# US 5,643,167 A · Cushioning conversion machine for converting sheet-like material into a cushioning product

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- Number: US 5,643,167 A
- Document ID: US5643167A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/482,649
- Filed: 1995-06-07
- Granted: 1997-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 1994-04-01
- Assignees: Ranpak Corp.
- Inventors: James A. Simmons
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5643167A

## CPC

- B31D 5/0056: {involving belts}
- B31D 5/0047: {involving toothed wheels}
- B65D 81/02: specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage {(containers of polygonal cross-section provided with internal protecting elements for contents B65D5/50; devices to locate articles in containers B65D25/10)}
- B65D 81/051: {using pillow-like elements filled with cushioning material, e.g. elastic foam, fabric}
- B65D 81/09: using flowable discrete elements of shock-absorbing material, e.g. pellets or popcorn
- B31D 2205/0023: as web from a roll
- B31D 2205/0047: Feeding, guiding or shaping the material
- B31D 2205/0082: General layout of the machinery or relative arrangement of its subunits
- Y10S 206/814: Space filler
- Y10S 428/906: Roll or coil
- Y10S 493/967: Dunnage, wadding, stuffing, or filling excelsior
- Y10T 428/1307: Bag or tubular film [e.g., pouch, flexible food casing, envelope, etc.]
- Y10T 428/1334: Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]
- Y10T 428/23: Sheet including cover or casing
- 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)
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A cushioning conversion machine for converting stock material into a continuous strip of a cushioning product. The machine includes a stock-preparing assembly which prepares the stock material; a stock-shaping assembly which shapes the prepared stock material into a continuous strip having a pillow-like portion and at least one tab portion projecting therefrom; and a tab-connecting assembly which connects the tab portion of the continuous strip whereby the pillow-like portion will maintain its pillow-like geometry.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing a cushioning product, said method comprising the steps of providing a multilayer stock material, and converting the multilayer stock material into a strip of dunnage; wherein the converting step includes feeding the stock material through a shaping member having converging sidewalls so as to cause the layers of stock material to be folded on itself to form a relatively narrow cushioning strip, feeding the folded portion of the narrow cushioning strip through a pair of cooperating rollers which engage the narrow cushioning strip, one of the rollers having a central annular recess on its periphery and the other having a central annular raised portion on its periphery projecting into the recess in the other roller to form a generally U-shaped passage between the rollers for the narrow cushioning strip.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the feeding step includes centrally engaging the stock material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the feeding step includes rotatably driving at least one of the rollers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the converting step further comprises folding the stock material on itself to form the strip of dunnage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the step of providing a stock material comprises providing multiple plies of stock material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the step of providing multiple plies of stock material comprises providing a multi-ply stock roll.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the feeding step is performed on only some of the multiple plies of stock material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the converting step further comprises folding the stock material on itself to form the strip of dunnage.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the feeding step includes rotatably driving at least one of the rollers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the converting step further comprises folding the stock material on itself to form the strip of dunnage.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the converting step further comprises folding the stock material on itself to form the strip of dunnage.