supporting step includes supporting the sheet stock material at an angle inclined relative to a horizontal plane, with a downstream end of the stack being higher than an upstream end opposite the downstream end. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) A dunnage product produced by a method as set forth in claim 11. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A method as set forth in claim 11, where the drawing step includes drawing sheet stock material from a top of the stack. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) A method as set forth in claim 12, where the drawing step includes adjusting the position of one or more pinch rollers adjacent the stack of sheet stock material to vary the amount of stock material passed from the stack to the rotating members. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, where the bottom of the support is movable and upwardly biased to maintain an upper surface of the stack at a relatively constant elevation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, comprising fold-forming control features integrated into the stock material support that control movement in the sheet stock material as it is drawn from the support. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, comprising a vertically-adjustable member between the stock material support and the feed mechanism that defines a lower edge of a passage from the stock material support to the feed mechanism.