Sealed Air Corporation (us)

Shanklin Corporation

Sealed Air Corporation

Thomas P Orsini

Russell T Christman

Michael Kalinowski

Robert Simonelli

Christopher C Hamlin

John Gilbert

Mark Garceau

David Cenedella

Steven Edward Maston

Patrick G White

Kostadin Ivanov Kostadinov

Todd R Brown

Donald Durant

Gary Wood

Kyle Brown

Zi K Chan

Robert J O'Dowd

Mitchell W Smith, Sr

Kenneth Chrisman

James L Michaelian

Joseph T Powers

Laura A Favitta

Kenneth P Chrisman

Junkai He

Cody Frederick Morse

David Littlejohn

Stoyanka Kostadinova

Charles P Tatarian

John A Dextraze

Jeffrey Potts

Daniel N LaFrance

Steven E Maston

John J Gilbert

Mark Ryan Garceau

Michasel A Kalinowski

A system includes a source of sheet material and a conversion machine. The conversion machine is configured to receive the sheet material and to form the sheet material into a fill material. The conversion machine further includes a cutting system configured to selectively cut the fill material either partially or completely to form two pieces of the fill material. When the cutting system partially cuts the fill material, uncut portions of the fill material remain between the two pieces of the fill material. When the cutting system completely cuts the fill material, no uncut portions remain between the two pieces of the fill material.

Fill material cutting systems for partially or fully cutting fill material

A dunnage conversion system () includes a supply area (), a dunnage conversion machine (), and an arcuate slot (). The supply area () is configured to hold a supply of a sheet material (). The sheet material () is in a substantially flat configuration in the supply area (). The dunnage conversion machine () is configured to pull the sheet material () from the supply area () and to convert the sheet material () into a non-flat configuration. The arcuate slot () is positioned between the supply area () and the dunnage conversion machine () such that the sheet material () is fed through the arcuate slot () as the sheet material () passes along a path from the supply area () to the dunnage conversion machine ().

System with arcuate slot for feeding sheet material

A form-fill-seal system includes a tube feeding system, an end seal carriage, and a computing device. The tube feeding system feeds a tube of flexible material at a first velocity. The computing device controls the end seal carriage to cause an increase in a velocity of the end seal carriage to substantially the first velocity, a start of a dwell time of the end seal mechanism on the tube of flexible material while the velocity of the end seal carriage is at substantially the first velocity, and an increase in the velocity of the end seal carriage to a second velocity during the dwell time. The end seal mechanism cuts a package from the tube during the dwell time. The increase in the velocity of the end seal carriage to the second velocity results in an increased distance of the package from the tube.

End seal carriage velocity differential

A drive system is configured to feed a sheet material. The drive system includes a first roller and a second roller. A circumference of the first roller has a first curved profile. A circumference of the second roller has a second curved profile. The first and second rollers are arranged such that, when the sheet material is not located between the first and second rollers, the first curved profile of the first roller contacts the second curved profile of the second roller. The first and second rollers are further arranged such that, when the sheet material is located between the first and second rollers, rotation of at least one of the first and second rollers causes the sheet material to be fed through the drive system.

Sheet material drive rollers having circumferences with curved profiles

An object can be heat-shrinkable packaged by placing an object inside of heat-shrinkable film, sealing the heat-shrinkable film around the object to form a heat-shrinkable package, coupling a first portion of a label to the heat-shrinkable package, and causing the heat-shrinkable film to shrink into heat-shrunk film and the heat-shrinkable package to form into a heat-shrunk package. The label includes an identifier on a second portion of the label. The label remains coupled to the heat-shrunk film after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film. The second portion of the label remains substantially undeformed after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film.

Identification of shrink-wrapped objects

A system for enhanced conveying of flexible packages includes a packaging system, an inflation system, and a conveying system. The packaging system is configured to place an object in a flexible package. The inflation system is configured to insert a gas into the flexible package. The packaging system is further configured to seal an edge of the flexible package in an inflated state with the object and the inserted gas inside the flexible package. The conveying system is configured to convey the flexible package while the flexible package is substantially in the inflated state. The flexible package is configured to permit gas to escape the flexible package at a controlled flow rate such that the flexible package remains substantially in the inflated state while being conveyed by the conveying system and the flexible package transitions to being substantially in a deflated state after being conveyed by the conveying system.

Flexible package conveyance

A system includes a source of sheet material and a conversion machine. The conversion machine is configured to receive the sheet material and to form the sheet material into a fill material. The conversion machine further includes a cutting mechanism configured to cut the fill material. The cutting mechanism is configured such that, when cutting the fill material to form two pieces of fill material, uncut portions of the fill material remain between the two pieces of fill material.

