A supply (22) of sheet stock material (24, 34) for a dunnage conversion machine (26) that is readily spliced to another supply includes (a) one or more plies of sheet material (24, 34) having (i) multiple longitudinally-extending sections, including a center section (42) bounded by lateral sections (40), where the lateral sections (40) are folded over a common face of the center section (42) along longitudinal fold lines (44) at lateral edges of the folded sheet material, and (ii) a leading end (60) and a trailing end (62) at respective longitudinally-opposite ends of the sheet material, where the lateral sections (40) are separated from the center section (42) adjacent the leading end (60) and adjacent the trailing end (62) along respective lines of separation; and (b) a splicing adhesive (76) applied to the sheet material adjacent the leading end (60) or the trailing end (62) on both the center section (42) and each of the lateral WO 2020/092578 A1 sections (40) to facilitate splicing each section to respective sections of two supplies.

A pleated filter preparation system is provided for accurately counting pleats along a continuous sheet of pleated filter material and cutting the sheet into filter strips to be formed into filters. The pleated filter preparation system includes a pleat driver having multiple drive gears that engage with the pleats of the pleated filter material to move the pleated filter material through the system. A pleat counter counts peaks and valleys of each pleat comprising the pleated filter material so as to identify a target pleat to be cut. The pleat counter clamps and stretches the target pleat to distinguish the target pleat among the other pleats. A punch cut station cuts the target pleat to form a filter strip having a desired number of pleats. A pleat compressor compresses the filter strips to a predetermined size and then ejects the filter strips into a suitable container or bin.

A stack of laminar material for forming packages, the stack including full panels having a predetermined total length and formed with transverse creases along which the full panels are folded in accordion-like pleats. The stack includes at least one longitudinal cut on each full panel to form at least two transversely adjacent stacks of partial panels having respective partial widths, which are less than the total width. The at least one cut is incomplete, so that each partial panel of a respective stack and the partial panel of the stack adjacent thereto will have at least one connecting section therebetween, having a predetermined minimum length, for holding the partial panels of the adjacent stacks together, to thereby keep the adjacent stacks substantially aligned while facilitating the separation of each of the partial panels as they are unwound by a pulling action from each adjacent stack.

A pleated filter preparation system is provided for accurately counting pleats along a continuous sheet of pleated filter material and cutting the sheet into filter strips to be formed into filters. The pleated filter preparation system includes a pleat driver having multiple drive gears that engage with the pleats of the pleated filter material to move the pleated filter material through the system. A pleat counter counts peaks and valleys of each pleat comprising the pleated filter material so as to identify a target pleat to be cut. The pleat counter clamps and stretches the target pleat to distinguish the target pleat among the other pleats. A punch cut station cuts the target pleat to form a filter strip having a desired number of pleats. A pleat compressor compresses the filter strips to a predetermined size and then ejects the filter strips into a suitable container or bin.

A separating unit for separating a web material includes a first shaft extending along a first longitudinal axis in the width direction and a second shaft extending along a second longitudinal axis, parallel to the first shaft. The second longitudinal axis is separated from the first longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the width direction. A first protrusion element extends perpendicularly from the first shaft and is rotatable about the first longitudinal axis and a second protrusion element extends perpendicularly from the second shaft and is rotatable about the second longitudinal axis. In a use position, the first protrusion element partially overlaps the second protrusion element with a radial overlap oriented perpendicular to the first and second shafts. A contact element is biased against at least one of the first and second protrusion elements in a direction perpendicular to the first or second longitudinal axis.

Methods and structures are provided for a dunnage system to facilitate efficient coupling together of supply units of pre-configured sheet stock material, such as, for example, separate units of fanfold stacks of pre-configured sheet stock material, in a manner of continuous supply with a continuous pocket extending longitudinally between the separate supply units, so that they can interact with an expander of the dunnage system without disruption as one supply unit is depleted and a next supply unit is fed through the dunnage system. Also, various methods, apparatus, and systems are provided to facilitate smooth operation of a dunnage machine of the dunnage system to reduce a tendency of the pre-configured sheet stock material to jam and to increase the tendency of dunnage product generated to reflect a desired shape and stability.

A method for stacking a ply (50) which is transferred from a rubber mixing system to a stacking system (100) comprises the steps of transferring the ply (50) to a stacking head (120) of the stacking system (100); passing the ply (50) to a motorized belt (110) of the stacking system (100), the motorized belt (110) being able to turn in both directions and being able to move in translation, and the motorized belt (110) being situated between the stacking head and a pallet (P) chosen from a pallet (P) with edges and a pallet (Q) without edges; and setting the motorized belt (110) into movement in translation so as to move along a path such that the motorized belt (110) receives the ply (50) from the stacking head (120) and makes a downstream end (50b) of the ply (50) to be stacked accessible in order to connect it to an upstream end (52a) of a ply (52) of a successive pallet and form a butt joint between the plies (50, 52).

A lottery ticket dispensing system includes a cabinet housing and a lottery ticket array insertable into the cabinet housing. The array includes a plurality of individual bins in a stacked configuration. A dispensing unit is inserted into each of the bins and includes a ticket compartment in which a continuous strip of lottery tickets is contained and an automatic separation module in which a leading ticket of the continuous strip of lottery tickets is automatically separated and dispensed from the bin. The bins are connected together in the stacked configuration such that the lottery ticket array is insertable into and removable from the cabinet housing as a single unit. The stacked configuration has opposite sides defined by the sides of the bins. At least one first component of a detachable support system is attached to the opposite sides of the stacked configuration, the first component cooperating with a second component of the detachable support system provided on inner side walls of the cabinet housing.

A lottery ticket dispensing unit includes at least one ticket compartment and a separation module that has a drive roller and an opposed idler roller, with a motor geared to the drive roller. An automatic separator device is provided, wherein the drive roller conveys a leading lottery ticket to a separation position such that a line between the leading ticket and an adjacent ticket is presented to the separator device. The separator device includes a shuttle that travels in a linear path along the line, the shuttle having a head that engages and separates the leading ticket from the adjacent ticket along the line. A bi-directional drive mechanism moves the shuttle back and forth along the linear path.

A lottery ticket dispensing unit includes at least one ticket compartment and a separation module that has a drive roller and an opposed idler roller. A motor is geared to the drive roller and is switchable between a convey mode wherein the drive roller engages and conveys a leading ticket to a separation position and a brake mode wherein the motor provides a reverse retarding force to the drive roller to brake the drive roller against an attempted reeling of the lottery tickets. from the dispensing unit. A controller switches the motor between the convey and brakes modes such that in the brake mode, power to the motor is interrupted and windings in the motor are short-circuited.