LEMBACH, Holly, J. (584 Continental Drive, Sagamore Hills, OH, 44067, US)
CHEICH, Robert, C. (4305 Timber Ridge Dr, Independence, OH, 44131, US)
LEMBACH, Holly, J. (584 Continental Drive, Sagamore Hills, OH, 44067, US)
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for delivering a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material to a splicing location for splicing to trailing end of a preceding supply of sheet stock material upon detection of the trailing end, comprising a conversion assembly for converting a sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product, and a splicing device for splicing a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material to a trailing end of a preceding supply of sheet stock material.
2. A device as set forth in claim 1 , or any other claim, wherein the splicing device includes a clamping member for securing the leading portion in the splicing location.
3. A device as set forth in claim 2, or any other claim, wherein the clamping member includes a biasing element, and wherein the biasing element is configured to bias the leading portion against an opposing surface.
4. A device as set forth in claim 1 , or any other claim, wherein the splicing device includes a roller to which the leading portion can be secured.
5. A device as set forth in claim 1 , or any other claim, wherein the splicing device includes elements for holding leading portions of each of a plurality of plies of sheet stock material at predetermined locations spaced from one another.
6. A cart including the device of claim 1 , or any other claim, with at least one wheel mounted to the support.
7. A device as set forth in claim 1 , or any other claim, wherein the splicing device further comprises an engagement mechanism configured to facilitate automatic engagement and splicing of the leading portion with the trailing portion of a preceding supply of sheet stock material.
8. A device as set forth in claim 7, or any other claim, further comprising a support for at least an upstream supply of sheet stock material and a downstream supply of sheet stock material.
9. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 8, or any other claim, wherein the supports for the upstream and downstream supplies of stock material are arranged in a vertical configuration.
10. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 8, or any other claim, wherein the supports for the upstream and downstream supplies of stock material are arranged in a horizontal configuration.
11. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 8, or any other claim, wherein the supports include shafts for supporting rolls of sheet stock material.
12. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 7, or any other claim, wherein the engagement mechanism includes a press mechanism for pressing together the leading portion with the trailing portion of a preceding supply of sheet stock material.
13. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 7, or any other claim, further comprising an upstream and a downstream supply of sheet stock material, wherein at least one of a leading portion of the stock material from the upstream supply and the trailing portion of the sheet stock material from the downstream supply includes an adhesive for splicing sheets of stock material together.
14. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 7, or any other claim, further comprising an upstream and downstream supply of sheet stock material, wherein a leading portion of the stock material from the upstream supply and the trailing portion of the sheet stock material from the downstream supply include a cohesive on corresponding surfaces thereof for securing the supplies of sheet stock material together.
15. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 1 , or any other claim, wherein at least one of the stock supplies is a roll of sheet material.
16. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 1 , or any other claim, wherein at least one of the stock supplies is a stack of fan-fold stock material.
17. A method of loading a supply of sheet stock material for a dunnage conversion machine, comprising the steps of: loading a supply of sheet stock material onto a support, and locating a leading portion of the sheet stock material in a splicing location with a device configured to hold the leading portion of a supply of sheet stock material at the splicing location.
18. A method as set forth in claim 17, or any other claim, wherein the locating step includes locating leading portions of each of a plurality of plies of sheet stock material in a plurality of respective spaced apart splicing locations.
19. A method as set forth in claim 17, or any other claim, further comprising the step of splicing the leading end of a ply of the supply of sheet stock material to a trailing end of a corresponding ply of a preceding supply of sheet stock material.
20. A method as set forth in claim 17, or any other claim, further comprising the step of feeding sheet stock material from the supply into a conversion machine for conversion into a relatively thicker and less dense dunnage product.
21. A stock supply assembly for providing sheet stock material to a dunnage conversion assembly for conversion into a dunnage product, comprising: a support for a supply of sheet stock material, an accumulating chamber having an inlet for receiving sheet stock material and an outlet spaced from the inlet for sheet stock material to be withdrawn therethrough for conversion by a dunnage conversion machine, and a feed mechanism for feeding sheet stock material from the supply on the support to the accumulating chamber such that a quantity of stock material can be stored in the accumulating chamber, whereby a new supply of stock material can be provided to the support while stock material in the accumulator continues to be supplied to a dunnage conversion machine to consume the stock material.
22. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 21 , or any other claim, wherein the feed mechanism is operable to feed sheet stock material to the accumulating chamber at a rate that is faster than the rate that the stock material is fed out of the accumulating chamber to supply the conversion machine.
23. A method comprising the steps of: feeding sheet stock material from a supply thereof into an accumulating chamber, dispensing sheet stock material from the accumulating chamber to a dunnage conversion machine, and converting the sheet stock material into a dunnage product, wherein the feeding step is faster than the dispensing step, whereby a quantity of dunnage can be stored in the accumulating chamber and dispensed therefrom while the supply of sheet stock material is replenished.
24. A method as set forth in claim 23, or any other claim, further comprising the step of splicing a leading portion of a sheet stock material from an upstream supply to a trailing portion of a sheet stock material from a downstream supply in the accumulating chamber.
25. A stock supply assembly for providing a supply of sheet stock material to a dunnage conversion machine for conversion into a dunnage product, comprising: a support for a supply of sheet stock material, and a feed mechanism for feeding sheet stock material from the supply on the support, wherein the feed mechanism includes a roller for gripping an upper surface of a sheet stock material on the support and advancing the sheet stock material away from the support.
26. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 25, or any other claim, wherein the roller has a surface that provides a high friction interface between the roller and the sheet stock material.
27. A stock supply assembly as set forth in claim 25, or any other claim, wherein the feed mechanism includes a vacuum generator connected to the roller and the roller includes at least one opening therein for drawing the sheet stock material to the roller when the vacuum generator generates a reduced pressure at the opening in the roller.
28. A supply for a dunnage conversion assembly comprises a stack of fan-fold sheet stock material having a plurality of transverse fold lines extending parallel to the width of the stack, and at least one cap that extends over one end of the stack and extends in a widthwise direction over at least a portion of a circumference of the stack.
29. A supply as set forth in claim 28, or any other claim, wherein the at least one cap surrounds at least three sides of the circumference of the stack.
30. A baled stack of sheet stock material for use in a supply of a dunnage conversion assembly, comprising: a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material; at least one cap at least partially surrounding one end of the stack; and at least one bale tie for securing the fan-fold sheet stock material in the stack configuration.
31. A baled stack of sheet stock material as set forth in claim 30, or any other claim, wherein the at least one cap at least surrounds three sides of circumference of the stack.
32. A method of loading a supply of sheet stock material into a dunnage conversion assembly for conversion into a dunnage product, comprising the steps of removing at least one end cap from one end of a stack of fan-fold sheet stock material, feeding a leading portion of the sheet stock material into a dunnage conversion assembly, and converting the sheet stock material into a relatively thicker and less dense dunnage product. |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPLYING STOCK MATERIAL TO A
DUNNAGE CONVERTER
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/056,966, filed May 29, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for converting a stock material into a packaging material and, more particularly, to devices and methods for supplying stock material to a dunnage conversion machine.
Background
Dunnage conversion machines convert a stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product that is useful for packaging applications. Typically, a conversion machine draws stock material from a supply, such as a roll of sheet stock material or a stack of fan-fold sheet stock material, into an upstream end of the machine. The machine converts the stock material into a dunnage product that is relatively less dense than the stock material, and dispenses the dunnage product from its downstream end. Some conversion machines are capable of producing dunnage at very high rates, typically faster than an operator can use the dunnage. Thus, conversion machines typically run intermittently, rather than continuously, to produce dunnage as it is needed. Even though a conversion machine may not run continuously, the intervals between operation can be short, and the conversion machine ideally is always ready to produce dunnage.
As the conversion machine depletes the stock material from the supply, the supply must be replenished. This typically means that the operator must stop the conversion machine while replenishing the supply of stock material making the machine temporarily unavailable to provide dunnage while the supply is replenished.
