Abstract:
A safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end and an output end, the input end including an opening for receiving a flexible cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine; and a plurality of rollers situated inside the chute, the rollers being oriented such that the flexible cushioning product must follow a non-linear path from the input end of the chute to the output end of the chute. Other embodiments of a safety output chute are also disclosed.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/US97/11515, filed Jun. 30, 1997, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/673,307, filed Jun. 28, 1996. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to a safety device and, more particularly, to a safety device for protecting the hands of an operator of a cushion conversion machine during a cutting operation. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the process of shipping an item from one location to another, a protective packaging material is typically placed in the shipping case, or box, to fill any voids and/or to cushion the item during the shipping process. Some conventional protective packaging materials are plastic foam peanuts and plastic bubble pack. While these conventional plastic materials seem to perform adequately as cushioning products, they are not without disadvantages. Perhaps the most serious drawback of plastic bubble wrap and/or plastic foam peanuts is their effect on our environment. Quite simply, these plastic packaging materials are not biodegradable and thus they cannot avoid further multiplying our planet&#39;s already critical waste disposal problems. The non-biodegradability of these packaging materials has become increasingly important in light of many industries adopting more progressive policies in terms of environmental responsibility. 
     The foregoing and other disadvantages of conventional plastic packaging materials have made paper protective packaging material a very popular alternative. Paper is biodegradable, recyclable and renewable, making it an environmentally responsible choice for conscientious industries. Furthermore, paper protective dunnage material is particularly advantageous for use with particle-sensitive merchandise, as its clean, dust-free surface is resistant to electrostatic buildup. 
     While paper in sheet form could possibly be used as a protective packaging material, it is usually preferable to convert the sheets of paper into a pad-like or other relatively low density dunnage product. This conversion may be accomplished by a cushioning conversion machine, such as those disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,968,291 and 5,123,889. The therein disclosed cushioning conversion machines convert sheet-like stock material, such as paper in multi-ply form, into a pad-like dunnage product having longitudinally extending pillow-like portions that are connected together along a stitched central portion of the product. The stock material preferably consists of two or three superimposed webs or layers of biodegradable, recyclable and reusable thirty-pound Kraft paper or the like rolled onto a hollow cylindrical tube. A thirty-inch wide roll of this paper, which is approximately 450 feet long, will weigh about 35 pounds and will provide cushioning equal to approximately four fifteen cubic foot bags of plastic foam peanuts while at the same time requiring less than one-thirtieth the storage space. 
     Specifically, these machines convert the stock material into a continuous strip having lateral pillow-like portions separated by a thin central band. This strip is connected or coined along the central band to form a coined strip which is severed or cut into sections of a desired length. The cut sections each include lateral pillow-like portions separated by a thin central band and provide an excellent relatively low density pad-like product which may be used in place of conventional plastic protective packaging material. 
     As a result of the thickness of the strip produced by a cushioning conversion machine, such as those described above, the severing or cutting action must often be quite forceful, for example, employing a heavy and relatively sharp, driven blade or blade surfaces to adequately cut the strip into sections of the desired length. The timing and frequency of the cuts is often variable and often the end product emanates from the cushion conversion machine at a fairly rapid rate. This, coupled with the additional fact that the paper may sometimes become jammed in the cutting mechanism and output of the machine, make the cutting mechanism and operation an area of safety concern for a cushioning conversion machine. 
     While many present cushioning conversion machines include a plurality of safety features to protect the hands of an operator during a cutting operation, such as, for example, the use of multiple, spaced anti-tie down switches, electrical interlocks, etc., it is always desirable to provide cushion conversion machines with even additional or substitute safety devices to further assure operator safety. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for improved safety when using cushion conversion machines. Such improved safety is achieved by preventing an operator&#39;s body parts (generally fingers, hands and arms) from coming into contact with the moving cutting blade or blades of a cushioning conversion machine as the operator collects the output from the machine. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end and an output end, the input end including an opening for receiving a flexible cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine and a plurality of rollers situated inside the chute, the rollers being oriented such that the flexible cushioning product must follow a non-linear path from the input end of the chute to the output end of the chute to inhibit access to the input end of the chute from the output end thereof. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end and an output end, the input end including an opening for receiving a cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine, and a rotating assembly disposed within the chute including a plurality of radially extending vanes for contacting the cushioning product and rotating to permit movement of the cushioning product through the chute while inhibiting access to the input end of the chute from the output end thereof. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end and an output end, the input end including an opening for receiving a cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine, and a sensor for sensing the presence of a foreign object in the output chute and generating a signal for communication to the cushioning conversion machine in accordance with such sensing. 
     In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end and an output end, the input end including an opening for receiving a cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine, a shield disposed within the chute having an open position and a closed position, an actuator mechanism for moving the shield between open and closed positions, and a switch for detecting whether the shield is in the open or closed position or an improper position indicating the presence of a foreign object in the chute in addition to the cushioning product. 
