HK1002854B - Cushioning conversion machine and method - Google Patents

Description

Cushioning conversion machine and method

The present invention relates generally to dunnage producing machines, such as cushion converting machines for producing dunnage products from sheet stock material, which supplies the sheet stock material in roll form, and more particularly to an improved modular construction of such machines which, among other features, provides a low cost machine for low volume users.

During shipment of an item from one location to another, it is common to place protective packaging material in the shipping box or box to fill any voids and/or cushion the contents during shipment. Some conventional protective packaging materials are plastic foam pellets and plastic foam board. While these conventional plastic materials appear to be suitable for use as cushioning products, they are not without their drawbacks. Perhaps the most serious drawback of blister packs and/or blister granules is their environmental impact. In short, these plastic packaging materials cannot be broken down by organisms and therefore inevitably exacerbate the serious waste disposal problems that our planet already has. The non-biodegradability of these packaging materials is becoming increasingly important for many industries to adopt improvement policies in accordance with the environmental responsibilities.

The above and other drawbacks of conventional plastic packaging materials have prompted a general change to protective packaging materials made of paper. Paper can be biodegraded, recycled and reused, thus making the responsible industry the choice of such paper packaging material from an environmental standpoint. Furthermore, the use of paper protective backing materials for particle sensitive goods is particularly advantageous because their clean dust-proof surfaces are resistant to static adhesion.

While sheet-like paper products may be used as protective packaging material, it is often desirable to convert the sheet-like paper products into a pad or other relatively low density dunnage product. Such modification may be accomplished by a cushioning pad modification machine, such as the modification machines disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patents US 4,968,291 and 5,123,889. The disclosed cushioning conversion machine converts a sheet-like stock material, such as a plurality of stacked sheets of paper, into a mat-like dunnage product having longitudinally extending pillow-like portions joined together along a sewn central portion of the product. The stock material preferably consists of three stacked sheets or layers of biodegradable, recyclable and reusable 30 pound kraft paper wound on a hollow cylindrical tube. Such a 30 inch wide paper roll is approximately 450 feet long and weighs approximately 35 pounds, which provides a cushioning capacity equivalent to that provided by approximately 415 cubic feet of blister packs, while requiring less than 1/30 storage space.

Specifically, these machines reform the stock into a continuous, unconnected strip having transverse pillow-like portions separated by a thin central strip. The belt is joined or pressed along a central band-like region to form a pressed belt and cut into segments of desired length. Each cut segment includes transverse pillow-like portions separated by a thin central band and which provides an excellent, relatively low density, mat-like product which can be used in place of conventional plastic protective packaging materials.

The several embodiments shown in the foregoing patents and other commonly assigned patents and applications have met with great commercial success. However, for environmental reasons and other considerations, there is a need for further improvements in such machines. At the same time, a particular need has arisen for a similar machine that can economically produce the same dunnage as previous machines with low volume requirements, such as a low volume dunnage conversion machine that is competitive in price compared to the prior art, such as loose filling from an overhead bag or hand crumpling of paper or newsprint on a roll. In addition, there is a particular need for a lighter and portable machine (remanufacturer) while providing additional improvements to improve its performance, reduce costs, facilitate maintenance, etc.

The present invention provides a novel dunnage making machine and associated method characterized in that it includes various features including, among others, a modular construction for ease of use, easy access to internal components, and a low cost cutting assembly including an integrated blade assembly, a hand feed and cutting mechanism, a novel forming assembly, and an interlocking mechanism. The features of the present invention can be applied individually or in combination to various types of dunnage making machines, although they are particularly suited to providing relatively lightweight and portable converting machines that can be economically used to produce dunnage as produced by earlier machines as described above, at low usage demands, and particularly including converting machines that have a price advantage over prior art low usage dunnage making, such as the loose filling or hand crumpling of tissue from an overhead bag as in the prior art. Various aspects of the invention are summarized and fully described below.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a cushioning conversion machine for converting a sheet-like material into a relatively low density cushioning dunnage product includes first and second units having separate housings. The first unit includes a forming member within its housing through which the sheet stock material is drawn to form the stock material into a three-dimensional shape. The second unit includes within its housing a feed mechanism for drawing the material over the forming member of the first unit. The housings of the first and second units each have an outlet and an inlet positionable relative to each other to provide a path for the strip of material from the first unit to the second unit.

In a preferred embodiment, the first and second units may be disposed in a variety of relative positional relationships, with the housings being releasably interconnected. The housings of the first and second units each have a coplanar bottom support with a support surface thereon; or in another arrangement one of the first and second units may be supported by the wheel for movement towards and away from the other unit. In the latter case, cooperating guides may be provided on the housings of the first and second units for relative positioning of the first and second units when combined together. In either case, the first and second units may be arranged upright, horizontal or in other orientations. The second unit may include a frame and a housing encasing the frame, the latter including an exit trough for use as a guide and containment channel for the dunnage product exiting the second unit.

It is also preferred to provide a manually releasable connection, for example in the form of a slip fit connection, between the first unit and the second unit. This slip fit connection holds the units together preventing their longitudinal separation while allowing their lateral separation. The slip fit connection comprises a flange on one unit and a slot on the other unit which slidably receives the flange, preferably with a manually releasable locking mechanism, such as a finger screw or the like, to lock the units together against separation in the lateral direction described above.

According to another aspect of the invention, a cushion converting machine for converting a sheet-like material into a relatively low-density cushion sheet product includes a forming member by which a drawn-in sheet-like stock material is formed into a three-dimensional shape, a feed mechanism for drawing the stock material over the forming member, and a housing in which a polymerization groove is formed to cooperate with the forming member to roll the edges of the stock material into lateral pillow-like portions. The housing includes a base portion and a removable cover portion and preferably the forming member is carried by the removable cover.

In a preferred embodiment for using the multi-layer feedstock, the base portion of the housing has laterally spaced side walls and a plurality of dividers are mounted on the side walls extending therebetween for separating the layers of the multi-layer feedstock. The cover may be pivotally attached to the base portion to swing between open and closed positions, or may be detachably secured to the base portion with a latch or the like. The base portion of the housing preferably has a planar base support for providing a support surface thereon, and the base portion and cover are preferably plastic molded parts.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a cushion converting machine for converting a sheet-like material into a relatively low density cushion pad product includes a forming member, a feed mechanism, and a cutting assembly. The drawn sheet stock material is formed into a three-dimensional shape by a forming member, a feed mechanism for drawing the stock material over the forming member, and a cutting assembly for cutting the cushioning pad product into pieces. The cutting assembly includes a blade assembly and an operator assembly for operating the blade assembly. The blade assembly includes a guide frame and a pair of relatively movable blades mounted on the guide frame, the blades being movable toward and away from each other, and the guide frame being independent of the operator assembly and being removably mounted on the converting machine such that the blade assembly is removable without removal of the operator assembly.

In a preferred embodiment, the manipulator assembly includes a movable handle member that moves the blades together in a first direction and moves the blades apart in a second direction. The operator assembly further includes at least one slotted crank connected to the handle and rotatable in opposite directions in response to movement of the handle in first and second directions, respectively. The blades include at least one moving blade mounted on the guide frame to move toward and away from the other blade, and a pin is coupled to the moving blade and engaged in a slot of the slot crank to move the moving blade in accordance with rotation of the slot crank. The end of the slot crank is open to allow removal of the pin in a direction parallel to the slot when the blade assembly is removed from the converting machine. The slotted crank is connected to the crank shaft and the handle can be connected to the crank shaft in any of a variety of mounting positions.

Preferably, the handles are movable in said second direction to an in-feed position in which said blades are relatively spaced apart sufficiently to allow dunnage product to pass therethrough, and are movable in said first direction to a full cut position sufficient to cut dunnage product into cut lengths. The feeding and feeding mechanism comprises at least one rotating piece which is used for meshing and driving the raw materials to advance; and a motor for driving the rotating member; and the control part is in working connection with the driving motor and is used for controlling the energy supply and the energy removal of the driving motor. The control member is functionally associated with the handle such that movement of the handle in the second direction to the infeed transport position energizes the drive motor and movement of the handle in the first direction de-energizes the drive motor.

The present invention also provides a blade assembly for a cushion conversion machine to cut a continuous strip of dunnage into individual segments. The blade assembly includes a guide frame and a pair of blades mounted on the guide frame for relative movement. The guide frame includes a movable carriage and a guide for guiding the transverse movement of the movable carriage, and the movable carriage preferably includes a locking pin at each end thereof engageable in a slot of the slotted crank and cooperating therewith to control the movement of the movable carriage in response to movement of the crank.

The present invention also provides a sewing assembly suitable for use in a cushion conversion machine that converts a sheet-like material into a relatively low density cushion pad product. The suturing assembly includes a frame, a pair of shafts mounted on the frame, at least one of the shafts being laterally movable toward and away from the other shaft, a pair of rotatable teeth adapted to be disposed in meshing engagement with the sheet material as the sheet material passes between the teeth, and at least one spring biasing device operatively acting on said one shaft to resiliently bias the shaft and the teeth carried by the shaft toward the other shaft and its teeth to maintain the teeth with the sheet material therebetween in resilient meshing relationship. The spring biasing means comprises a tie member extending transversely to said one axis, one end of the tie member being secured to a fixed support of the frame; an adjustable stop on the tie member adjustable along its length to move toward and away from the shaft; and further includes a spring member interposed between the shaft and the adjustable stop plate to elastically press the shaft toward the other shaft.

In a preferred embodiment, the one shaft has a bore therein through which the tie member extends, and the spring member comprises a coil spring supported on the tie member. Preferably, a pair of spring biasing means are provided at opposite ends of the axle, the frame including laterally spaced side members between which the axle extends, and the tie members of the pair of spring biasing means being secured to the frame by laterally spaced brackets respectively connected to the side members.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a cushion converting machine for converting a strip-like material into a relatively low-density cushion pan product includes a forming member, a feeding mechanism, and an operating device, wherein a drawn-in layered material is formed into a three-dimensional shape by the forming member; and a feed mechanism for drawing the stock material over the forming member of the first unit, the feed mechanism including at least one rotatable member for engaging and advancing the stock material; the operating device is mounted for reciprocal movement and is operatively connected to the rotatable member such that movement of the operating device from the first position to the second position rotates the rotatable member and does not rotate the rotatable member during return of the operating device from the second position to the first position.

In a preferred embodiment, the one-way clutch connects the rotatable member to the operating means, which preferably includes a handle that can be swung back and forth. In this arrangement, a cutting assembly is also incorporated for cutting the cushion sheet product into lengths, the cutting assembly including a pair of relatively rotatable blades. The operating means moves from the first position away from the second position to the third position to move the blades together and from the third position to the second position to move the blades apart. A first gear wheel connected to said rotatable member and a second gear wheel connected to the operating means, the second gear wheel having a toothed section for engagement with the first gear wheel during movement of the operator between the first and second positions; there is also a toothless segment for passing over the teeth of the first gear during movement of the operating means between the first and third positions. Preferably, a one-way clutch connects the first gear to the rotatable member.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a cushioning conversion machine for converting a sheet-like material into a relatively low density cushioning pad product comprises a forming machine through which a layered stock material is formed into a three-dimensional shape, a feed mechanism for drawing the stock material over the forming machine, a polymerization tank cooperating with the forming machine to roll the edges of the stock material into transverse pillows, and another forming machine in the shape of a U having a first leg connected to the top wall of the tank and a second leg extending into the tank generally parallel to the bottom wall of the tank. In a preferred embodiment, the base of the U-shaped member is curved and tangent to the forward convergence of the second branch of the polymerization tank. The forming member may also be of uniform width and the adjustment means may be arranged to adjust the spacing between the second branch and the bottom wall of the polymerization tank. The adjusting device is preferably connected between the first and the second branch. It is also desirable that the top and bottom walls of the polymerization tank be substantially planar and that the polymerization tank have outwardly bowed side walls extending between the top and bottom walls. The second branch of the forming member preferably extends to a point adjacent the outlet of the polymerization tank.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a cushioning conversion machine for converting sheet-like material into a relatively low density dunnage product and a stand for vertically holding the conversion machine are also provided. The stand includes an upright support to which the machine is mounted; also included is a base extending oppositely from the upright support and resting on a horizontal surface. The base includes laterally spaced supports for supporting the ends of the material roll holder. In a preferred embodiment, the upright support and base are connected by telescopic members which engage by a sliding fit so that the base can be conveniently separated from the upright support without the need to remove the machine from the support. Preferably the base is formed by a pair of laterally spaced feet, each foot being connected to the upright support by a telescopic member which engages by a snug fit so that the foot can be conveniently detached from the upright support, and each foot including a laterally spaced support.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is also provided a cushioning conversion machine for converting sheet-like products into relatively low density cushioning dunnage products and a support for holding the conversion machine, the conversion machine and support having cooperating hooks and pawls for holding the conversion machine to the support. In a preferred embodiment, the hook and pawl, which may include cooperating studs and keyholes, are disengageable from each other when the machine is relatively movable in a first direction with the support to remove the machine from the stand, and a releasable catch mechanism is provided to prevent such relative movement of the machine with the support. The releasable locking mechanism is preferably manually releasable without the aid of a tool.