To replenish a stock supply that includes a roll or fan-fold sheet material, an operator also might need to thread a leading portion of a new supply of stock
material through the conversion machine. Methods of splicing a leading portion of a new stock supply to the trailing portion of a nearly depleted stock supply have been developed to eliminate or reduce the need to thread the leading portion of the new stock supply through the conversion machine, but still generally result in machine downtime as the operator splices the supplies together.
Summary
The present invention provides improved methods and devices for supplying a stock material to a conversion machine to further minimize the time a conversion assembly is offline for loading a new supply of sheet stock material.
An exemplary dunnage conversion system includes a conversion assembly for converting a sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product, and a splicing device for splicing a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material to a trailing end of a preceding supply of sheet stock material.
The splicing device can include a clamping member for securing the leading portion in the splicing location. The clamping member can include a biasing element configured to bias the leading portion against an opposing surface. The splicing device also can include a roller with which the leading portion of the at least one ply can be secured. The splicing location can be spaced from the support for the supply of sheet stock material.
By holding the leading portion in a consistent splicing location, the splicing device can facilitate automatic engagement and splicing of one or more plies of the sheet stock material with a trailing portion of a corresponding ply of a preceding supply of sheet stock material. The splicing device can include elements for holding leading portions of each of a plurality of plies of sheet stock material. The stand can be part of a cart that has at least one wheel mounted to the support.
An exemplary method of loading a supply of sheet stock material for a dunnage conversion assembly includes the steps of (i) loading a supply of sheet
stock material onto a support, and (ii) locating a leading portion of the sheet stock material in a splicing location with a device configured to hold the leading portion of a supply of sheet stock material at the splicing location. The locating step can include locating leading portions of each of a plurality of plies of sheet stock material in a plurality of respective spaced-apart splicing locations.
The method can further include the step of splicing the leading end of a ply of the supply of sheet stock material to a trailing end of a corresponding ply of a preceding supply of sheet stock material. The method can also include the step of feeding sheet stock material from the supply into a conversion machine for conversion into a relatively thicker and less dense dunnage product.
An exemplary stock supply assembly in accordance with the invention includes a support for at least an upstream supply of sheet stock material and a downstream supply of sheet stock material, and an engagement mechanism positioned to engage a leading portion of the sheet stock material from the upstream supply and secure it to sheet stock material from the downstream supply. The engagement mechanism can include a press mechanism for pressing together the leading portion of the sheet stock material from the upstream supply with the trailing portion of sheet stock material from the downstream supply. The supports for the upstream and downstream supplies of stock material can be arranged in a vertical or horizontal configuration, and can include shafts for supporting rolls of sheet stock material. The stock supply assembly can further include an upstream and a downstream supply of sheet stock material, wherein at least one of a leading portion of the stock material from the upstream supply and the trailing portion of the sheet stock material from the downstream supply includes an adhesive for splicing sheets of stock material together. Alternatively, a leading portion of the stock material from the upstream supply and the trailing portion of the sheet stock material from the downstream supply can include a cohesive on corresponding surfaces thereof for securing the supplies of sheet stock material together. The stock supplies can include a roll of sheet material or a stack of fan-fold stock material.
Another exemplary stock supply assembly in accordance with the invention includes a support for a supply of sheet stock material, an accumulating chamber having an inlet for receiving sheet stock material and an outlet spaced from the inlet for sheet stock material to be withdrawn therethrough for consumption by a dunnage conversion machine, and a feed mechanism for feeding sheet stock material from the supply on the support to the accumulating chamber such that a quantity of stock material can be stored in the accumulating chamber. A new supply of stock material can be provided to the support while stock material in the accumulator continues to be supplied to a dunnage conversion machine for conversion into a dunnage product. The feed mechanism can be operable to feed sheet stock material to the accumulating chamber at a rate that is faster than the rate that the stock material is fed out of the accumulating chamber to supply the conversion machine. The assembly also can include a guide member for guiding a leading edge of the stock material to the outlet.