     In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, a safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end including an opening for receiving a cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine, the chute including a hinged cover, and a sliding door for selectively blocking the opening when the cover is open and permitting passage through the opening when the cover is closed. 
     In accordance with an even further aspect of the invention, a safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end and an output end, the input end including an opening for receiving a flexible cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine; and a plurality of axially spaced hinged elements substantially preventing ingress though the chute from the output end towards the input end. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end and an output end, the input end including an opening for receiving a cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine; a shield partially within the chute having an open position and a closed position, the chute extending outside of the chute to contact and to deflect the cushioning product outside of the chute when in the closed position; and an actuating mechanism for moving the shield between the open and closed positions. 
     In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a safety output chute for a cushioning conversion machine includes a chute having an input end and an output end, the input end including an opening for receiving a cushioning product from an outlet of the cushioning conversion machine, a shield disposed within the chute having an open position and a closed position, the shield adapted to contact the cushioning product generally along a reduced portion of its surface when in a closed position, and an actuating mechanism for moving the shield between the open and closed positions. The aforementioned features and other aspects of the present invention are described in more detail in the detailed description and the accompanying drawings which follow. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of a cushioning conversion machine including a safety output chute including a rotating vane assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational of the cushioning conversion machine and the safety output chute of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is front elevational view of the safety output chute looking into the opening of the chute; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial top view of an alternate embodiment of the rotating vane assembly including axially continuous vanes; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial top view of a cushioning conversion machine and the rotating vane assembly powered by the cushioning conversion machine; 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of a cushioning conversion machine and an alternate embodiment of a safety output chute including an output sensor; 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the safety output chute of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a top view of a cushioning conversion machine and an alternate embodiment of a safety output chute including a labyrinth of rollers; 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the cushioning conversion machine and safety output chute of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the safety output chute of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of an alternate embodiment of a safety output chute including a movable shield; 
     FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the safety output chute of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is a top view of a cushioning conversion machine employing an alternate embodiment of a safety output chute having an access cover; 
     FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the cushioning conversion machine and safety output chute of FIG. 13; 
     FIGS. 15 and 16 are end views of the closure assembly in a closed position and an open position, respectively, for the safety output chute of FIG. 13; 
     FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of a cushioning conversion machine in an alternate embodiment of a safety output chute having an access cover; 
     FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of a cushioning conversion machine and safety output chute of FIG. 17; 
     FIGS. 19 and 20 are views of a closure assembly with the access cover of the safety output chute closed and open, respectively; 
     FIG. 21 is a cutaway elevation view of a safety output chute according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 22 is a cutaway top view of the safety output chute of FIG. 21; 
     FIG. 23 is a close-up view of the flaps which constitute a part of the chute guide for a safety output chute; 
     FIG. 24 is a cutaway elevation view of the safety output chute of FIG. 21 with a cushioning product in the chute; 
     FIG. 25 is a cutaway elevation view of the safety chute of FIG. 21 with the top tray elevated; 
     FIG. 26 is a partial cross-sectional view of a safety output chute with a powered chute guard in a closed position; 
     FIG. 27 is a partial cross-sectional view of the safety output chute of FIG. 26 with the powered chute guard in an open position; 
     FIG. 28 is an alternate embodiment of a safety output chute with a powered chute guard; and 
     FIG. 29 is a further alternate embodiment of a safety output chute with a powered chute guard. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a cushioning conversion machine  10  for creating low density cushioning pads including a safety output chute  12  located at the downstream end  14  of the machine for providing the pads formed by the cushioning machine to an operator in a safe and effective manner. 
     The machine  10  includes a frame  16  to which are mounted a supply assembly  18  at the upstream end  20  of the frame for supplying stock material to be converted into a cushioning product, a conversion assembly  22  for converting the stock material into a continuous strip of cushioning product and a severing or cutting assembly  24  located generally between the conversion assembly and the safety output chute  12  at the downstream end  14  of the frame for severing the strip into cushioning pads of the desired length. (The terms “upstream” and “downstream” in this context are characteristic of the direction of flow of the stock material through the machine  10 .) 
     The stock supply assembly  18  preferably includes a shaft or axle  28  for supporting a roll of sheet like stock material (not shown) and a number of rollers  30  for providing the stock material to the conversion assembly  22 . The stock material may consist of three superimposed webs of biodegradable, recyclable and reusable thirty-pound Kraft paper or the like rolled onto a hollow cylindrical tube. The conversion assembly  22  includes a forming assembly  32 , such as a cooperating three-dimensional wire former  34  and converging chute  36  as is shown in FIG. 1, and a feed assembly  38  including a pair of gears  40  for pulling the stock material through the forming assembly and feeding it through an outlet  42  to the severing or cutting assembly  24  and the safety chute  12 . The cutting assembly  24  is positioned adjacent the machine outlet  42  and may include one or more blades  44  or other means acting to sever the continuous strip of padding emerging from the outlet at the appropriate times. The cutting assembly  24  further includes a motor, air cylinder or solenoid  46  powering the blade  44  or other severing means through a shaft linkage assembly  50 . The area of the cutting operation is confined within an enclosure  52  mounted to an upstanding frame portion  54  including the machine outlet  42  and supported upon a frame extension  56 . 