According to another preferred embodiment, the support comprises a frame for mounting the machine and a base for resting on a horizontal surface. The base includes laterally spaced supports for supporting the ends of the material roller grippers. The base may be attached to the frame by a sliding telescopic member which allows the base to be removed from the frame and its replacement by a hook comprising laterally spaced supports for supporting the ends of the material roller holders so that the machine may be supported on a table, for example horizontally, preferably with anti-slip means such as suction cups provided on the frame to hold the frame to the table.

In a preferred embodiment of the converting machine comprising the aforementioned feeding and forming units, each unit is provided with a separate housing, the hooks and catches of which comprise a first hook and catch for holding the first unit to the support and a second hook and catch for holding the second unit to the support. Desirably, the first hook and pawl includes a transversely extending hook on the first unit and a transversely extending frame member on the support. It will be seen that the machine can be suspended from the support in a cantilever-like manner by means of cooperating hook and pawl transformation machines, and more particularly that the first and second units can be suspended from the support in a cantilever-like manner by means of a first hook and pawl and a second hook and pawl respectively.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a cushion converting machine for converting sheet stock material into a relatively low density cushioning dunnage product includes a former through which the sheet stock material is advanced to form the stock material into a three-dimensional shape; a feed mechanism for advancing the stock through the former; a cutting assembly for cutting the cushioning dunnage product into lengths, the cutting assembly being movable from a first position allowing the stock material to advance through the cutting zone to a second position cutting the cushioning dunnage product at the cutting zone; a flapper member is movable between an actuated position to permit movement of the blade from the first position to the second position and a non-actuated position to prevent movement of the blade from the first position to the second position. In a preferred embodiment, the cutting assembly includes an actuator operatively connected to a blade such that movement of the actuator in a blade actuation direction from a third position to a fourth position moves the blade from the first position to the second position, and the barrier member is mounted in the reformer for movement between a buried position allowing movement of the actuator from the third position to the fourth position and an interference position preventing movement of the actuator from the third position to the fourth position. Preferably the barrier member comprises a pin mounted in the remanufacturer for axial movement between an actuated position and a non-actuated position, the pin being biased towards the actuated position. A plurality of stop surfaces are spaced axially along the pin and the pin has abutment surfaces extending axially perpendicular to the axial direction for selectively engaging the stop surfaces to define a plurality of axially displaced positions of the pin, at least one of which corresponds to the actuated position of the flapper member and another of which corresponds to the non-actuated position of the flapper member.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a cushioning conversion machine for converting a sheet-like material into a relatively low-density cushioning dunnage product includes a former through which the sheet-like stock material is advanced to form the stock material into a three-dimensional shape; a feed mechanism for advancing the feedstock through the former; a blade assembly for cutting the cushioning dunnage product into sections, the blade assembly comprising at least one moving blade for cutting the cushioning dunnage product; an operator assembly is also included. The operator assembly includes a pair of cranks operatively engaged with opposite ends of the blade assembly such that rotation of the cranks drives movement of a moving blade, and handles operatively associated with each of the cranks at their opposite ends such that movement of the handles causes rotation of the cranks. At least one end of the handle is adjustable relative to the corresponding crank so that the operator assembly can be aligned with the blade assembly. In a preferred embodiment, each end of the handle is rotatably adjustable relative to a respective crank. More specifically, the cranks are fixed to respective axially aligned pivots for rotation therewith. At each end of the handle is a mounting block for attachment to the hub of the respective pivot and at least one fastener is used to secure the mounting block to the hub, the fastener passing through holes in the mounting block and hub which extend relative to the axis of the respective pivot to permit rotational adjustment of the handle relative to the crank.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a cushioning conversion machine for converting sheet material into relatively low density cushioning dunnage products includes first and second units having separate housings, each housing containing a respective assembly therein for cooperatively converting the sheet material into the relatively low density, three-dimensional shape of the cushioning dunnage products, the housings of the first and second units each having an outlet and an inlet positionable relative to one another for providing a path for the sheet material to be transported from the first unit to the second unit, and wherein the first and second units have a slip-fit connection therebetween which holds the units together against longitudinal separation thereof while permitting lateral separation thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the slip fit connection includes a flange on one unit and a slot on the other unit that slidably receives the flange. Preferably the other unit has a back plate and a housing with a rear wall which together with the back plate forms said channel.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a cushion converting machine for converting sheet material into a relatively low density cushioning dunnage product is provided with a housing enclosing a forming assembly by which the sheet material is formed into a three-dimensional shape. The housing has a rear wall and opposed side walls forming respective corners with the rear wall of the housing. A stock support is secured to the corners of the housing, the stock support having upper and lower end portions, the lower end portion being laterally spaced apart and supporting a supply of sheet material therebetween, and the upper end portion being generally L-shaped with its L-shaped legs secured to the rear wall and the respective side walls, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the lower end of each stock support includes an upwardly open channel for receiving the end of a sheet stock roller holder.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a cushioning conversion machine for converting sheet-like material into a relatively low density cushioning dunnage product and a stand for vertically holding the conversion machine are also provided. The machine and stand have a main transverse plane passing through the center of gravity of the machine and stand, and the stand has a bottom surface which rests on a horizontal surface and forms a support plane therewith. The stand further includes at least one roller upwardly offset from the support plane, the roller being further horizontally offset from the transverse plane and provided with a pivot for engaging the horizontal surface to form a fulcrum about which the modifying machine and the substrate can swing in a direction of horizontal offset of one of the rollers. The roller is positioned to engage the horizontal support surface before the center of gravity of the machine and stand rotates 20 degrees above the fulcrum vertical plane so that the machine and stand roll about the horizontal surface as the roller engages the horizontal surface. In a preferred embodiment, the rollers are arranged to engage the horizontal support surface before the centre of gravity of the machine and stand is rotated through more than 10 degrees in the vertical plane. A buffer plate may be provided to engage the horizontal support surface to prevent the converting machine from rotating through more than a predetermined amount of angle with the stand after the drum engages the horizontal support surface. Preferably, a handle is also provided adjacent the upper end of the machine to facilitate tilting and then rolling of the machine along a horizontal surface.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a cushion conversion machine for converting a sheet-like material into a relatively low density cushion pad product is provided, including a forming assembly for forming the material into a three-dimensional shape; and a feed mechanism for feeding the stock through the forming assembly, the feed assembly including a motor, energy storage means for storing energy, and a circuit for selectively energizing the motor from the energy storage means to drive the motor. In a preferred embodiment, the motor is an electric motor and the energy storage means is a battery carried on a support structure for supporting the forming assembly and the electric motor. Most desirably, the support structure, such as a stand, includes wheels for allowing the machine to roll on the floor surface.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, the following description and the accompanying drawings which illustrate in detail some illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being by way of example only, and are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cushion conversion machine of the present invention showing the front and rear units assembled to each other and supported on a table.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the front unit of the machine in the direction of line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with the housing of the front unit removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the machine of figure 1 taken along line 3-3.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-4 of fig. 2, showing the positions of the internal components of the front unit with the operating handle in the carry-in position.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to fig. 4 showing the position of the internal components of the operating handle in the cutting position.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showing the modular cutting assembly removed as an integral unit.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but with parts removed to show a variation of the spring-biased member of the gear feed/embossing assembly.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to fig. 4 showing a modification in which the operating handle is mountable to the front unit with the internal components of the front unit and the operating handle disposed in its feed position.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view similar to fig. 9 showing the position of the internal components of the operating handle in the cutting position.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of fig. 2.

Fig. 12 is a side view taken along line 12-12 of fig. 2.

Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of the rear unit of the converting machine.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the reformer front unit housing and outlet trough.

Figure 15 is an elevation view showing the machine in a vertical orientation with the front unit supported by a gantry and the rear unit supported by a trailer for movement toward and away from the front unit.

Figure 15A is another front view of the machine of figure 15 as viewed from the direction 15A-15A of figure 15.

Figure 16 is an elevation view showing the machine in an upright orientation with the front unit mounted to a wall and the rear unit supported on a trailer for movement toward and away from the front unit.

Figure 17 is a front elevation view showing the machine in an upright orientation with both the front and rear units supported on a trailer.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the cushion modifying machine, wherein the rear unit is positioned on the trailer for movement toward and away from the front unit supported on the table.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the cushion modifying machine, wherein the modified front unit is assembled in a reversed position relative to the front unit.

Figure 20 is a front elevation view showing the machine in an upright orientation with both front and rear units supported by the stand.

Figure 20A is another front view of the machine of figure 20, viewed in the direction 20A-20A of figure 20.

Fig. 21 is a view similar to fig. 2 showing the use of a cover plate to protect the electrical device from breakage.

Fig. 22 is a sectional view taken along line 22-22 of fig. 21, showing the manner of attachment of the cover plate.

Fig. 23 is a sectional view taken along line 23-23 of fig. 21, showing a plan view of the cover plate.

Fig. 24 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the front unit driven by human power with the operating handle in a neutral position.

Fig. 24A is a cross-sectional view through the unit before fig. 24 in the direction of line 24A-24A thereof.

Fig. 25 is a longitudinal section similar to fig. 24 showing the operating handle moved rearwardly to feed product through the unit.

Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional view similar to fig. 24 showing the forward movement of the operating handle to cut the strip-like dunnage product formed by the cushion modifying machine into lengths.

Fig. 27 is a side view of another embodiment of the cushion modifying machine of the present invention supported in an upright manner on a stand.

Figure 28 is another elevation view of the machine of figure 27 as viewed along line 28-28 of figure 27.

Figure 29 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the conversion machine of figure 27 separated from the stand and taken generally in the direction 29-29 of figure 28.

Fig. 29A is a partial cut-away enlarged view of fig. 29 to show the adjustment device.

Fig. 30 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken generally in the direction 30-30 of fig. 29.

Fig. 31 is a cross-sectional view taken generally in the direction 31-31 of fig. 29.

Figure 32 is an enlarged plan view of the forming trough and components used in the machine of figure 27.

Fig. 33 is a side view of the forming trough and assembly of fig. 32.

Fig. 34 is a rear view of the forming trough and assembly of fig. 32.

Figure 35 is a broken longitudinal section through the machine of figure 37 showing the interlock mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 36 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 36-36 of fig. 35.

Fig. 37 is a view similar to fig. 35 showing the cover after removal of the rear unit housing and disengagement of the interlocking mechanism.

Fig. 38 is similar to fig. 36, but shows the cover with the shell removed and the interlocking mechanism separated.

Fig. 39 is a cross-sectional view of the front unit showing the use of a spring-plunger mechanism in the present invention.

Fig. 40 is a broken away cross-sectional view taken along line 40-40 of fig. 39.

Fig. 41 is a plan view of a swing door covering the front unit outlet.

FIG. 42 is a cross-sectional view of the door of FIG. 41 taken along line 42-42 of FIG. 41.

Fig. 43 is an exploded side view of the cushion modifying machine and support stand of fig. 27, an improved solution for manually and quickly mounting the machine to the stand without the aid of tools.

Figure 44 is another exploded elevational view of the modified machine of figure 43 as viewed in the direction of line 44-44.

Fig. 45 is another elevation view of the modified gantry of fig. 43, as viewed along line 45-45.

FIG. 46 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the front unit of the converting machine as viewed along line 46-46 of FIG. 43.

FIG. 47 is a broken away cross-sectional view through the front unit in the direction of line 47-47.

Fig. 48 is an enlarged broken-away portion of fig. 44.

Fig. 49 is a broken away cross-sectional view taken along line 49-49 of fig. 48.

Fig. 50 is an enlarged portion of fig. 45.

Fig. 51 is an enlarged portion of fig. 43, partially broken away in section.

Fig. 52-60 are sequential front views showing the mounting of the machine on the support stand, with fig. 56 and 58 being enlarged portions of fig. 55 and 57, respectively, and fig. 59A and 60 being enlarged portions of fig. 59, respectively.

FIG. 61 is a side view showing the converting machine and the stand supported on the table in a horizontal direction, wherein the base of the stand is replaced with a roller suspension.

Fig. 62 is a broken-away cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the cushion modifying machine including a former or forming unit, and a feed or overhead unit, with parts removed to show various changes to the machine.

Fig. 63 is a plan view of the cushion modifying machine of fig. 62 looking in the direction 63-63 with the former and cover of the overhead unit removed.

FIG. 64 is a side view of the reforming machine-forming unit of FIG. 62 with the cover removed.

FIG. 65 is a plan view of the forming unit with the cover removed as viewed in the direction 65-65 of FIG. 64.

FIG. 66 is an end view of the forming unit of FIG. 65 looking in the direction 66-66 with the cover removed.

Fig. 67 is a sectional view of the overhead unit of the machine of fig. 62 taken in the direction 67-67 of fig. 63 with parts removed for ease of description.

Fig. 68 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the direction 68-68 of fig. 67.

Fig. 69 is a top plan view of the lid of the reforming machine-forming unit of fig. 62.

FIG. 70 is a side view of the cap of FIG. 69, looking in the direction 70-70.

FIG. 71 is an end view of the cover of FIG. 69 as seen in the direction 71-71 of FIG. 70.

Figure 72 is a broken-away cross-sectional view of the overhead unit of the retrofit machine of figure 62, taken generally in the direction 72-72 of figure 63, showing other parts of the overhead unit.

