A manually-operated dunnage conversion apparatus includes a housing with an outlet opening, a supply of slit sheet stock material supported within the housing for dispensing from the outlet opening, and a pair of opposed expansion members rotatably coupled to the housing for rotation about respective, parallel expansion axes between the supply and the outlet opening. The expansion members are biased towards each other via a biasing member to provide a gripping force on sheet stock material fed therebetween to apply friction to the sheet stock material that causes the sheet stock material to expand in length and thickness as an operator pulls the sheet stock material from the outlet opening in the housing. With the possible exception of the biasing member, the apparatus may be made of paper-based products, making the apparatus recyclable, reusable, and composed of a renewable resource, as well as inexpensive to manufacture.

Disclosed herein are protective packaging stock material units that are used in a dunnage system. A dunnage system includes a dunnage conversion machine and a supply station. The supply station is a cart that includes a biased support that is connected to a vertical side support. The biased support is movable from an open position to a closed position with respect to opposing vertical side supports. In the closed position, the biased support is configured to at least partially block the opening between the opposing vertical side supports. In the open position, the biased support leaves the opening between the opposing vertical side supports sufficiently open to load fanfold stock material therein. The biased support is biased towards the closed position and the open position. The supply station also includes an alignment device forming a funnel positioned under its base. The alignment device receives a dunnage machine stand base causing the supply cart to consistently align with the stand base in response to the stand base being slid into engagement with the alignment device.

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

The invention provides a tape dispenser for liquid-activated tape which can be used in handheld or table-top modes. A main body of the dispenser has a rear section for holding a tape reel, and a front section which houses a drive section, a cutter, an activation section, and a main reservoir located below the activation section for holding liquid to activate the tape. A pump is arranged to pump liquid from the main reservoir to the activation section, where in use liquid is applied to the tape to activate it, and means are provided to allow liquid that overflows from the activation section to return to the main reservoir, preferably under gravity. The tape reel is supported by a drum in the rear section, and the drum can be slid out of the rear section to allow the tape reel to be replaced.

A magazine has a generally rectangular form of a frame. The frame has two spaced apart caps, at least one rail fixed to the caps so that the rail does not rotate, at least one tube rotatably connected between the caps and parallel to a rail, at least two finger assemblies upon a tube, a cutter that slides upon a rail, connectors and knobs upon each tube allowing it to rotate. The tube receiving a roll of wrapping paper upon its length and over the finger assemblies. The finger assemblies deflecting their fingers inside the roll. The connectors being of two severable components allowing detachment of a tube from a cap to receive a roll. The preferred embodiment has two rails and three tubes forming the frame.

A rotating member for a wrap dispenser includes a first portion defining a first outer surface and a first inner surface, the first inner surface defining a first inner diameter; a second portion defining a second inner surface, the second inner surface defining a second inner diameter, wherein the first inner diameter is less than the second inner diameter; and an upset protruding radially outwardly from the first outer surface of the first portion, the upset oriented distal to the second portion, wherein a slot extends longitudinally through the upset to allow the upset to flex radially inward.

A unit for applying opening devices to a web of packaging material at predetermined areas of the web arranged at a non-zero distance from one another along the web; the unit comprises a feeding group configured for feeding the web along an advancing path; at least one first tool, arranged at a first desired position along the path and configured to apply a first opening device to a corresponding first predetermined area arranged at the first desired position; and at least one second tool, arranged at a second desired position along the path and configured to apply a second opening device to a corresponding second predetermined area arranged at the second desired position; and a buffer portion arranged along the path, downstream of the second tool and upstream of the first tool, and configured to include and/or accumulate a web portion having a number of predetermined areas which is an integer multiple of the number of tools of the unit.

A machine for unwinding and rewinding a covering tape (800) includes a first support shaft to coaxially receive a reel of covering tape, a second support shaft, parallel to and distanced from the first support shaft, which is adapted to coaxially receive a tubular support, a motor adapted to put the second support shaft in rotation around its own axis, a plurality of contrast rollers arranged around the second support shaft and oriented parallel thereto, and a movement apparatus adapted to move the contrast rollers towards and away from the axis of the second support shaft.

A magazine has a generally rectangular, prismatic shaped body with a lid. The body has a front with an opening, an opposite back, a bin upon the back, a left side and an opposite right side spanning from the front to the back, a toothed rack on each side, a spindle assembly between the two racks, and a base beneath the front, the back, and the two sides. The lid rests upon the front, the back, the left side, and the right side in a spacing above the base. Each spindle of the assembly receives a roll of wrapping paper, oriented parallel to the front. Each spindle has an end cap and an opposite movable cap engaging a dock upon a cover. The spindles rotate upon gears with the spindle assembly upon the racks. Grips upon each spindle allow a user to unroll paper as desired.

An improved method and tooling for a pouch forming machine to attach a fastener to the bag film layers. The method and fixture in one embodiment can unwind a double wide touch and close fastening material and then split the fastener into two strips using two turning bars, invert one of the strips, bring the strips together to interlock them with a nip roller, and then insert the interlocked strip between the bag film layers.