Patent Publication Number: US-11661297-B2

Title: Method of loading a dunnage conversion machine and sheet stock material useful therein

Description:
This application claims priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/574,023, filed Nov. 14, 2017, which claims priority of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2016/032649, filed May 16, 2016, which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/161,563, filed May 14, 2015, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to machines for converting sheet stock material into a dunnage packaging product and, more particularly, to a method and supply of two-ply stock material supply that facilitates splicing a new or succeeding supply of stock material to an almost-spent supply of stock material. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Dunnage conversion machines convert sheet stock material from a supply thereof into a relatively less dense dunnage product useful in packaging to protect articles during shipment. The sheet stock material usually is supplied in the form of a roll or a fan-folded stack, from which the sheet stock material is payed off for conversion by the machine into the dunnage product. 
     When the supply is spent, a new supply is loaded in place of the spent supply and the leading end of the new supply is inserted into the machine. Because it can be difficult to get the new supply to feed properly, operators have learned to stop the machine before the trailing end of the sheet material enters the machine, and to splice the leading end of the new supply to the trailing end of the almost-spent supply. When the machine is operated once again, the trailing end of the almost spent supply will pull the leading end of the new supply into and through the machine. 
     Common splicing techniques include using one or more strips of tape to attach a leading end of the succeeding supply of stock material to a trailing end of the almost-spent supply of stock material, and spraying a liquid adhesive on the trailing end of the almost spent supply and then pressing the leading end of the succeeding supply to the adhesive-covered trailing end. 
     Another technique is to pre-apply a double-sided adhesive to the leading or trailing ends of the supply, with a removable covering that the operator can remove before splicing the leading end of the succeeding supply of stock material to the trailing end of the almost spent supply of stock material. This latter technique is described in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,756,096, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. When this technique is used with a multi-ply sheet stock material, an adhesive strip must be applied to each ply, and each ply must be attached to a corresponding ply in a particular sequence. For example, the removable covering is removed from the adhesive on a first ply, and the leading ends and trailing ends of the corresponding plies furtherest from the operator are attached together. Then the removable covering is removed from the adhesive on a second ply, and the next-nearest (relative to the operator) corresponding plies are attached together. This process is repeated until all of the plies are spliced. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides an improved splicing method, particularly for two-ply sheet stock material, and an improved supply of two-ply sheet stock material, both of which simplify the process of splicing a succeeding or new supply of two-ply stock material to an almost-spent supply of two-ply stock material. 
     According to the present invention, a supply of sheet stock material includes two plies of sheet stock material rolled or folded into a compact configuration, such as a roll of wound material or a stack of fan-folded material. The leading ends of the plies of the new supply are temporarily secured together, and an adhesive is pre-applied to each of the outwardly-facing opposing surfaces of respective plies if on the leading end of the new supply, or to each of the inwardly-facing opposing surfaces of respective plies if on the trailing end. A removable covering or release liner typically covers the adhesive until ready for splicing. In use, the release liner is removed and the leading ends of the plies of the new supply, which are temporarily attached to one another, are placed between the trailing ends of the respective plies of the almost-spent supply, and the plies are readily secured by pressing the overlapping plies together, without any sequencing limitation. In other words, no extra care is required to ensure that the correct plies of the respective supplies are being attached together in the correct sequence, as was required in prior methods and supplies of sheet stock material. The leading ends of the plies of the new supply may remain connected together until drawn through the conversion machine, which may separate the plies or allow the plies to remain connected. 
     More particularly, and generally paraphrasing the original claims, the present invention provides a supply of sheet stock material suitable for use in a dunnage conversion machine that includes a first ply of sheet stock material and a second ply of sheet stock material that overlaps the first ply. The first ply and the second ply both have an adhesive layer adjacent one of a leading end or a trailing end of each ply. The adhesive layer is applied to opposing outwardly-facing surfaces of the respective plies if adjacent the leading ends and the adhesive layer is applied to respective inwardly-facing surfaces of the respective plies if adjacent the trailing ends. 
     The first ply and the second ply may be attached to one another adjacent their respective leading ends. For example, the first ply and the second ply may be secured together with an adhesive between inwardly-facing surfaces of the plies. 
     The first and second plies may be rolled or folded into a compact configuration. For example, the first and second plies may be rolled around a common core to form a roll of two-ply sheet stock material. Alternatively, the first and second plies may be fan-folded to form a stack of two-ply sheet stock material. 
