An image forming apparatus is an apparatus that forms an image on paper and provided with a sensor section, a determination section, and an estimation section. The sensor section outputs a signal indicating a state of the paper. The determination section determines whether or not each of a plurality of error conditions relating to a paper error is satisfied based on the signal output by the sensor section. The estimation section estimates an occurrence factor of the paper error based on a satisfaction pattern of the plurality of error conditions.

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.

An apparatus for the manual/automatic production of a tube-like packaging material can include a guiding chute with an opening for ejecting the packaging material from a roll arranged in the ejection position, wherein the guiding chute has an inner contour narrowing towards an opening in an ejection direction, a primary seating for at least partly circumferentially gripping the first roll and for holding the first roll in the ejection position, and at least one secondary seating for receiving of at least a second roll for reloading the apparatus, wherein the secondary seating is movable with a second roll between a passive position in which the second roll is outside an ejection position and an active position in which the second roll is arranged in the ejection position or is displaceable from the secondary seating into the primary seating under (e.g. exclusively under) the impact of gravity.

A dunnage conversion machine converts a sheet stock material into a dunnage product that is relatively thicker and less dense than the stock material. The conversion machine includes a conversion assembly that draws the sheet stock material therethrough and randomly crumples at least a portion of the sheet stock material. Before severing a discrete dunnage product of a desired length from the substantially continuous length of sheet stock material, the random crumpling is minimized or eliminated in an area to be cut to reduce or eliminate the production of scrap shards of sheet stock material during the cutting operation.

A material dispenser having a dispensing member configured to dispense a line of the material along a path in a downstream direction, and a cutting member having a cutting edge extending generally downstream with respect to the path. The cutting member having a convex shape across the path, such that the cutting edge engages and sequentially initiates cuts through the line of material when the line of material is pulled against the cutting member, thereby minimize cutting forces.

A packaging station comprising a deformation device for converting a web of packaging material drawn from a supply of packaging material web, such as a leporello folded stacked web, into a dunnage material and a conveyor structure for receiving the drawn web of packaging material and for feeding the drawn web of packaging material into the deformation device, wherein the conveyor structure comprises a conveyor track extending from a reception of the conveyor structure to the deformation device and being dimensioned such that, after passing the reception, the web of packaging material is able to bear over its entire surface on the conveyor track in the conveying direction for at least the twofold of the width of the web.

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.

A jam-sensing method for a dunnage conversion machine includes the following steps: (a) converting a stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage material having characteristics that vary along the length of the dunnage material; (b) sensing the characteristics of the dunnage material; (c) generating a signal that varies as a function of the sensed characteristics; (d) monitoring the generated signal over time; and (e) generating a control signal when variation in the generated signal within a predetermined period is less than a predetermined amount, which would indicate a lack of movement of the material. This control signal can used to shut down the conversion process, thereby minimizing the extent of the jam condition.

The invention relates to a device for providing cushioning material for packaging purposes, comprising a converting unit for turning over at least one lateral edge of a web-type starting material in the direction of a center of the starting material, creating an intermediate product, and a crumpling mechanism for crumpling the intermediate product into the cushioning material. According to the invention, the housing has a first coupling portion, which is complementary to a corresponding second coupling portion of the converting unit, and the converting unit is one of a set of at least two converting units, wherein the converting units of a set all have the same second coupling portion, and wherein the converting units of a set are designed to convert different starting materials.

Various embodiments for stock material for dunnage systems are provided with multi-directional perforation lines, including laterally and longitudinally extending perforations. The stock material can be configured in fan-fold or rolled form, and can be pre-folded. The perforations can help weaken the configured stock material to conform to holding trays. The holding trays can hold horizontally aligned fan-fold stacks of the stock material. Also, the configured stock material can be fed to a dunnage system have forming members that rotate about a vertical axis to generate cushioning strips with a vertical width greater than a horizontal width. Various methods and systems are also provided for making and using the same.