Patent ID: 7257935

Claim:
A system for providing dunnage to packages as the packages are formed comprising: a) a dunnage forming machine having a formation station for inflating and sealing plastic pouches to form dunnage units; b) an accumulator positioned below the station for receiving and collecting such units as they are formed; c) the accumulator including an outlet opening laterally offset from the formation station; d) a pair of counter rotating brushes having axes journaled in spaced relationship at the outlet, each of the brushes including circumferentially spaced bristle sets defining unit receiving spaces between adjacent sets; e) a motor drive operably connected to the brushes for causing such counter rotation; f) an operator controlled switch for selectively engaging the motor drive; and g) the accumulator including: i) a bottom tapering downwardly from a location below the formation station toward the outlet; ii) a mechanism for urging such units from the location toward the outlet; and iii) a unit volume sensor for emitting a machine start signal when the volume of units in the accumulator reaches a predetermined low volume, the signal being effective to cause the machine to produce dunnage units.