     Control of the cushioning conversion machine  10  in general and of the conversion assembly  22  and cutting assembly  24  in particular is preferably accomplished and coordinated through the use of a process controller (shown schematically at  51 ) as described more fully in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/279,149 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. The process controller  51  may communicate with the various elements and assemblies of the cushioning conversion machine  10  and peripheral components through a variety of conventional manners as would be understood by a person of skill in the art and such interconnections are thus not specifically illustrated in the drawing figures. A further description of the exemplary cushioning conversion machine  10  can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,609, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. 
     During operation of the machine  10 , the stock supply assembly  18  supplies the stock material to the forming assembly  32 . The frame structure  34  and conical chute  36  of the forming assembly  32  causes inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material to form the lateral pillow-like portions of the continuous strip. The gears  40  of the feed assembly  38  pull the stock material downstream through the machine and also coin the central band of the continuous strip to form the coined strip. As the coined strip travels downstream from the feed assembly  38 , the cutting assembly  24  cuts the strip into pads of a desired length which then travel through the safety output chute  12  for collection by an operator. 
     The safety output chute  12 , with additional reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, is defined by housing  58 , generally rectangular in cross-section, open to receive a pad as it passes through the cutting assembly  24  and extending away from the cutting assembly in a downstream direction. The housing  58  is connected to the cutting assembly enclosure  52  and is supported by the frame extension  56 . Disposed within the housing  58  is a rotatable, multivaned assembly  60  formed of a number of vanes or blades  62  extending radially from a shaft  64  which traverses laterally the rectangular chute defined within the housing  58 . The shaft  64  is rotatably mounted to opposed sidewalls  66  of the housing  58  and is spaced from the bottom wall  68  in order to accommodate a pad  70  in a somewhat compressed condition between the vane  62  and bottom wall  68 . 
     The vane  62  may be discontinuous axially along the shaft  64  in the form of discreet, spaced vane portion  72 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, or as axially continuous vanes  74 , as is shown in FIG.  4 . Also disposed within the housing  58  between the cutting assembly enclosure  52  and the vane assembly  60  is a deflector panel  76  extending from the upper, upstream portion of the housing downwardly and downstream to the space  77  (FIG. 4) between the vane assembly  60  and the bottom wall  68  to direct a pad between the bottom wall and the vane assembly. The deflector panel  76  is preferably mounted at its upper distal end to the top wall  78  by a hinge  80  and biased downwardly. In operation, a pad  70  emerging through the cutting assembly  24  and progressing through the safety output chute  12  will be directed under the vane assembly  62  by the deflector panel  76 , with the emanating pad thus turning the vane assembly as the pad is forced through the safety output chute. Consequently, the pad  70  can be directed through the safety output chute  12  to an operator while preventing the ingress of a hand past the vane assembly  62 . The pad is preferably compressed by the vane assembly  60  to a thickness such that access is limited toward the cutting assembly  24 , yet which still allows the pad to resiliently expand to substantially its original uncompressed size. The space  77  between the vane assembly  60  and the bottom wall  68  and the distance from the space to the cutting assembly  24  is preferably correlated such that access to the cutting assembly is limited by the combined effects of the narrow space  77  and its distance to the cutting assembly located upstream thereof. 
     In some embodiments, the shaft  64  may extend through an end wall  66  of the housing  58  for connection to a knob  82 , as is shown in FIG. 4, to permit the manual rotation of the vane assembly. This permits an operator to urge a pad  70  through the safety output chute  12  by rotation of the knob  82 . This is particularly advantageous where short sections of pad  70  are cut which may not extend through the output chute  12  through normal operation of the machine. 
     The rotation of the vane assembly  62  may also be powered, such as is shown in FIG. 5, by extending the shaft  64  through the end wall  66  for connection to a sprocket  84 . The sprocket  84  is powered by a connection to the feed assembly  38  through the chain  86 . The chain  86  is enmeshed with sprocket  84  of the safety output chute  12  and sprocket  88  connected to the shaft  90  which drives the gears  40  of the feed assembly  38 . Consequently, when the conversion assembly  22  (FIG. 1) is producing a pad, as caused by the rotation of the gears  40 , the vane assembly  62  will also be rotating to urge the formed pad  70  (FIG. 2) through the safety output chute  12  to the operator. 