     The first ply and the second ply may include paper. The first and second plies may have substantially the same width dimension. The leading end of the first ply may be aligned with the leading end of the second ply. 
     The adhesive layer may be disposed on a carrier and may be covered by a removable release liner. The adhesive layer may be adjacent a leading end of each ply. The adhesive layer may include a pressure sensitive adhesive and a removable release liner covering the pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     The adhesive layer may be applied across substantially the full width of at least one ply. The adhesive layer may have a substantially continuous length. The adhesive layer may have a major dimension that extends parallel to a width dimension of the overlapping plies. The adhesive layer on the first ply may be aligned with the adhesive layer on the second ply. 
     The present invention also provides a method of converting a two-ply sheet stock material into a relatively lower density dunnage product. The method includes the following steps: (a) operating a dunnage conversion machine to produce one or more dunnage products from a supply of sheet stock material having a first ply and a second ply until the supply of sheet stock material is almost spent, the supply being a preceding supply, (b) displacing a trailing end of the second ply of the preceding supply of sheet stock material to expose a trailing end of the first ply of the preceding supply of sheet stock material, (c) providing a succeeding supply of two-ply sheet stock material having a first ply and a second ply that overlaps the first ply, (d) attaching a leading end of the first ply of the succeeding supply of sheet stock material to the first ply of the preceding supply of sheet stock material, (e) replacing the trailing end of the second ply of the preceding supply of sheet stock material over the leading end of the second ply of the succeeding supply of sheet stock material to secure the second ply of the succeeding supply of sheet stock material to the second ply of the preceding supply of sheet stock material, and (f) operating the dunnage conversion machine once again to produce one or more dunnage products from the succeeding supply of sheet stock material. 
     The attaching step may include removing a release liner covering a pressure sensitive adhesive layer and applying pressure to the sheet stock material adjacent the adhesive layer. 
     The method may further include the step of connecting the leading ends of the first ply and the second ply of the succeeding supply of sheet stock material before the attaching step. 
     The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail plural illustrative embodiments of the invention, such being indicative, however, of but 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 a supply of sheet stock material in roll form and a dunnage conversion machine in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic illustration of an alternative supply of sheet stock material in the form of a fan-folded stack. 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic enlarged view of a leading end of a sheet stock material provided by the invention. 
         FIGS.  4  to  6    are sequential schematic illustrations of trailing ends of an almost-spent supply of sheet stock material being spliced to leading ends of a new supply of sheet stock material according to the present invention. 
         FIGS.  7  to  9    are sequential schematic illustrations of trailing ends of an almost-spent supply of sheet stock material being spliced to leading ends of a new supply of sheet stock material according to an alternative provided by the present invention. 
         FIG.  10    is a perspective view of a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material having two plies, illustrating a method of connecting the plies. 
         FIG.  11    is an enlarged view of portion  11  of  FIG.  10   . 
         FIG.  12    is a perspective view of a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material having two plies, illustrating an alternative method of connecting the plies. 
         FIG.  13    is an enlarged view of portion  13  of  FIG.  12   . 
         FIG.  14    is a perspective view of a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material having two plies, illustrating an alternative method of connecting the plies. 
         FIG.  15    is an enlarged view of portion  15  of  FIG.  14   . 
         FIG.  16    is a perspective view of a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material having two plies, illustrating an alternative method of connecting the plies. 
         FIG.  17    is a perspective view of a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material having two plies, illustrating an alternative method of connecting the plies. 
         FIG.  18    is an enlarged view of portion  18  of  FIG.  17   . 
         FIG.  19    is a perspective view of a leading end of a supply of sheet stock material having two plies, illustrating an alternative method of connecting the plies. 
         FIG.  20    is an enlarged view of portion  19  of  FIG.  20   . 
         FIG.  21    is a top plan view of an exemplary dunnage conversion machine for use with the present invention. 
