37 patents
Utility
Packaging product and methods of making and using
7 Nov 23
A bundle of packing material includes at least two strips of packing material folded into a compact configuration.
Craig L. Lenart, Shawn M. Baiers, Robert C. Cheich, Dennis J. Wagner
Filed: 11 Jul 18
Utility
Dunnage conversion system and method for expanding pre-slit sheet stock material
17 Oct 23
A dunnage conversion system for expanding an unexpanded slit sheet stock material to form an expanded dunnage product.
Robert C. Cheich
Filed: 22 Nov 21
Utility
Dunnage conversion machine and method
10 Oct 23
A conversion assembly for a dunnage conversion machine includes both a downstream pair of rotatable members and an upstream pair of rotatable members upstream of the downstream rotatable members.
Robert C. Cheich, Steven M. Toneff, Hubertus J. M. Cals, Raimond P. M. Demers, Ronny Hubertus Joseph Hendrix, Johannes Hermanus Wilhelmus Driehuijs, Stephen Louis Dominak, Alexandra Snijders, Carrie A. Schlegel, Thomas Bayt, Kevin W. Park, Dennis Wagner
Filed: 17 Nov 21
Utility
Powered outlet chute for dunnage conversion machine
8 Aug 23
A dunnage conversion machine that converts a stock material into a less dense dunnage product includes an outlet chute having a housing with a passage therethrough from an inlet at an inlet end downstream to an outlet at an outlet end spaced from the inlet end.
Raimond P. M. Demers
Filed: 28 Sep 18
Utility
Method of loading a dunnage conversion machine and sheet stock material useful therein
30 May 23
A supply of stock material for a dunnage conversion machine includes two plies of sheet stock material wound into a roll or fan-folded into a stack.
Stephen Louis Dominak, Alexandra Snijders
Filed: 25 Nov 20
Utility
Apparatus and method for making a coil of dunnage
16 May 23
A dunnage conversion system for making a coil of dunnage from a sheet stock includes a coiler, a movable dancer upstream of the coiler and interposed in a path of the sheet stock, and a controller communicatively coupled to each of the coiler and the movable dancer.
Peter L. C. Lemmens, Jordy van der Kaap
Filed: 29 Jun 17
Utility
Quick-change cutting blade assembly and method
14 Feb 23
A quick-change cutting assembly includes a base having a support surface for supporting a cutting blade, a clamping arm having a clamping surface, a spring interposed between the base and the clamping arm, and a pivot defining a pivot axis between the spring and the clamping surface that couples the clamping arm to the base.
Rémi Parisse, Uwe Klarner, Jean-Yves Sia
Filed: 23 Jan 19
Utility
Dunnage system with coiler, automated taping and ejecting apparatus and method
14 Feb 23
A dunnage conversion system includes a machine for converting a stock material into a strip of relatively lower-density dunnage, a coiling mechanism for winding the strip into a coil, a taping mechanism for automatically securing a trailing end of the strip to the coil, and a coil ejecting mechanism for automatically removing the coil from the coiling mechanism.
Pedro E. Winkens, Ad H. Veldt
Filed: 7 Jul 21
Utility
Dunnage conversion machine, method, and product with a polygonal cross-section
3 Jan 23
A machine for converting a sheet material into a relatively less dense dunnage product includes a forming assembly and a feeding assembly downstream of the forming assembly.
Robert C. Cheich, Dennis Wagner
Filed: 28 Feb 18
Utility
Low cost manual expanding-dunnage conversion apparatus
22 Nov 22
A manually-operated dunnage conversion apparatus includes a housing with an outlet opening, a supply of slit sheet stock material supported within the housing for dispensing from the outlet opening, and a pair of opposed expansion members rotatably coupled to the housing for rotation about respective, parallel expansion axes between the supply and the outlet opening.
Robert C. Cheich, Dennis J. Wagner
Filed: 16 Aug 16
Utility
Void-fill dunnage conversion machine, stock material support, and method
15 Nov 22
A machine for converting a sheet stock material into a dunnage product includes a conversion assembly for converting sheet stock material into a dunnage product as the sheet stock material travels along a path from an upstream end of the conversion assembly to a downstream end of the conversion assembly.