     A safety output chute  100  employing a sensor for sensing the presence of a foreign object, such as the hand of an operator, etc., is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 in conjunction with an exemplary cushioning conversion machine  10 . The output chute  100  includes a housing generally rectangular in cross-section which is connected to the cutting assembly enclosure  52  and supported by the frame extension  56 . The housing  102  defines a chute through which the pad formed by the cushioning conversion assembly  22  travels to an operator through an opening  104 . Positioned near the opening  104  of the housing  102 , on a side wall thereof, is a sensor  106  for sensing the presence of an object within the chute defined by the housing. The sensor  106  preferably has sensing access within the housing  102  through a port or access opening  108 . The sensor  106  may be any one of a number of conventional sensors for sensing the presence of a foreign object, such as an infrared heat sensor or a capacitance sensor, and generating a signal responsive to the absence or presence of such a foreign object, such as a human appendage, for example a hand or fingers, in the housing  102  near the sensor. Preferably the sensor  106  is capable of discriminating between a pad and a foreign object such as the hand of the operator. An infrared sensor, for example, could discriminate based on the heat as a hand or fingers would give off more heat than a pad. A capacitance sensor would discriminate based on the capacitance in the chute as the capacitance of a hand or fingers, for example, is different and distinguishable from the capacitance of a pad. 
     The signal generated by the sensor  106  is provided through conventional means to the process controller which is programmed to prevent the operation of the cutting assembly  24 , such as through disabling the motor  46  of the cutting assembly  24 , when an object is in the housing  102  as sensed by the sensor  106 . Alternatively, the signal generated by the sensor  106  can be routed to a circuit dedicated to enabling or disabling the motor  46  powering the cutting assembly  24 . 
     A labyrinth-like safety output chute  120  is shown in FIGS. 8 through 10 in conjunction with an exemplary cushioning conversion machine  122 . The cushioning conversion machine  122  is similar in design to that described above relative to FIG. 1, and is more comprehensively described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,477, for instance, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. (Reference numerals for assemblies of the cushioning conversion machine  122  which perform the same general functions as assemblies of the cushioning conversion machine  10  are designated by the same primed numbers.) It should be understood that the labyrinth output chute  120  may be equally employed with a cushioning conversion machine of the type depicted in FIG. 1 or a cushioning machine of a different type and that the safety output chutes  12  and  100  could be employed with the exemplary cushioning conversion machine  122  of FIG. 8 or other cushioning conversion machines not illustrated or discussed herein. 
     The labyrinth safety output chute  120  acts to prevent the ingress of the hand of an operator to the blade  44 ′ of the cutting assembly  24 ′ by requiring the pad to progress through the chute along a path, such as a generally tortuous, non-linear or undulating path, that the hand and arm of an operator could not traverse. The labyrinth output chute  120  includes a housing  124  mounted to an enclosure  52 ′ substantially enclosing cutting operation of the cutting assembly  24 ′, the housing defining a chute for a pad to travel though from the cutting assembly to the point of an operator or other transitional or pad storage area. The housing  124  may be of a constant cross-section or the housing may diverge in the downstream direction as shown in FIG.  9 . Disposed within the housing  124  are a number of cylindrical guide rollers  126 ,  128  and  130  defining a tortuous path through the chute for the pad to travel. Each guide roller  126 ,  128  and  130  includes a shaft  132  extending between and rotatably mounted to opposite side walls  134  of the housing  124  such that the axis of rotation of the rollers will preferably be parallel to a plane which passes laterally through the pad as it approaches the rollers from the cutting assembly  24 ′. While not so limited, the guide rollers  126 ,  128  and  130  are preferably of the same length and extend substantially across the lateral width of the housing  124  between side walls  134 . Preferably the open space between the outer peripheries of adjacent guide rollers  126 ,  128  and  130  is determined so as to permit a pad to fit therebetween with minimal compression of the pad. Further, the vertical distance between the centerlines of the guide rollers is so chosen that the pad is forced to follow an undulating or somewhat inclined “S” shape path and to bend or undulate in a substantially vertical direction to follow the path. Although the guide rollers  126 ,  128  and  130  are shown as being spaced substantially the same distance from each other, the guide rollers can be offset so that the distance between adjacent rollers is not the same. 
     Instead of the guide rollers  126 ,  128  and  130  being attached in fixed positions within the housing  124  the shafts  132  alternatively could be independently spring biased with the travel for each roller being limited such that the rollers continue to overlap so as to maintain a labyrinth function. The housing  124  could also be provided with lateral guides in order to direct the travel of the pad between the rollers  126 ,  128  and  130 . 
     The rotation of the guide rollers  126 ,  128  and  130  could be effected passively, by movement of the pad through the labyrinth, or actively, either by a separate motor  136  driving one or more of the guide rollers, or by coupling one or more of the guide rollers to the feed assembly  38 ′ much in the same way as the vane assembly  62  is coupled to the feed assembly  38  in the manner shown in FIG.  5 . 