         FIG.  22    is a side elevational view of the dunnage conversion machine of  FIG.  21   , the machine being shown in a horizontal manner, loaded with stock material, and with an outer housing side wall removed for clarity of illustration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail and initially to  FIGS.  1  through  3   , a schematic dunnage conversion machine is designated generally by reference number  30 . As is further described below, the conversion machine  30  converts a sheet stock material  32  from a supply  34  or  43  thereof into a relatively lower density dunnage product  36 , such as a randomly crumpled paper dunnage product. The supply  34  and  43  of sheet stock material includes two overlapping plies P 1  and P 2 , typically connected together at a leading end  40 , and includes an adhesive layer  42  that enables splicing a new or succeeding supply  34  or  43  of sheet stock material (roll  44  in  FIG.  1   ) to an almost-spent supply  45  of sheet stock material in a relatively simple and quick manner. Trailing ends  46  of the almost-spent stock supply  45  extend from the machine  30 , the trailing end  46  being longitudinally opposite the leading end  40 . 
     In  FIG.  1   , the dunnage conversion machine  30  pulls the sheet stock material  32  from the supply  34  in a downstream direction  50  from an upstream end  52  of and through the conversion machine  30 . The conversion machine  30  converts the stock material  32  into a relatively less dense dunnage product  36 , such as by shaping and randomly crumpling the sheet material, typically that the conversion machine  30  dispenses from a downstream end  54 , opposite the upstream end  52 . 
     The supply of stock material  34  generally is provided in a compact configuration, such as a roll of stock material  44  ( FIG.  1   ) or a generally rectangular stack of fan-folded stock material  56  ( FIG.  2   ). The stock material  32  includes two plies P 1  and P 2  of sheet material, or multiples thereof, where each ply generally includes paper, for example, such as thirty-pound basis weight kraft paper. Also, one or more of the plies may be made of another type of sheet material, such as a plastic, or different types of paper, such as printed paper, bleached paper, fifty-pound kraft paper, or combinations thereof. The plies P 1  and P 2  generally are coextensive, overlay each other, and have the same width and length. One ply may be narrower than the other, however. 
     The supplies  34  and  43  of sheet stock material  32  shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2    have a gap between the overlapping plies P 1  and P 2  near the leading ends  40  to demonstrate the presence of two plies, but when a leading end  40  of the sheet stock material  32  is pulled from the supply  34  or  43 , the plies P 1  and P 2  generally will be parallel to one another. As described above, the two plies P 1  and P 2  of the sheet stock material  32  provided by the invention are connected and held together at their leading ends  40  (represented by the “X” in  FIG.  3   ) to make it easier to splice a new supply of stock material  34  and  43  to an almost-spent supply of stock material  45  being fed through and consumed by the conversion machine  30 . The plies P 1  and P 2  may be held together by any means, although generally only a temporary connection is required as the plies P 1  and P 2  generally follow separate paths within the machine  30  and thus will be separated by the operation of the conversion machine  30 . 
     The supplies  34  and  43  of sheet stock material  32  also include a pre-applied layer of adhesive  42  adjacent either a leading end  40  or a trailing end  46  of each ply P 1  and P 2  to attach the leading ends  40  of each ply P 1  and P 2  of the new supply of stock material  34  or  43  to the trailing ends  46  of respective plies P 1  and P 2  of the almost-spent supply of stock material  45 . Alternatively, an adhesive layer  42  may be applied near a leading end  40  of one ply P 1  or P 2 , and near a trailing end  46  of the other ply P 2  or P 1 . Further, the adhesive layers  42  on respective plies P 1  and P 2  may be longitudinally aligned, as shown in  FIGS.  1  and  3   , or offset, as shown at the leading end  40  in  FIG.  2   . The adhesive layer  42  typically is disposed on the same end  40  or  46  of each ply P 1  and P 2 , applied to outwardly-facing surfaces  60 ,  62  of the plies P 1  and P 2  at the leading end  40  or to inwardly-facing surfaces  64 ,  66  at the trailing end  46 . Both arrangements are shown in  FIG.  2   , but usually only one is necessary. 
     The adhesive layer  42  typically is covered with a removable cover  70 , sometimes referred to as a release liner, to protect the adhesive layer  42  until it is needed. An exemplary adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive layer  42  and release liner  70  extend transversely across the width of the ply P 1  and P 2 . By removing the release liner  70 , such as by manually peeling same from the adhesive layer  42 , the leading end  40  of the stock material  32  may be spliced to, or more particularly adhered to, a corresponding surface of a trailing end  46  of an almost-spent supply of stock material  45  extending from the upstream end  52  of the machine  30  of  FIG.  1   . 