Fig. 73 is a broken away view, taken generally along the line 73-73 of fig. 72, with some parts removed and shown in cross-section.

Fig. 74 is a broken-away cross-sectional view taken generally in the direction 74-74 of fig. 73.

FIG. 75 is a side elevational view of the operating handle of the machine of FIG. 72 looking in the direction 75-75.

Figure 76 is a side view showing the conversion machine assembled on a modified skid.

FIG. 77 is a side view of the gantry looking in the direction 77-77 of FIG. 76.

Fig. 78 is a side view of another embodiment of the cushion modifying machine supported by an upright oriented stand.

Figure 79 is a front view of the machine of figure 78 as viewed along line 79-79.

Figure 80 is a front view of the machine of figure 78 as viewed in the direction 80-80 of figure 79.

Fig. 81 is a side view of another form of the gantry base of fig. 78.

Referring now specifically to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1, the cushioning conversion machine of the present invention is designated by the numeral 20. The illustrated machine 20 rests in a horizontal manner and carries a drum 21 formed from sheet stock material M. Preferably, the stock M comprises two or three stacked thirty pound biodegradable, recyclable and recyclable kraft paper wound on a hollow cylindrical tube. The converting machine 20 converts the stock into a series of discrete relatively low density cushion panel products 22 having transverse pillow sections 23 separated by a thin central strip 24. The strip 22 is divided into segments, or mats, of desired length for use as a protective wrapping material. As shown, the converting machine 20 is compact in size and may be supported on a table 27 or other platform to facilitate the dispensing of the individual cut lengths of dunnage product 22.

The reformer 20 is of modular construction, comprising a forward or downstream module, section or unit 30 and a rearward or upstream module, section or unit 31. The preceding and following designations are arbitrary and are generally intended to facilitate the description of the relative relationships between the elements of the machine. The rear unit 30 and the front unit 31 are also referred to herein as a forming unit and a feeding/cutting unit, respectively, in accordance with the description of the related functions that follows. The rear unit 30 and the front unit 31 are also referred to herein as former and top.

The downstream and upstream directions here relate to the direction of movement of the stock M through the converting machine. It should also be understood that top-to-bottom, and the like references refer to the orientation of the machine as shown, and are intended only to describe the positional relationship between the elements of the machine, and are not intended to limit the invention unless specifically indicated. The invention also includes various combinations of any one of the features of the invention with one or more other features, even though these features are shown in different embodiments.

The rear unit 31 has a housing 35. The housing 35 has a base 36 and a cover 37 hinged to the base by hinges 33. The cover is openable and closable to provide access to the interior of the housing, the internal components of the rear unit not being visible in fig. 1. Depending from the base 36 there are laterally spaced brackets 38 mounted to support the material drum. At the lower end of the bracket 38 there is a slot 39 for the placement of the end of a material roller holder 40 (such as the rod or holder described in co-pending application No.08/267960 filed 6/29, 1994) so that the material roller is centrally supported for rotation so that material can be released from the material roller for passage through the converting machine.

The front unit 30 has a housing 43, which housing 43 comprises an outer shell 44 and a frame which is hidden by the shell 44 (from view in fig. 1) and other internal components of the front unit. The housing has a base 45 and a cover 46 which are preferably molded from a suitable plastic such as ABS. Also shown in figure 1 is an operating lever or handle member 47 for controlling the operation of the machine. I.e., the stock is fed into the converting machine and the dunnage product is cut into lengths.

Fig. 2 and 3 show the internal elements of the rear unit 31 and the front unit 30. As will be clear from the following description, all of the active and stressed elements of the machine are enclosed in the front unit. Thus, while the entire machine is relatively light, the subsequent units are relatively light as compared to the machine currently in commercial use as described by U.S. patents 4968291 and 5123889. Specifically, the commercial converting machine weighs more than 400 pounds, whereas a preferred embodiment of the present invention weighs no more than 100 pounds, preferably generally between about 80 and 250 pounds, and more preferably about 60 pounds. The preferred embodiment described is suitable for use with a stock of 27 inches wide and an overall length (loaded by rollers) of about 48 inches, whereas the commercial modification machine shown in us 5123889 uses a stock of about 60 inches long (the width and height of the machine being 34 inches and 12 inches respectively, the stock being 30 inches wide), or the commercial modification machine shown in us 4968291 uses a stock of about 67 inches long (the width and height of the machine being 36 inches and 42 inches respectively, the stock being 30 inches wide). Similarly, the back unit shell is about 28 inches wide by about 9 inches high, while the front unit shell is about 11 inches long by about 15 inches wide by about 11 inches high. Moreover, the compact, lightweight, portable converting machine of the present invention can be used to produce pad-like cushioning board products of approximately the same size, about 7-9 inches wide and about 1.5-3 inches thick, which were originally produced by heavier converting machines, the details and production of which are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent 4717613. Also, the density of the preferred dunnage product is between about 0.6 and 0.7 pounds per cubic foot.

As shown at the right end of fig. 3, the rear unit 31 includes an input guide, preferably in the form of an input roller 50, which provides a fixed input point for the sheet stock material M delivered from the stock roller 21. The feedstock passes from the feedstock roller through an inlet 51 in the bottom wall 52 of the housing base 45. From the rolls 50, the stock passes through separating elements, preferably rolls 53-55, respectively, which separate the multiple layers P1-P3 from each other before passing through the forming frame 56 and into the polymerization tank 57. The stock material preferably comprises two or three laminated sheets or laminae of biodegradable, recyclable and reusable 30 pound kraft paper wound on a hollow cylindrical tube and preferably 27 inches in width, although other sizes of width, including 30 inch gauge width, may be used. A 27 inch wide roll of paper having three layers of 30 pound kraft paper 450 feet in length weighs about 32 pounds and provides a cushioning capacity equivalent to 31/2 times the cushioning capacity produced by 15 cubic feet of foam pellets.

The forming frame 56, preferably in the form of a shaped piece, works in conjunction with the polymerization tank 57 in a manner generally as described in commonly assigned U.S. patent No. 5123889. However, in accordance with the present invention, the polymerization tank 57 is preferably formed by a portion of the housing 35 where the walls of the housing converge toward each other. As best shown in fig. 13, the base has a rear wall 60 and laterally spaced side walls 61. The side walls have parallel rear portions 62, converging middle portions 63, and converging front portions 64, the latter (i.e., front portions 64) forming an angle that is less than the angle formed by middle portions 59. The lid 37 is constructed in a corresponding manner and is provided with rear edge portions 66 and side edge portions 67 which are turned downwardly to engage the top edges of the rear and side walls of the base. As shown, the associated rear and side portions of the lid may be flared outwardly at their lower edges to form a peripheral lip 68 which overlies the upper edge portions of the base rear wall and side walls. It should be noted here that although the rear wall and the side walls of the housing are mainly formed by the base opposite to the cover, the rear wall and the side walls of the housing may be formed more or less by the base as required. That is, the dividing line between the base and the cover may be otherwise arranged, for example, along a central plane through the housing, although the dividing line is preferably located above the central plane.

It will also be noted from fig. 13 that the forming frame 56 is fixed to the cover 37 and is thus carried thereby. This feature of the invention facilitates the initial feeding of the feedstock M through the conversion machine. It is conventional practice to fold the leading end portion of the stock material into a triangular shape before passing through the feed mechanism to form the feed arrow shape under the forming frame. Since the forming frame is carried by the cover, the forming frame is also carried out when the cover is opened. This allows easy access to the housing to fold the leading end portion of the stock material into the arrowhead shape and advance it into engagement with the feed mechanism. At the center of the cross-piece of the forming frame, upright bars 71 and 72 are fixed, the top ends of which are attached to the cover, as shown. Further details regarding the forming frame and its function can be found in commonly assigned U.S. patents 4717613 and 4750896. According to the invention, the forming frame can be formed integrally with the channel, i.e. as a plastic moulding and preferably as part of the cover.

FIG. 13 also shows the support of the input roller 50 and the separation rollers 53-55 on and extending between the rear portion 62 of the side wall 61 of the base 36 or more generally the housing 31, which also serves as the outer frame of the separation roller. The drum may be of any suitable form and adapted to rotate. For example, the drum may comprise an outer drum shell rotating on a shaft, the ends of which are fixed to the side walls of the casing. The diameter of the lowermost roller is preferably greater than the diameter of the two rollers above.

As can also be seen in fig. 13, the front ends of the base and cover have overhanging lips 73 and 74, respectively, which are coplanar and which together form a flange around an outlet 75 through which the stock M passes from the rear unit into the front unit.

Referring again to fig. 2 and 3, and additionally to fig. 11 and 12, the front unit 30 includes a frame 79 on which is mounted a feed/roll mechanism 80 and a cutting mechanism 81. The feed/roll mechanism 80 includes rotatable, generally loosely engaged teeth 83 and 84 that are used to press the stock material along the central belt 24 (fig. 1) to roll stitch it together, thereby maintaining the three-dimensional shape shown in fig. 1. The rotating teeth engage the product and move it through the converting machine, causing the stock to be drawn over the forming frame and discharge the product through outlet 86. The motor 87 and reducer 88 are employed to drive the tooth 83, and due to the general meshing relationship between the teeth, the other tooth 84 is driven. The teeth preferably take the form described in commonly assigned U.S. patent 4968291, and these teeth or gears work to perforate the central band.

The toothed element 83 is secured to a drive shaft 90, the shaft 90 being rotatably mounted by bearings 89, and the bearings 89 being secured to respective frame members 91 and 92 of the frame 79, which are plate-like members that are grouped together in laterally spaced relation and separated by a laterally extending cross-frame member or plate 94. A sprocket 93 is secured to the end of the drive shaft laterally outwardly adjacent the frame member 92. The sprocket 93 is connected by an endless chain 95 (or belt or other suitable means) to a drive sprocket 96 secured to the output shaft of the reducer 88, which is driven by the motor 87. The speed reducer and motor are mounted inside the adjacent frame member 92. While this arrangement is ideal, other suitable means for driving the teeth may be employed and such other means also form part of the present description.

The toothed element 84 is rotatably supported on a shaft 98, while the ends of the shaft 98 are guided in the grooves 99 of the frame members 91 and 92. The ends of the shaft 98 are spring biased by spring biasing assemblies 102 to urge the shaft 98 and the tooth members 84 carried thereon toward the other shaft 90 and the tooth members 83 carried thereon to maintain the tooth members in resilient engaging relation with the stock material therebetween. As best shown in fig. 4, each spring biasing assembly 102 includes a tie member, such as a bolt 103, that extends transversely with respect to the axis of the shaft 98, and more specifically radially, through an aperture 104 in the tie member 103. At one end of the tie member is an enlarged end 105 which is secured to a fixed support 107. The support 107 is mounted to the cross frame member 94. Threaded onto the tie member at the end opposite the support 107 is an adjustable stop 110, and supported on the tie member between the support 107 and the adjustable stop 110 is a coil spring 111.

Thus, the shaft 98 is free to float, moving toward and away from the shaft 90 to accommodate the varying thickness of the stock material between the teeth, while the spring 111 of the biasing assembly 102 provides the compressive force to achieve the desired press fit or hold down effect. The compressive force can be varied by adjusting the position of the baffle 110 along the length of the tie. This is easily accomplished by rotating the tie member 103 so that the baffle 110 advances or retracts, noting that the baffle will not rotate due to the constraint of the transverse frame member 94. Also, a slot may be formed in the head of the tie member or otherwise shaped to facilitate rotation by a screwdriver, wrench, or other suitable tool. The damper may be adjusted as necessary to apply a preload to the shaft 98.

As best shown in fig. 2, the top ends of the transverse frame members 94 have various openings to receive other elements of the front unit while providing for the mounting of the supports 107. In another arrangement shown in fig. 7 and 8, the transverse frame member 94 may be replaced by a simpler rectangular plate 94', and laterally spaced supports 107 (L-shaped brackets or ears in the illustrated embodiment) may be mounted to the side frame members 91 and 92. This reduces cost and weight.

The feed/roll mechanism 80 shown in fig. 2 performs a dual function in the operation of the converting machine 20. One of the functions is a "pulling" function whereby the stock material is pulled through the gap between two meshing opposed teeth. Thus, the feed/roll mechanism is the mechanism that draws the material from the material rollers 21, through the layer separating assembly rollers, and through the forming assembly formed by the forming frame and the polymerization tank 57. The forming assembly 52 causes the lateral edges of the sheet stock material 22 to roll inwardly to form lateral pillow sections of the continuous belt.

The second function performed by the feed/roll mechanism is a "rolling" or "hold down" function whereby the folded edge portions of the material are contiguous with each other and/or with the unfolded central portion of the material. Specifically, the belt is joined by two opposing gears pressed (and preferably also perforated) through a central belt therebetween to form a pressed belt 22 (fig. 1). As the pressed belt 22 is fed downstream from the meshed gears, the belt is guided through tubular guides or channels 114 while being laterally constrained. As shown in fig. 2-4, channel 114 is rectangular in cross-section with top and bottom walls 115 and 116 having outwardly flared edge portions 117 and 118 at the entrance end of the channel. The slots form part of a cutting mechanism 81 that cuts the tape into sections.