     The outer surface of each guide roller  126 ,  128  and  130  preferably allows sliding contact with the pad in an application where the rollers are not powered separate from the movement of a pad therebetween, and a somewhat gripping contact with the pad when the rollers are separately powered to urge the pad through the labyrinth output chute  120 . The construction of the rollers  126 ,  128  and  130  may be chosen a variety of materials based on the application. Additionally, if desired, the rollers could serve a dual purpose by also perforating the pad or making a marking on the pad so as to facilitate use of a pad length measuring device in conjunction with the labyrinth safety output chute  120 . 
     In operation, a pad (not shown) formed by the conversion assembly  22 ′ passes through the cutting assembly  24 ′ to the labyrinth safety output chute  120  where its is fed above the first guide roller  126  rotating clockwise, below the second guide roller  128  rotating counterclockwise and above the last guide roller  130  rotating clockwise and then emanates from the chute for use by the operator. 
     A further embodiment of an safety output chute  150  for use with a cushioning conversion machine, such as the machine  10  illustrated in FIG. 1, is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The safety output chute  150  includes a housing  152  of the same basic design as the housing  102  shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and described above. Disposed within the chute defined within the housing  152  is a shield  154  which is connected at its upstream end  156  to the upper, upstream portion of the housing by a hinge  157 . The shield  154  extends downwardly in the downstream direction to define a space  158  between the distal end  160  of the shield  154  and the bottom wall  162  of the housing  152  through which the pad  70  traverses. Extending from the shield  154  through a side wall  164  of the housing  152  in order to be operative outside of the housing  152  is a lever  166  which moves with shield  154  within the housing. The lever  166  is connected to a piston portion  168  of a solenoid  170  which is in turn mounted to the outer face of the side wall  164  of the housing  152 . Operation of the solenoid  170  thus moves the lever  166  and likewise the shield  154  within the housing  152 . A limit switch  172  mounted to the outer face of the side wall  164  of the housing  152  below the lever  166  generates a signal indicative of whether the lever, and thus the shield  154 , are in their lowermost or closed condition, wherein the shield slightly compresses the pad  70  or senses the presence of a hand in the chute because the chute is in a relatively raised position. The solenoid  170  is controlled by the previously noted process controller  51  which also receives the signals generated by the limit switch  172 . Preferably the lever  166 , the solenoid  170  and the limit switch  172  are contained within an enclosure  174 . 
     In operation, while a pad  70  is being formed by the conversion assembly  22 , the piston portion  168  of the solenoid  170  is in a retracted state thus drawing the lever  166  and shield  154  to a relatively upper or open state away from the bottom wall  162  thus increasing the space  158  through which the pad may traverse within the chute. Upon initiation of a cutting operation, the process controller  51  causes the solenoid  170  to extend the piston portion  168  forcing the lever  166  and the shield  154  relatively downwardly to narrow the space  158  and compress the pad  70  therein. The force exerted by shield  154  on the pad is preferably adequate to compress the pad as desired, but limited so as not to present a hazard to a hand below the shield. If only the pad is in the chute, then this action causes the lever  166  to contact the limit switch  172  which generates a signal to the process controller  51  indicating that the shield  154  is in its relatively closed position. Upon receipt of the signal from the limit switch  172  confirming that the shield  154  is in its closed position, the process controller  51  causes the cutting assembly  24  to execute a cut of the pad  70 . If a foreign object were in the opening  158  preventing the shield  154  from reaching its fully closed position, the process controller  51 , sensing this fact from the output of the contact switch  172  in its open position, would prevent the execution of a cut. Furthermore, if the shield  154  were forced open, away from its closed position, during a cutting operation, the process controller  51  would interrupt the cutting operation. Alternatively of the limit switch  172  providing a signal to the process controller  51 , the limit switch may act as a true switch in series with the cut motor or solenoid  46  preventing its operation when the limit switch is in its open position. 