Robert C. Cheich, David V. Murphy, Steven M. Toneff, Jacob G. Popek, Carrie Schlegal
Filed: 22 Mar 16
Utility
Compact dunnage converter
18 Oct 22
A compact dunnage conversion machine includes a converging chute with a restricted inlet, a powered feed assembly with a sealed gearbox, a plurality of interchangeable power supplies, and a restricted outlet chute.
Daniel L. Carlson, Donald A. Gorg, Thomas A. Bilkie
Filed: 15 Feb 19
Utility
Automatic dunnage conforming apparatus and method
27 Sep 22
An apparatus for conforming a dunnage element about contents in a container includes an array of pushers having biased end portions that are movable relative to one another and having end faces for engaging the dunnage element.
Jean-Yves Sia, Uwe Klärner, Rémi Parisse
Filed: 6 Feb 19
Utility
System and method for optimizing the height of a box for shipping
16 Aug 22
A system for closing a shipping container that has a rectangular bottom wall, upstanding side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom wall, and an open top end, includes a sled capable of moving the container between a first station and a second station spaced from the first station, and a flap-folding assembly movable with the sled.
Uwe Klarner, Remi Parisse, Jean-Yves Sia
Filed: 27 Nov 18
Utility
Dunnage conversion machine and method
12 Jul 22
A method of making a dunnage product includes the following steps: (a) converting a sheet stock material into a lower density strip of dunnage having a width and a height that is less than the width; and (b) cutting the strip of dunnage to form a discrete dunnage product of a desired length by cutting across less than the width of the strip of dunnage to maintain a connection between the strip of dunnage and the discrete dunnage product.
Shawnasee E. Burns, William D. Bruck
Filed: 2 May 17
Utility
Compact manual dunnage conversion apparatus
12 Jul 22
A manually-operated dunnage conversion apparatus includes a housing, a support mounted in the housing and configured to support a supply of sheet material for dispensing from the dunnage conversion apparatus, and one or both of (a) a guide member mounted in the housing downstream of the support and providing a resilient surface across which the sheet material may be drawn to restrict tearing of the sheet material as it is drawn from the dunnage conversion apparatus, and (b) a tensioning assembly mounted in the housing and configured to apply a compressive force between opposite axial sides of the housing to control the force necessary to dispense the supply of sheet material.
Dennis J. Wagner, Robert C. Cheich
Filed: 6 Aug 18
Utility
Fan-folded sheet stock material support for use with a dunnage conversion machine and method
14 Jun 22
A supply of single-ply, fan-folded sheet stock material (100) includes a holder that has inclined support surfaces (114, 116, 120, 122) and intersecting support walls (124, 126) that support the support surfaces in their inclined orientations.
Robert C. Cheich, Brian H. Stewartson
Filed: 26 Oct 17
Utility
Dunnage conversion machine and method
14 Jun 22
A dunnage conversion machine converts a sheet stock material into a dunnage product that is relatively thicker and less dense than the stock material.
Robert C. Cheich, Jiri Sip
Filed: 31 Oct 17
Utility
Expandable slit-sheet stock material, dunnage conversion system and method for expanding
7 Jun 22
An improved expandable slit-sheet stock material is configured to aid in temporarily restricting opening of a plurality of slits of the slit-sheet stock material, such as during winding of the unexpanded stock material or during expansion of the stock material.
Robert C. Cheich, Dennis J. Wagner
Filed: 28 Mar 18
Utility
Dunnage conversion machine, helically-crumpled dunnage product and method
7 Jun 22
A machine for converting a sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product includes both (a) a helical pre-form assembly having a cylindrical mandrel with a longitudinal axis and a guide member for guiding the sheet stock material from a supply thereof into a helical path along and around the mandrel so as to form a helical pre-form that rotates around the longitudinal axis and advances parallel to the longitudinal axis; and (b) a restriction in the path of the pre-form that slows the advance and rotation of the pre-form past the restriction, the restriction causing the pre-form to retard longitudinal advancement, to twist upon itself, and to permanently deform as it moves past the restriction, thereby longitudinally and helically crumpling the pre-form.
Mike J. Timmers, Raimond P. M. Demers
Filed: 13 Jan 20