An exemplary method includes the steps of (i) feeding sheet stock material from a supply thereof into an accumulating chamber, (ii) dispensing sheet stock material from the accumulating chamber to a dunnage conversion machine, and (iii) converting the sheet stock material into a dunnage product. The feeding step is faster than the dispensing step, whereby a quantity of dunnage can be stored in the accumulating chamber and dispensed therefrom even while the supply of sheet stock material is replenished. The method can further include the step of splicing a leading portion of a sheet stock material from an upstream supply to a trailing portion of a sheet stock material from a downstream supply in the accumulating chamber.
Another exemplary stock supply assembly includes a support for a supply of sheet stock material, and a vacuum feed mechanism for feeding sheet stock material from the supply on the support. The feed mechanism can include a roller for gripping an upper surface of a sheet stock material on the support and advancing the sheet stock material away from the support. The roller can have a surface that provides a high friction interface between the roller and the sheet stock material. The feed mechanism can include a vacuum generator
connected to the roller and the roller can include at least one opening therein for drawing the sheet stock material to the roller when the vacuum generator generates a reduced pressure at the opening in the roller.
An exemplary stack of fan-fold sheet stock material for the supply has a plurality of transverse fold lines extending parallel to the width of the stack, and at least one cap that extends over one end of the stack and extends in a widthwise direction over at least a portion of a circumference of the stack. The at least one cap can surround at least three sides of the circumference of the stack. An exemplary baled stack of sheet stock material for use in the supply for a dunnage conversion assembly includes a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material, at least one cap at least partially surrounding one end of the stack, and at least one bale tie for securing the fan-fold sheet stock material in the stack configuration. The at least one cap can surround at least three sides of the circumference of the stack.
An exemplary method of loading such a supply of sheet stock material into a dunnage conversion assembly in accordance with the invention includes the steps of (i) removing at least one end cap from one end of a stack of fan-fold sheet stock material, (ii) feeding a leading portion of the sheet stock material into a dunnage conversion machine, and (iii) converting the sheet stock material into a relatively thicker and less dense dunnage product.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that set forth exemplary embodiments illustrating a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary dunnage converter system including a converter assembly and a stock supply in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary stock supply that can be used in the system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of another exemplary stock supply that can be used in the system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of yet another exemplary stock supply that can be used in the system of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of still another exemplary stock supply that can be used in the system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of another exemplary dunnage system in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary stand in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of exemplary splicing device in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary dunnage system including a plurality of stock supplies arranged in a horizontal configuration. FIG. 10 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary dunnage system including a plurality of stock supplies arranged in a vertical configuration.
FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of another exemplary dunnage system in accordance with the invention including a stock supply, an accumulator, and a converter.
FIGS. 13-15 are schematic illustrations of the accumulator of FIG. 12 with varying amounts of sheet stock material stored therein.
FIG. 16 is an exemplary dunnage system in accordance with the invention including a stock supply, a vacuum roller, and a converter. FIG. 17 is another schematic illustration of an exemplary dunnage system in accordance with the invention including a stock supply, a vacuum roller, and a converter.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an exemplary stack of stock material in accordance with the invention. FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the stack of stock material of FIG. 18.
FIG. 20 is a front elevational view of the stock material of FIG. 18.