     With reference to FIGS. 13 through 16 there is shown an embodiment of a safety output chute  200  for collecting cut pads once they have been cut and deposited into the chute. The safety output chute  200  is connected to a cushioning conversion machine  10  downstream of the cutting assembly (not shown) adjacent an output passage  202  (FIG.  15 ). In this embodiment the safety output chute  200  and cushioning conversion machine  10  function cooperatively in a manner similar to a vending machine. The safety output chute  200  includes a cover  204  mounted to a chute body  206  by means of a hinge  208 . Preferably the cover  204  includes a transparent insert  210  which permits the operator to see a pad within the safety output chute  200 . It is also preferable that during the formation of a pad and while the pad is being cut to the desired length, the cover  204  be locked into a closed position and that only upon the completion of a cutting operation is the operator permitted to open the cover to obtain the pad from inside the chute. The safety output chute  200  may also, but not necessarily, include an assembly  212  which permits a pad to travel from the machine to the safety output chute  200  when the cover  204  is in its closed position, as shown in FIG. 15, but which closes off access to the machine and cutting assembly (not shown) through the opening  202  when the cover is in an open position, as shown in FIG.  16 . The closure assembly  212  includes a sliding door element  214  which is operable to slide vertically within guides  216  spaced at opposite lateral sides of the chute  200 . The sliding door  214  includes a vertical projection  218  including a wheel  220  at an end distal from the main portion of the door for contact with the inside surface  222  of the cover  204 . The sliding door  214  is biased vertically upwardly by a pair of springs  224 . Consequently, when the cover  204  of the safety output chute  200  is in a closed position, as shown in FIG. 15, the wheel  220  is forced downwardly causing the sliding door to slide downwardly by compressing the springs  224  and permitting access via the opening  202  to the cutting assembly for receipt of a pad. When the door  204  is in an open position, the springs  224  urge the sliding door  214  in an upward direction to substantially cover the passage or opening  202  and permit access to the cutting assembly. When the cover  204  is again closed it will contact the wheel  220  which will rotate against the underside  222  of the cover  204  as the cover forces the sliding door  214  downwardly by compressing the springs  224  and again permitting access between the machine and the safety output chute  200  via the passage  202 . The safety output chute  200  may be provided with sensors or limit switches (not shown) to sense whether the cover  204  is in an open or closed position and to disable or enable a cutting operation accordingly. 
     The end of the safety output chute  200  remote from the machine  10  can be open or closed. An open end permits pads of unlimited lengths to be produced, but in such an instance the chute should be of sufficient length to inhibit physical access by the operator to the cutting assembly  24  from the open end. 
     A further embodiment of a safety output chute  230  configured with a cushioning conversion machine  10  to operate analogous to a vending machine is shown in FIGS. 17 through 20. In this embodiment, the machine  232  is preferably supported on a frame  234  in an upright, vertical position. In such an instance the frame may also include casters  236  to facilitate movement of the cushioning conversion machine to an appropriate location where strip material is desired at a given time. The cushioning conversion machine  232  is preferably oriented vertically with the stock supply assembly  18  located relatively near the floor and the machine output  238  facing upwardly. The safety output chute  230  is mounted in a vertical orientation adjacent the cushioning conversion machine  232  by a number of mounting brackets  240 . A pad is transferred from the cushioning conversion machine  232  to the safety output chute  230  through a 180° arcuate passage  242  located above the cushioning conversion machine and the output chute. The safety output chute  230  preferably includes a cover  244  mounted to the chute body  246  by a hinge  248 . The chute cover  244  preferably also includes a transparent window insert  250  to permit the operator to visually determine whether a pad has been deposited into the safety output chute  230 . The safety output chute  230  is provided with a sensor or limit switch which permits operation of the cushioning conversion machine  232  only when the door  244  is shut and may either alternatively or with the limit switch include a means for locking the cover  244  in a closed condition when the cushioning conversion machine is in operation. The end of the output chute  230  remote from the cushioning conversion machine  232  may be open or closed. However, when the end of the output chute  230  is open, as discussed above, the length of the chute should be sufficiently long to inhibit physical access by the operator to the cutting assembly  24  from the open end of the chute. 
     A machine output closure assembly  252  may also be provided to close the machine outlet  202  when the cover  244  is in an open position, as shown in FIG.  20  and to open access from the machine output to the arcuate passage  242  when the cover is closed, as shown in FIG.  19 . The closure mechanism  252  is configured similar to the closure mechanism  212  illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16. The closure mechanism  252  includes a sliding door  254  which alternatively opens the machine outlet  202  when in a retracted position and closes access to the machine output when in its unretracted position when the door  244  of the safety machine output chute  230  is open. The sliding door  254  slides horizontally within the slides  256  and is biased towards a closed position by springs  258 . An extension  260  extending from the sliding door  254  and terminating in a wheel  262  engages the cover  244  to urge the sliding door into an open or closed position depending upon the position of the cover  244 . Consequently, when the door  244  is in a closed position, as shown in FIG. 19, the sliding door  254  is urged towards its open condition retracting the springs  258  to permit access through the machine outlet  202 . Conversely, when the cover  244  is in an open condition the springs  258  urge the sliding door  254  into a closed position covering the machine output  202 , thus precluding access to the machine and the cutting assembly. 
     A partially retractable safety output chute  300  is illustrated in FIGS. 21 through 25. As seen in the cross-sections of FIG. 21 and 22, the chute  300  is formed by confronting lower and inverted upper tray shape elements  302  and  304 . The lower tray  302  is rigidly connected to the cutting assembly enclosure  52  at an end  306  while the upper tray  304  is hingedly connected to the cutting assembly enclosure by the hinge  308  to pivot upwardly away from the lower tray and provide access to within the output chute  300 . The lower and upper trays  302 ,  304  cooperatively diverge away from the cutting assembly enclosure  52  to form the chute output  310 . A deflector plate  312  guides a formed pad  314  (FIG. 24) from the cutting assembly enclosure  52  through the output chute  300 . 
