# US 5,738,621 A · Cushioning conversion machine and method for a cushioning product having a tab portion

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 5,738,621 A
- Document ID: US5738621A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/483,106
- Filed: 1995-06-07
- Granted: 1998-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 1994-04-01
- Inventors: James A. Simmons
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5738621A

## 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 converting sheet stock material into a cushioning product, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a sheet stock material having at least one shell ply and at least one stuffing ply; and
converting the sheet stock material into a continuous strip of dunnage having a pillow-shaped portion and at least one tab portion;
wherein said converting step includes converting the sheet stock material into a strip of dunnage having a pair of proximate portions and a pair of distal portions of a flat section of the at least one shell ply;
wherein said converting step includes using a series of flat walls to fold the pair of distal portions over the pair of proximate portions to form the tab portion; and
wherein said converting step includes converting the sheet stock material into a strip of dunnage having a pillow shaped portion which includes both the at least one shell ply and the at least one stuffing ply.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of forming a crease line between the pair of proximate portions and the pair of distal portions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method as set forth in claim 2 further comprising the step of connecting the pair of proximate portions and the pair of distal portions together.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of connecting the pair of proximate portions and the pair of distal portions together.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of using a series of walls includes the steps of:
positioning a first wall and a third wall to guide a joint between the pair of distal portions and the pair of proximate portions; and
positioning a second wall and the third wall to guide the pair of distal portions and gradually fold it towards the pair of proximate portions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method as set forth in claim 5 further comprising the step of cutting the dunnage strip into sections of a desired length.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said step of providing a sheet stock material includes providing multiple plies of stock material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said step of providing multiple plies of stock material includes providing a multi-ply stock roll.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the converting steps further include converting the sheet stock material having at least two shell plies into a strip of dunnage having a second pair of proximate portions and a second pair of distal portions of a second flat section; and wherein said converting step includes using a series of flat walls to fold the second pair of distal portions over the second pair of proximate portions to form a second tab portion.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising the step of forming a crease line between the second pair of proximate portions and the second pair of distal portions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising the step of connecting the second pair of proximate portions and the second distal portion together.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the step of using a series of walls to fold the second pair of distal portions over the second pair of proximate portions includes the steps of:
positioning a first wall and a third wall to guide a joint between the second pair of distal portions and the second pair of proximate portions; and
positioning a second wall and the third wall to guide the second pair of distal portions and gradually fold it towards the second pair of proximate portions.

### Claim 13

A cushioning conversion machine for converting sheet stock material into a cushioning product, the machine comprising:
a frame;
conversion assemblies mounted to the frame which convert the stock material into a continuous strip of dunnage having a pillow-shaped portion and a tab portion;
a stock supply assembly, positioned upstream of the conversion assemblies, which supplies stock material to the conversion assemblies, the stock material having at least one shell ply and at least one stuffing ply; and
wherein the conversion assemblies include a folding device having a series of flat walls which coordinate to fold a pair of distal portions over a pair of proximate portions of a flat section of the at least one shell ply to form the tab portion; and
wherein the pillow-shaped portion is formed by both the at least one shell ply and the at least one stuffing ply.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 13, wherein the folding device further includes a creasing device which forms a crease line between the pair of proximate portions and the pair of distal portions.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a connecting device which connects the pair of proximate portions and the pair of distal portions together.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 13, wherein the series of flat walls of the folding device include a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall;
the first wall and the third wall being positioned to guide a joint between the pair of distal portions and the pair of proximate portions;
the second wall and the third wall being positioned to guide the pair of distal portions and gradually fold it towards the pair of proximate portions.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 16, wherein the second wall extends from the first wall.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 17, wherein the second wall slopes outwardly from the first wall in the downstream direction.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 18, wherein the second wall is co-extensive with, and extends perpendicularly from, an edge of the downstream section of the first wall.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 13, wherein the conversion assemblies include a second folding device having a series of flat walls which coordinate to fold a second pair of distal portions over a second pair of proximate portions of a second flat section of the stock material, the second flat section being positioned laterally opposite from the first flat section, the first flat section and the second flat section being formed from at least two shell plies.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 20, wherein a creasing device also forms a crease line between the second pair of proximate portions and the second pair of distal portions of the second flat section of the stock material.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 21, wherein a connecting device connects the folded second pair of proximate portions and second pair of distal portions of the second flat section of the stock material together.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 20, wherein the series of flat walls of the second folding device include a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall;
the first wall and the third wall being positioned to guide the joint between the second pair of distal portions and the second pair of proximate portions;
the second wall and the third wall being positioned to guide the second pair of distal portions and gradually fold it towards the second pair of proximate portions.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 20, wherein the conversion assemblies further include a stock-shaping assembly which shapes the stock material into the pillow shaped portion and two tab portions laterally opposite each other about the pillow shaped portion.

### Claim 25 (depends on 13)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 13, wherein the conversion assemblies further include a stock-shaping assembly which shapes the stock material into the pillow shaped portion and a tab portion.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 25, wherein the series of walls of the folding device comprise a first wall, a second wall, a third wall, and a fourth wall;
the first wall projecting perpendicularly from the fourth wall and including an upstream section, which slopes upwardly in the downstream direction, an intermediate section which extends levelly from the upstream section, and a downstream section which steps inward and extends from the intermediate section;
the fourth wall including an upstream section which is coextensive with the first wall's upstream section and which tapers upwardly in the downstream direction, and a downstream section which is co-extensive with the downstream section of the fourth wall;
the second wall being co-extensive with, and extending perpendicularly from, an edge of the downstream section of the first wall;
the second wall including an upstream section which slopes upwardly in the downstream direction, and a downstream section which extends from the upstream section;
the third wall being horizontally positioned centrally between the first and fourth walls and vertically positioned slightly above the downstream and intermediate sections of the first wall.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a cutting assembly which cuts the dunnage strip into sections of a desired length.