Folding and crimping apparatus

An apparatus for shredding, folding and crimping sheet material, to form a resilient packing product comprising:

• (a) a shredding device for separating said sheet material moving in a longitudinal direction into a plurality of elongate segments by making a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinally extending cute in said sheet material, said shredding device having an opening through which said elongate segments are urged in said longitudinal direction after said separating;
• (b) wall means for confining said elongate segments in a confined space aligned with said opening for receiving said elongate segments as said elongate segments pass through said opening;
• (c) barrier means for restricting movement of said elongate segments through said confined space, said barrier means being positioned near said opening to urge successive portions of said elongate segments upon themselves within said confined space to form a succession of folds in said elongate segments;
• and
• (d) means providing movement of said barrier means to automatically provide and control metered release of said elongate segments having said succession of said folds.

An improved apparatus for folding and crimping each elongate strip of a plurality of said elongate strips cut by a shredding device from sheet material, said shredding device comprising the type feeding means for simultaneously feeding said plurality of said elongate strips in a longitudinal direction when said elongate strips are extending in said longitudinal direction and adjacent said elongate strips are separated by a longitudinally extending gap therebetween, wherein the improved apparatus comprises:

• (a) wall means for confining said elongate strips in an area adjacent to said feeding means;
• (b) barrier means located adjacent to said feeding means for restricting movement of said elongate strips from said feeding means;
• (c) said feeding means urging successive portions of said elongate strips against prior portions of said elongate strips restricted by said barrier means to cause folding and crimping of the cut sheet material into a resilient packing product:
• and
• (d) means providing for movement of said barrier means to automatically provide and control metered release of said elongate strips having said succession of said folds from said area.

An apparatus for producing a resilient packing product from sheet material, comprising:

• means for cutting said sheet material into a plurality of strips by making a plurality of longitudinally extending transversely spaced cuts in said sheet material, including
• means for advancing each said strip of said plurality of said strips in a first direction, said each strip of said material having a small width dimension and a substantially longer length dimension which said length dimension extends in said first direction;
• wall means for confining said strips in a confined area adjacent to said means for advancing;
• barrier means for restricting movement of said strips from said confined area to cause folding and crimping of said each strip of said material into said resilient packing product downstream of said means for advancing;
• and
• means providing for movement of said barrier means to automatically provide and control metered release of said strips after the folding and crimping of said strips.