Abstract
Various embodiments for stock material for dunnage systems are provided with multi-directional perforation lines, including laterally and longitudinally extending perforations. The stock material can be configured in fan-fold or rolled form, and can be pre-folded. The perforations can help weaken the configured stock material to conform to holding trays. The holding trays can hold horizontally aligned fan-fold stacks of the stock material. Also, the configured stock material can be fed to a dunnage system have forming members that rotate about a vertical axis to generate cushioning strips with a vertical width greater than a horizontal width. Various methods and systems are also provided for making and using the same.
Claims
1-24. (canceled)
25. A continuous pre-configured stock material configured in rolled or fan-fold form for use in feeding a dunnage machine, the pre-configured stock material comprising: a longitudinal perforation line extending a full longitudinal length of the continuous pre-configured stock material; and a laterally inwardly folded longitudinally extending section extending a full longitudinal length of the continuous pre-configured stock material.
26. The pre-configured stock material of claim 25 further comprising at least a second longitudinal perforation line.
27. The pre-configured stock material of claim 25 further comprising at least one laterally extending perforation line.
28. The pre-configured stock material of claim 27 further comprising at least a second laterally extending perforation line.
29. The pre-configured stock material of claim 25 further comprising a second laterally inwardly folded longitudinally extending section extending a full longitudinal length of the continuous pre-configured stock material.
30. The pre-configured stock material of claim 29 further comprising at least one laterally extending perforation line.
31-51. (canceled)
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a prior art dunnage system with a fan-fold stack of stock material as a feed source.
[0014] FIG. 1b is a perspective view of a prior art fan-fold stack of paper stock material.
[0015] FIG. 2a is a front elevation of an embodiment of a dunnage system of the present disclosure having a u-shape holding tray, holding a fan-fold stack of stock material.
[0016] FIG. 2b is a perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 2a, with the fan-fold stack of stock material removed.
[0017] FIG. 2c is a perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 2a.
[0018] FIG. 3a is a front elevation of an embodiment of a dunnage system of the present disclosure having a saddle-shape holding tray, holding a fan-fold stack of stock material.
[0019] FIG. 3b is a perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 3a, with the fan-fold stack of stock material removed.
[0020] FIG. 3c is a perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 3a.
[0021] FIG. 4a is an overhead plan view of a section of perforated stock material, such as paper, having longitudinal and lateral perforation lines, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 4b is an overhead plan view of the stock material of FIG. 4a, having outside longitudinally extending sections folded laterally inward to overlap a middle longitudinally extending section, to generate a pre-configured stock material.
[0023] FIG. 4c is a perspective view showing the perforated stock material of FIG. 4b, configured in a fan-fold stack.
[0024] FIG. 5 is a perspective view a showing a perforated stock material having a longitudinally extending perforation line, configured in a fan-fold stack, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 6a is a front elevation of an embodiment of a dunnage system of the present disclosure having a v-shape holding tray, holding a fan-fold stack of stock material.
[0026] FIG. 6b is an overhead plan view of the dunnage system of FIG. 6a.
[0027] FIG. 6c is a perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 6a, with the fan-fold stack of stock material removed.
[0028] FIG. 7a is a front elevation of an embodiment of a dunnage system of the present disclosure having an inverted v-shape holding tray, holding a fan-fold stack of stock material.
[0029] FIG. 7b is a perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 7a, with the fan-fold stack of stock material removed.
[0030] FIG. 8 is a perspective view a showing a perforated stock material having two longitudinally extending perforation lines, configured in a fan-fold stack, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 9a is a front elevation of an embodiment of a dunnage system of the present disclosure having a holding tray comprised of multiple planar sections with alternating slopes.
[0032] FIG. 9b is a perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 9a, with the fan-fold stack of stock material removed.
[0033] FIG. 10 is a perspective view a showing a perforated stock material having three longitudinally extending perforation lines, configured in a fan-fold stack, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0034] FIGS. 10a-10c show a prior art dunnage system, including a detail view of an edge of a finishing section, or edge of a beginning section of fan-fold stack of stock material, such as paper stock material, having an adhesive section, covered by a removable liner.
[0035] FIG. 11a is a perspective view of a dunnage system for some embodiments of the present disclosure, comprising a loading tray and horizontally disposed fan-fold stacks of stock material retained in the feed tray.
[0036] FIG. 11b, is a simplified overhead plan view illustrating fan-fold stacks of stock material disposed horizontally on a horizontal feed tray, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 11c is a perspective view of the dunnage system in FIG. 11a, further showing a work station, or table top, retained above the loading tray, and further showing a work piece (e.g., container) placed on the table top, for some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0038] FIG. 11d is an overhead plan view of the dunnage system of FIG. 11c, with the table top.