Fill material cutting mechanisms and methods

A system for packaging includes a continuous flow wrap machine, a product reader, and a labeling unit. The product reader is configured to sense each product of the series of products transported on the infeed conveyor of the continuous flow wrap machine and to provide detected information for facilitating access to unique product information associated with each sensed product of the series of products. The labeling unit is adapted to apply visual representation of the unique product information to the tube formed in the continuous flow wrap machine while the tube is moving or to the resulting packaged product while the packaged product is moving.

Packaging system

A machine for converting sheet stock material into void fill material comprises an improved, angled inlet chute, an outlet chute, and an internal drive assembly comprising a motor and power transmission system for rotating a plurality of opposed crush wheels that pull the sheet stock from the inlet chute and push the void fill material to the outlet chute in a downstream direction. The internal drive assembly comprises a frame securing a motor and a first power transmission set to rotate a drive axle and a first set of crush wheels. The assembly comprises a subframe securing a driven axle and a second set of crush wheels that are rotated by a second power transmission set. The subframe is pivotably attached to the frame at a pivot point that allows the driven axle to pivot away from the drive axle at least partly in upstream and downstream directions.

Machine and method for producing void fill packaging material

A system for enhanced conveying of flexible packages includes a packaging system (), an inflation system (), and a conveying system (). The packaging system is configured to place an object in a flexible package. The inflation system is configured to insert a gas into the flexible package. The packaging system is further configured to seal an edge of the flexible package in an inflated state with the object and the inserted gas inside the flexible package. The conveying system is configured to convey the flexible package while the flexible package is substantially in the inflated state. The flexible package is configured to permit gas to escape the flexible package at a controlled flow rate such that the flexible package remains substantially in the inflated state while being conveyed by the conveying system and the flexible package transitions to being substantially in a deflated state after being conveyed by the conveying system.

A system () for closing mailers includes a forming funnel () and a fusing device (). The forming funnel includes funneling surfaces that receive an opening of a mailer in an insertion direction () and constrain the opening of the mailer after the opening of the mailer is inserted. The funneling surfaces are arranged to continue constraining the opening of the mailer as the mailer moves in a sliding direction (). The fusing device includes a slot that receives the constrained opening of the mailer from the forming funnel. The fusing device applies pressure and heat to the opening of the mailer as the opening of the mailer moves through the slot. The pressure and the heat applied by the fusing device cause portions of the opening to fuse together to close the mailer.

Forming funnel for constraining cushioned mailers as well as system and method for closing an opening of a mailer

A dispenser () includes a supply structure () and a biasing structure (). The supply structure holds mailers (). A mailer from the mailers includes a first wall and a second wall. The first and second walls are closed at a first side of the mailer, closed at a second side of the mailer, and closed at a closed end of the mailer. The first and second walls are not closed at an open end of the mailer. The mailer is arranged to be dispensed from the supply structure (). The biasing structure () is arranged to engage the mailer as the mailer is dispensed from the supply structure (). The biasing structure () has narrowing surfaces configured to contact the sides of the mailer as the mailer is dispensed. The narrowing surfaces of the biasing structure () are arranged to narrow the open end of the mailer thereby causing the open end to be biased open.

Mailer dispensers

A system includes a forming funnel, a cutting element, and a fusing device. The forming funnel has divergent surfaces arranged to receive a mailer in an insertion direction between the divergent surfaces. The forming funnel includes a slot that constrains the mailer after the mailer is inserted between the divergent surfaces. The cutting element cuts off a portion of the mailer and to forms a cut end of the mailer as the mailer is moved through the slot in a sliding direction. The fusing device applies pressure to an exterior of the cut end of the mailer and applies heat to the cut end of the mailer as the mailer is moved through the slot. The pressure and the heat applied by the fusing device cause portions of the cut end to fuse together to close the mailer.

Size reduction of mailers

A cushion package can be formed around an object. The object can be removed from and reinserted into the cushion package. The cushion package includes a cushion material () having a longitudinal length and two longitudinal edges (). The two longitudinal edges () of the cushion material are folded into an overlapping position to form a tube of the cushion material. The cushion package includes first and second transverse seals () in the tube of the cushion material. The first and second transverse seals () respectively form first and second ends of the cushion package. Each of the first transverse seal and the second transverse seal () seals the cushion material with the two longitudinal edges () in the overlapping position. The two longitudinal edges () of the cushion material are uncoupled between the first transverse seal and the second transverse seal ().

Method and system for forming cushion packages for object protection

A reloading supply system includes a loading cart () and a machine (). The loading cart has a first material tray () that includes a first combed surface () configured to retain a supply material in the first material tray. The machine has a second material tray () that includes a second combed surface () configured to retain the supply material in the second material tray after the supply material is transferred from the first material tray of the loading cart to the second material tray of the machine. Teeth () of the first combed surface are configured to pass by teeth () of the second combed surface. The first combed surface and the second combed surface are configured such that the supply material in the first material tray is transferred to the second material tray as the teeth of the first combed surface pass by the teeth of the second combed surface.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling, MA, United States of America

Thomas P Orsini