Patent Publication Number: US-9849646-B2

Title: Dunnage forming machine and method of forming dunnage

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to dunnage forming machines and methods of operating such machines. The present invention is particularly suitable for machines using paper to make dunnage. 
     In known machines it is desirable to curl the edges of a sheet of paper over prior to forming the dunnage by passing the curled paper through gears. However, the number of curls that can be formed is restricted thus resulting in the dunnage having less bulk than would otherwise be desired. 
     Another problem with known machines is the space they take up as they produce dunnage with rotatably members that are located in a line. 
     A further problem with known machines is that several parts are rotatable and it is necessary to connect a common drive to those parts. Such connection of a common drive to many parts is complicated and expensive and requires regular maintenance. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least one of the above or other disadvantages. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention a dunnage forming machines includes: dunnage forming machine including cooperating dunnage forming gears including a sun gear arranged to cooperate with at least two planet gears and in which the material being transformed into the dunnage is arranged to travel around the sun gear between the planet gears. 
     A first pair of spaced guides may be arranged to cooperate with the dunnage being formed and arranged to face one side of the dunnage. The spaced guides may be arranged to cooperate with the dunnage being formed and may be arranged to face the other side of the dunnage. The spaced guides may be arcuate along at least part of there extent and the arc of the spaced guide may be about the same axis as that of the sun gear. The arc of the first pair of spaced guides may be greater than the arc of the outer ? dimension of the sun gear. The arc of the second pair of guides may be less than one of the dunnage forming portion of the sun gear. At least one of the first or second pair of guides may be directed towards the sun gear and the first planet gear. The first pair of guides may leave the last cooperating sun and planet gears in a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the rotational axis of the last cooperating sun and planet gears. 
     The guides may be adjacent to the gears in an axial direction. 
     No constraint may be placed on the edges of the dunnage as the dunnage travels through the sun and planet gears. 
     There may be more than two planet gears. 
     At least one of the sun gears may have a different diameter than the planet gears. 
     A line connecting the rotational axis of the first planet gear and the sun gear may be at right angles to align connecting the rotational axis of the last planet gear and sun gear. 
     A line connecting the rotational axis of the first planet gear and the sun gear may extend in the opposite direction to a line connecting the rotational axis of the last planet gear and the sun gear. The lines may be parallel. 
     The sun gear may be a driven gear and the planet gears may be arranged to be driven by the sun gear. The sun gear may be rotatable in one direction only. 
     According to further aspects of the present invention a method of forming dunnage comprises: causing material to be formed into dunnage by driving the material through at least two planet gears, each of which cooperate with a common sun gear and causing the material to travel around the sun gear between the planet gears. 
     The method may comprise guiding the dunnage around the sun gear. 
     The method may comprise causing the material to enter the first cooperating planet and sun gears in the first direction and causing the material to leave the last cooperating planet and sun gear in a second direction transverse to the first direction. 
     The method may comprise the material being caused to enter the first cooperating planet and sun gears in the first direction and causing the material to leave the last cooperating planet and sun gears in the second direction, opposed to the first direction. 
     The present invention includes a method of forming dunnage as herein referred to when using a machine as here referred to. 
     According to a further aspect a dunnage forming machine includes: a feeding station arranged in use to feed material to a dunnage forming station, the feeding station including a first part that converges inwardly towards the forming station in which the material is constrained to pass over the first part within the side parts with the side parts being arranged to at least partially furl over the edges of the material characterised in that, downstream from the first part, a pair of projections converge towards each other and towards the forming station around which projections, in use, the material is arranged to be further furled. 
     The projections may comprise rods. 
     At a downstream end at least one of the projections they have a cross-sectional width more than the distances between the projections. The distance across the outsides of the projections and there downstream end may be at least the same as the axial width of dunnage forming gears at the forming station. 
     The distance across the outer sides of the projection at the downstream end may be the same as or less than the axial width of dunnage forming gears at the forming station. 