Referring now to fig. 2, 4 and 5, the cutting mechanism 81 includes a cutter assembly 119 comprising a pair of relatively movable blades 120 and 121 mounted on a guide frame 122, wherein the guide channel 114 is preferably connected by a bracket 123. The guide frame 122 includes an upper frame member 125 and a lower frame member 126 interconnected by a pair of laterally spaced guide posts or rods 127, the guide posts or rods 127 extending between the upper and lower frame members. The upper and lower frame members are adapted to have their ends secured to the side frame members 91 and 92 by suitable means, such as by removable bolts mounted in threaded openings 129 in the ends of the upper and lower frame members. When thus assembled to the side frames, the upper and lower frame members can reinforce the main frame 87 of the front unit 30 and can be easily removed for reasons which will be described below.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the blade 120 is a fixed blade secured atop a block 131 of the bottom frame member 122. The other blade 121 is a moving blade mounted on a blade holder 133, which may be used in a split wedge configuration as shown to allow for precise adjustment of the moving blade relative to the fixed blade. At the opposite end of the tool holder 133, there is a guide sleeve 135 which slides on the guide post 127 to move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the guide groove 114. Thus, when the blades are brought together they work together to cut the pressed strip 22 (FIG. 1) into cut lengths.

The fixed blade 120 is mounted on the lower side of the guide slot 114, and the moving blade 121 is movable between a feeding position shown in fig. 4 and a cutting position shown in fig. 5. In the feed position, the moving blade is positioned above and a distance from the exit of the channel 114. The moving blade moves downwardly from the feed position to the cutting position, intersecting the exit of the guide channel and coacting with the fixed blade to cut the compressed tape between the blades. Preferably, the stationary blade extends closely adjacent the underside of the exit of channel 114 and is largely recessed within the channel except for the cutting edge which extends slightly beyond the bottom edge of the channel.

The moving blade 121 is operated by an operating assembly 140. The operating assembly comprises a U-shaped handle member 141 having at the end of its leg a mounting block 142 fixed to the outer end of a corresponding crank shaft 143. The crank shafts pass through and are rotatably supported by the side frame members 91 and 92, respectively. A slotted crank 144 is fixed to the inner end of each crank axle, also here acting as a lifting rod. As described further below, the handle may be connected to the crank axle in any of a variety of angular relationships relative to the crank axle.

Each grooved crank 144 has a slot 145 extending radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the crank shaft. The slot 145 is adapted to receive a detent 146 disposed on a corresponding end of the moving blade carrier 133 as shown in fig. 2, 3 and 4. The grooved crank cooperates with the locking pin to convert the rotational motion of the crank into linear motion of the tool holder in a well known manner. Movement of the handle member 141 between the positions shown in figures 4 and 5 will effect corresponding movement of the moving blade between its feed position and cutting position.

It should be noted that the crank axis lies in a plane perpendicular to the cutting plane of the blade and intersects the cutting plane during the stroke of the moving blade. More specifically, the plane of the crankshaft is located in the middle of the guide slot. Thus, at the end of the moving blade cutting stroke (preferably about the second half stroke), the trailing side of the crank slot will not only exert a downward force on the detent of fig. 4 and 5 (but also on the moving blade), but will also exert a horizontal force urging the moving blade toward the fixed blade to ensure a clean cut. Preferably, the moving blade passes just past the intermediate position as the dunnage product begins to cut while compressed between the blades, thereby pressing tightly against the stationary blade as the moving blade passes during the cutting process. In addition, the clamping pressure of the moving blade is gradually increased because the included angle between the moving plane of the moving blade and the tail side of the crank slot is gradually increased when the moving blade completes the cutting stroke at the end of the cutting stroke.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the cut-outs 145 are open-ended. This feature is important to one of the advantages of the present invention. More specifically, the open-ended slot allows the lock pin to be disengaged from the slotted crank without disassembling either component from its support structure. This allows the blade assembly 119 to be easily removed from the main frame of the front unit as a single unit by removing the fastening bolts that secure the upper and lower guide frame members to the side frames of the main frame, as shown in fig. 6. Convenient disassembly of the blade assembly is desirable because it may allow the blade assembly to be quickly replaced for repair or sharpening. This is particularly advantageous for field service of the converting machine.

With further reference to fig. 4 and 5, the switch 150 is mounted to the side frame member 91 with its moving rod positioned in the channel of the adjacent slot crank 144. The switch is actuated by moving the slotted crank to a feed position corresponding to the handle feed position. When the switch is actuated, the feed motor 87 is driven to rotate the teeth to feed stock into the machine while the dunnage product is advanced through the channel 114. Thus, the handle can be moved clockwise to the position shown in fig. 4 to actuate the switch and drive the feed motor to advance the dunnage product through the guide channel a length until the desired product length is reached. The handle can then be moved in the opposite direction, i.e., counterclockwise in fig. 3 and 4, to the cutting position shown in fig. 4 to cut a length of dunnage product of the desired length. The handle may remain in the position shown in fig. 4 until the next section of dunnage product is desired, at which point the handle may be moved to its delivery position to process the desired length of dunnage product. The main switch may be arranged in a known manner to control the power supply to the motor and the switch. A reverse switch may also be provided to reverse drive the teeth to help eliminate material entrapment in the converting machine.

Product conveyed through trough 114 enters exit trough 156 shown in fig. 3. The exit slot 156 is axially aligned with the guide slot 114 downstream of the cutting plane defined by the path of movement of the moving blade 114. As shown in fig. 3 and 14, the outlet trough has an outwardly flared funnel-shaped inlet portion 158 that slopes toward a downstream rectangular portion 159. The mouth of the inlet section is sized to be larger than the cross-sectional area of the guide channel, while the downstream section has a cross-sectional area that is substantially the same as that of the guide channel. The funnel-shaped mouth serves to receive and guide the leading end of a newly cut strip, which may have been pushed out of the axial direction by the cutting operation or may remain stationary in the axial direction, into the exit slot after cutting a length. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom edge of the nozzle is below the plane of the bottom frame member 126, and the bottom frame member 126 serves to prevent the belt from moving downward and thus being collected by the nozzle of the outlet chute.

As shown in fig. 3 and 14, the outlet slot 156 is disposed between the cover 46 and the base 45 of the housing 44 that encases the internal components of the front unit. The operating handle is provided outside the housing 44 to be operated by an operator in the above-described manner. The crank shaft to which the end of the handle is mounted extends through an aperture 162 formed by a recess provided at the boundary between the cover and base of the housing. The lid may be provided with a flared peripheral lip which overlies the upper edge portion of the base in a manner similar to that described above with respect to lid 37 and base 36.

As shown in fig. 14, the housing is generally rectangular with a triangular reinforcement portion 164 on one side that is disposed outwardly to accommodate the drive chain and sprocket. The cover and base are preferably molded of a suitable material, such as ABS plastic, as are the outlet channels, which may be enclosed between housing parts or secured to any part of the housing. The housing parts are in turn fixed to the frame of the front unit by suitable fixing means.

Referring now to fig. 9 and 10, the handle 141 is shown secured to the crank axle 144 in a different angular relationship, which is desirable to provide flexibility in the use of the machine in a different arrangement, as will become more apparent from the description of fig. 15-19 below. In fig. 9 and 10, the handle is fixed in a position rotated 90 ° relative to that shown in fig. 4 and 5. This position is used to allow the handle to be controlled with respect to the base or bottom side of the front unit on the lid or top side of the base assembly. Any suitable means may be employed to mount the handle block on the crank axle in one of a plurality of different relative rotational positions.

Referring now to fig. 15-19, various alternative arrangements or methods of using the machine 20 are shown. These figures reflect the flexibility of use due to the use of modular front-to-back units which can be combined in various ways, such as in an upright or horizontal relationship or inverted one relative to the other. Arrangements other than those shown in the figures may also be employed. For example, the axes of the front and rear units may be non-horizontal and non-vertical, or the units may be arranged non-coplanar, for example at an angle such as 90 degrees, with the outlet of the rear unit cooperating with the inlet of the front unit to provide a passage for the passage of material between the two units. In the case of such an angled arrangement, it is preferred to provide a guide slot, such as a rounded elbow, between the outlet and the inlet.

In fig. 15 and 15A, the front and rear units are upright with the front unit 30 supported on a stand 167 and the rear unit 31 supported on a trailer 168 with a frame 169 and wheels 170, such as casters that roll on the floor. The stand 167 comprises an identical assembly of a base 172 and an upright 173 on each side of the front unit. The front unit is secured between the top ends of the uprights by brackets 174, the bottom of which is slightly higher than the top of the rear unit, or other suitable connection. The lower end portions of the uprights are bent outwardly to mount (straddle) a rear unit 31 therebetween, which can be rolled under the front unit to align the outlet of the rear unit with the inlet of the front unit, thereby passing material upwardly from the rear unit to the front unit. As shown, the handle 47 is mounted in a position more particularly shown in fig. 9 and 10.

The rear end of the rear unit 31 may be mounted on a trailer frame 169 with its roller support 33 in the opposite position to that shown in figure 1 to receive the material rollers from above. Of course, the roller support is located a sufficient distance above the trailer frame to prevent kinematic interference between the stock roller and the frame. If desired, guides 176 may be attached to the sides of the top unit which engage the flanges 177 of the rear unit and guide it into the correct positional relationship with the front unit, and then further assist in holding the rear unit in this position when the machine is in use.

The ability to move the trailer into and out of operative relationship with the preceding unit, as indicated by arrow 178, has various advantages, such as the ability to remotely load the material roll onto the rear unit and then move it to the operative position. If desired, more than one rear unit and trailer assembly may be provided, such that one rear unit and trailer assembly is in use while another is loading new material drums.

In fig. 16, the front unit 30 is shown mounted on a wall 180 or other upright surface. The front unit is attached by mounting brackets 181 or other suitable attachment means to the wall at a height such that the bottom of the front unit is slightly higher than the rear unit 31 supported by the trailer 168 in the same manner as described above with reference to figure 15. Likewise, the rear unit may also be moved under the top unit in a similar manner.

In figure 17, the front and rear units are supported in an upright orientation by being secured to a pole support 185, the pole support 185 in turn being supported on a trailer 186 for transporting the machine from one point of use to another, or between a point of use and a storage position. The upright supports may be in the form of a frame with uprights 187 connected at their top ends by a cross frame member and supported at their bottom ends by gussets 188 on the trailer. The trailer is supported by wheels 188, for example castors, for rolling on the floor.

In fig. 18, the front and rear units are horizontally disposed, the front unit 30 is supported on a table top 191, and the rear unit 31 is supported on a trailer 192 with a frame 193 and wheels 194 such as casters for rolling on the floor. The outlet of the rear unit is at the same level as the inlet of the front unit so that the rear unit can be moved into the position shown, aligning the inlet and outlet. The use of this arrangement is substantially the same as that described above in connection with figures 15 and 16, except that the direction of the machine is different.

In fig. 19, the front and rear units are assembled together in the same manner as shown in fig. 1, except that the rear unit piece 31' is in the inverted position. For use with this arrangement, the base of the rear unit is provided with a hinged flap 196, which acts like a lid in the embodiment of fig. 1 to allow access to the interior of the rear unit to facilitate initial feeding of the raw materials. Also, an improved material roller mounting 38' is provided to support the material roller on the rear unit. As shown, the rear unit is supported on the partition to raise its outlet to the same height as the inlet of the front unit.

In fig. 20 and 20A, the front and rear units 30 and 31 are in a state of being supported upright by being fixed to the upright support member 200, and the upright support member 200 employs a curved cylindrical frame which is formed in the illustrated state by bending a single length of a circular pipe or the like. As shown, the upper portion of the support member is generally in the shape of an inverted U having a pair of legs 201 and a connecting bight portion 202. The struts 201 are generally coplanar and open from top to bottom. Each post terminates in a foot 203 which foot 203 first projects in a first direction out of the plane of post 201 and then folds back upon itself in the opposite direction, beyond the plane of the post to provide wide base support for upright support or stand 200 in the lateral spaced-apart direction of the foot. The raised portions where the feet terminate at the lower end of each post may be provided with a suitable cradle for receiving and supporting the end of a roller holder 205 which supports the material roller 21. Viewed from another direction, the foot is substantially "J" shaped, with its stem oriented to press against the floor and its hook portion terminating in a corresponding post bottom end. If desired, the stand may be provided with wheels, such as castors, for rolling on the floor.

Referring now to fig. 21-23, a cover plate 210 is provided to protect the motor 87 and any associated electrical components from debris, such as paper dust or flakes, that may be generated when processing, joining and cutting paper in the manner described above. At the opposite end of the cover plate 210 is an upwardly bent lug 211 for securing to the edge of the lower frame member 126 by a connecting means 212. As best seen in fig. 22 and 23, the cover plate 210 has a rearwardly extending wing portion that extends below and engages the lower frame member 126. Also as shown, the lower frame member 126 has a forwardly opening slot that spans across and is closed by a rearwardly projecting flap portion 214 of the cover. The cover also has a portion 216 extending forwardly from the mounting lug 211 a distance sufficient for the extending portion 216 to close the gap between the lower frame member 126 and the front wall of the housing 43. The cover plate 210 also extends laterally between the side frame members 91 and 92. In this way, the opening formed by the side members 91 and 92, the front wall 217 of the housing 43 and the lower frame 126 is substantially closed, thereby preventing paper dust or sheets from falling from the paper path onto the motor 87.

