Sealed Air Corporation

A N Reichental

Alexander Shafir

Apparatus for fabricating discrete segments of cushioned web material for use as dunnage. The apparatus includes a mobile supply cart having at least one substantially horizontal support arm for receiving the hollow core of rolled web material. The apparatus also includes a separate driven rugation device with feed rollers for directing multiple plies of the web material in overlying, contacting relationship along a single path of travel. The separate cart and rugation device may be removably interconnected for lateral alignment. Driven interdigitized texturing rolls downstream of the feed rollers emboss a raised pattern on the web material, and a plurality of separating rollers downstream from the texturing rolls separate the plies of web material and direct them in divergent paths of travel. Combining rolls recombine the plies of textured web material such that the embossed areas of each ply do not directly overlie each other but are offset, creating void areas between the adjacent plies. A driven cutter downstream of the combining rolls severs the recombined offset embossed plies into discrete segments. The cutter may have a rotating disc blade with a peripheral edge which moves transverse to the longitudinal length of the plies to cut the plies. Last, driven exit rollers convey the cut segments of material from the rugation device.

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Southbury, CT, United States of America

A N Reichental