[0039] FIG. 11e is a side elevation view of the dunnage system of FIG. 11c, with the table top.
[0040] FIG. 11f is an alternate perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 11a, with the fan-fold stacks having been removed to further reveal a configuration of the loading tray and end plates thereof, for some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0041] FIG. 11g is an alternate perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 11a, with the fan-fold stacks compressed together, and connected together, such as by one or more adhesive strip sections provided on the fan-fold stacks.
[0042] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a dunnage system for some embodiments of the present disclosure, having a pre-configured stock material feed source configured in a fan-fold stack, with a housing of the dunnage systems disposed at 90 degrees from a conventional orientation such that its forming members rotate about a vertically disposed axis.
[0043] FIG. 12b is a perspective view of the dunnage system of FIG. 12, further showing a dunnage strip dispensed from an output of the housing, with an end portion of the dunnage strip having been wound horizontally.
[0044] FIG. 12c shows perspective views of containers in which horizontally wound sections of dunnage strip, formed via the dunnage system of FIG. 12b, have been placed in the containers a) at a bottom of the container so that a product to be packaged can be placed on top of the wound dunnage strip, b) around a product in the container, and c) above a product in the container, respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0045] In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure. However, upon reviewing this disclosure one skilled in the art will understand that the disclosure may be practiced without many of these details. In other instances, well-known or widely available machine parts, dunnage control systems, or stock materials used in creating cushioning or void fill material have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the descriptions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0046] In the present description, inasmuch as the terms about, substantially, approximately, and consisting essentially of are used, they mean20% of the indicated range, value, or structure, unless otherwise indicated. It should be understood that the terms a and an as used herein refer to one or more of the enumerated components. The use of the alternative (e.g., or) should be understood to mean either one, both, or any combination thereof of the alternatives. As used herein, the terms include and comprise are used synonymously, both of which are intended to be construed in a non-limiting sense, as are variants thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated.
[0047] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described for purposes of illustration, in the context of use with paper-based sheet stock materials for dunnage formation. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate upon reviewing this disclosure, other materials may also be suitable. Throughout this disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, the term sheet can also refer to multi-ply material, with each sheet having multiple layers comprising thinner sheets.
[0048] FIGS. 2a-2c show an embodiment of a dunnage machine 2 of the present disclosure having a feed system for feeding stock material 10 (e.g., paper, or multi-ply paper) to the dunnage machine. The feed system can include a holding tray 4 for holding a fan-fold stack 12 of the stock material 10. The tray 4 of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIGS. 2a-2c, has a non-planar holding element 5. The holding element 5 can have a holding surface 5, and the holding surface 5 can be, for example, a curved U-shape, or partial U-shape, holding surface, with at least a portion of the holding surface 5 sloping inwardly downward from opposing lateral sides of the holding element 5, with a slope (e.g., measured relative to a tangent line at any single point of the holding surface) of the holding surface 5 gradually decreasing in approaching a lateral center 5 of the tray 4.
[0049] In other embodiments, such as shown in FIGS. 3a-3c, a holding surface 5a of the tray 4a can be a saddle-shape, or partial saddle-shape, with at least a portion of the holding surface 5a sloping inwardly upward approaching from opposing lateral sides of the holding surface 5a, with the slope of the holding surface 5a gradually decreasing in approaching a lateral center 5a of the tray 4a. In the tray embodiments 4, 4a, disclosed in FIGS. 2a-3c, the lateral center 5, 5a of the holding surfaces 5, 5a can be the lowest point, and highest point, respectively, on the holding surfaces.
[0050] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2a-3c, the fan-fold stack 12 of stock material 10 can be placed in the trays 4, 4a and can conform to the contour of the holding surfaces 5, 5a under its own weight. That is, for example, when the fan-fold stack 12 is placed on the holding surfaces 5, 5a, the weight of the successive layers 10 (or each flap) of paper 10, can cause the stack 12 to conform to the shape of the holding surfaces 5, 5a, and as such, a width of the stack can be reduced. In particular, for example, referring also to FIG. 1b, if the fan-fold stack 12 has original flat width (W) of 30 inches, and depth (D) of 10 inches, a resulting foot print of the fan-fold stack 12 imposed relative to a horizontal floor (See, e.g., FIG. 2a) upon which the dunnage machine 2, 2 rests, can be 10 inches deep with a reduced width of Wa, due to conformance with the tray 4. In some embodiments, the tray 4, 4a has a width Wa of 21 inches. In some embodiments, the width can be more or less than 21 inches, depending on the contours of the holding surfaces 5, 5a, which can be constructed using different contours and/or slopes other than those illustrated (e.g., steeper or more shallow), which can be selectively chosen, to decrease or increase the width of the footprint of the holding tray 4, 4a, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art after reviewing the present disclosure.
