A dunnage system may include a converting station including a converter configured for pulling in a stream of sheet material and converting the material into dunnage, and an inlet guide having an inlet surface that is coiled such that first and second ends of the inlet surface are discontinuous with each other to define a gap therebetween, the inlet surface configured to channel the sheet material into the converter. A cutter for a dunnage system may include a blade with first and second phases of serrations that are coextensive over at least a portion of the blade, the first phase providing cutting serrations for cutting the dunnage, and the second phase comprising ledges for focusing the cutting and preventing or reducing bunching of the dunnage towards a side of the blade. A method of converting dunnage may also be provided.

A packaging material production machine for manufacturing a packaging material product may include a feed funnel for introducing packaging material from a web-shaped packaging material supply into the packaging material production machine, and a deflection shaft supported rotatably in a free-wheeling manner on the packaging material production machine for introducing the packaging material into the feed hopper. The deflection shaft may include lateral end portions whose diameters continuously increase outwardly at least in sections. The packaging material may be in the form of a leporello stack or in roll form.

A dunnage system may include a converting station including a converter configured for pulling in a stream of sheet material and converting the material into dunnage, and an inlet guide having an inlet surface that is coiled such that first and second ends of the inlet surface are discontinuous with each other to define a gap therebetween, the inlet surface configured to channel the sheet material into the converter. A cutter for a dunnage system may include a blade with first and second phases of serrations that are coextensive over at least a portion of the blade, the first phase providing cutting serrations for cutting the dunnage, and the second phase comprising ledges for focusing the cutting and preventing or reducing bunching of the dunnage towards a side of the blade. A method of converting dunnage may also be provided.

A material dispenser having a dispensing member configured to dispense a line of the material along a path in a downstream direction, and a cutting member having a cutting edge extending generally downstream with respect to the path. The cutting member having a convex shape across the path, such that the cutting edge engages and sequentially initiates cuts through the line of material when the line of material is pulled against the cutting member, thereby minimize cutting forces.

A drive mechanism for a packaging material web coiler for forming a wound-up packaging material cushion may include a coiler core and a rotatable gyrating mass coupled to the coiler core. The coiled packaging material web is coilable around the coiler core such that the coiled packaging material cushion is detachable from the coiler core. With the rotatable gyrating mass, the coiler core performs at least one complete winding of the packaging material web around the coiler core in response to a manual swing-actuation.

An apparatus for the manual/automatic production of a tube-like packaging material can include a guiding chute with an opening for ejecting the packaging material from a roll arranged in the ejection position, wherein the guiding chute has an inner contour narrowing towards an opening in an ejection direction, a primary seating for at least partly circumferentially gripping the first roll and for holding the first roll in the ejection position, and at least one secondary seating for receiving of at least a second roll for reloading the apparatus, wherein the secondary seating is movable with a second roll between a passive position in which the second roll is outside an ejection position and an active position in which the second roll is arranged in the ejection position or is displaceable from the secondary seating into the primary seating under (e.g. exclusively under) the impact of gravity.

A chainable dunnage supply material, such as a roll of paper, for creating an extended or continuous supply of material, by chaining multiple units together. The dunnage supply arrangement comprises a first supply unit of an elongated web of material in a high-density arrangement, where the material may be converted into a low-density dunnage. The material has first and second longitudinal ends, and a connecting member is disposed adjacent to the first longitudinal end. The connecting member may include an adhesive surface for adhering to a longitudinal second end of a second supply unit of material with sufficient adhesion for pulling the material of the second supply unit into the dunnage mechanism (e.g. daisy chaining the two supply units together). The arrangement may include a release layer on the adhesive surface of the connecting member and releasable therefrom for allowing the connecting member to adhere to a second supply unit.

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.

A Coiling device for spirally rolling-up a three-dimensional cushioning material made by a cushion forming device from a web-type source material (e.g. a roll or a Leporello-stack) of paper, can include a reel having at least two deflectors, and having a rotational axis extending in vertical direction. The deflectors can be a mandrel, hook, deflector edge, or the like.

A dunnage system may include a converting station including a converter configured for pulling in a stream of sheet material and converting the material into dunnage, and an inlet guide having an inlet surface that is coiled such that first and second ends of the inlet surface are discontinuous with each other to define a gap therebetween, the inlet surface configured to channel the sheet material into the converter. A cutter for a dunnage system may include a blade with first and second phases of serrations that are coextensive over at least a portion of the blade, the first phase providing cutting serrations for cutting the dunnage, and the second phase comprising ledges for focusing the cutting and preventing or reducing bunching of the dunnage towards a side of the blade. A method of converting dunnage may also be provided.