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US 4,750,896 AGranted
Method and mechanism for producing cushioning dunnage product
AssigneeRanpak Corp.
InventorsAnthony J. Komaransky, Raymond Q. Armington
Life of this patent
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AssigneeRanpak Corp.
InventorsAnthony J. Komaransky, Raymond Q. Armington
Estimating the term…
A mechanism and method for producing relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product from sheet-like stock material. The mechanism takes the sheet-like stock material from a multi-ply roll thereof and changes it into a pad-like cushioning dunnage product having lateral pillow-like portions connected together along the generally central portion of the product. A separating mechanism for separating the sheets of stock material as they move from the stock roll toward the forming frame and the converging member is provided, together with a transversely extending roller disposed ahead of the separating mechanism whereby the point of commencement of entry of the multi-ply sheet-like stock material toward the separating mechanism remains constant irrespective of the diameter of the stock roll. An alternate, multi-ply stock roll comprising a thicker gauge but lesser width web with a plurality of wider webs or sheets is disclosed. The idea is to generally improve the construction of the dunnage producing mechanism, and to improve its operation as well as to provide a pad-like dunnage product possessing substantial resiliency per unit volume, and which is securely attached along the abutting rolled edges of the pillow-like portions of the produced cushioning product, so that the pad-like material tends to more positively remain in pad-like form during its use as a packing.
A converter mechanism for producing relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product from sheet-like stock material, such as for instance, paper, in multi-ply form, said mechanism comprising a frame, means on said frame for causing inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material into generally rolled form, said means including a forming frame and a coacting longitudinally converging means including a widened entrance end portion and a relatively narrower exit end portion, means for rotatably mounting a multi-ply stock roll of the sheet-like material for supplying the latter to the first mentioned means, means on the first mentioned frame disposed downstream from said converging means adapted to receive the rolled edge sheet-like stock material and operable to connect the same into a pad-like cushioning dunnage product, said connecting means being operable to pull the sheet-like stock material from the stock roll past said forming frame and through said converging means, said forming frame comprising a body of generally triangular shape in plan with depending rib portions extending transversely of said body to form a three dimensional forming frame configuration, the forward end nose portion of said body extending into said converging means and positioned generally adjacent said exit end portion thereof, with the rearward portion of said body extending rearwardly of said entrance end portion, said forming frame and said converging means in plan being disposed generally in line with said connecting means, with said forming frame being adapted to slidingly engage with and to press against the sheet-like stock material as it travels from the stock roll through said converging means to said connecting means, said nose portion projecting into the path of travel of the sheet-like stock material from the stock roll thereof to said connecting means to maintain the stock material in downward position adjacent said exit end portion of said converging means and prior to passage of the stock material to said connecting means, and rotatable transversely spaced guide means disposed upstream from said entrance end portion and oriented with respect thereto so as to engage the exterior sides of the rolled lateral edges of the stock material for guiding the rolled edge flow of stock material toward said entrance end portion.
A converter mechanism for producing relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product from sheet-like stock material, such as for instance, paper, in multi-ply roll form, said mechanism comprising a frame, means on said frame for causing inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material into generally rolled form, said means including a forming frame and a coacting longitudinally converging means including a widened entrance end portion and a relatively narrower exit end portion, means for rotatably mounting a multi-ply stock roll of the sheet-like material for supplying the latter to the first mentioned means, means on the first mentioned frame disposed downstream from said converging means adapted to receive the rolled edge sheet-like stock material and operable to connect the same into a pad-like cushioning dunnage product, said connecting means being operable to pull the sheet-like stock material from the stock roll past said forming frame and through said converging means, said forming frame comprising a body of generally triangular shape in plan with the forward end nose portion thereof extending into said converging means and positioned generally adjacent said exit end portion thereof, with the rearward portion of said body extending rearwardly of said entrance end portion, said forming frame and said converging means in plan being disposed generally in line with said connecting means, with said forming frame being adapted to slidingly engage with and to press against the sheet-like stock material as it travels from the stock roll through aid converging means to said connecting means, said nose portion projecting into the path of travel of the sheet-like stock material from the stock roll thereof to said connecting means to maintain the stock material in downward position adjacent said exit end portion of said converging means and prior to passage of the stock material to said connecting means, and wherein said connecting means comprises a pair of intermeshed vertically oriented rotatable gears adapted for rotation about generally horizontally oriented axes, with roller means mounted on both sides of the upper of said gears and being rotatable relative to said upper gear, for rolling contact with the pad-like product emitted from said converging means as the product passes beneath said roller means.
In a method of producing cushioning dunnage product in pad-like form from sheet-like stock material comprising, taking a web of sheet-like stock material of predetermined width, rolling the lateral edges of the web inwardly into generally spiral-like form, pushing laterally on the web by means of a triangular shaped in plan three dimensional forming frame comprising a triangular shaped in plan body portion and depending transversely extending rib portions, positioning the nose of the forming frame close to the exit end of a longitudinally converging member disposed in the path of the sheet-like stock material and with the forming frame extending rearwardly out of the entrance end of the converging member, pulling the stock material as tensioned laterally thereof by said forming frame past the three dimensional forming frame, with engagement of the stock material with the rearwardly extending portion of the forming frame and said depending rib portions thereof, and through the converging member by means of coacting vertically oritned driven gear-like members to cause the rolled edge stock material to form resilient, laterally adjacent pillow-like portions, and then downstream from said exit end connecting together by crimping resulting from rotation of said gear-like members, the adjacent pillow-like portions of the pad-like product generally centrally of the product lengthwise thereof, engaging the exterior sides of the rolled lateral edges of the stock material upstream from said entrance end by rotatable transversely spaced guide means for guiding the rolled edge flow of stock material toward said entrance end, and wherein said pushing by said forming frame includes projecting said nose of said forming frame into the path of travel of the sheet-like stock material from the supply source thereof to said gear-like members to maintain the stock material in downward position adjacent said exit end of said converging member and prior to passage of the rolled edge stock material to said gear-like members for said crimping whereby the central crimped connecting section of the pad-like product is maintained relatively thin while the stock material is urged by said forming frame and coacting converging member into the laterally oriented pillow-like portions of the pad-like product, and then containing the pad-like product and restricting lateral expansion thereof just prior to severing the product into lengths.