     The adhesive layer  42  also may be provided as a double-sided tape that is secured to the stock material  32 . As another alternative, a cohesive may be applied to both the outwardly facing surfaces of the plies P 1  and P 2  adjacent their leading ends  40  and to inwardly-facing surfaces adjacent their trailing ends  46 . A cohesive is like an adhesive but only sticks to other cohesive or cohesive-coated surfaces. Consequently only one of the inwardly-facing surfaces would require a removable release liner. When the cohesive is applied to the outwardly-facing surfaces, the layer of sheet stock material underlying or adjacent the adhesive layer  42  may serve as the release liner, enabling the clean and easy removal of the adhesive layer  42  therefrom. 
     The adhesive layer  42  may include a reduced strength adhesive, meaning a pressure sensitive adhesive that enables a release liner  70  to be cleanly and easily removed from the adhesive layer  42  to expose the adhesive layer, which exposed adhesive layer  42  may be removably adhered to the sheet stock material  32 . This permits the sheet stock material  32  to be wound, or stacked, on top of itself, i.e., to contact the underlying adjacent layer of sheet stock material  32 . In addition, this permits the sheet stock material  32  to be repositioned when splicing. The reduced strength adhesive provides sufficient adhesive holding power and shear strength between the spliced plies P 1  or P 2  to hold the leading end  40  and the trailing end  46  together when subjected to a longitudinal pulling force. An exemplary adhesive is the adhesive used for Highland™ brand removable notes manufactured by the  3 M Company of St. Paul, Minn., U.S. 
     With a reduced strength adhesive, the leading end  40  of a ply P 1  or P 2  of sheet material  32  may be repositioned, as desired, to obtain the appropriate alignment between the leading end  40  of the ply P 1  of sheet material  32  of the succeeding supply of stock material with the trailing end  46  of the ply P 1  of the almost-spent supply of stock material. The adhesive layer  42  has sufficient shear strength and adhesive holding power to maintain the splice (i.e., the adhesive bond) of the leading end  40  of the succeeding supply of stock material  34  to the trailing end  46  of the almost-spent supply of stock material when the stock material  32  is advanced through the conversion machine  30 . 
     Alternatively, the adhesive layer  42  may include an adhesive having a holding power and shear strength that provides a permanent bond (i.e., not removable) between the plies of sheet stock material when spliced. In this case, the adjacent layer of sheet stock material, or at least the portion of the adjacent layer of stock material which the adhesive layer  42  overlaps, will require a surface treatment such as by application of a coating of a material which would enable clean and easy removal of the adhesive layer  42  from the overlapped portion; in other words, to enable the overlapped portion to operate as the release liner. 
     To splice the leading end  40  of a new supply of stock material  34  or  43  to the trailing end  46  of an almost-spent supply of stock material  45 , the leading end  40  of the sheet material  32 , is removed (i.e., unwound or unfolded) from the new supply of stock material  34  or  43  and the outwardly-facing surfaces of the respective plies P 1  and P 2  are spliced to, or more particularly adhered to, the inwardly-facing surfaces of the trailing ends  46  of the respective plies P 1  and P 2  of the almost-spent supply of stock material  45 . 
     A method of employing the stock material  32  provided by the invention is illustrated in  FIGS.  4  to  6   . In this sequence, an operator will connect the trailing ends  46  of a first ply P 1  and a second ply P 2  of an almost-spent supply of sheet stock material  45  protruding from a conversion machine  30  ( FIG.  1   ) to a leading end  40  of a corresponding first ply P 1  and second ply P 2  of a new supply of sheet stock material  43 . The leading ends  40  of the plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  43  are connected together. In this example, an adhesive layer  42 , covered by a removable release liner  70 , has been applied to outwardly-facing surfaces adjacent a leading end  40  of each ply P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  43 . To splice the plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  43  to the plies P 1  and P 2  of the almost-spent supply  45 , the operator will first lift one ply P 1  or P 2  of the almost-spent supply  45 , generally the nearest ply P 1 , out of the way. Then the operator will remove the release liner  70  from one of the adhesive layers  42 , generally the release liner  70  on the surface facing away from the operator, and the operator will press the exposed adhesive layer  42  to an inwardly-facing surface at the trailing end  46  of the corresponding ply P 1  of the almost-spent supply  45 , connecting the corresponding plies together. Because the leading ends  40  of the plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  43  also are attached together, both plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  43  of stock material are now connected to one of the plies P 1  of the almost-spent supply of stock material  45 . The operator then removes the release liner  70  from the other adhesive layer  42  and replaces the trailing end  46  of the previously-lifted ply P 1  over the exposed adhesive layer  42  and presses the plies together. 