     Disposed within the output chute  300  hingedly connected to the upper tray  304 , near the upper wall  315 , is a chute guard  316 . The chute guard  316  preferably extends from the upper tray  304  sufficiently that when the chute  300  is closed and a pad is not present in the chute, the distal end of the chute guard contacts the lower tray  302  and cannot be freely deflected toward the cutting assembly. The chute guard  316  is preferably composed of two offset curtains or rows  318 ,  320  of several independent flaps  322 ,  324 , respectively, each rotatably connected to a rod  326  extending between side walls  328  of the upper tray  304  to effect the hinged connection between the upper tray  304  and the chute guard. The flaps  322  of row  318  are offset with the flaps  324  of row  320  by a distance of one-half of the axial length of a flap so that ingress from the chute opening  310  to the cutting assembly enclosure  52  requires that at least one flap of each row be outwardly displaced. 
     A secondary chute guard  330 , is hingedly connected to the lower tray  302  and biased, such as through spring  332 , away from the bottom wall  334  of the lower tray to protrude into chute area. The secondary chute guard  330  is angled in its extended biased condition toward the chute opening  310  so that the secondary chute guard can be pressed toward the bottom wall  334  of the lower tray to accommodate a pad through the chute as shown in FIG.  24 . The secondary chute guard  330  cooperates with the chute guard  316  to further inhibit access to the cutting assembly enclosure  52  from the chute output  310 . 
     When a pad is not present in the output chute  300  as is the condition shown in FIG. 21, the chute guard  316  extends downwardly away from the upper tray  304 , such as through the force of gravity, preferably to contact the bottom wall  334  of the lower tray  302 . The secondary chute guard  330  is biased away from the bottom wall  334  of the lower tray  302  to protrude into confines of the output chute. The chute guard  316  and secondary chute guard  330  thus require for an object to progress from the chute output  310  to the cutting assembly enclosure  52  that the object pass below the chute guard  316  and above the secondary chute guard  330  to effectively inhibit access to the cutting assembly  24  within the cutting assembly enclosure  52 . 
     When a pad  314  has been formed by the conversion assembly  22  (FIG. 1) and has been fed through the cutting assembly  24  (FIG. 1) and the safety output chute  300 , as shown in FIG. 24, the pad will depress the secondary chute guard  330  downwardly toward the bottom wall  334  and will deflect the chute guard  316  outwardly and upwardly toward the top wall  315  of the upper tray  304 . While the chute guard  316  and secondary chute guard  330  are in their respective relatively retracted conditions, ingress through the chute from the chute output is inhibited by the presence of the pad  314  in the output chute along with the chute guards. 
     The upper tray  304  may be retracted by lifting the output end of the upper tray around the hinge  308 , as shown in FIG. 25, to provide access within the interior of the output chute  300 . When the upper tray  304  is lifted upwardly, the chute guard  316 , through the force of gravity, will rotate downwardly away from the upper wall  315  of the upper tray  304  to protrude substantially across the opening  340  between the cutting assembly enclosure  52  and the output chute  300  to at least partially restrict, with the secondary chute guard  330 , access to the cutting assembly  24 . 
     The lower and upper trays  302  and  304  are preferably provided with a keyed safety interlock switch embodied through the key  342  protruding from the upper tray for capture by a receptacle element  344  in the lower tray. The keyed interlock switch provides an indication to the cushioning conversion machine of whether the output chute is open or closed to be used in a logic circuit or by the machine controller  51  (FIG. 1) to prevent engagement of the cutting assembly  24  when the upper tray is not in a closed position. 
     Turning to FIGS. 26 and 27, there is shown a powered chute guard assembly  350 . The powered chute guard assembly includes a chute guard or shield  352  disposed within a divergent output chute  354  and an actuating mechanism  356 , such as a linear motor or a pneumatic, hydraulic or electric solenoid powering a rod  358  in engagement with the chute guard  352  through a rotatable connection  359 . The chute guard  352  is hingedly connected at its interior end, through a hinge  360 , to the deflector plate  312  secured to the cutting assembly enclosure  52  to allow it to move between an open position shown in FIG. 26 and a closed position shown in FIG.  27 . In the open position, the pad  361  may progress through the output chute  354  relatively unhindered by the chute guard  352 , such as when the pad  361  is being produced. In the closed position, the chute guard  352  compresses the pad  361  somewhat to prevent ingress of an object through the output chute  354  from the output end  362 , such as when a pad is being severed by the cutting assembly  24 . 