Referring now to fig. 24 and 24A, the relevant internal components of a manually operated front unit 231 are shown. The front unit 231 is similar to the front unit 30 except that the power source for the feed/roll mechanism and the cutting mechanism are different. It will be seen that these mechanisms are manually operated and therefore the motor 87 and associated drive elements of the unit 30, or other drive means, such as a hydraulic motor and corresponding drive elements, may be omitted. This allows the weight of the front unit to be reduced, with the motor 87 and associated speed reducer 88 in the front unit 30 making up the majority of the weight of the front unit. Likewise, no power source is required.

As described above, the front unit 231 is similar to the front unit 30 described previously, and therefore details regarding the front unit 231 not described and illustrated in fig. 24 and 24A can be found in the description of the front unit 30 described above.

Similar to the front unit 30, the front unit 231 includes a frame 233 on which a feeding/rolling mechanism 234 and a cutting mechanism 235 are mounted. The cutting mechanism 235 is substantially identical to the cutting mechanism 81 described above in the front unit 30, and although its positional relationship with respect to the frame 233 has changed as can be seen from fig. 24, its positional relationship with respect to the tooth of the feeding/rolling mechanism 234 remains unchanged. It will be noted from figure 24 that the feedstock passes from left to right.

Similar to the unit 30, the teeth are also substantially loosely engaged and may cooperate to draw the product through the converting machine, drawing the stock upstream of the forming frame and discharging the product through an outlet provided in the front unit housing or shell, in the same manner as described above in connection with the front unit 30. However, the teeth 237 and 238 are rotationally driven in a different manner from the front unit 30 described above. The toothed member 238 is fixed to a drive shaft 240, which is rotatably mounted on the frame 233 by means of suitable bearings, respectively. The gear 242 is connected by an internal one-way clutch 243 to one end of a drive shaft 240 which projects transversely beyond the adjacent side frame member 244 of the frame 233. The gear 242 is periodically engaged by a mid-section gear 246, the sector gear 246 being positioned adjacent the crank axle 247, and the opposite end of the handle member 249 being connected to the mounting block 250 thereof. Similar to the front unit 30, each crank axle 247 passes through and is rotatably supported by the adjacent side frame member 244. Similarly, a slotted crank 253 is secured to the inner end of each crank axle.

The tooth 237 is rotatably supported on a shaft 255, with each end of the shaft 255 being guided by a bolt of a respective spring-biased assembly. Each spring biasing assembly 258 is identical to the spring biasing assembly 102 described above, except that the fixed support 259 may be mounted to the adjacent transverse frame member 261 in a conventional manner, and the adjustment flap 260 is only restrained against vertical movement caused by bolts passing through upstanding slots in the transverse frame member 261. Thus, the shaft 255 is free to float, i.e., move toward and away from the shaft 240, to accommodate the varying thickness of stock between the teeth, with the spring 262 of each biasing assembly providing the compressive force to achieve the desired rolling or pressing action. The pressing force can be varied by adjusting the baffle 260. The ends of the shaft 255 define the extent of the plane of movement of each slotted crank 253 so that the slotted crank can swing past the shaft 240 to provide a greater range of swinging movement for the conveyed material.

As the teeth 238 rotate, the teeth 237 also rotate. Rotation of the tooth 238 is effected by moving the handle 249 from the position shown in fig. 24 to the full delivery position shown in fig. 25. The sector gear 246 has a tooth segment 263 which engages the gear 242 so that the gear 238 rotates clockwise in fig. 24 and 25 when the handle is moved from the neutral position shown in fig. 24 counterclockwise to the full feed position shown in fig. 25. This clockwise rotation of the gear 242 is transmitted through the one-way clutch 243 to the shaft 248 to drive the tooth 238 to rotate clockwise in fig. 24 and 25. This clockwise rotation of the teeth 238 and a corresponding counterclockwise rotation of the teeth 237 advances the product from left to right in fig. 24 and 25.

During movement of the handle from the fully advanced position of fig. 25 back to the intermediate position of fig. 24, the teeth 237 and 238 are not rotated. But the one-way clutch will allow the gear 242 to rotate counterclockwise without any rotational movement being imparted to the shaft 240. Thus, the handle 249 is reciprocally rotatable back and forth between the intermediate position of fig. 24 and the full feed position of fig. 25 to feed the product from left to right in fig. 24 and 25, with the stock being drawn over the rear unit forming frame and the product being discharged through the outlet of the front unit. It will be appreciated that the paper may be fed through the converting machine by manually pulling it back and forth by grasping the base of the U-shaped handle member 249 which extends transversely between its legs in a conventional manner. The cutting mechanism 235 is also operated by the handle 249 in a similar manner as described above for the front unit 30. As described above, each crank shaft has a fixed slotted crank 253 that rotates together. The slot 253 has a slot 265 therein for receiving a detent 266 therein, which is disposed on a movable carriage 267. The slotted crank cooperates with the locking pin to translate rotational motion of the crank into linear motion of the tool holder 267, the tool holder 267 being guided by the guide bar 268. The blade carrier, guide rods and other components of the blade assembly 270 are substantially identical to the corresponding components described in the blade assembly 119.

However, the slot crank 253 differs slightly in that: the side wall 272 of the slot that engages the locking pin during the return stroke of the moving blade is radially disposed so that the locking pin can be released and thus withdrawn (the opposite side of the slot having a different radial length) after the moving blade carrier 267 has fully returned to the position shown in figure 24. This allows the slot crank to be rotated from its position shown in figure 24 to the position shown in figure 25 during the feeding of the product into the conversion machine. When the handle is moved back and forth between the intermediate position and the full feed position to produce a product of the desired length, the handle can then be rotated from the intermediate position shown in fig. 24 to the full cutting position shown in fig. 26 to cut the product strip, which is generally the same as the cutting action of the cutting assembly of the front unit 10 described above.

As shown, the sector gear 246 has a non-toothed section 274, the non-toothed section 274 passing over the teeth of the gear 242 when the handle is rotated from the neutral position shown in FIG. 24 to the cutting position shown in FIG. 26. Thus, this rotation of the handle is not transmitted to the gear 242 so that the product is not fed through the machine during the cutting operation.

From the foregoing, it can now be appreciated that a relatively lightweight, simple product feed mechanism is provided which can replace the motor-driven feed mechanism in the front unit 30. This is particularly advantageous when the user needs to be relatively low and manual operation of the handle 249 is not too difficult for the user. The machine equipped with the manually driven front unit 231 is particularly useful for portable applications where there is no power supply, such as at the back of a mobile vehicle.

Referring now to fig. 27 and 28, another embodiment of the cushion modifying machine of the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 300. Most of the components of the machine 300 are the same as the machine 20 described above, except that a forming slot and form assembly, indicated at 302 in fig. 29, is provided. In addition, there are certain other differences, which will be described below. In addition, portions not described or referenced below with respect to the modification machine 300 may be referenced to the description of the modification machine 20.

Thus, the reformer 300 includes a front unit 304 and a rear unit 305. The front and rear units are supported upright by a stand 306. In this orientation, the front cell is also referred to as the top cell and the rear cell is referred to as the bottom cell.

The stand 306 includes an upright portion 307 and a base portion formed by a pair of feet 308 that is stably supported on a horizontal surface, such as a floor surface. The upper portion 307 is an inverted U-shape having a pair of legs 309 extending downwardly from a curved or base portion 310. The front unit 304 is secured to the base portion 310 of the upper portion 307 and has a width that is substantially equivalent to, and preferably slightly less than, the width of the front unit 304. The struts 309 attached from the curved portion 310 are spaced apart from one another to a width approximately equal to the rearmost portion of the rear cell 305 where the struts terminate in parallel end or upright portions 311. The lower end portions of the struts are connected by a transversely extending frame member 312 and the rear unit 305 is secured by suitable fastening means.

The parallel lower end portions 310 of the upper frame posts may be telescoped into corresponding tubes 315 integrally formed on the feet 308. The ends of the posts may be mounted in the tubes by suitable means, such as by welding, or may be inserted by a sliding fit so that the upper frame can be conveniently separated from the feet, if desired, supported on a horizontal surface to allow use of the converting machine in a horizontal orientation, in combination with a trailer for the correct entry of the paper into the rear unit 305. As shown in fig. 28, an inlet is provided in the bottom wall of the rear unit for feeding the raw material into the rear unit interior. Each foot includes a corresponding frame 316 for receiving the end of the material roller holder.

It will be appreciated that the feet can be removed from the upper frame portion to provide a more compact arrangement for shipping. Each foot 308 includes an upstanding tube 315 and a J-shaped member 317. The upright tube is connected from a point at the end of the long leg of the transition J-piece to the end of the short leg of the J-piece along the upright tube near a point at its middle. The J-shaped portion may be formed by bending a single piece of tubing or the like. The lower or long leg of the J-shaped member projects forwardly and rearwardly of the upright tube sufficiently to provide stable support for the reformer 300. If desired, each foot may be equipped with wheels, such as casters, to facilitate rolling on the floor.

Referring now to fig. 29, the front and rear units 304 and 305 are shown with their internal components removed, leaving only the forming slot and former assembly 302. Except for the forming slot and form assembly 302 which is used in place of the forming frame 56 of the converting machine 20, the other internal components of the front and rear units 304 and 305 are the same as those of the converting machine 20 described previously and therefore reference is made to this machine and its details will not be described further. However, the housings 320 and 321 of the front and rear units, respectively, are different.

The housing 320 of the front unit 304 is provided with a one-way flapper 323 that covers the outlet of the front unit. As can be further seen in fig. 41 and 42, the flapper 323 is mounted to the front end wall of the housing 320 by a hinge 325 so that in the closed position the flapper rides over and thus closes the outlet 322 to prevent foreign matter from entering through the opening 322 and interfering with the cutting mechanism immediately inside the opening 322. The flapper 323 may be spring loaded or otherwise biased to the closed position shown in fig. 29, 41 and 42. Gravity may additionally be relied upon to move the flapper to the closed position. Of course, as the product advances through the outlet 322, the flap will be pushed open.

Referring again to fig. 29, the cover 330 of the rear unit housing 321 is not hinged to the base 31 of the housing as in the case of the reformer 20. But rather the lid is removably secured to the base by one or more hinges 333. As shown in fig. 29, the base may have a recess 334 for covering a hinge portion connected to the base 331. As also shown in FIG. 29, the rear and side edge portions attached to the lid may be flared outwardly at their lower edges to form a peripheral lip 336 that covers the rear and upper portions of the side walls of the base 331. Furthermore, the dividing line between the lid and the base may be parallel to the top surface of the lid, and if desired, longitudinally extending ribs may be formed in the grooves to increase the rigidity of the lid.

As further shown in fig. 29, a metal plate 338 or other rigid member may be secured to the bottom wall 337 of the base 331. The rigid member 338 preferably covers the cross frame member 312 of the down rod 306 so that the rear unit is better secured to the cross member when fasteners such as screws, nuts or bolts are used. Sheet metal is also used in the reformer 20 to provide a stronger mounting structure for mounting the material roll support brackets 38. Of course, it will be appreciated that the machine 300 may be supported horizontally on a table in the same manner as the machine 20, or conversely the machine may be mounted in a variety of ways, some of which are described in FIGS. 15-20.

As shown in fig. 29, the forming slot and form assembly 302 includes a longitudinal poly or slot 350 and a form 351. In the reformer 20, the polymeric sidewalls of the housing 331 of the rear unit 305 form a shaped trough. However, for manufacturing purposes it may be desirable to provide the shaped channel as a separate component that fits inside the rear unit housing, the funnel shaped channel being formed from any suitable material, such as plastic, preferably transparent, to facilitate viewing of the product, as it may be necessary to view the movement of the product when the cover is removed to insert the material into the machine to begin operation.

Referring to fig. 29-34, a mounting plate 354 is secured to the bottom wall of the shaped slot 350 and has a widened rear end portion extending axially toward the rear end of the slot for convenient attachment to the angled bottom wall portion 355 of the rear unit housing base. Suitable fastening means such as bolts and screws may be passed through holes in the subsequent portion of the mounting plate 354 to secure the shaped slot in the tapered portion of the rear unit housing immediately upstream from the outlet end of the rear unit, immediately upstream of the feed/roll mechanism (not shown) in the front unit 304. Although the feed/roll mechanism is not shown in fig. 29 and 30, the relationship between the exit end of the rear cell and the internal elements of the front cell is clearly illustrated in connection with the above-described machine 20.

The shaped trough 350 includes a wide, generally O-shaped inlet mouth 358 defined or defined by a generally flat top wall 359, a rear edge of a flat bottom wall 360, and curved side walls 361. The top wall is generally trapezoidal in shape and the bottom wall is generally rectangular in shape, the walls converging toward one another to form the outlet 363 of the forming trough. The outlet 365 is generally in the configuration of a half-ellipse in the position shown in FIG. 4, the half-ellipse being represented along the major axis relative to the minor axis of the ellipse.

As the sheet material passes through the forming trough 350, the side edges of the stock material are rolled inwardly into a generally spiral shape and pressed inwardly toward one another, with the inward beads forming in laterally abutting relationship an elastic pillow-like portion of the stock material as it converges from the outlet end of the forming trough and adapted to be joined by a feed/roll mechanism. The shaped channels may be formed of any suitable material, and may conveniently be formed of a suitable plastics material, such as fibreglass.