     An alternative method is shown in  FIGS.  7  to  9   , which illustrates the corresponding case where the adhesive layers  42  are applied to the trailing ends  46  of the plies P 1  and P 2  of stock material  43 . In this case, the adhesive layers  42  are applied to the inwardly-facing surfaces of the trailing ends  46  of the stock material  32 , meaning the almost-spent supply of stock material  45  will include adhesive layers  42 . Once again, one ply P 1  is moved out of the way, a release liner  70  is removed from the other ply P 2 , and the leading end  40  of the plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  43  are bound to the trailing end  46  of one ply P 2  with the exposed adhesive layer  42  by pressing the overlapping plies together. Then the other release liner  70  is removed and the other ply P 1  of the almost-spent supply  45  is connected to the opposing face of the new supply of stock material  43  by replacing the other ply P 1  of the almost-spent supply  45  over the leading end  40  of the new supply  43  and pressing the plies together. 
     Because the plies P 1  and P 2  typically travel slightly different paths through the conversion machine  30  ( FIG.  1   ), the leading ends  40  of the plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  43  generally will separate within the conversion machine  30 . The plies P 1  and P 2  can be connected in different ways. In  FIGS.  10 - 20    an adhesive layer  42  is applied adjacent a leading end  40  of plies P 1  and P 2  of sheet stock material  32 . The methods of connecting the plies that are illustrated in these figures, however, could be replaced with tape that is separate from the adhesive layer  42 . Additionally, the adhesive layer  42  used to connect the plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  43  to the plies P 1  and P 2  of the almost-spent supply  45  could be applied to the trailing ends  46  of the plies P 1  and P 2 . 
     In  FIGS.  10  and  11   , the corners of the leading ends  40  of both plies P 1  and P 2  are folded over, such that a corner portion  90  of a first ply P 1  overlies a corner portion (not shown) of a second ply P 2 . Consequently, an outwardly-facing surface of the first ply P 1  at the corner faces in an opposite direction, the same direction as the outer surface of a second ply P 2 . The folded-over corner portions  90  then are taped down with a layer of tape  94  to hold the leading ends  40  of the first ply P 1  and the second ply P 2  together. Other methods may be used to hold the folded-over corner portions  90  in place, such as an adhesive, a cohesive, a fastener such as a staple, or a punched portion, such as described below. The leading ends  40  of the first ply P 1  and the second ply P 2  are not connected together in a central portion, widthwise, between the corner portions. The tape  94  may be a double-sided tape or may have an adhesive layer placed over or adjacent the tape  94  for splicing to the plies of an almost-spent supply (not shown). 
     Similarly, one or more pairs of spaced-apart cuts may be made through both plies P 1  and P 2  at either a side near a leading end  40  ( FIGS.  12  and  13   ) or at spaced-apart locations in the leading end  40  ( FIGS.  14  and  15   ). The parallel cuts form tabs  96  that are then folded over an outer surface of one ply P 1  or P 2  and secured in place, such as with a tape  94  or other technique as described in connection with  FIGS.  10  and  11   . Consequently, a formerly outwardly-facing surface of the first ply P 1  now faces in the opposite direction, as was the case with the corner portions  90  and  92  of  FIGS.  10  and  11   . The tabs  96  formed in the leading ends  40  of the first and second ply P 1  and P 2  in  FIGS.  14  and  15    may be near the corners or spaced inwardly from the corners, and may be nearer a center of the width of the leading ends  40  of the plies P 1  and P 2 . 
     Another alternative is shown in  FIG.  16   , where a tab  98  is cut from both plies at a location inwardly spaced from the edges of the plies P 1  and P 2 . A continuous cut through both plies P 1  and P 2  forms a tab  98  in each ply P 1  and P 2 . The tab  98  is then folded over an outside surface of one of the plies P 1  or P 2 , creating an opening in the ply P 1  or P 2  that had been filed by the tab  98 . In other words, a tab  98  from a first ply P 1  is pushed through an opening  100  in a second ply P 2 , over the tab formed in the second ply P 2 , and over an outside surface of the second ply P 2 . The tabs  98  are then secured in place, such as with a tape  94  as shown. This technique can be used to hide the tabs  98  and openings  100 , which may be desirable in some applications. Although only one connecting tab  98  and opening  100  are shown in  FIG.  16   , additional tabs  98  may be used to connect the leading ends  40  of the first ply P 1  and the second ply P 2  together. 
