A supply of single-ply, fan-folded sheet stock material includes a holder that facilitates simultaneously loading multiple plies of sheet stock material into a dunnage conversion machine for conversion into a dunnage product. The holder has inclined support surfaces and intersecting support walls that support the support surfaces in their inclined orientations. The holder has a W-shape cross-section, with inclined outer support surfaces and inclined inner support surfaces that may meet in the middle. The inner support surfaces generally are perpendicular to adjacent outer support surfaces to support a generally rectangular stack and sub-stacks of single-ply, fan-folded sheet stock material. The inclined support surfaces of the holder facilitate splitting the stack in half and supporting the two sub-stacks so that pages on top of the two stacks, connected by a center fold line, can be drawn into the conversion machine simultaneously.

Packaging material is provided. The packaging material can include at least one web layer having a surface that includes first and second regions. When corresponding first regions are overlaid with each other and corresponding second regions are overlaid with each other, the overlaid first and second regions can cooperatively surround a cavity. The packaging material further can include a first sealing material disposed in the first region and configured to seal together the corresponding first regions upon application of first conditions to the first sealing material, and a second sealing material disposed in the second region and configured to seal together the corresponding second regions upon application of second conditions to the second sealing material. The second sealing material can be configured such that the first conditions applied to the second sealing material are insufficient to cause the second sealing material to seal.

A conversion apparatus is provided herein. The conversion apparatus includes a cutting member having an edge configured for cutting the dunnage material. The conversion apparatus also includes a biasing member that is located adjacent to the cutting member such that the dunnage material passes between the biasing member and the cutting member. The biasing member operably contacts the dunnage material thereby biasing the dunnage material against the cutting member. The position of the biasing member relative to the cutting member is such that in response to the dunnage material being retracted back into the conversion apparatus the cutting member begins to sever the dunnage material, but in response to the dunnage material traveling in the dispensing direction the cutting member does not begin to sever the dunnage material due to the relative position.

A coiler device for winding a strip of cushioning material into a coil is disclosed. The coiler device includes a working plate, at least two winding pins and a driving mechanism. The working plate has a working surface, a rotation axis and at least two holes away from the rotation axis. The at least two winding pins are disposed through the at least two holes and protruding out of the working surface respectively when winding the strip. The driving mechanism is configured to rotate the working plate, wherein the at least two winding pins are retractable from the working plate through the at least two holes respectively.

An apparatus for the manual or machine production of a tube-like packaging material from a paper supply unit, such as a paper strip wound up to a roll, includes a roll longitudinal axis and forming an inner hollow space, or a paper strip folded to a Leporello stack defining an upper side, from which the paper strip is drawable for forming the packaging material. A guiding chute has an opening for ejecting the packaging material from a paper supply unit arranged in an ejection position. The guiding chute has an inner contour narrowing in an ejection direction towards an opening. A receiving arrangement, such as a tube magazine, encompasses at least one paper supply unit at least partly circumferentially with paper supply units arranged sequentially behind each other, wherein the apparatus having a movable transport, such as a slide, for displacing at least the at least one paper supply unit in the ejection direction.

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. The holder has a W-shape cross-section, with inclined outer support surfaces (114, 116) and inclined inner support surfaces (120, 122) that may meet in the middle. The inner support surfaces generally are perpendicular to adjacent outer support surfaces to support a generally rectangular stack (102) and sub-stacks (110, 112) of single-ply, fan-folded sheet stock material. A method includes laying open a stack of single-ply fan-folded sheet stock material to form two sub-stacks of sheet stock material and operating a dunnage conversion machine to simultaneously draw sheet stock material from both sub-stacks of sheet stock material, thereby providing a two-ply sheet stock material for conversion into a dunnage product.

An apparatus for the manual or machine production of a tube-like packaging material from a paper supply unit, such as a paper strip wound up to a roll, includes a roll longitudinal axis and forming an inner hollow space, or a paper strip folded to a Leporello stack defining an upper side, from which the paper strip is drawable for forming the packaging material. A guiding chute has an opening for ejecting the packaging material from a paper supply unit arranged in an ejection position. The guiding chute has an inner contour narrowing in an ejection direction towards an opening. A receiving arrangement, such as a tube magazine, encompasses at least one paper supply unit at least partly circumferentially with paper supply units arranged sequentially behind each other, wherein the apparatus having a movable transport, such as a slide, for displacing at least the at least one paper supply unit in the ejection direction.

A dunnage system may include a converting station including a converter configured for pulling in a stream of sheet material and converting the material into dunnage, and an inlet guide having an inlet surface that is coiled such that first and second ends of the inlet surface are discontinuous with each other to define a gap therebetween, the inlet surface configured to channel the sheet material into the converter. A cutter for a dunnage system may include a blade with first and second phases of serrations that are coextensive over at least a portion of the blade, the first phase providing cutting serrations for cutting the dunnage, and the second phase comprising ledges for focusing the cutting and preventing or reducing bunching of the dunnage towards a side of the blade. A method of converting dunnage may also be provided.

The invention relates to a device for dispensing a cushion means for packaging purposes, comprising a dispensing means which provides the cushion means, and a withdrawal region from which a user can take the dispensed cushion means. At least one sensor means is present, which detects an engaging of the dispensed cushion means by the user and/or the presence or absence of at least one region of a hand of the user in the withdrawal region or in a detection region adjacent to the withdrawal region. The providing device dispenses a cushion means depending on the detected engaging of the dispensed cushion means by the user and/or depending on the presence and/or absence of a hand of the user in the withdrawal region or in the detection region.

A stock supply assembly for a dunnage conversion machine includes a stock material support having a support structure, such as a shelf for a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material. The stock supply assembly is rotatable between a relatively lower loading position and a relatively higher operating position vertically displaced relative to the loading position.