The forming member 351 cooperates with the forming trough 350 to ensure proper paper shape forming, and is operable to guide the central portion of the stock along the bottom wall of the forming trough 360 to control the inward rolling of the side portions of the stock. The forming member projects rearwardly beyond the inlet end of the forming chute to properly direct the stock into the forming chute. The forward most end of the shaping member also extends into the shaping channel and is disposed relatively close to the lower base wall of the shaping channel adjacent the outlet end of the shaping channel.

Forming member 350 has a contracted U-shape that generally conforms to the profile of the hair clip. The curved or base 370 of the shaped member is arcuate and preferably semicircular in shape. The forming member is preferably made of a suitable material, such as plastic, having sufficient elasticity such that the radiused curved portion of the forming member acts as a natural hinge to allow adjustment of its lower leg 372 toward and away from the bottom wall 360 of the forming slot, as will be further described below.

The legs of the U-shaped member are substantially linear and close together, forming the U into a contracted U-shape or hairpin shape. The upper support 374 is mounted to the top wall 359 of the forming trough along the central plane by suitable attachment means, such as rivets, screws, bolts, mastic or other adhesive and the like. The upper leg can be bent, for example, by turning the U-shaped bend downward at the outlet end of the forming slot, to provide the desired clearance between the rear end of the forming member and the bottom wall of the housing base to properly direct the separate material layers into the inlet end of the forming slot.

The lower leg 372 of the forming member 351 extends generally parallel to the bottom wall 360 of the forming slot and thus also generally parallel to the angled wall portion 355 of the bottom wall of the housing base 331. However, the relative inclination and clearance between the lower leg of the forming member and the bottom wall of the forming trough can be adjusted as necessary to properly form and shape the lateral edges of the stock into relatively low density pillow-like sections whose inner edges are covered for attachment by the feed/roll mechanism in the front cell. Such adjustment may be made and maintained by an adjustment means 377, preferably as shown in fig. 29A, which adjustment means 377 extends between the legs of the forming member at a point intermediate the length of the lower leg, it being noted that the upper leg may be shorter as it is only necessary to provide a length sufficient to allow mounting to the top wall of the forming trough. The adjustment means in the illustrated embodiment includes a threaded screw 378 having a curved lower end that is threaded into a threaded bore in the lower leg 372 of the forming member and locked by a lock nut. The upper ends of the adjustment rods extend through the holes in the top wall of the shaped slot and also through the holes in the posts on the shaping member and are held in place by opposed adjustment nuts 379 and 380 which are threaded onto the rods on opposite sides of the top wall of the shaped slot. The nut can be loosened to move the rod axially and then locked to adjust the gap between the lower leg of the forming member and the bottom wall of the forming trough.

Preferably, lower leg 372 of forming member 351 extends to a point generally adjacent the outlet end of forming slot 350. Preferably, the rear portion of the forming member extends rearwardly beyond the inlet end of the forming slot by approximately half its entire length. Also, the radius of the arcuate base or curved portion 370 of the forming member is preferably about half the height of the forming slot. This provides a smooth transition from the separating member of the separating apparatus to the forming member and then into the forming trough.

The forming member 351 has a relatively uniform width. The forming member may be formed, for example, by bending an elongate elastic band into the shape shown in fig. 33. In the illustrated embodiment, the width of the belt is about one-fourth the width of the outlet of the forming trough, while the width of the outlet of the trough is about two-thirds the width of the inlet of the forming trough. The shaped piece may constitute other shapes. For example, the posterior portion may be wider than the anterior portion. Further, the transition from the narrow front end portion to the wide rear end portion may be made gradually so that the lower leg of the shaped piece has a triangular shape. Similarly, the top struts may also have a triangular shape and the width of the radiused curved portion of the shaped member may be relatively uniform or have an inverted hourglass shape.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the forming slot and form assembly 302 shown in fig. 32-34 can be used in general in cushion converting machines such as those described in U.S. patent nos. 4968291 and 5123889.

Referring now to FIGS. 35-38, an interlock mechanism is generally shown at 385. This interlocking mechanism is particularly useful in the conversion machine 20 because it prevents the feed of material when the cover 37 of the rear unit 31 is removed or not properly secured. To this end, interlock switch 387 and actuating plunger 388 are secured to housing 43 of front unit 30 and cover 37 of rear unit 31, respectively. The interlock switch may be mounted to a side frame member 92 of the housing, for example, by a bracket 389 having a rearwardly opening plunger receiving end substantially flush with the rear wall 390 of the front unit housing 44. An actuating plunger 388 is mounted on the flange 74 at the front end of the rear unit cover in a position corresponding to the actuating switch so that when the cover is secured to the rear unit base, the actuating plunger can actuate the interlock switch to close the circuit that operates the feed/roll mechanism. More specifically, the interlock switch may be connected in series with the motor, or alternatively, the interlock switch may control a relay connected in series with the motor such that the relay must be closed to operate the motor. Of course, other electronic circuits or means may be used to actuate the interlock mechanism depending on the mating of the interlock switch with the actuating plunger when the cover is properly secured in place, or other engagement keys and locking means may be actuated.

Referring now to fig. 39 and 40, further features of the invention are shown with respect to the conversion machine 20. As shown, a spring-loaded positioning mechanism 393 is mounted to the moving blade carrier 133, preferably midway along its length. The detent mechanism is arranged to allow plunger 394 to be engaged and depressed by the transverse frame member when the moving blade carrier is moved to its uppermost position, which corresponds to the position at which the slotted crank is rotated sufficiently to actuate switch 150 to actuate the feed motor. The stroke of the plunger 394 is sufficient to move the tool holder away from the transverse frame member a sufficient distance to move the slotted crank 144 away from the switch 150 so that the switch is no longer actuated, as best seen in fig. 40. This is desirable because it avoids inadvertent feeding of product because the switch is deactivated when the machine is idle and no one is operating the handle. Thus, if the handle 141 is turned to its feed position and released, as may occur after a product strip has been produced, additional product will not continue to be dispensed by the converting machine, while the handle remains stopped in a free state. In addition, the positioning mechanism moves the handle away from its delivery position, thereby avoiding any inadvertent or free advancement of the product.

It will be appreciated that the detent mechanism 393 could also be provided in the remanufacturer to accomplish the same function, such as by setting the detent mechanism to act directly on the slotted crank. Another possibility is to select a switch with a return spring sufficient to move the slotted crank away to deactivate the switch. There are many other arrangements that can be employed to achieve the desired function by various means, i.e. preventing switch actuation when the handle or machine is in the free state.

Referring now to fig. 43-45, a cushion modifying machine 300 and support stand 306 of the modifying machine in accordance with the present invention is shown to provide quick and easy assembly and attachment of the front and rear units 304 and 305 to the stand without the aid of tools. As shown, a pocket structure 400 is formed in the rear wall 390 of the front unit 304 of the machine, with a slot 401 formed therein for slidably receiving a flange 402 at the front end of the rear unit 305. The flange 402 may slide into and out of the slot in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the machine. The pocket structure 400 cooperates with the flange 402 to hold the front and rear units together and prevent them from separating in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

As best shown in fig. 46 and 47, the pocket structure 400 forms a U-shaped pocket with the rear wall 390 of the front unit 304, the curved portion of the U-shaped pocket being generally coextensive with the inlet 404 of the front unit. The groove sleeve structure 400 generally includes a pair of laterally spaced side members 406 and an end member 407 extending between the side members 406. The side and end members 406, 407, which may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material, are generally L-shaped in cross-section, with one leg of the L being secured to the rear wall 390 by suitable fasteners (or other suitable means) forming with the other lip a depending edge or lip 408, 409 spaced from the rear wall 390 to form the sides of the channel 401. The slot 401 preferably opens away from the edge of the front unit which is attached to the stand 306 in a manner to be described below. Preferably, a backing plate made of metal or other rigid material is used to reinforce the back wall 300 and further provide a support for fasteners such as bolts or screws for securing the side and end pieces to the back wall, with the bottom wall sandwiched between the side and end pieces and the backing plate as shown.

As shown in fig. 46 and 47, a threaded bore 415 is provided in the lip of the end member 407 for receiving a thumb screw (not shown in fig. 46 and 47). The flange 402 of the rear unit 305 has an aperture 416, and when the flange is fully inserted into the slot 401 against the rear wall 417 of the slot 401, the aperture 416 is aligned with the aperture 415, so that a thumb screw can be screwed into the aligned aperture to lock the flange against withdrawal from the slot. Preferably, a thumb screw is used to avoid the use of a tool, it being understood that such a fastener is less than ideal, although other types of screws or fasteners, including those that may require a tool, may be used. As a further specific example, one or more manually operated latches may be employed to clamp the flange of the rear unit to the front unit. As another alternative, instead of a thumb screw threaded into an aligned opening in the flange and end piece 407, a spring-loaded plunger may be used that retracts against the biasing force of the spring when aligned, allowing the flange to slide into or out of the slot and extend through the aligned opening, thereby locking the flange in the slot.

Therefore, the front unit 304 can be assembled to the rear unit 305 in an easy and simple manner without tools.

Additionally, the front and rear units of the machine 300 may be easily and quickly reinstalled on the upright or frame portion 307 of the stand 306 without the need for tools. As shown in FIGS. 43, 44 and 47-49, a detent 424 is provided on the bottom or base wall 420 of the front unit 304 that engages a keyhole 424 in the frame portion 307 of the stand 306. As shown in fig. 48 and 49, each detent 422 may take the form of a post with a rod 423 and an enlarged head 425. The stem portion has a threaded opening at the end opposite the head portion for receiving a fastener 426 so that the stud can be secured to the bottom wall 420 of the front unit housing 320 as shown in fig. 48 and 49. The stem spaces the head from the bottom wall to form an annular snap 428 for engagement within the keyhole slot 424.

As best shown in fig. 50, each keyhole 424 is formed in the tube wall that is bent to form the frame 307. Each keyhole having an enlarged circular upper portion 430 for receiving the head of a corresponding post; and also has a relatively narrow lower channel portion 431. The lower channel portion 431 is wide enough to receive the stem of a corresponding post but narrow enough to prevent the head of the post from passing through. As shown in fig. 45, two such keyholes are provided in the gantry symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis of the gantry to receive respective correspondingly aligned pegs 422 on the front unit.

It is also possible to design the rear unit 305 to be suspended from the frame portion 307 of the gantry 306. As shown in fig. 43, 44 and 51, the rear unit is provided with a laterally extending hook member 436 which is secured to the bottom wall 337 of the rear unit housing 321. The laterally extending member is a bar of L-shaped cross-section with its upper branch 437 connected to bottom wall 337 by a plurality of fasteners 438 (or other suitable means). As shown in fig. 51, fasteners 438 pass through the bottom wall 337 and also through the rigid member 338, it being noted that the enclosure may be made of plastic, the thickness of which is not strong enough to prevent it from bending when the rear unit is supported on the stand. The transverse hooking member also has a lower leg or lip 440 spaced from the bottom wall 337 of the rear unit housing to form a hook 441 to which the transverse frame member 312 of the stand can engage. In this manner, the rear unit can be hung from the transverse frame member 312 of the stand, which acts as a catch for the hook member.

Referring now to FIGS. 52-60, a method of assembling the conversion machine 300 on a stand 306 is shown. As shown in fig. 52, the front unit 304 is first attached to a gantry 306. This is accomplished by aligning the front unit adjacent to the stand 306, the enlarged head of the post 422 and the upper portion of the keyhole and then inserting it therein. The front unit is then lowered as shown in fig. 53 to be supported by the stand.

The flange 402 of the rear unit 305 is then horizontally aligned with the slot 401 of the front unit 304 and then moved towards the stand 306 so that the flange slides into the slot as shown in figure 54. When the flange has almost been fully inserted into the slot of the rear wall of the front unit, the hook 436 of the rear unit will abut against the transverse frame member 312 of the support stand frame 307, as shown in fig. 55 and 56. Here, the front and rear units are moved upwardly a sufficient distance to raise the hook member above the transverse frame member, as shown in fig. 55 and 56, so that the rear unit can then be moved toward the frame portion of the gantry and then lowered to engage the hook on the transverse frame member, as shown in fig. 59 and 60. A thumb screw 450 is then threaded into the aligned holes 415 of the flange 402 and the holes 416 in the front unit pocket structure 400, as shown in fig. 59A, to prevent the flange from falling out of the pocket during use. Furthermore, to prevent the machine from accidentally jumping off the frame portion 307 of the support stand 306, threaded holes 452 (FIG. 48) are provided in the front unit that align with holes 453 (FIG. 45) on mounting lugs 455 provided on the support stand shown in FIG. 45. A thumbscrew 457 may be passed through the mounting lug and secured within a threaded bore 452 of the front unit to lock the front unit against longitudinal movement relative to the frame portion of the support stand.