     The plies P 1  and P 2  also can be connected together by layers of tape  94  applied on both sides of the opening  100 , to the outwardly-facing surfaces of both plies P 1  and P 2 , with the adhesive tape  94  on one ply P 1  secured to the adhesive tape  94  on the other ply P 2  through the opening  100 . This arrangement can be used in addition to tabs  98 , such as in  FIG.  16   , or in place of tabs  98 , as shown in  FIGS.  17  to  20   . In  FIGS.  17  and  18   , holes  102  are punched through the overlapping plies P 1  and P 2  at spaced locations across a width of the leading ends  40  of the plies P 1  and P 2 , and portions of tape  94  applied to the outwardly-facing surfaces of the plies P 1  and P 2  connect via the holes  102 . An alternative hole arrangement is shown in  FIGS.  19  and  20   , where elongated slots  104  cut through the plies P 1  and P 2  form openings that allow the opposing portions of tape  94  to attach to one another through the slots  104 . These slots  104  may be formed near the corners at the leading ends  40  of the plies P 1  and P 2 , or may be spaced inwardly from the corners. In the examples shown in  FIGS.  17  to  20    the tape  94  covers the slots  104  in the plies P 1  and P 2 , which may be desirable in some applications. 
     An exemplary dunnage conversion machine  110  is shown in  FIGS.  21  and  22   . The conversion machine  110  includes a conversion assembly, indicated generally at  112 , and generally has an upstream end  114  and a downstream end  116 . The stock material enters the conversion assembly  112  through an opening  118  at the upstream end  114  for passage through the conversion assembly  112  where it is converted into a strip of dunnage that exits from the downstream end  116  of the conversion assembly  112 . This construction is typical of any dunnage conversion machine, and the invention is not limited to the particular dunnage conversion machine shown and described. 
     The illustrated conversion assembly  112  includes a former or forming assembly  126  and a feeding/connecting assembly  128  powered (energized) by a feed motor  130 , for example an electric motor, through a motion transfer assembly  132 . Downstream of the feeding/connecting assembly, a severing assembly  134  (for example a cutting assembly) powered by suitable means, such as the illustrated motor and motion transfer assembly  136  is provided to separate lengths or sections of dunnage products from the generally continuous strip of dunnage produced by the feeding/connecting assembly  128 . The forming assembly  126 , the feeding/connecting assembly  128 , and the severing assembly  134  are mounted to or in a housing  138  in a well-known manner. The operation of the conversion machine  110  may be controlled by a controller, also in a well-known manner. As will be apparent, other types of conversion assemblies may be employed to convert the sheet material to a strip of dunnage, and other types of severing assemblies may be employed to separate discrete sections of dunnage products from the strip of dunnage produced by the conversion assemblies. 
     The illustrated forming assembly  126  includes a forming member  144 , such as a forming frame, and a converging shaping chute  146 . The forming assembly  126  randomly crumples the sheet stock material and causes an inward rolling or folding of the lateral edges of the sheet stock material to form a continuous strip of cushioning having lateral pillow-like portions. The shaping chute  146  includes longitudinally extending, transversely converging side walls  150  which preferably are curved or arcuate in transverse cross-section. As the sheet stock material passes through the shaping chute  146 , the side edges turn or roll inwardly towards one another so that the inwardly turned or rolled edges form resilient pillow-like crumpled portions of stock material disposed in lateral abutting relationship as they emerge from the exit end of the shaping chute. 
     The forming member  144  coacts with the shaping chute  146  to randomly crumple the stock material, while also shaping and forming the stock material, including guiding a central portion of the stock material along the bottom wall  154  of the shaping chute  146  for controlled inward rolling or folding of the side edge portions of the stock material. 