Detailed Description
The present invention provides improved methods and devices for supplying a stock material to a conversion machine or assembly to minimize the time a conversion machine or assembly is offline while loading a new supply of sheet stock material. Splicing Device
Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 , a dunnage system 30 provided in accordance with the present invention includes a supply of sheet stock material 32, a splicing device 33 for holding each ply of stock material in a repeatable holding location, and a dunnage conversion assembly 34, also referred to as or included in a conversion machine or a converter. The converter 34 converts stock material 36 provided by the supply 32 into a relatively thicker and less dense dunnage product 38. The converter 34 can be any suitable type of converter for converting a sheet stock material into a dunnage product. For example, the converter may include any one of the converters shown and described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,676,589 and 6,918,489, and U.S. Patent Application No. 11/184,354, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The supply of stock material 32 can include a roll or a stack of either single-ply or multi-ply sheet stock material depending on a particular application and/or the capabilities of the converter. FIGS. 2-5 illustrate various supplies of stock material 32 that can be used with a converter. In FIG. 2, the supply 32 includes a stack 40 of fan-fold sheet stock material. The stack 40 of sheet stock material is a multi-ply stack and has three plies 42A, 42B, and 42C that can be separated from each other and fed separately to a suitable converter for conversion into a dunnage product. In FIG. 3, in lieu of the multi-ply stack 40 of fan-fold stock material shown in FIG. 2, three separate single-ply stacks 43A, 43B, and 43C of stock material are provided within the supply 32 for feeding three separate continuous sheets of stock material to a converter. In FIG. 4, the stock supply 32 includes a multi-ply roll 44 of sheet stock material having three plies 42A, 42B, 42C. As with the multi-ply stack 42 described above, the three
plies 42A, 42B and 42C can be separated from each other and fed separately to a converter. FIG. 5 illustrates a stock supply 32 having three single-ply rolls 46A, 46B, and 46C of stock material for feeding three separate continuous sheets of stock material to a converter. The stock supplies 32 in each of FIGS. 2-5 provide three individual sheets or plies of sheet stock material, although any suitable number of sheets or plies could be provided as desired or necessary. Turning to FIG. 6, a supply 32, which can include any of the supplies 32 illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, for example, is illustrated in a dunnage system 30 supplying individual plies or sheets of stock material 42A, 42B, and 42C via rollers 5OA, 5OB, and 5OC to converter 36 for conversion into a multi-ply dunnage product 38. The system 30 includes a splicing device 33 for holding each ply of stock material in a repeatable holding location, as described in more detail below. As will be appreciated, upon depletion of the stock supply 32 presently being fed to the converter 36, hereinafter referred to as the active stock supply, a user typically will splice a new stock supply 32 to the trailing end of the active stock supply 32.
In addition to the stock material itself, the supply 32 can include a support therefor, such as the stand 54 shown in FIG. 7. The stand 54 includes a base 56 and at least one upright member 58. The stand 54 also has one or more wheels 60 to facilitate moving the stand 54 or cart into position for splicing the new stock supply.
Upright member 58 extends from the base 56 and supports the splicing device 33. The splicing device 33 is configured to hold a leading portion L of each ply or sheet of stock material in a consistent and repeatable splicing location for splicing to a trailing portion of a preceding active stock supply. In the illustrated embodiment, three sheets or plies 42A, 42B, and 42C are shown. As will be appreciated, however, the splicing device 33 can be configured to accommodate any number of sheets or plies.
The illustrated splicing device 33 holds a leading portion L of each of the three plies or sheets 42A, 42B, and 42C of stock material in a spaced-apart configuration such that each ply or sheet is in a position to be readily grasped. For example, by holding the leading edge L of the plies or sheets in a spaced-
apart configuration, an operator can more quickly and easily grasp each ply or sheet and splice it to the trailing end of the active stock supply than if the operator had to first separate each ply or sheet. Thus, an operator can splice a new supply to a trailing supply more quickly and with less machine downtime. Additionally, providing the leading ends L of the multi-ply sheet stock material in a consistent location, the splicing device 33 can facilitate automatic engagement and feeding of the stock material into the converter.
Turning to FIG. 8, an exemplary splicing device 33 includes a plurality of elements 7OA, 7OB, and 7OC configured to hold respective plies or sheets of sheet stock material in a consistent splicing location, as illustrated. Each element 7OA, 7OB, and 7OC includes a clamping member 72A, 72B, and 72C configured to clamp a respective ply or sheet 42A, 42B, and 42C against a respective roller 74A, 74B, and 74C. Each clamping member 72A, 72B, and 72C can be biased against a respective roller 74A, 74B, and 74C, by a biasing element 76A, 76B, and 76C, such as a spring.
As will be appreciated, holding the plies or sheets of stock material in a consistent splicing location can be accomplished in other ways. For example, adhesives strips on the leading edge of each ply or sheet 42A, 42B, and 42C can be provided for adhering the sheet to a respective roller 74A, 74B, and 76C, or other surface of the splicing device 33. As further examples, rollers 74A, 74B, and 76C could be provided with vacuum ports for applying suction to hold the stock material, or the rollers 74A, 74B, and 76C and/or the stock material could be electrically charged to create an attraction therebetween.