Referring now to FIG. 61, it can be seen that the above-described reformer 300 mounted on the frame portion 307 of the stand 306 may be used in other than a straight orientation. As shown in FIG. 61, the machine 300 and frame portion 307 may be supported on a top surface 460 of a table 461, preferably by suction cups or similar clamping devices, to prevent the machine from moving atop the table. In this arrangement, the feet 308 (fig. 43) that are normally used to hold the frame portion 307 upright are replaced by the material drum clamp 465. As shown, the material drum clamps are generally L-shaped, and each clamp is attached to a respective post of the gantry frame portion in place of the feet 308. As shown, one leg 468 of the L-shaped clamp is formed from a circular tube section that telescopes over the legs of the frame member. The other leg 469 is provided with a bracket-forming slot 470 for receiving the end of a roller holder, such as a shaft extending through the center of the material roller 472 on which the material roller is supported. It will be appreciated that the material drum is supported in a cantilevered fashion on one side of the table, the weight of which is balanced by the weight of the front unit supported on the table.

Referring now to FIGS. 62-66, another embodiment of a cushion modifying machine is indicated generally by the reference numeral 500. Most of the components of the machine 500 are the same as the machine 300 previously described, with the differences described below. Additionally, details regarding the modification machine 500 not described or mentioned below may be found in reference to the description of the modification machine 300 (and the above description of the modification machine 20).

Thus, the machine 500 includes a rear or forming unit 504 and a front or head unit 505. The forming unit is connected to the head unit by a quick connect/disconnect structure 507, which provides full engagement between the forming unit and the head unit. The machine so connected may be supported on a table or other horizontal (or even inclined) surface, as desired, without the frame described in fig. 61. As shown, the then bottom wall 508 of the housing 509 of the head unit 505 is provided with rubber or plastic feet 510, or other non-slip means, to prevent the machine from slipping on top of the table. The lower portion or base of the housing of the forming unit 504, shown more fully in fig. 64, may similarly be equipped with anti-slip means such as rubber or plastic feet 511 provided on a bottom wall 512 of the housing base of the forming unit which is coplanar with the bottom wall of the housing base of the head unit when the forming unit is assembled with the head unit.

The quick connect/disconnect structure 507 includes a flange 514 at the forward end of a base portion 515 of a housing 516 of the forming unit 504. The flange 514 can slide laterally into and out of an upwardly opening laterally extending slot or pocket 518 on the head unit 505. The pocket 518 is formed between an outwardly flared edge portion 519 of the rear wall 520 of the head unit housing 509 and a transversely extending back plate 522. The back plate 522 extends between and is fixed at its ends to side plates 523 and 524 of a frame 525 of the head unit 505. The width and thickness of the cavity are similar to the width and thickness of the flange 514 to provide a snug fit with a minimum clearance to accurately position and axially align the forming unit relative to the head unit. Although not shown, one or more fasteners or other devices may be used to secure the rear wall 520 to the back plate 522. A fastener 527 is also provided with a head to lock the flange in the cavity in substantially the same manner as the previously described fastener 450, with the shank of the fastener threaded into a threaded hole in the backing plate that is aligned with the flange 514 and the hole in the edge portion 519.

Fig. 62 and 63 show several other modifications. As shown, the guide slot 530 also refers to a stamped out slot, and may be attached to the transverse frame member 531 by a bracket or brackets 533 and fastener 534, as opposed to being included in the independently removable blade assembly 535 of the previous embodiments.

Blade assembly 535 further as shown in fig. 67 and 68, a mounting screw 538 for a blade clamp 539 may be inserted from the top (as viewed in fig. 62) through a hole 540 in the end of the fixed blade clamp to secure the blade clamp to the lower frame member 541 of the guide frame 542 (fig. 62). This allows the mounting screws to be easily tightened or loosened from the top of the head unit after the top cover (upper case portion) 544 (fig. 62) of the head unit housing is detached from the housing base 545. When the mounting screws 538 are loosened, the adjustment screws 547 can be adjusted inward or outward to adjust the position and alignment of the fixed lower blade 548. To this end, the aperture 540 is elongated to allow for fore and aft adjustment of each end of the blade block. Once adjusted, mounting screws 538 may be tightened to secure the stationary blade in place. It will be appreciated that the adjustment screw 547 is also accessible from the front of the head unit. Also, nylon washers or other suitable means may be provided on the adjustment and mounting screws to lock the screws against loosening from vibration.

Another modification shown in fig. 62 is to provide shock absorbing bumper plates 553 and 554 at each end of travel of the moving carriage 555. The damping plate may be an O-ring made of a suitable rubber or other resilient or damping material. As shown, an O-ring is mounted on the end of the guide post 556. In fig. 63, it can be seen that the knife holder 555 can include a sleeve bearing 558 that slides over the guide post. As can be seen at the rear of FIG. 62, the swing door 560, also referred to as a slot cover, may be a single piece to form a flap of the hinge 561. The other flap 562 of the hinge 561 is connected to the front housing top cover 544 by suitable means and to the slot cover/flap 560 by a pivot pin 563 or a plurality of axially aligned pivot pins. As shown, the slot cover may be stepped at 565 to fit the outwardly flared peripheral lip 566 of the front housing top cover. The hinge connection is configured such that the slot cover cannot be opened more than 90 ° from its closed position. In this way, when the head end of the machine is arranged in a vertical orientation at the top, the slot cover is prevented from turning over centre, whereby its gravity will always bias the slot cover towards its closed position. As a variant, the slot cover can also be pressed into the closed position by other means, for example by a spring or the like.

As shown in fig. 62, a nylon set screw 573 may be provided on the stop 570 (also referred to as a tension block) of each floating shaft adjustment screw 572 (also referred to as a tie member) and inserted into a threaded hole in the tension block 570 for compression with the adjustment screw. The nylon portion of the set screw 573 may be tightened into the threaded hole of the adjustment screw to prevent it from rattling. Also, the ends of the slots 575 in each side frame member for the float shaft 576 may be positioned to prevent the float shaft from moving toward the other shaft until the teeth of the float shaft are fully engaged with the other teeth. In this way, erosion of the teeth is prevented or reduced when the teeth are rotated with sheet stock material therebetween, such as during converting machine loading or when the stock supply is interrupted.

Fig. 62 and 63 also show a different mounting arrangement of an interlock switch 580, which is adapted to position the shaper housing cover 581 down on the shaper housing base 515. In this arrangement, the switch is arranged to receive and be actuated by a vertically oriented key 583, which key 583 is mounted on the former housing cover as shown.

Fig. 69-71 more fully illustrate the shaper housing cover 581. As shown, a generally central handle 585 may be provided on the former housing cover to facilitate lifting of the cover. The cover also has a bell-shaped front edge portion 586 that aligns with a rear continuous portion of the front housing base 545 (fig. 63).

Referring to FIGS. 64-65, a modified material roller gripper arrangement is shown at 589 and includes a pair of laterally spaced supports 590 in the form of cradles for supporting the material rollers. Each bracket has a J-shaped lower end portion 591 formed with an upwardly open, preferably inclined slot 592 for receiving the end of a material roll holder, such as the rod or holder described in copending application No.08/267960 filed 6/29 1994, for example, for centrally supported rotation of the material roll so that material may be unwound from the material roll for passage through the converting machine. A longitudinally extending rib or protrusion 595 may be provided on the rod 594 of the lower J-shaped end portion of each bracket to increase its lateral rigidity.

The upper end portion 597 of each stock roll carrier 590 is generally L-shaped and is configured to be connected at each corner to the former base 515, preferably by crimping. The branches 598 and 599 of the L-shape are secured to the rear wall 601 and the corresponding side wall 602 of the base of the former housing, respectively, by suitable means such as fasteners 600. It will be appreciated that the upper L-shaped end portion of the bracket may stiffen, strengthen or strengthen the corners of the former housing to support the material rollers mounted thereon and to withstand impacts or other forces that may be generated during the loading of the material rollers into the bracket. As noted above, the former housing may be made of plastic and the bracket enables the plastic housing to carry a greater load than it otherwise could carry.

Fig. 64 and 65 show another modification. Preferably, the inlet end of the shaped or formed channel 604 flares outwardly at 605. This facilitates passage of the sheet stock material therethrough into the forming trough. It also prevents tearing along the edges of the upper sheet stock material by scraping against the leading edge of the forming trough. Otherwise further tearing of the stock may occur. As further seen in fig. 65 and 66, the side wall 611 of the outlet end 610 of the shaped trough may be rounded inwardly where it joins the bottom wall 612 of the shaped trough.

Referring now to fig. 72-75, it will be seen that a blade guard assembly 620 can be provided to lock the moving blade holder 555 in its raised or open position, as may be necessary during transport or otherwise. The blade guard assembly includes a guard member 622, here in the form of a guard pin, which is movable between (i) a drive position, which allows movement of the moving blade from the feed position to the cutting position, and (ii) a non-drive position, which prevents such movement.

In the illustrated embodiment, the stop pin 622 is guided for longitudinal movement by a pin housing 624, the pin housing 624 being secured to an opening in the side frame plate 523 that faces outwardly adjacent the path of movement of an adjacent crank 625, the crank 625 also being referred to as a lift bar. At the inner end of the stop pin is a laterally extending detent 627. The latch selectively engages one of two slots 628 and 629 provided at the inner end of the housing. These slots, which intersect at right angles, have different axial depths to define two axial positioning positions of the stop pin, which correspond respectively to the driving and non-driving positions of the stop pin.

At the outer end of the stop pin 622 is a bulb 632 or other suitable means for facilitating manipulation of the stop pin between the actuated and non-actuated positions. A spring 633 or other biasing member is provided between the ball head and the housing to bias the stop pin axially outward. The axially outermost position of the stop pin, its driving position, is determined by the engagement of the locking pin 627 in a deeper groove 628 at the end of the housing 624; while the axially innermost position of the stop pin, i.e., the non-actuated position, is determined by the engagement of the locking pin 627 in a shallow groove 629 at the end of the housing. The stop pin can be moved from one position to another by pushing the ball head 632 inwardly against the biasing force of the spring sufficiently to move the locking pin axially out of the engaged slot, and then the ball head can be rotated 90 deg. to align the locking pin with the other slot. The ball can then be released allowing the biasing force of the spring 633 to move the stop pin outward until the detent engages the bottom of the other slot.

When the stop pin 622 is in the actuated (or buried) position shown, the inner end of the stop pin will reach one side of the path of travel of the adjacent lift bar 625 as shown in fig. 72 and 73. Thus, the lift bar is free to move between its feed position and its cutting position to operate the machine normally. However, when the stop pin is in its non-actuated (or blocking) position, the inner end of the stop pin will be located within the path of movement of the lift bar and will thus prevent the lift bar from moving to its cutting position. Preferably, the stop pin is positioned so that the lift bar will be clamped in an intermediate position where it is acted upon by the spring loaded latch mechanism 393 (fig. 39) described above to release the actuation switch from being clamped in the actuated position. In the illustrated embodiment, the stop pin is provided such that it can also be used to clamp the blade assembly in the closed or cutting position. That is, the handle may be moved to close the blade assembly, and then the stop pin engaged behind (rather than before) the lift bar to prevent it from moving back to the open position.

It will be appreciated that the blade guard assembly 620 could alternatively be configured in a remanufacturer to accomplish the same function, such as configuring the guard assembly to act on a moving tool post 555, a handle 638, or other moving part of the cutting assembly or operating assembly. Likewise, other arrangements may be employed, such as providing a plurality of stop surfaces spaced axially of the stop pin or other member, and providing a support surface on the pin extending perpendicular to the axial direction for selective engagement with the stop surfaces to define a plurality of axially-oriented positions of the pin, at least one of which corresponds to the actuated position of the stop plate (or other member) and another of which corresponds to the non-actuated position of the stop pin.

Another modification is shown in fig. 72 and 73. As shown, the transverse frame member 531 may be constructed and arranged to allow the attached lifter bar 625 to retract axially inward from the pivot or crank axle 644 and to eliminate the bushings or bearings 645 in the side frame members 523, 524. This is required to facilitate repair or replacement of the lifting bar. Furthermore, the frame element does not have to be removed for removing the lifting rod, so that the parallelism of the side plates is not impaired during field maintenance. When assembled to the side frame members, the lift pins are axially clamped in place with the associated crank shaft by snap rings 646. The end of the crank shaft extends outwardly and through an opening in the side wall of the head unit housing to connect to a handle 638.

To mount the end of the handle 638 to the crank axle 644, the mounting block 650 is keyed and/or snapped over the outer end of the crank axle. Each mounting block is symmetrically arranged with threaded holes to receive corresponding threaded fasteners 651 for securing a corresponding handle support 653 located at the end of the handle to the mounting block. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle comprises a U-shaped tubular member 654, the base or curved portion of which is covered by a tubular handle grip 656 of foam rubber or the like. Extending into the end of the tubular member is the cylindrical end of the handle support 653. The other end of the handle support forms a flat mounting lug or tab 657 which is provided with an aperture 659 (fig. 75) corresponding to the hole in the mounting block. It would be desirable to provide a means for rotational adjustment of the handle ends relative to the lift handles to accommodate manufacturing tolerances so that the lift pins can be brought into precise parallel alignment. To this end, the aperture 659 is circumferentially enlarged as shown in fig. 75 to provide such rotational adjustment.

During assembly, the handle 638 may be assembled to the mounting block 650 via the fastener 651. The lift bar 625 can then be precisely positioned in parallel relation to the circumferentially extending apertures 659 to allow rotational adjustment of the lift bar relative to the handle end. Once adjusted, the fastener 651 can be tightened to secure the adjusted relationship between the lift pin and the handle.

