# US 5,785,639 A · Cushioning conversion machine for making a cushioning product having a shell and stuffing formed from separate plies

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- Number: US 5,785,639 A
- Document ID: US5785639A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/482,648
- Filed: 1995-06-07
- Granted: 1998-07-28
- Earliest claimed: 1994-04-01
- Assignees: Ranpak Corp.
- Inventors: James A. Simmons
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5785639A

## 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 cushioning conversion machine for converting multiple plies of stock material into a pillow-shaped cushioning product having a stuffing and a shell surrounding the stuffing, the machine comprising:
a frame;
conversion assemblies, mounted to the frame, which convert the stock material into the cushioning product;
a stock supply assembly, positioned upstream of the conversion assemblies, which supplies the multiple plies of stock material to the conversion assemblies, said multiple plies of stock material comprising at least one shell ply for forming the shell and at least one stuffing ply for forming the stuffing; and
a feed assembly, positioned downstream of the stock supply assembly, which advances the stock material through the conversion assemblies;
wherein the conversion assemblies include a stock-shaping assembly which includes a first shaping device which forms the shell from the at least one shell ply into the shell and a second shaping device which forms by crumpling the at least one stuffing ply into the stuffing separate from said at least one outer shell ply.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second shaping device inwardly folds the at least one stuffing ply into a substantially spiral-shaped form.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first shaping device comprises a tubular chute around which the at least one shell ply is shaped and through which the at least one stuffing ply travels.

### Claim 4

A method of making a pillow-shaped cushioning product having a stuffing and a shell surrounding the stuffing, said method comprising the steps of:
providing multiple plies of stock material, said multiple plies of stock material comprising at least one shell ply for forming the shell and at least one stuffing ply for forming the stuffing; and
converting the multiple plies of stock material into a cushioning product;
said converting step including the steps of:
forming the at least one shell ply into the shell; and
forming by crumpling the at least one stuffing ply into the stuffing separate from said at least one outer shell ply.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material having more than one stuffing ply and wherein said step of forming the stuffing includes forming said stuffing plies into the stuffing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said multiple plies of stock material comprise only one shell ply and wherein said step of forming the shell comprises forming said only one shell ply into the shell.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material which include plural shell plies and wherein said step of forming the shell includes forming the plural shell plies into the shell.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material which include two shell plies and wherein said step of forming the shell includes forming the two shell plies into the shell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material comprises only one shell ply and wherein said step of forming the shell comprises forming said only one shell ply into the shell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said multiple plies of stock material comprise plural shell plies and wherein said step of forming the shell comprises forming said plural shell plies into the shell.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein said multiple plies of stock material comprise two shell plies and wherein said step of forming the shell comprises forming the two shell plies into the shell.

### Claim 12 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 further comprising the step of cutting the cushioning product into sections of a desired length.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said step of providing multiple plies of stock material includes providing a multi-ply stock roll containing the at least one stuffing ply and the at least one shell ply.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said providing step includes providing the shell plies as outer plies of the multi-ply stock roll.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said providing step includes providing two shell plies as the outer plies of the multi-ply stock roll.

### Claim 16 (depends on 4)

A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material which are biodegradable and recyclable.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material which are made of paper.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material which are made of Kraft paper.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material which are made of thirty-pound Kraft paper.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material which are approximately thirty inches wide.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said providing step includes providing multiple plies of stock material which are approximately fifteen inches wide.