According to some embodiments, systems and methods for applying labeling or indicia upon expandable slit sheet cushioning material is provided, including, in some examples, a) providing one or more unslit region within the expandable slit sheet material, b) providing one or more label or the like that is adhered or connected to a region of the expandable slit sheet material, and/or c) providing an over-layer sheet around the expandable slit sheet material.

An extensible slit sheet paper product is produced having an expandable slit pattern that forms open cells upon expansion of the paper product. The paper product is an extensible paper having an extensibility in the range from 1-9% in the machine direction and 1-5% in the cross direction. The expansion produces an array of hexagonal cells. The expanded extensible paper can be used to wrap an object for shipping by wrapping and cushioning the object in the expanded slit sheet material. The extensible, expandable slit sheet paper can be wrapped around itself to produce a void fill product.

A protective product, such as, e.g., an envelope or pouch, is provided that includes at least one expanded slit paper sheet in an expanded state, and an embossed paper sheet facing the expanded slit paper sheet and fixed to the expanded slit paper sheet along at least a portion of a length in an expansion direction of the expanded slit sheet paper. In the preferred embodiments, the embossed paper sheet has a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of the embossed paper sheet, thereby inhibiting deformation of the embossed paper sheet that is fixed to the expanded slit sheet paper.

According to some illustrative embodiments, a protective product is provided that includes: at least one expandable slit paper sheet, said at least on expandable slit paper being expanded between opposing ends of said slit paper; a first embossed paper sheet facing said expanded slit paper sheet and a second paper sheet facing an opposite side of said at least one expanded slit paper sheet, at least one of said first embossed paper sheet and said second paper sheet being fixed to said expanded slit paper sheet at the opposing ends of said expanded slit paper sheet and thereby maintaining said expanded paper in its expanded state, said first embossed paper sheet having a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of said embossed paper sheet, whereby inhibiting deformation of said embossed paper sheet that is fixed to said expanded slit sheet paper.

An extensible slit sheet paper product is produced having an expandable slit pattern that forms open cells upon expansion of the paper product. The paper product is an extensible paper having an extensibility in the range from 1-9% in the machine direction and 1-5% in the cross direction. The expansion produces an array of hexagonal cells. The expanded extensible paper can be used to wrap an object for shipping by wrapping and cushioning the object in the expanded slit sheet material. The extensible, expandable slit sheet paper can be wrapped around itself to produce a void fill product.

In the preferred embodiments, the present invention provides substantially improved slit sheet cushioning products by advantageously combining novel paper properties with novel slit patterns for improved features and characteristics. In some illustrative and non-limiting example embodiments, cushioning products of the present invention can include, e.g., a novel slit sheet material in combination with extensible paper employed as, e.g., a cushioning pad or as cushioning within an envelope product, wherein the cushioning product can be substantially more resilient, but, yet, e.g., thinner for better utilization of space.

A dunnage conversion system for expanding an unexpanded slit sheet stock material to form an expanded dunnage product. The dunnage conversion system includes a converging chute to inwardly gather laterally-extending edges of sheet stock material towards one another, causing random crumpling of the sheet stock material to form a modified ply. The conversion system also includes feed wheels that advance the modified ply through the converging chute and pinch rollers that cooperate with the feed wheels to expand the modified ply traveling between the feed wheels and the pinch rollers to form a dunnage product. The expanded dunnage product is expanded both in a longitudinal feed direction and in thickness as compared to the unexpanded slit sheet stock material, and thus is a three-dimensional product having increased volume and lower density per unit of length as compared to the unexpanded slit sheet stock material.

In the preferred embodiments, a paper cushioning product is provided that includes: a sheet of slit paper having a slit pattern, the slit pattern upon expansion forming cells that include land regions that are inclined with respect to a plane of an unexpanded sheet; the sheet of slit paper being configured such that expanding the sheet of slit paper with said slits produces land regions that have angles of inclination from the plane of the unexpanded sheet, with said land regions alternating on a row by row basis in forward and backward directions such that the slit pattern upon expansion includes an alternating cell opening pattern wherein each row opens in an opposite direction from an adjacent row. In preferred embodiments, the product further includes at least one of a) said sheet of slit paper is extensible paper that is extensible in a machine direction in a range of at least 3% and/or b) said sheet of slit paper includes slits configured such that upon expansion the slit sheet paper expands into an alternating row expansion pattern.

The present application provides a napkin dispenser for dispensing a number of folded napkins from a sheet material to an end user. The napkin dispenser may include a loading station for loading the sheet material, a folding station for folding a napkin from the sheet material, and a presentation station for presenting one or more of the folded napkins to the end user.

In the preferred embodiments, a paper cushioning product is provided that includes: a sheet of slit paper having a slit pattern, the slit pattern upon expansion forming cells that include land regions that are inclined with respect to a plane of an unexpanded sheet; the sheet of slit paper being configured such that expanding the sheet of slit paper with said slits produces land regions that have angles of inclination from the plane of the unexpanded sheet, with said land regions alternating on a row by row basis in forward and backward directions such that the slit pattern upon expansion includes an alternating cell opening pattern wherein each row opens in an opposite direction from an adjacent row. In preferred embodiments, the product further includes at least one of a) said sheet of slit paper is extensible paper that is extensible in a machine direction in a range of at least 3% and/or b) said sheet of slit paper includes slits configured such that upon expansion the slit sheet paper expands into an alternating row expansion pattern.