A dunnage-producing system includes a dunnage conversion machine for converting a stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product, a supply of stock material, and a guide element. The conversion machine is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis. The supply of stock material includes a support for the stock material that is movable relative to the conversion machine, such as for replenishing the stock material. The guide element is rotatable with the conversion machine to maintain a consistent position relative to the conversion machine, thereby consistently positioning the support relative to the conversion machine to avoid tearing or jamming problems associated with an improperly aligned supply of sheet stock material.

A dunnage conversion machine includes a frame, a supply support coupled to the frame for supporting a supply of expandable sheet stock material, and a pair of opposed expansion members rotatably coupled to the frame for rotation about respective axes. The expandable sheet stock material is gripped between the expansion members while it is drawn between the expansion members. Tension provided between a downstream pulling force downstream of the expansion members and the gripping force of the expansion members causes expansion of the expandable sheet stock material. Portions of the expansion members are periodically recessed to provide more uniform expansion of the expandable sheet stock material while reducing or altogether preventing jamming of expanding sheet stock material between the expansion members or tearing of the expanding sheet stock material adjacent the expansion members.

A supply of inflatable pouches includes an inflatable web defining a series of inflatable chambers, a longitudinal fold in the web such that the web is configured in the form of two juxtaposed inflatable panels joined together at the longitudinal fold, and a series of transverse seals that bond the panels together to form a series of inflatable pouches between pairs of the transverse seals.

A supply of inflatable pouches includes an inflatable web defining a series of inflatable chambers, a longitudinal fold in the web such that the web is configured in the form of two juxtaposed inflatable panels joined together at the longitudinal fold, and a series of transverse seals that bond the panels together to form a series of inflatable pouches between pairs of the transverse seals.

A dunnage conversion system (20) for expanding an unexpanded slit sheet stock material (23) to form an expanded dunnage product (26). The dunnage conversion system includes a converging chute (28) 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 (120) that advance the modified ply through the converging chute and pinch rollers (122) 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.

A dunnage-producing system includes a dunnage conversion machine for converting a stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product, a supply of stock material, and a guide element. The conversion machine is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis. The supply of stock material includes a support for the stock material that is movable relative to the conversion machine, such as for replenishing the stock material. The guide element is rotatable with the conversion machine to maintain a consistent position relative to the conversion machine, thereby consistently positioning the support relative to the conversion machine to avoid tearing or jamming problems associated with an improperly aligned supply of sheet stock material.

Provided is an expandable material with crossed lines, an expansion system and a method for supplying a package material. Said expandable material comprises: creasing lines, wherein the creasing lines extend along a horizontal direction of said expandable material and are arranged at intervals in a longitudinal direction of said expandable material, and said expandable material is continuous on the creasing lines and folded along the creasing lines to form a saw-toothed stack; and slits, wherein the slits pass through said expandable material, extend along a first direction, and are inclined to the creasing lines and arranged at intervals on slit lines defined in the first direction, the slit lines are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of said expandable material, and the slits of two adjacent slit lines are mutually staggered in the longitudinal direction of said expandable material.

Provided is an expandable material with crossed lines, an expansion system and a method for supplying a package material. Said expandable material comprises: creasing lines, wherein the creasing lines extend along a horizontal direction of said expandable material and are arranged at intervals in a longitudinal direction of said expandable material, and said expandable material is continuous on the creasing lines and folded along the creasing lines to form a saw-toothed stack; and slits, wherein the slits pass through said expandable material, extend along a first direction, and are inclined to the creasing lines and arranged at intervals on slit lines defined in the first direction, the slit lines are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of said expandable material, and the slits of two adjacent slit lines are mutually staggered in the longitudinal direction of said expandable material.

A coiler for producing tighter or smaller coils of dunnage uses a cam to move fork pins from a dunnage-receiving position inwardly to a more closely-spaced coiling position. The fork pins are coupled to pin mounts that cooperate with the cam and slots in a guide plate to move the parallel fork pins between the dunnage-receiving and coiling positions. The fork pins are mounted to extend perpendicular to and through the guide plate on opposing sides of a path of the dunnage to capture and wind a dunnage strip into a coil.

A dunnage-producing system includes a dunnage conversion machine for converting a stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product, a supply of stock material, and a guide element. The conversion machine is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis. The supply of stock material includes a support for the stock material that is movable relative to the conversion machine, such as for replenishing the stock material. The guide element is rotatable with the conversion machine to maintain a consistent position relative to the conversion machine, thereby consistently positioning the support relative to the conversion machine to avoid tearing or jamming problems associated with an improperly aligned supply of sheet stock material.