     The illustrated feeding/connecting assembly  128  includes a pair of cooperating and opposed gears or gear-like members  160  and  162 . The gears  160  and  162  of the feeding/connecting assembly  128  perform two functions in the operation of the machine  110 . One function is a “feeding” function, with the gears pulling the stock material from the supply of stock material and then through the forming assembly  126 . The stock material is then discharged by the feeding/connecting assembly  128  to the severing assembly  134 . The second function that may be performed by the feeding/connecting assembly  128  is a connecting function. Specifically, the feeding/connecting assembly  128  connects overlapping layers of stock material along a central band, passing between the two opposing gears  160  and  162  to form a connected strip. Other mechanisms may be employed to “connect” the strip, i.e., to operate on the strip in such a manner that it will retain its shape as opposed to reverting to the original flat form of the stock material. Known connecting mechanisms include mechanisms that crease the stock material to enable the stock material to hold its three-dimensional shape, and mechanisms that “punch” tabs through overlapping layers to hold those layers together. 
     The connected strip travels downstream from the feeding/connecting assembly  128  to the severing assembly  134  which severs, for example by cutting, the strip into a section of a desired length. 
     Referring now to the upstream end  114  of the conversion machine  110 , the stock material is supplied to the conversion machine  110  from a stock supply assembly  166 . The illustrated stock supply assembly includes a pair of C-shape laterally spaced apart mounting brackets  170  secured to the conversion assembly  112 . When rolled stock material is used with the conversion machine  110 , the lower legs of the brackets  170  have journaled between the ends thereof a stock supply roll  172 . When fan-folded stock material ( FIG.  3   ) is used with the machine  110 , the lower legs are not necessary. The upper legs of the brackets  170  have journaled between the ends thereof a constant entry roller  174  that provides a non-varying point of entry for the sheet stock material from the supply. The brackets  170  also support therebetween a separating device  180  which receives the sheet stock material from the constant entry roller  174  and separates the two plies P 1  and P 2  from one another via transversely extending separator members  182  and  184  prior to passing beneath the forming member  144  and into the shaping chute  146 . The separating device  180  will separate the plies P 1  and P 2  as the connected leading ends of the plies pass the separating device before entering the conversion assembly so that each ply can crumple independently during the conversion process. 
     As described above, when the trailing ends of the plies of an almost spent supply of stock material are held, the leading ends of the plies of a succeeding supply of stock material may be spliced to the trailing ends. To detect that a supply of stock material is nearing its depleted or spent state, an end of web detector may be included upstream of the conversion assembly to detect the trailing end of one or more plies before the trailing ends of the stock material are pulled into the conversion machine. 
     In summary, in  FIG.  1    the next or succeeding supply of stock material  34  or  43  ( FIG.  2   ) is in a position for splicing with an almost-spent or depleted supply of stock material  45 , the plies P 1  and P 2  of which are shown at an upstream end  52  of the conversion machine  30 . To splice the succeeding supply of stock material  34  or  43  to the almost-spent supply of stock material  45 , the liners  70  are released from the adhesive layers  42  of the respective plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply of stock material  34  or  43  and the adhesive layers  42  are applied to inner surfaces of the trailing ends  46  of the plies P 1  and P 2  of the almost-spent supply of stock material  45 . Both of the liners  70  may be released before applying the adhesive layers  42  to the respective trailing ends  46  of the almost-spent supply of stock material  45  or, alternatively, each time a liner  70  is released the respective adhesive layer  42  is applied to the appropriate ply P 1  and P 2  before releasing another liner  70 . 
     Thus, the present invention provides a supply of stock material  34  and  43  for a dunnage conversion machine  30  that includes two plies P 1  and P 2  of sheet stock material  32  wound into a roll  44  or fan-folded into a stack  56  ( FIG.  2   ). The plies P 1  and P 2  may be attached together at a leading end  40 , and each ply P 1  and P 2  has disposed on a corresponding leading end  40  or trailing end  46  an adhesive layer  42  and a removable release liner  70  covering the adhesive layer  42 . When applied to a leading end  40  of the supply  34  or  43 , the adhesive layer  42  is applied to opposing, outwardly-facing surfaces of the respective plies P 1  and P 2 . When a supply of stock material  34  is almost spent, the operator removes the release liners  70  from both plies P 1  and P 2  to expose respective adhesive layers  42 , and then interposes the leading end  40  of a new supply  34  or  43  between the plies P 1  and P 2  at the trailing end  46  of the plies of the almost-spent supply  45  and presses the layers together to attach the plies P 1  and P 2  of the new supply  34  or  43  to respective plies P 1  and P 2  of the almost-spent supply  45 , for conversion into dunnage  36 . 
     Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain 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 which performs the specified function of the described integer (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary 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.