An inflatable web is disclosed. The web includes first and second film plies sealed together via a plurality of generally transverse seals to define a first and second inflatable chambers and an inflation region. The chambers are inflatable with a fluid and operable to contain the fluid. The sealed plies have a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge. The web defines a separation region extending at least partially transversely across the web between the first and second inflatable chambers and is configured to facilitate separation thereof. The separation region includes a tear propagation line extending transversely across at least a portion of the web with an end of the tear propagation line terminating proximal to the first longitudinal edge of the web. The separation region includes a tear initiation feature including edges spaced apart from one another longitudinally to form a permanent opening in the web.

A transfer and dispensing apparatus is disclosed for the conveying and separation of packaging material, cushions or pillows when needed by the operator. When a packer working over a conveyor receives a box that requires void fill, an operating switch such as a foot pedal is depressed to dispense pillows from the apparatus and into the box in a connected strip. When the operating switch is released, the apparatus stops dispensing pillows, separates the continuous strip of pillows along a transverse perforation in the strip, and ejects the end of the separated segment. The packer can then complete packing the box by placing the severed end of the pillows into the box, advance to the next box, and repeat the process. The transfer and dispensing apparatus may be positioned in any convenient location including adjacent to, above or attached to the inflation device.

A device for machine-making a dunnage product from a single- or multi-ply continuous paper web may include a delivery conveyor configured to draw the paper web into the device in a conveying direction; a cutter configured to separate the dunnage product from a three-dimensional strand of dunnage material formed from the paper web within the device; and a removal conveyor positioned after the cutter in the conveying direction and configured to remove the separated dunnage product from the cutter.

A conversion assembly for a dunnage conversion machine includes both a downstream pair of rotatable members and an upstream pair of rotatable members upstream of the downstream rotatable members. The downstream rotatable members include a pair of gears, and each gear has a plurality of teeth and is rotatable about a respective axis. The gears are positioned so that the teeth of one gear are sequentially interlaced with the teeth of the other gear as the gears rotate. The upstream rotatable members include a pair of feed wheels, and the gears and the feed wheels define a path for a sheet stock material from between the upstream pair of feed wheels to between the downstream pair of gears. The rate at which the sheet stock material is advanced by the feed wheels is the same as the rate at which the sheet stock material is advanced by the gears.

A packing material including a plurality of discrete cushioning elements and methods for making the same. The discrete cushioning elements may be cellulosic cushioning elements. A flexible linkage may connect the plurality of discrete cushioning elements in the packing material. The packing material may also include a bottom cellulosic sheet connected to a top cellulosic sheet with the plurality of cellulosic cushioning elements positioned between the top cellulosic sheet and the bottom cellulosic sheet. The packing material may also be a molded packing material that includes bonds comprising adhesive and cellulosic fibers. The adhesive and cellulosic fibers of the bonds may be dispersed between the folds of each of the cellulosic cushioning elements.

An inflatable web is disclosed. The web includes first and second film plies sealed together via a plurality of generally transverse seals to define a first and second inflatable chambers and an inflation region. The chambers are inflatable with a fluid and operable to contain the fluid. The sealed plies have a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge. The web defines a separation region extending at least partially transversely across the web between the first and second inflatable chambers and is configured to facilitate separation thereof. The separation region includes a tear propagation line extending transversely across at least a portion of the web with an end of the tear propagation line terminating proximal to the first longitudinal edge of the web. The separation region includes a tear initiation feature including edges spaced apart from one another longitudinally to form a permanent opening in the web.

An insulated shipping container and method of forming and loading an insulated container utilizing sustainable materials including recycled post-industrial, pre-consumer natural fiber, plant-based fiber and synthetic fiber to include recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

An arrangement for producing embossed cushioning material from an initially flat material comprises an embossing device for providing a plurality of embossed protrusions to the material, an undulating device comprising undulated forming spaces which creates undulations in the initially flat material prior to the undulated material being provided to the embossing device, and a conveying means for conveying the initially flat material along a transport path in a continuous process through the undulated forming spaces. It is that suggested that the undulating device, seen in the direction of the transport path, comprises at least two stages each comprising an undulated forming space, the undulated forming space of a downstream stage differing in number and/or height of undulations from the undulated forming space of an upstream stage.

A dunnage conversion system for making a coil of dunnage from a sheet stock includes a coiler, a movable dancer upstream of the coiler and interposed in a path of the sheet stock, and a controller communicatively coupled to each of the coiler and the movable dancer. The coiler is configured to wind the sheet stock, and the controller is configured to control the speed of the coiler based on the position of the movable dancer to control tension of the sheet stock upstream of the coiler. The sheet stock drawn about the movable dancer may be a slit-sheet stock having a plurality of slits configured to expand under tension applied in a feed direction. The controller may be configured to control expansion of the slit-sheet stock upstream of the coiler allowing conversion of the sheet stock into a coil of relatively less dense dunnage prior to or during winding.

A transfer and dispensing apparatus is disclosed for the conveying and separation of packaging material, cushions or pillows when needed by the operator. When a packer working over a conveyor receives a box that requires void fill, an operating switch such as a foot pedal is depressed to dispense pillows from the apparatus and into the box in a connected strip. When the operating switch is released, the apparatus stops dispensing pillows, separates the continuous strip of pillows along a transverse perforation in the strip, and ejects the end of the separated segment. The packer can then complete packing the box by placing the severed end of the pillows into the box, advance to the next box, and repeat the process. The transfer and dispensing apparatus may be positioned in any convenient location including adjacent to, above or attached to the inflation device.