Ranpak Corporation

Rappak Corp.

James A Simmons

Richard O Ratzel

Michael J Lencoski

Joseph J Harding

Donald J Barnhouse

Thomas E Manley

Dan Coppus

Edward W Lintala

Joseph J Haroing

Raimond P Demers

A novel cushioning conversion machine and method for converting sheet stock material into a novel cushioning product and for producing discrete sections or pads of desired length, without the need for a cutting assembly, thereby enabling the construction of a less expensive, smaller and less complex machine. The machine and method are characterized by a weakening device for perforating a sheet stock material of one or more plies along tear lines so that as a strip of cushioning is formed from the stock material, discrete sections or pads of desired length may be detachable along the tear lines. The stock material includes material which is biodegradable, recyclable and composed of a renewable resource, such as kraft paper.

Cushioning conversion machine and method

A cushioning conversion machine and related methodology characterized by one or more features including, inter alia, a feeding/connecting assembly which enables an operator to easily vary a characteristic, for example the density, of the cushioning product; a feeding/connecting assembly wherein input and/or output wheels or rollers thereof are made at least in part of an elastomeric or other friction enhancing material, which reduces the cost and complexity of the input and output rollers; a manual reversing mechanism that is useful, for example, for clearing paper jams; a modular arrangement of a forming assembly and feeding/connecting assembly in separate units that may be positioned remotely from one another, as may be desired for more efficient utilization of floor space; a turner bar which enables alternative positioning a stock supply roll; and a volume expanding arrangement cooperative with the feeding/connecting assembly for reducing the density of the cushioning product and increasing product yield.

A conversion machine and related method for making a dunnage product by converting a sheet-like stock material of at least one ply into a dunnage product is characterized by a manual reversing mechanism that is useful, for example, for clearing paper jams. The conversion machine includes a housing through which the stock material passes along a path, and an assembly that advances the stock material from a source thereof along the path, crumples the stock material, and maintains the shape of the crumpled stock material to produce a strip of dunnage. This assembly includes at least one rotatable member rotatable in a first direction for engaging and advancing the stock material, a feed motor for driving a driven rotatable member in the first direction, and a crank connected to the rotatable member for enabling rotation of the driven rotatable member in a second direction opposite the first direction.

An improved cushioning conversion machine and related methodology characterized by one or more features including, inter alia, a feeding/connecting assembly which enables an operator to easily vary a characteristic, for example, the density, of the cushioning product; a manual reversing mechanism that is useful, for example, for clearing paper jams; a modular arrangement of a forming assembly and feeding/connecting assembly in separate units that may be positioned remotely from one another, as may be desired for more efficient utilization of floor space; and a volume expanding arrangement cooperative with the feeding/connecting assembly for adjusting the density of the cushioning product and changing product yield. The features of the invention may be individually or collectively used in cushioning conversion machines of various types.

A cushioning conversion machine for converting sheet-like stock material into a relatively low density cushioning dunnage product. The machine has at least one conversion assembly for forming the stock material into a three-dimensional shape. The machine includes a feed mechanism for drawing the stock material over a shaping member in the conversion assembly. Any one of a plurality of manually operated severing mechanisms can be mounted in the second unit for cutting the cushioning dunnage product into cut sections. One severing unit has a circular cutting disc which is driven by a rack and pinion faster than rolling contact along a reaction member. Another severing mechanism has a fixed blade with an inclined cutting edge that moves across the path of the converted material. A third mechanism has straight edged blade that moves on vertical tracks downward through the path of the emerging converted material to sever the material against a fixed reaction member. Another mechanism has a taught wire which can be pulled through the converted material. A reaction bar with a slot is located on one side of the path of the material and the wire is pulled up through the slot, trapping and then severing the material. In another mechanism, a pair of blades with serrated edges are mounted for vertical movement in a plane transverse to the path of the converted material, the blades are driven in a reciprocating motion a by a pair of out of phase zigzag cams and a cam follower attached to each of the blades.

Cushioning conversion machine with severing mechanism

A cushioning conversion machine (,) including conversion assemblies (,) which convert a sheet stock material into a relatively low density cushioning product. The conversion assemblies (,) include a feed/cut assembly (,) having a feed device (,), a cut device (,), and a drive device (,). The drive device (,) is operable in two opposite directions and alternately drives the feed device (,) and the cut device (,). Clutch (,) and/or clutch (,) are provided which allow reverse operation of the feed device (,) and/or the cut device (,). A brake (,) prevents inadvertent movement of the moving components (,) of the cut device (,). The power transmission from the drive device (,) to the feed device (,) and the cut device (,) includes a gear train (,) . These and other features of the feed/cut assembly (,) improve operating efficiency and/or simplify assembly procedures.

Cushioning conversion machine cushioning conversion method and method of assembling a cushioning conversion machine

Cushioning conversion machine and method for converting a sheet stock material into U-shape strips of dunnage. The machine and method are characterized by at least one conversion assembly which converts the sheet stock material into a strip of dunnage, an outlet through which the strip of dunnage emerges and which defines an exit path of the strip of dunnage, and a capture device disposed in the exit path of the strip of dunnage emerging from the outlet and being operative to cause the emerging strip of dunnage to be progressively bent into a U-shape and then removed while retaining the U-shape.

Cushioning conversion machine for producing U-shape pads

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.

Fan-folded stock material for use with a cushioning conversion machine

An automated cushioning producing and filling system includes a cushioning conversion machine which converts stock paper into cut pads of a selected length and transports the pads to a staging location, a pad sensor for sensing the presence of a pad in the staging location, a box transporting system for transporting a box from a remote location to a filling location, a box sensor for sensing the presence of a box in the filling location, a bar code reader for reading a bar code from the box indicative of the packaging requirements of the box when the box sensor has sensed the presence of a box in the filling location, a pad transferring apparatus for transferring a pad from the staging location to the box when the pad sensor has sensed the presence of a pad in the staging area, and a system controller for determining the box packaging requirements from the code read by the bar code reader and instructing the cushioning conversion machine to produce pads in accordance with the packaging requirements for the box.

Automated cushioning producing and filling system

A cushioning conversion system includes a cushioning conversion machine which converts stock paper into cut pads, a conveyor system positioned to receive a pad produced by the cushioning conversion machine and to move the pad to a staging area, the staging area including a sensor for sensing the presence of a pad in the staging area and generating a representative signal, and a pad retrieval system for retrieving the pad from the staging area, wherein the cushioning conversion machine produces a pad when the representative signal indicates that a pad is not present in the staging area and the retrieval system retrieves a pad when the representative signal indicates a pad is in the staging area.

Cushioning conversion system for converting paper stock into cushioning

A cushioning conversion machine for converting a sheet-like stock material, which may be viewed as having two edge sections and a central section, into a cushioning product is provided. The machine includes a conversion assembly for converting the sheet-like stock material into a cushioning product and a supply assembly which supplies the sheet-like stock material to the conversion assembly. The stock material is supplied to the conversion assembly in such a manner that its edge sections must travel in a longer path than the central section thereby creating edge-tension in the edge sections of the stock material. While a certain minimum conversion-tension is necessary in the edge sections of the stock material to properly convert the stock material into a cushioning product, a certain continuous tearing-tension, greater than the minimum conversion-tension, will cause a continuous tear in the stock material. To insure that the edge-tension is not so great as to cause continuous tearing but is great enough to allow proper conversion, the supply assembly includes an edge-tension controlling device which controls the edge-tension so that it is greater than or equal to the minimum conversion-tension and less than the continuous tearing-tension.

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Painesville, OH, United States of America

James A Simmons