In FIGS. 9-11 , a dunnage system 100 includes another exemplary splicing device 33 for splicing together respective ends of a plurality of supplies of sheet stock material 32. A leading edge of each supply of sheet stock material 32 is associated with the splicing device 33 that functions to splice a leading end of a new supply to a trailing end of a preceding spent supply.
For example, the system shown in FIG. 9 includes a plurality of sheet stock material supplies 32 supported by respective stands 84. Stock material from the first stock material supply 32 (active supply) is fed to the converter 36. The leading portions L of the remaining two stock supplies 32 are associated
with the splicing device 33 for splicing to the trailing end of a preceding active stock supply. In this embodiment, the splicing device 33 includes a linear actuator 106 having a plunger 108 configured to force the leading portions L of the stock supply against a press plate 110 to thereby splice a leading portion L of an upstream stock supply to a trailing portion T of a downstream active stock supply. Suitable sensing mechanisms can be provided for sensing when the active stock material supply is nearly depleted and for triggering actuation of the splicing device 33 to splice a leading portion L of an upstream stock supply to the trailing portion T of the nearly-depleted active stock supply. One manner of securing a leading portion L of an upstream supply of stock material to a trailing portion T of a downstream supply of stock material is by providing an adhesive or a cohesive on respective ends of the stock materials to be spliced together. For example, in FIG. 10, a trailing portion T of the downstream stock supply is provided with a cohesive coating 112 on its upper surface. A leading portion L of an upstream stock supply is provided with a cohesive coating 112 on its bottom surface. When the leading portion L and trailing portion T are pressed together by the linear actuator 106, the cohesive on the corresponding surfaces of the respective leading and trailing portions of stock material will bond together thereby splicing the downstream supply with the upstream supply.
As will be appreciated, the leading portion L of the third stock supply, although provided with a cohesive material thereon, will not bond to the second stock supply because there is no cohesive material on the corresponding surface of the leading portion L of the second stock supply. When the second stock supply nears depletion, however, a cohesive coating on the upper surface of the trailing end thereof will be exposed. Accordingly, the linear actuator can then be actuated to press the leading portion L of the third stock supply against the trailing portion T of the second stock supply to thereby splice the stock supplies together. Any number of stock supplies can be provided and their leading portions can be registered with the linear actuator with the splicing device 102. Further,
other means of splicing the stock material supplies together can be used, such as stitching the stock supplies together and/or using an adhesive, for example. As an alternative to the horizontal arrangement of stock supplies in FIG. 9, a vertical arrangement is shown in FIG. 11. The dunnage system 100 of FIG. 11 is identical to the dunnage system 100 of FIG. 9 except that the stock supplies 32 are oriented in a vertical configuration. This configuration has a smaller footprint and thus saves floor space. Accumulator
In FIGS. 12-15, another exemplary dunnage conversion system 178 provided by the present invention employs an accumulator 180 to prevent or minimize converter downtime while reloading the stock material supply. As in the preceding embodiment, the dunnage conversion system 178 includes a stock material supply 132 that supplies a stock material to a converter 134 to produce a dunnage product 138. The stock material supply 132 includes the accumulator 180 which receives sheet stock material and provides it to the converter 134 as needed. The accumulator 180 also is configured to accumulate and/or store a quantity of sheet stock material therein such that a new source of stock material can be provided while stock material in the accumulator 180 continues to supply the converter 36. With reference to FIG. 13, an exemplary accumulator 180 generally includes an accumulating chamber 182 in which a quantity of sheet stock material can be stored prior to being supplied to the converter 134. The sheet stock material is fed into the accumulator 180 via in-feed rollers 186, exits an outlet 190 of the accumulator 180, and is fed via outlet roller 192 to the converter (not shown). In order to accumulate stock material in the chamber 182, the in-feed rollers 186 feed the stock material into the chamber 182 at a rate that is faster than the rate at which the stock material is supplied to the converter via the outlet 190. The sheet stock material supply 132 in the illustrated embodiment includes a roll of sheet stock material supported on a stand 184, however, other types of supplies can be used.