Referring now to fig. 76 and 77, there is shown an attachment for the stand 306 of the cushioning conversion machine 300. As shown, the upper end of the stand 306 may be provided with a handle 662 and the lower end may be provided with one or more rollers or wheels 664 to facilitate movement of the machine. It will be appreciated that the handle attached to the upper end of the upright frame 307 of the stand can be grasped and pulled to the right in fig. 76 to rotate the converting machine and stand in a clockwise direction, with the radiused end of the stand foot 308 serving as a fulcrum axis with the ground or other horizontal surface supporting the stand. Preferably, the rollers 664 are offset upwardly and horizontally from the bottom surface of the stand so that they engage the ground when the machine is rotated, preferably by more than about 30-35, from an upright position. In addition, at this point of engagement, it is desirable that the center of gravity of the machine and stand do not rotate more than about 20, and preferably not more than about 10, through a vertical plane intersecting the fulcrum axis, whereby the machine and stand can easily roll along a horizontal surface when the rollers engage the horizontal surface. This arrangement minimizes the weight borne by the rotating handle as the machine moves.

A stop bumper 668 may also be provided to limit the tilt of the machine to the set amount. For example, the stop bumpers can be positioned to prevent the center of gravity of the machine and stand from passing over the center of the rollers 664 or to limit its tilt relative to the roller axis to within 20, preferably within 10 and more preferably within 5. In addition, the stop bumper should be positioned to engage the stop bumper with the ground and thereby prevent further rotation of the bumper before the center of gravity of the machine and stand moves past the vertical plane intersecting the point at which the stop bumper engages the ground, thereby preventing the machine and stand from falling over when the bumper has engaged the ground, even if the stand handle 662 has been released by the attendant. The foot of the platform may also be provided with anti-slip means, for example a rubber band 670 on its underside.

Referring now to FIGS. 78-80, a further modification of the cushion conversion machine of the present invention is shown. In order to use the machine 500 in situations where it cannot be conveniently connected to an external power source, the commonly used ac motor may be replaced by a dc motor which may be powered by a battery 680 provided or carried within the machine or by a separate battery assembly provided adjacent the machine. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 78-80, a battery 680 (which may be, for example, one or more rechargeable lead-acid batteries) is supported on a battery holder 681. The battery holder is shown with a transverse bracket supported at its ends on the portion of the foot 308 of the stand 306 that extends beyond the opposite end of the foot of the machine that supports the material roller 683. The battery may be connected to the motor within the head unit 505 by a suitable cable (not shown), for example by electrical wiring running along the outside of the tubular member forming the gantry or through the inside of the tubular member. A wiring connector may be provided at the demarcation point between the upright portion of the stand and one or both of the feet to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the stand in the manner previously described, wherein either or both of the feet are dependent upon the return path of the electrical wiring. The end of the harness is also connected to an electrical connector to enable quick connection to the connector to which the motor leads are attached and to the connector to which the battery leads are attached. A battery charger may also be provided on the reformer assembly and may be conveniently supported on the battery carriage along with the battery or batteries. It is also noted that other types of motors may be used to drive the teeth, such as hydraulic motors. For a hydraulic motor, the energy storage means may comprise a compressed air tank instead of a battery. The compressed air tank can be easily mounted on the stand feet in the battery holder positions shown. Also, other mobile motor power sources may be used. For example, the machine may be powered by the vehicle's battery and/or power system. The battery may also be connected to one or more solar grids for charging the battery.

As shown in FIGS. 78-80, the stand 306 may be supported by casters 686 or the like for rolling on the floor, preferably by locking casters. As shown, each foot has a caster 686 attached to its toe and heel for four-point rolling support of the stand and the conversion machine supported on the stand. As a further modification, the locking pin 422 and keyhole 424 may be replaced by a thumb screw 688 that passes through a hole in the frame portion of the support stand to secure within the threaded hole of the front unit, in a manner similar to the method by which the thumb screw 457 passes through the attachment lug on the support stand.

Referring now to FIG. 81, another form of a stand foot is shown. The platform foot 690 includes a vertical tube 691 into or onto which the upper frame post may be telescopically inserted. The lower end of the vertical tube is secured, such as by welding, to the end of the longer leg of the oppositely extending L-shaped members 993, 694, and the other or shorter leg of the members 693 and 694 turns down the long leg and rests on the floor, thereby providing wide base support for the rack. The parts 694 and 694 may be tubular and casters may be attached to their ends to allow the gantry to roll from one place to another. For a fixed installation, rubber feet or other non-slip means secured thereto may be provided at the ends of the pieces 693 and 694 to prevent the stand from slipping on the floor. The foot also includes a bracket 696 that receives the end of the material roller holder. It will be appreciated that the feet of the reformer carriage described above may also be replaced by another such foot.

The cushion conversion machine of the present invention is used to produce low density cushioning products. It has been found that the cushions produced by the cushion converting machine of the invention using a 27 inch wide stock consisting of 3 plies of 30 lbs. recyclable APC kraft paper have the following characteristics:

height of 2.12 inches

7.62 inches wide

Capacity 46.24 cfp/450 ft roll

Density 0.67 pounds per cubic foot

The loss is 8.33 percent

Thus, a dunnage strip can be provided having a height of about 2 to 2.5 inches, a width of about 7.5 to 8 inches, and a density of about 0.64 to 0.7 pounds per cubic foot using three layers of 27 inch wide 30 pound kraft paper.

While a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one of the 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 particular or particular application.

Although the invention has been described with respect to several preferred embodiments, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification. Accordingly, the present invention includes all such equivalent exchanges and modifications.

Claims (33)

1. A cushioning conversion machine (20) for converting a feedstock (M) into a dunnage product, the cushioning conversion machine characterized by the combination of:

a forming assembly (56, 57) for converting stock material into three-dimensional cushion panels;

a stock supply assembly (21, 38, 40), said stock feed assembly being positioned upstream of said forming assembly;

a feed assembly (80) positioned downstream of the feedstock supply assembly (21, 38, 40);

a cutting assembly (81) positioned downstream of the forming assembly (56, 57) for cutting the strip of dunnage into dunnage segments of a desired length; and

an operating assembly including a handle member (47) that actuates the advancing assembly (80) when moved to a first position by an operator; and actuating said cutting assembly (81) when said handle member is moved to a second position by an operator, said handle member having a neutral position between said first position and said second position in which neither said feed assembly nor said cutting assembly is actuated.

2. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 1, wherein: the feed assembly includes a drive motor (87) that is driven when the handle member is moved to the first position.

3. The cushioning conversion machine of claim 2, wherein: the feed assembly comprises at least one rotatable member (83, 84) for feeding the feedstock, the rotatable member (83, 84) being driven by the drive motor (87).

4. The cushioning conversion machine of claim 2 or 3, wherein: the feed assembly includes a control member (150) that is actuated to drive the drive motor (87) when the handle member (47) is in the first position.

5. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 4, wherein: the control member is biased to move the handle member away from the first position to actuate the motor (87) when the handle member is released.

6. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 5, wherein: the biasing of the control member is effected by a resiliently biased plunger.

7. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 1, wherein: the feed assembly includes at least one rotatable member for feeding the material, and the handle member is coupled to the rotatable member such that the handle member brakes the rotatable member when the handle member is moved from the neutral position to the first position.

8. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 7, wherein: the rotatable member stops rotating when the handle member moves back from the first position to the neutral position.

9. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 7 or 8, wherein: the rotatable member includes a pair of gear members.

10. The cushioning conversion machine of any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 8, wherein: the cutting assembly includes a movable blade coupled to the handle member such that manual movement of the handle member to the second position translates into a cutting motion of the blade.

11. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 4, wherein: the cutting assembly includes a movable blade coupled to the handle member such that manual movement of the handle member to the second position translates into a cutting motion of the blade.

12. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 9, wherein: the cutting assembly includes a movable blade coupled to the handle member such that manual movement of the handle member to the second position translates into a cutting motion of the blade.

13. The cushioning conversion machine of any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 8 and 11 to 12, wherein: the cutting assembly is comprised of a blade assembly (119) including a pair of relatively movable blades (120, 121), the blades (120, 121) being sufficiently spaced apart from one another to permit the passage of the dunnage board product therebetween when the handle member (47) is in the first position, the blades being movable together to a finish cutting position sufficient to cut the dunnage board product to form the dunnage board product when the handle member (47) is moved to the second position.

14. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 4, wherein: the cutting assembly is comprised of a blade assembly (119) including a pair of relatively movable blades (120, 121), the blades (120, 121) being sufficiently spaced apart from one another to permit the passage of the dunnage board product therebetween when the handle member (47) is in the first position, the blades being movable together to a finish cutting position sufficient to cut the dunnage board product to form the dunnage board product when the handle member (47) is moved to the second position.

15. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 9, wherein: the cutting assembly is comprised of a blade assembly (119) including a pair of relatively movable blades (120, 121), the blades (120, 121) being sufficiently spaced apart from one another to permit the passage of the dunnage board product therebetween when the handle member (47) is in the first position, the blades being movable together to a finish cutting position sufficient to cut the dunnage board product to form the cutting member of the dunnage board product when the handle member (47) is moved to the second position.

16. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 10, wherein: the cutting assembly is comprised of a blade assembly (119) including a pair of relatively movable blades (120, 121), the blades (120, 121) being sufficiently spaced apart from one another to permit the passage of the dunnage board product therebetween when the handle member (47) is in the first position, the blades being movable together to a finish cutting position sufficient to cut the dunnage board product to form the cutting member of the dunnage board product when the handle member (47) is moved to the second position.

17. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 13, wherein: said cushioning conversion machine further comprising a housing (43) through which said gasket strip moves; the blades (120, 121) of the cutting assembly (81) are enclosed within the housing, and the handle member (47) extends outside the housing for manual operation of the blades of the cutting assembly.

18. The cushioning conversion machine of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein: said cushioning conversion machine further comprising a housing (43) through which said pad passes; the blades (120, 121) of the cutting assembly (81) are enclosed within the housing, and the handle member (47) extends outside the housing for manual operation of the blades of the cutting assembly.

19. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 17, wherein: the cutting assembly (81) further includes a stop (662), the stop (662) being disposed at least partially outside of the housing (43) and being movable between a drive position that permits movement of the blade (120, 121) to a finish cut position and a non-drive position that prevents movement of the blade to the finish cut position.

20. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 18, wherein: the cutting assembly (81) further includes a stop (662), the stop (662) being disposed at least partially outside of the housing (43) and being movable between a drive position that permits movement of the blade (120, 121) to a finish cut position and a non-drive position that prevents movement of the blade to the finish cut position.

21. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in any one of claims 1-3, 5-8, 11-12, 14-17, and 19-20, wherein: the forming assembly (56, 57) includes a polymerization tank (57) and a forming member (56), the polymerization tank (57) and the forming member (56) cooperating to form the stock into a three-dimensional strip of the gasket sheet.

22. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 4, wherein: the forming assembly (56, 57) includes a polymerization tank (57) and a forming member (56), the polymerization tank (57) and the forming member (56) cooperating to form the stock into a three-dimensional strip of the gasket sheet.

23. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 9, wherein: the forming assembly (56, 57) includes a polymerization tank (57) and a forming member (56), the polymerization tank (57) and the forming member (56) cooperating to form the stock into a three-dimensional strip of the gasket sheet.

24. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 10, wherein: the forming assembly (56, 57) includes a polymerization tank (57) and a forming member (56), the polymerization tank (57) and the forming member (56) cooperating to form the stock into a three-dimensional strip of the gasket sheet.

25. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 13, wherein: the forming assembly (56, 57) includes a polymerization tank (57) and a forming member (56), the polymerization tank (57) and the forming member (56) cooperating to form the stock into a three-dimensional strip of the gasket sheet.

26. The cushioning conversion machine set forth in claim 18, wherein: the forming assembly (56, 57) includes a polymerization tank (57) and a forming member (56), the polymerization tank (57) and the forming member (56) cooperating to form the stock into a three-dimensional strip of the gasket sheet.

27. A method of converting a feedstock into a cushioning product, said method comprising the steps of: (1) supplying a raw material (M); (2) moving an operating handle (47) of a converting machine (20) in a first direction from a neutral position to a feed position to cause said converting machine to produce a continuous strip of gasket product of lower density, (3) moving said operating handle (47) in an opposite direction to a cutting position to manually drive a cutting assembly (119) of said converting machine to produce cut pieces of said gasket product.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

moving said handle member (47) from said neutral position to said first position to actuate a feed assembly (80) to supply said stock material to a forming assembly (56, 57) to form said strip of shims;

moving the handle member (47) to a second position to drive the cutting assembly (119) to cut the strip of shims into shim segments of desired length for fabrication into a cutting member for cushioning products.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein: the method includes the steps of providing a sheet stock material and converting the stock material into a cushioning pad.

30. The method of any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein: the feedstock is biodegradable, recoverable and reusable.

31. The method of any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein: the raw material is kraft paper.

32. The method of any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein: the raw material consists of multi-layer kraft paper.

33. The method of any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein: the stock consists of a roll comprising two or three superposed layers of kraft paper.