Patent ID: 9669596
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: A61F,B31D,B32B,B65D,Y10S,Y10T

Claim:
1. A dunnage conversion machine for converting a sheet stock material into a dunnage product, comprising: a connecting mechanism that connects a first web of sheet stock material to a second web of sheet stock material, where the connecting mechanism includes at least one pair of gears that intermesh to connect the first web of sheet stock material to the second web of sheet stock material, the gears include at least two laterally-spaced segments on opposing sides of an annular recess therebetween, and a stripper bar extends through the annular recess a distance upstream and downstream of the gears to help release the stock material from the gears; a bunching assembly upstream of the feed mechanism that inwardly gathers the sheet stock material to encourage the formation of longitudinally-extending fold lines in the stock material; and a feed mechanism for advancing at least the first web therethrough at a first rate, the connecting mechanism being downstream of the feed mechanism, and the feed mechanism includes at least one pair of rotating members for advancing sheet stock material therebetween, the connecting mechanism (a) retards the advancement of the sheet stock material by passing the sheet stock material therethrough at a second rate that is less than the first rate, thereby causing the first web to randomly crumple in a longitudinal space between the feed mechanism and the connecting mechanism, and (b) connects the crumpled first web to a second web to maintain the crumpled first web in its crumpled state.