# US 5,387,173 A · Fan-folded stock material for use with a cushioning conversion machine

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- Number: US 5,387,173 A
- Document ID: US5387173A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/994,940
- Filed: 1992-12-22
- Granted: 1995-02-07
- Earliest claimed: 1992-12-22
- Assignees: Ranpak Corp.
- Inventors: James A. Simmons, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5387173A

## CPC

- B31D 5/0047: {involving toothed wheels}
- B31D 2205/0035: as fan folded web
- B31D 2205/0082: General layout of the machinery or relative arrangement of its subunits
- Y10S 206/814: Space filler
- Y10S 493/967: Dunnage, wadding, stuffing, or filling excelsior
- Y10T 428/24231: At opposed marginal edges
- Y10T 428/24686: Pleats or otherwise parallel adjacent folds
- 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)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A stock material for use with a cushioning conversion machine is provided. The stock material includes a plurality of superimposed plies of a sheet-like material which are fan-folded into a rectangonal stack. The superimposed plies include a series of alternating folds which each create superimposed creases through the plies. The alternating folds together form a sequence of rectangular pages which are piled accordion-style one on top of the other to form the rectangonal stack.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of converting fan-folded stock material into a cushioning product, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a stack of fan-folded stock material;
providing a conversion assembly for converting the fan-folded stock material into the cushioning product;
supplying the fan-folded stock material from the stack to the conversion assembly; and
converting the sheet-like stock material into the cushioning product,
said step of converting the fan-folded stock material including the step of permanently deforming the fan-folded stock material into a nonplanar configuration to provide the cushioning product with a density less than the density of the stock material from which it is formed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of providing a stack of fan-folded stock material comprises the steps of providing a plurality of superimposed plies of a sheet-like material in such a manner that the superimposed plies include a series of alternating folds which each create superimposed creases through said plies and in such a manner that the series of folds together form a sequence of rectangular pages which are piled accordion-style one on top of the other to form said stack.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of providing a plurality of superimposed plies comprises the step of providing a plurality of plies which are each made of paper.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said step of providing a plurality of paper plies comprises the step of providing at least one ply made of thirty-pound Kraft paper.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said step of providing a plurality of paper plies comprises the step of providing all thirty pound Kraft paper plies.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of providing a plurality of plies comprises the step of providing plies made of a material selected from a group consisting of thirty-pound Kraft paper, printed paper, bleached paper, fifty-pound Kraft paper, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of providing a plurality of plies comprises the step of providing three plies of the sheet-like material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of providing a plurality of plies comprises the step of providing four plies of the sheet-like material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of providing a plurality of plies comprises the step of providing eight plies of the sheet-like material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said rectangular pages has a width of approximately thirty inches and the distance between said folds is approximately twelve inches whereby the width of said stack is approximately thirty inches and the length of said stack is approximately twelve inches.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said rectangular pages have a width of approximately fifteen inches and the width of said stack is approximately fifteen inches.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of converting the sheet-like stock material into the cushioning product comprises the steps of:
inwardly rolling the lateral sides of the sheet-like material to form a continuous strip having two lateral pillow-like portions and a central band therebetween;
coining the central band of the continuous strip to form a coined strip; and
cutting the coined strip into sections of a desired length to create the cushioning product.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said step of providing a conversion assembly includes the steps of:
providing a forming assembly which causes the inward rolling of the lateral sides of the sheet-like material;
providing a pulling/connecting assembly including two cooperating and opposed gears;
drawing the continuous strip through the nip of the two gears thereby pulling the stock material through the forming assembly;
coining the central band of the continuous strip as it passes through the nip of the two gears to thereby form the coined strip; and
providing a cutting assembly which cuts the strip into sections of a desired length to create the cushioning product.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said steps of providing said stock material include the steps of:
providing a stock supply assembly to supply the stock material to the conversion assembly;
providing a package dimensioned to hold the stack of stock material;
sealing the stack of stock material in said package;
appropriately positioning the package adjacent the stock supply assembly; and
dispensing the stock material from the package and feeding the stock material to the stock supply assembly.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)

A method as set forth in any of claims 1-14 wherein said step of providing a stock material includes providing a stock material which is biodegradable and recyclable.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of converting the sheet-like stock material into the cushioning product comprises the step of inwardly rolling the lateral sides of the sheet-like material to form a continuous strip having two lateral pillow-like portions and a central band therebetween.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said step of converting the sheet-like stock material into the cushioning product comprises the step of coining the central band of the continuous strip to form a coined strip.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of converting the sheet-like stock material into the cushioning product comprises the step of inwardly rolling the lateral sides of the sheet-like material to form a continuous strip having at least one pillow-like portion.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of converting the sheet-like stock material into the cushioning product comprises the step of forming a continuous strip of the permanently deformed stock material of nonplanar configuration, and cutting the strip into sections of a desired length to create the cushioning product.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein said step of converting the sheet-like stock material into the cushioning product comprises the step of coining a portion of the continuous strip to form a coined strip.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein said step of coining includes drawing the continuous strip through the nip of two gears in mesh with one another, which gears coin the continuous strip to form the coined strip.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of providing said stock material includes the step of providing the stack of stock material in a package.