A dunnage conversion system includes a machine for converting a stock material into a strip of relatively lower-density dunnage, a coiling mechanism for winding the strip into a coil, a taping mechanism for automatically securing a trailing end of the strip to the coil, and a coil ejecting mechanism for automatically removing the coil from the coiling mechanism. The taping mechanism includes a guide surface between an outlet of the machine and the coiling mechanism to guide the strip to the coiling mechanism and to guide tape for engagement with a trailing end of the strip and to secure the trailing end of the strip to the coil. The coil ejecting mechanism includes a lever arm that pivots to push the completed coil off the coiling mechanism.

A machine for converting a sheet material into a relatively less dense dunnage product includes a forming assembly and a feeding assembly downstream of the forming assembly. The forming assembly is configured to cause lateral edges of the sheet material to roll towards one another, forming a tubular shape. A deflector at a downstream end of the forming assembly is configured to engage the lateral edges of the sheet material and to urge the lateral edges into an interior of the tubular shape. This juxtaposes lateral edge portions of the sheet material adjacent the respective lateral edges. A forming channel at a downstream end of the forming assembly faces the deflector to receive the lateral edge portions and shape them into a tab. Finally, the feeding assembly includes rotating connecting members that engage and connect together the overlapping lateral edge portions of the sheet material forming the tab.

A machine for converting a sheet stock material into a dunnage product includes a conversion assembly for converting sheet stock material into a dunnage product as the sheet stock material travels along a path from an upstream end of the conversion assembly to a downstream end of the conversion assembly. The machine further includes a transversely extending guide over which the stock material passes for guided entry into the upstream end of the conversion assembly. The guide is rotatable such that the transverse extent of the guide can be moved between a plurality of relatively rotated orientations to guide the sheet stock material from different sides of the conversion assembly.

A machine for converting sheet stock material into void fill material comprises an improved, angled inlet chute, an outlet chute, and an internal drive assembly comprising a motor and power transmission system for rotating a plurality of opposed crush wheels that pull the sheet stock from the inlet chute and push the void fill material to the outlet chute in a downstream direction. The internal drive assembly comprises a frame securing a motor and a first power transmission set to rotate a drive axle and a first set of crush wheels. The assembly comprises a subframe securing a driven axle and a second set of crush wheels that are rotated by a second power transmission set. The subframe is pivotably attached to the frame at a pivot point that allows the driven axle to pivot away from the drive axle at least partly in upstream and downstream directions.

A compact dunnage conversion machine includes a converging chute with a restricted inlet, a powered feed assembly with a sealed gearbox, a plurality of interchangeable power supplies, and a restricted outlet chute. The converter can convert a sheet stock material into dunnage for use in packaging one or more objects in a container. The restricted inlet and outlet make it more difficult for foreign objects to enter the converter and disrupt the conversion process. The sealed gearbox interposed between the driving elements of the feed assembly and an electric motor facilitates maintenance and repair of the feed assembly, while also protecting the gears therein. Finally, the power supplies provide electrical power to the motor and can include an electrical storage device, such as a battery, or an alternating-current-to-direct-current converter which is connectable to a source of electricity for supplying that electricity to the motor in an acceptable form.

A machine for converting a sheet material into a relatively less dense dunnage product includes a forming assembly and a feeding assembly downstream of the forming assembly. The forming assembly is configured to cause lateral edges of the sheet material to roll towards one another, forming a tubular shape. A deflector at a downstream end of the forming assembly is configured to engage the lateral edges of the sheet material and to urge the lateral edges into an interior of the tubular shape. This juxtaposes lateral edge portions of the sheet material adjacent the respective lateral edges. A forming channel at a downstream end of the forming assembly faces the deflector to receive the lateral edge portions and shape them into a tab. Finally, the feeding assembly includes rotating connecting members that engage and connect together the overlapping lateral edge portions of the sheet material forming the tab.

A driven crimping gear (10) cooperates with the first idler crimping gear (12) and the second idler crimping gear (14). The gears pull paper of a roll (12) which paper has had the edges curled over. The paper is guided through the gears by plates (28) and (30).

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.

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 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.