     A first pair of spaced guides may be provided arranged to cooperate with the dunnage being formed and arranged to face the same side of the dunnage in which the distance between the guides at the start of the forming station is greater than the distance between a projections at there downstream ends. A second pair of spaced guides may be arranged to cooperate with the dunnage being formed and may be arranged to face the same side of the dunnage which side is opposed to the side of the faces of the first guides in which the distance between the second guides at the start of the forming station may be greater than the distance between the projections at there downstream end. 
     A method of using a dunnage machine including a feeding station that feeds a dunnage forming station comprising passing the material to be formed into dunnage through the feeding station over a first part and causing the sides of the material to be furled over by constraining the material to pass within converging side parts and, downstream of the first part, causing the material to furl over a pair of projections that extend towards each other and towards the forming station with the material being caused to undergo further furling around the projections. 
     The method may comprise pulling the material through the feeding station. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention a dunnage forming machine includes: a dunnage forming machine including a feeding station arranged, in use to feed material to a dunnage forming station the machine including pulling means arranged to pull the material through the feeding station, the downstream region of the feeding station being arranged to feed the material in a first direction and the pulling means being arranged to pull in a second direction, offset from the first direction. 
     The downstream end region of the feeding station may comprise a pair of projections that converge towards each other and towards the forming station around which projections the material may be arranged to furl. 
     The cross-sectional width of each projection at the downstream end may be more of a distance between the projections. The distance across the outer sides of the projections at the downstream end may be the same as the actual width of the dunnage forming gears at the forming station. 
     The distance across the outer sides of the projection at the downstream end may be less than the actual width of dunnage forming gears at the forming station. 
     A first pair of spaced guide plates may be arranged to cooperate with the dunnage being formed and may be arranged to face the same side of the dunnage and the distance between the guides at the start of the forming station may be greater than the distance between the projections and there downstream end. 
     Pudding means may be provided that may comprise cooperating dunnage forming gears. 
     According to another aspect a method of using a dunnage forming machine including a forming station and a feeding station comprising: feeding the material from the feeding station in a first direction and pulling the material from the feeding station in a second direction, offset from the first direction. 
     The present invention includes any combination of features as herein referred to: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The present invention may be carried into practice in various ways and one embodiment will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a dunnage forming machine; 
         FIG. 2  is an end view; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the paper feed mechanism; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic cross section in the paper as it enters the crimping mechanism; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic cross section of dunnage formed by the machine, and 
         FIG. 6  shows an alternative feed of the purpose to the mechanism. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A driven crimping gear  10  cooperates within a first idler crimping gear  12  and a second idler crimping gear  14 . The gears  10  and  12  pull paper off a roll (not shown) which, on its way to the gears, passes a former that rolls the edges over each other as shown in  FIG. 4 . The paper enters the gears in an upward direction and preferably exists the gears in horizontal direction. 
     The former includes a plate  18  that includes rods  20  on each side of the plate. The plate tapers inwardly and upwardly. The plate terminates before the rods  20  preferably when the width of the paper, due to the forming, has been reduced to be a third of the original width. When viewed in  FIG. 3 , the paper passes behind the plate  18 . Angled furls  22  at each side serve to roll the edges of the paper in over itself. 
     The rods  20  have a diameter of 22 mm and, at the top, the gap between the rods is 5 mm. The rods terminate just below the gears  10  and  12 . The width of the gears  10  and  12  is 25 mm. However, the width of the gears may be the same as or less than or more than the distance from the outer sides of the rods  20  across the gap between the rods at the downstream end. As the paper only leaves the former just before the gears and as or than more the furled width of the paper is only marginally wider that the gear width an extremely well furled pack is fed to the gears. 
       FIG. 4  in a schematic cross section of the paper form that is fed to the gears. It can be seen that the sides are furled over. The sides may undergo one revolution or up to two revolutions on two or more revolutions. As the paper is being pulled and is therefore under tension the paper form shown in  FIG. 4  enters gears  10  and  12  and is partially crimped by these gears  10  and  12 . 