     The solenoid  356  is mounted to a mounted plate  364  spaced from the cutting assembly enclosure  52  by spacers  366  so that the rod  358  extending from the solenoid  356  connects to the chute guard  352  at a suitable distance from the hinge  360 . A coiled compression spring  368  coaxial with the rod  358  and extending between a shoulder  370  of the rotatable connector  359  and the lower surface of a flange  372  biases the rod  358  and chute guard  352  downwardly to a closed position, as shown in FIG.  27 . Alternatively, the spring  368  could be located elsewhere to perform the same function, such as embodied into the solenoid  356 . The force of the spring  368  is preferably sufficient to compress the pad  361  to a thickness that would be less than that of a hand, while not damaging the pad, for example approximately ¾ of an inch. The spring force should also not be so strong as to cause harm to a person&#39;s hand or fingers if they were to be beneath the chute guard  352  upon being moved towards its closed position. Preferably the cutting assembly can execute a cutting cycle only when the chute guard  352  is in this closed position. 
     The position of the chute guard  352  is detected by a contact sensor  374  mounted to the flange  372  and having a contact  376  for contact with a finger  378  secured to the rod  358  to move axially with the rod. The sensor  374  generates a signal indicative of whether or not the contact is depressed by the finger  378  which is provided to a logic circuit or the machine controller  51  of the cushioning conversion machine for use in determining whether the machine may sever the pad  361  in the output chute. 
     While a pad is being produced the solenoid is energized, causing the rod  358  to retract, compressing the spring  368  and pulling the chute guard  352  upwardly into the open position, shown in FIG. 26, to allow the pad  361  to progress through the chute  354  as it is being formed. Once the pad has been formed to the desired length and a cutting operation is to be initiated, the solenoid is de-energized and the force of the spring  368  causes the rod  358  and attached chute guard  352  to move downwardly into the output chute, as shown in FIG.  27 . With the chute guard fully lowered and the pad compressed, the finger  378  will depress the contact  376  and the sensor  374  will generate a signal to the cushioning conversion machine allowing a cut operation to take place. 
     If an obstruction has prevented the chute guard  352  from lowering fully, the finger  378  will fail to depress adequately the contact  376  and as the sensor  374  will not generate the chute closed signal, thus preventing a cutting operation from being executed. 
     Alternatively to the coiled compression spring  368  biasing the rod  358  and chute guard  352  to its closed position, a coiled extension spring can be secured to the flange  372  and shoulder  370  and can bias the chute guard  352  in its open position. In this case, the solenoid  356  would not be energized during a pad forming and feeding operation, but would be energized to overcome the spring bias and cause the rod  358  to extend downwardly on being energized. To perform a cutting operation, the solenoid  356  is energized and, if the chute guard  352  can be depressed sufficiently to reach its closed position, the sensor  374  will sense the finger  378  depressing the contact  376  and the cutting operation will be permitted. 
     Further, the solenoid  356  and rod  358  could be oriented horizontally, with the horizontal motion of the rod translated into hinged movement of the chute guard  352  through conventional methods. 
     In some applications, it may be useful to contour and extend an output chute guard  380  as shown in FIG. 28 so that a relatively smaller area of the chute guard depresses a smaller area of the pad  361  (FIG.  27 ), preferably outside of the output chute  354 ′, to reduce the amount of force necessary to compress the pad sufficiently to prevent ingress of a foreign object into the chute during cutting operation. The design of the output chute  354 ′, the solenoid  356 ′, rod  358 ′ and sensor may be the same or similar to the like numbered components described above relative to FIGS. 26 and 27. With the distal portion of the chute guard  380  positioned outside of the output chute  354 ′, the pad is caused to curve downwardly about the lower distal edge  381  of the output chute when the chute guard is in its lowered or closed position  380   a,  substantially preventing ingress into the chute from below the pad. A output chute deflector  382  positioned over the output  384  of the output chute inhibits ingress into the chute above the pad. Control and actuation of the chute guard  380  between its closed  380   a  and open  380   b  positions can be accomplished similarly to that described immediately above relative to FIGS. 26 and 27, with the actuator mechanism and spring being adapted as discussed above to provide a biased closed or biased open operation. 
     In FIG. 29, there is shown an embodiment of an output chute  354 ″ with a chute guard  380 ″ similar to that shown in FIG. 28, with the exception that the chute guard  380 ″ is adapted to contact the pad  361  within the output chute. Preferably the output chute guard  380 ″ contacts the pad within the output chute  354 ″ over a small area of contact such as along a line transverse to the direction to the movement of the pad through the output chute to reduce the amount of force required to compress the pad. The chute guard  380 ″ may thus be in the form of a generally flat plate which extends downwardly abruptly near its distal end  390  to contact the pad  361 . The chute guard  380 ″ may operate between an open position  380   a ″ and a closed position  380   b ″ similar to the chute guard  380  discussed above. 
     Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification. The present invention includes all such equivalent alterations and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the following claims. Furthermore, the corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the functions in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.