In a method of producing cushioning dunnage product in pad-like form from sheet-like stock material comprising, taking a web of sheet-like stock material of predetermined width, rolling the lateral edges of the 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 exit end of a longitudinally converging member disposed in the path of the sheet-like stock material and with the forming frame extending rearwardly out of the entrance end of the converging member, pulling the stock material as tensioned laterally thereof by said forming frame through the converging member by means of coacting vertically oriented driven gear-like members to cause the rolled edge stock material to form resilient, laterally adjacent pillow-like portions, and then downstream from said exit end connecting together by crimping resulting from rotation of said gear-like members, the adjacent pillow-like portions of the pad-like product generally centrally of the product, and whereby the central connecting section of the pad-like product is maintained relatively thin while the stock material is urged by said forming frame and coacting converging member into the laterally oriented pillow-like portion, and then containing the pad-like product and restricting lateral expansion thereof just prior to severing the product into lengths, and including engaging the exterior sides of the rolled lateral edges of the web upstream from said entrance end of said converging member with rollers so as to guide the flow of web stock material toward said entrance end of said converging member.
In a method of producing cushioning dunnage product in pad-like form from sheet-like stock material comprising, taking a web of sheet-like stock material of predetermined width, rolling the lateral edges of the 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 exit end of a longitudinally converging member disposed in the path of the sheet-like stock material and with the forming frame extending rearwardly out of the entrance end of the converging member, pulling the stock material as tensioned laterally thereof by said forming frame through the converging member by means of coacting vertically oriented driven gear-like members to cause the rolled edge stock material to form resilient, laterally adjacent pillow-like portions, and then downstream from said exit end connecting together by crimping resulting from rotation of said gear-like members, the adjacent pillowlike portions of the pad-like product generally centrally of the product, and wherein said pushing by said forming frame includes projecting said nose of said forming frame into the path of travel of the sheet-like stock material from the supply source thereof to said gear-like members to maintain the stock material in downward position adjacent said exit end of said converging member and prior to passage of the rolled edge stock material to said gear-like members for said crimping whereby the central connecting section of the pad-like product is maintained relatively thin while the stock material is urged by said forming frame and coacting converging member into the laterally oriented pillow-like portions, and then containing the pad-like product and restricting lateral expansion thereof just prior to severing the product into lengths and including engaging the top of said pad-like product with rollers as it passes through said gear-like members to cause compression of the tops of said pillow-like portions of the pad-like product prior to said containment and said lateral restriction of said product.
A separating mechanism in a converter mechanism utilizeable for the production of relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product from sheet-like stock material disposed in multi-ply stock roll form, said separating mechanism being constructed and arranged to separate the ply sheets of stock material as it is pulled from the stock roll into the converter mechanism, said separating mechanism comprising generally vertically spaced elongated rotatable idler members about which the separate plies of sheet-like stock material pass, and bracket support means rotatably supporting said rotatable members in said vertically spaced relation, the lowermost of said rotatable members comprising a roller of a predetermined greater diameter dimension as compared to the corresponding thickness dimension of each of the other of said rotatable members, said lowermost rotatable member being constructed and arranged for engaging coaction with the innermost ply of stock material of the stock roll as the innermost ply of the stock material moves past said separating means, and being constructed and arranged to cause increased travel distance for the innermost ply during movement of the stock material through said separating mechanism.
A converter mechanism for producing relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product from sheet-like stock material, such as for instance, paper, in multi-ply roll form, said mechanism comprising a frame, means on said frame for causing inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material into generally rolled from, said means including a forming frame and a coacting longitudinally converging means including a widened entrance end portion and a relatively narrower exit end portion, means for rotatably mounting a multi-ply stock roll of the sheet-like material for supplying the latter to the first mentioned means, means on the first mentioned frame disposed downstream from said converging means adapted to receive the rolled edge sheet-like stock material and operable to connect the same into a pad-like cushioning dunnage product, said connecting means being operable to pull the sheet-like stock material from the stock roll past said forming frame and through said converging means, said forming frame comprising a body of generally triangular shape in plan with the forward end nose portion thereof extending into said converging means and with the rearward portion of said body extending rearwardly of said entrance end portion, said forming frame and said converging means in plan being disposed generally in line with said connecting means, with said forming frame being adapted to slidingly engage with and to press against the sheet-like stock material as it travels from the stock roll through said converging means to said connecting means, and rotatable transversely spaced guide means disposed upstream from said entrance end portion and oriented with respect thereto so as to engage the exterior sides of the rolled lateral edges of the stock material for guiding the rolled edge flow of stock material toward said entrance end portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.