Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved edge protector having two plies wrapped around a core and a method of manufacturing the improved edge protector.

The disclosed embodiments relate to an insulative protective packaging material constructed using recyclable paper materials. The packaging material includes one or more plies of paper adhered to each other. The one or more plies can have protrusions that form gas pockets. The gas pockets can be sealed by another ply to provide shock absorbency and insulation. Further, the plies can be used in multiple ways such as by nesting the protrusions of one ply into the recessed of another ply, layering multiple plies on top of each other, or individually. Each ply can be substantially flat or have protrusions. The protrusions can be made in various ways such as alternating the directions that they extend and varying the shapes of the protrusions. The resulting packaging material can be used as a shipping container or as liners within shipping containers.

A drum covering for a drive drum (21) in a corrugating machine has a textile carrier material that reversibly shrinks when heated up, said carrier material being coated on at least one side with a coating material. Furthermore, it has two rectangular regions (71, 72) that are each connected to a convexly deltoid-shaped region (6) on a narrow side. Sets for producing the drum covering contain several covering pieces. A drive drum provided with the drum covering can be produced by the central axis (M) of the convexly deltoid-shaped region (6) being arranged along the circumferential central axis of the drive drum (21). Then, the convexly deltoid-shaped region (6) is fixed on the drive drum surface by means of at least one fixing element. The drive drum (21) is rotated, wherein the rectangular regions (71, 72) of the drum covering are wound around the drive drum (21) in a spiral-shaped manner. The rectangular regions (71, 72) are cut off on the ends of the drive drum (21) and the ends of the rectangular regions (71, 72) are fixed on the drive drum surface by means of further fixing elements. This drive drum can be installed in a corrugating machine in such a way that the rectangular regions (71, 72) are wound around the drive drum against the rotational direction of the drive drum (21) when the corrugating machine is in operation.

A dunnage handler for controlling the outfeed of dunnage from a dunnage machine is disclosed and can include a dunnage accumulator with first and second holding portions configured and associated with each other to define a dunnage accumulation space therebetween and for receiving and removably retaining the dunnage in the accumulation space from a dunnage machine and an articulation associating the first and second holding portions such that the holding portions are movable with respect to each other to vary the accumulation space to accommodate a varying amount of dunnage held therein, where a sensor and controller can be included to stop dunnage production when the accumulator is full.

According to some illustrative embodiments, a system and method is provided that includes, e.g., means for continuously conveying an assembly of layered sheets including a first paper sheet, at least one expanded sheet and a second paper sheet in a conveying flow between, e.g., a rotary mandrel or member at an upstream position in a direction of conveyance and a rotary die crushing and cutting tool, with said rotary mandrel or member and said rotary die crushing and cutting tool maintaining the at least one expanded sheet in an expanded state, said rotary tool having a crushing component that crushes a portion of the at least one expanded sheet such as to form a flap forming region of an envelope and a cutting component that cuts the assembly of layered sheets such as to separate individual envelope units.

The present invention provides void fill dispenser systems and methods that highly effectively enable the easy and usable creation of void fill with expanded slit sheet paper in a manner unattainable in the existing art. According to some illustrative embodiments, a void fill dispenser is provided that advantageously dispenses unique void fill in a manner not previously possible. In some embodiments, the void fill dispenser is made with a recyclable material, such as, e.g., a corrugated box made from paper. In some embodiments, the void fill dispenser is made with metal and/or other rigid and/or non-recyclable materials. In some embodiments, the void fill dispenser can comprise an automated metal dispensing system that dispenses expanded slit sheet paper particularly for void fill in an automated manner.

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.

A packaging material including one or more expandable layers that provide protection to contents of a packaging enclosure formed with the packaging material. The packaging material includes at least a first layer and a second layer bonded to one another. The first layer is pulled or extended in a first direction that is effective to cause the second layer to expand in a second direction. The second layer is a cut-patterned layer which creates structural strength in the packaging material when expanded.

A dunnage handler for controlling the outfeed of dunnage from a dunnage machine is disclosed and can include a dunnage accumulator with first and second holding portions configured and associated with each other to define a dunnage accumulation space therebetween and for receiving and removably retaining the dunnage in the accumulation space from a dunnage machine and an articulation associating the first and second holding portions such that the holding portions are movable with respect to each other to vary the accumulation space to accommodate a varying amount of dunnage held therein, where a sensor and controller can be included to stop dunnage production when the accumulator is full.

A dunnage crumpling apparatus is provided having first and second entry-side crumpling members and first and second exit-side crumpling members. The first and second entry-side crumpling members define an entry therebetween. The first and second exit-side crumpling members define an exit therebetween that is disposed along the longitudinal path downstream of the entry. A crumpling zone being defined between the entry and exit. The first entry-side crumpling member is configured for moving at an first rate and is associated with the second entry-side crumpling member for moving sheet material through the entry in a first direction along a longitudinal path at an entry rate. The first exit-side crumpling member is configured for moving at an second rate and is associated with the second exit-side crumpling member for moving the sheet material through the exit in the first direction along the path at a exit rate that is slower than the entry rate to crumple the sheet material for producing dunnage. The entry and exit-side crumpling members are displaced laterally along the path with respect to each other to cause shearing of the sheet within the crumpling zone.