Patent ID: 6783489
Filing Date: 2004-08-31
Classification: B31D,Y10S

Abstract:
A cushioning conversion machine for making a cushioning product by converting an essentially two-dimensional web of sheet stock material of at least one ply into a three-dimensional cushioning product, comprising:a housing through which the stock material passes along a path; and a feeding/connecting assembly which advances the stock material from a source thereof along said path, crumples the stock material, and connects the crumpled stock material to produce a strip of cushioning, said feeding/connecting assembly including: upstream and downstream feeding components disposed along said path of the stock material through said housing, the upstream feeding component being driven to advance the stock material toward the downstream component at a rate faster than the stock material can pass from the downstream component to effect crumpling of the stock material therebetween to form the strip of cushioning; and an adjustable speed control mechanism for varying the ratio of the feeding speeds of the upstream and downstream feeding components, whereby a characteristic of the strip of cushioning can be varied; wherein said adjustable speed control further comprises a control member outside said housing for enabling selective operator adjustment of the speed ratio, whereby the density of the strip of cushioning may be varied.