     The paper leaves the first idler gear  12  and turns through approximately 90° to then be further crimped by the gear  14  cooperating with the gear  10 . It can be seen that the paper remains on the driven gear as it passes between the gears  12  and  14 . By providing a single driven gear significant cost savings in coordinating drive mechanisms from a single motor, for instance, are avoided. 
     The formed dunnage is shown in  FIG. 5 . The inner portion of the previously furled edges has been incorporated into the crimp. Consequently a sturdy dunnage is provided with good volume at a minimal loss of length of paper in compared to length of paper out. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the machine includes side walls  24 . However, these walls are solely to conceal the moving parts. They do not serve to keep the paper sides in and to bunch the paper up as in conventional machines. Rather the paper passes through the machine whilst being clear of the walls  24 . The edges of the paper are shown by the lines  26 . 
     The machine is provided with a first pair of spaced guide plates  28  that are adjacent to each side of the gears and that pass over the driven gear  10 . In addition there is a second pair of guide plates  30  located on each side of the gears below the driver gears. The first pair are located above the second pair. 
     As the paper is pulled towards the first crimping gears  10  and  12  the outer side regions of the furled paper is gently compressed as it enters a “nip” formed by upwardly and inwardly converging edges  32  and  34  of the plates  28  and  30  respectively. Then the paper is gently held by the plates as they guide the paper from where it leaves the gears  10  and  12 . At that stage the guides are arcuate about a common axis comprising the axis of the drive gear  10  with the arc of the plate  28  being just greater than the outside of the one defined by the top of the crimping gears on the gear  10  and the arc of the plates  30  being spaced inwardly from the trough of the crimping gears on the gear  10 . This configuration assists in the paper passing from the gear  12  to the gear  14 . 
     As the paper exits the top gears  10  and  14  in the direction shown by arrow  36  the second pair of guide plates incline downwardly as shown by the line  38 . The upper plate though extends horizontally as shown by line  40  from the gears  10  and  14  and the dunnage stays with that upper guide to leave the machine. 
     To assist in loading a new sheet or sheets of paper into the machine the drive gear  10  is mounted on a sprag or one way clutch mechanism whereby a user can manually rotate the gear  10  in a clockwise direction, when viewing  FIG. 1 , but not in an anticlockwise direction. To assist in this turning the axial shaft of the drive gear  10  may extend to one side of the machine. 
     The gears  10 ,  12  and  14  have been shown as the same size. In one modulation either or both of the gears  12  and  14  may be smaller or larger than the gear  10 . Alternatively or additionally there may be more than two gears  12  and  14 . When the gears  12  and  14  are smaller than the gear  10  there may be three or more driven gears cooperating with the drive gear  10  to drive the paper in the path shown. In a further possible modification the paper could be caused to take a different path. For instance the paper could be carried to enter the mechanism in the direction shown and to leave the machine after travelling around the gear  10  for more than 90°. Such as 180° so that the dunnage can return substantially parallel to the direction of paper fed to the machine. This guide rails could be modified to extend further around the gear  10  to assist in the paper being caused to follow the modified path. 
     Whilst the common gear  10  has been referred to as the driver gear it will be appreciated that any one of the gears could be a drive gear as all of the gears mesh with each other. 
     The paper can be fed to the gears such that the paper is at a tangent to the mod nip point, as shown by the arrow  36  in  FIG. 1 . Alternatively, the paper could be fed such that it is directed to the gear  10  first, before the mid nip point of the gear  10  and  12 . This may cause the paper to bind onto the gear  10  more firmly. Alternatively, or additionally this may cause the paper to have a greater tension as it is draw in off the rods  20  which may assist in causing the furling of the edges and/or assist in maintaining the furled edges as the paper starts to be crimped. An example of an alternative feed is shown in  FIG. 6 . In  FIG. 6  the rods  20  direct the paper to the gear in a direction between the outer teeth and the axis of the gear  10 .