The stock material 136 in FIG. 13 is shown in a preliminary configuration extending generally directly between an inlet 194 to the accumulating chamber
182 and the outlet 190. This configuration corresponds to an initial state of the accumulator when the stock material has not yet accumulated in the accumulating chamber 182.
In FIG. 14, stock material has accumulated in the accumulating chamber 182, which as mentioned, can be achieved by operating the in-feed rollers 186 at a rate faster than the rate at which the stock material exits the outlet 190. Depending on the capacity of the accumulating chamber 182, an entire roll (or stack) of stock material may be advanced into the accumulating chamber by the in-feed rollers 186. As will be appreciated, stock material can accumulate in the accumulating chamber 182 regardless of whether stock material also is being discharged to the converter.
As the stock material is drawn from the supply 132 and the roll is depleted (e.g., the active stock supply is nearing depletion), the in-feed rollers 186 can be stopped such that the trailing end of the active supply of sheet of stock material is generally stationary to facilitate splicing a new supply of stock material. Meanwhile, stock material can continue to be discharged via outlet 190 to the converter so long as there is sufficient accumulated sheet stock material within the accumulating chamber 182.
As shown in FIG. 15, while the trailing end T of the active supply of sheet stock material is in a generally stationary position, a leading end L of a new supply of stock material can be spliced thereto. For example, a new roll of stock material can be positioned on the stand 184 and an operator can secure the leading end L of the succeeding fresh roll to the trailing end T of the active supply of stock material extending from the accumulator 180. Accordingly, the accumulator 180 facilitates splicing a new supply of sheet stock material, such as a roll or stack of sheet stock material, to a preceding supply of sheet stock material without the need to cease operation of the converter. As such, and unlike conventional dunnage systems, the accumulator 80 provides for continuous operation of the converter without the need to take the converter offline to splice a new supply of sheet stock material. This can result in increased efficiency and operator productivity. Vacuum Roller
As shown in FIG. 16, yet another system provided in accordance with the invention uses a vacuum roller to pull sheets of stock material from a supply. The dunnage system 213 includes a supply of stock material 232, a vacuum roller 214, and a converter 234. The vacuum roller 214 is operative to advance a sheet of stock material from the supply 232 to the converter 234 for conversion into a strip of dunnage 238.
One example of a vacuum roller is illustrated in FIG. 17. The vacuum roller 214 has a plurality of axially extending passages or slits 216 on its outer circumference. The vacuum roller 214 is connected to a vacuum source 218 for developing a negative pressure or suction at the opening of the slits 216. The suction developed by the vacuum source 218 draws the sheet of stock material towards the roller, and friction between the sheet stock material and the surface of the roller retains the sheet stock material such that when the vacuum roller 214 is rotated, the sheet stock material is advanced to the converter 234. A cooperating roller (not shown) also can be provided. Bound Stack
With reference to FIGS. 18-20, a stack of fan-fold sheet stock material, generally indicated by reference numeral 320, includes end caps 326 that extend over the ends of the stack and in a width wise direction over at least a portion of a circumference of the stack. The sheet stock material has a plurality of transverse fold lines extending parallel to the width of the stack, and a bale tie 330 secures the fan-fold sheet stock material in the stack configuration. The end caps generally maintain the integrity of the edge portions of the stack of sheet stock material. An exemplary method of loading such a supply of sheet stock material into a dunnage conversion machine in accordance with the invention includes the steps of (i) removing at least one end cap from one end of a stack of fan-fold sheet stock material, (ii) feeding a leading portion of the sheet stock material into a dunnage conversion machine, and (iii) converting the sheet stock material into a relatively thicker and less dense dunnage product.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiments, equivalent alterations and modifications will
occur to others skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described integers (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a "means") used to describe such integers are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any integer that performs the specified function of the described integer (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.