Mechanism and method for producing cushioning dunnage

A forming frame for use in a mechanism adapted to produce low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product from sheet-like stock material, with such mechanism comprising a tunnel-like crumpler section having an entry opening and an exit opening spaced lengthwise from said entry opening, with said crumpler section being adapted to receive the sheet-like stock material therein and to generally radially compress it as it passes through said crumpler section, said forming frame being adapted to engage on its underside the sheet-like stock material as it travels from a source of stock material to the crumpler section and to cause inward rolling of the lateral edges of the stock material into generally rolled form prior to passage of the sheet-like stock material into the crumpler section, said forming frame including generally U-shaped in end elevation ribs extending transversely of said forming frame adjacent the lower portion thereof with said ribs being spaced longitudinally of said forming frame, said forming frame being of generally triangular configuration in plan, with the forward end nose portion of said forming frame being adapted to be disposed closely adjacent to the entry opening of the crumpler section with said nose portion projecting into the path of travel of the stock material as it travels from the source of stock material to the crumpler section.

In a method of producing cushioning dunnage in pad-like form from sheet-like stock material comprising taking at least one web of sheet-like stock material of predetermined width, and moving it longitudinally while rolling the lateral edges of web inwardly into generally spiral-like form, pushing laterally on the web by means of a triangular shaped, in plan, forming frame with the nose of the frame disposed close to the entranceway to a tunnel-like crumpler section, and projecting said nose of said frame into the path of travel of said web as it moves from the supply source thereof of said crumpler section to cause deflection of the web adjacent said entranceway, and pulling the web of stock material as tensioned laterally by said frame through the crumpler section to cause said longitudinal movement of said web and radial compression of the rolled edge stock material into pad-like form comprising lateral resilient pillow-like portions, and then connecting together the confronting rolled and compressed lateral edge portions of the pad product whereby the central connecting section of the pad product is maintained as thin as possible while stock material is urged into the lateral pillow-like portions.

Paper dunnage product comprising a pad-like article for use in packaging, formed from paper sheet or the like with the lateral edges of the sheet having been generally loosely rolled inwardly and forming radially crumpled pillow-like portions defining the lateral extremities of said packaging article, and means connecting the rolled confronting edges of the pillow-like portions together along the generally central portion of the pad-like article, lengthwise thereof, the last mentioned means comprising lengthwise spaced transversely extending coined portions of said paper material, said laterally arranged pillow-like portions of said article possessing considerable resiliency, each being of a substantially greater thickness than said central coined connected portion, and occasioned by said paper material having been urged outwardly into said pillow-like portions of the formed product instead of remaining in said central connected portion giving said pillow-like portions greater dimension and resiliency, with said central connected portion being comprised of minimum layers of connected paper material as coined, said article having a density of approximately 0.6 to 0.7 pounds per cubic foot as compared to a density approxiamtely one pound per cubic foot for prior art dunnage product pad-like articles of generally similar configuration.