Patent ID: 7029259

Claim:
An apparatus for stamping a resilient plastic tube to make slotted tubular dunnage for supporting products in a shipping container, the apparatus comprising: a fixture for holding a steel rule stamping die with a face for stamping the tube to make the slotted tubular dunnage; a movable base plate having clamps with notches formed thereon to hold the tube on the movable base plate, the movable base plate being movable along a substantially parallel plane relative to face of the die; a conveying mechanism for moving the movable base plate to and from the steel rule stamping die along the substantially parallel plane relative to the face of the die, the conveying mechanism being connected to the movable base plate; a sensor for determining the presence of the tube held on the movable base plate in an indexing position, the sensor being in communication with the movable base plate; and a microprocessor for controlling the fixture to cut an opening on the tube after the presence of the tube on the movable base plate is determined, the microprocessor being in communication with the sensor, the fixture, and the conveying mechanism.