[0051] Referring to FIG. 4a-4c, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a fan-fold stack 12a is formed from perforated stock material, or perforated paper 20. In some embodiments, the perforations, represented by dashed lines in FIG. 4a, can extend entirely through multiple layers of material if the sheets are multi-ply, or partially through the sheets. In some embodiments, the perforations may have different shapes, such as, for example, circular perforations, or slots. As best seen in FIG. 4a, in some embodiments, lateral perforation lines 20 (comprised of a plurality of aligned perforations) and longitudinal perforation lines 20, can be provided in spaced apart fashion throughout the stock material folded in a fan-fold stack (or wound in a roll), which can be a continuous sheet of perforated paper 20 (from the beginning of the stack to the end of the stack, or from the beginning of a roll of stock material to the end of the roll) as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art after reviewing this disclosure.
[0052] Referring to FIG. 4b, in some embodiments, laterally separated longitudinally extending sections 20 (or otherwise referred to herein as a longitudinal section) of the stock material 20 can be folded laterally inward about the longitudinal perforation lines 20. In particular, for example, outside longitudinally extending sections 20, separated by a middle longitudinally extending section 20, of the stock material 20 can be folded inward to overlap the middle longitudinally extending section 20, about the longitudinal perforation lines 20.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 4c, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the pre-configured stock material 20 of FIG. 4b, can be used to generate pre-configured fan-fold stack 12a of stock material, which can be used for feed to a dunnage system for generating dunnage, or cushioning/void-fill materials.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a single longitudinal perforation line 22 can be provided on a stock material 22, in a fan-fold stack 12b. The longitudinal perforation line 22 can run the entire continuous length of the stock material 22 in the fan-fold stack 12b, and can assist in lateral bending (bending that can result in opposite lateral parts of the fanfold stack 12b being brought closer together or into an overlapping configuration) of the fan-fold stack 12b, to facilitate the stack's 12b conformance to the shape of a holding surface that is not planar, such as, for example, the holding surfaces 5, 5a describe above. In some embodiments, the single longitudinal perforation line 22 is disposed at about midway between the lateral edges of the stock material 22. In some embodiments, a laterally centered longitudinal perforation line running the entire continuous length of a sheet of stock material within a fan-fold stack or roll can also be provided for a pre-configured stock material. That is, for example, an additional longitudinal perforation line could be provided on at the lateral center of fan-fold stack 12a.
[0055] Referring to FIGS. 6a-6c, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a holding tray 4b for a dunnage system 2 can have a holding surface 5b, which comprises a V-shape surface contour, wherein at least a portion of each opposing lateral side of the holding surface 5b slopes inwardly downward in linear fashion to join at about a lateral centerline 5b of the holding surface 5b. Thus, for example, a standard 30 inch width stock material 22 having a single central longitudinal perforation line 22 (See, e.g., FIG. 5), could be placed on the holding surface 5b, with the perforation line 22 substantially aligned with a lateral centerline 5b (or lowest upward facing surface region) on the V-shape holding surface 5b, such that the weight of the stock material 22, combined with the weakened strength of the stock material 22 along the longitudinal perforation line 22, can cause the fan-fold stack of material 12b to easily collapse or slump downward at the perforation line 22 toward lateral centerline 5b on the holding surface 5b, thereby conforming the shape of the fan-fold stack 12b to the shape of the holding surface 5b. As a result, the tray 4b foot print width Wb can be, for example, less than a standard stock material width of 30 inches, but instead, can be about 26 inches, or 21 inches, or less, sufficient to retain the collapsed fan-fold stack of material 12b.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 6a, in various embodiments, depending on an angle (a) as measured between opposing lateral side portions (e.g., sidewalls of the V) of the holding surface 5b, which is also translated to top facing surfaces of the opposing lateral sides of the fan-fold stack 12b, the foot print width (Wb) of the tray 4b can be sized differently to accommodate the fan-fold stack 12b. For example, a tray 4b having a holding surface 5b sized to accommodate a standard 30 inch with stock material, can have the following widths Wb dependent on the angle a with which the holding surface 5b is formed:
TABLE-US-00001 Angel Approximate Footprint Width a = 120 degrees W = 26 inches a = 105 degrees W = 24 inches a = 90 degrees W = 21 inches
In some embodiments, the foot print width (Wb) approximates the foot print width of fan-fold stack 12b on the non-planar holding surface.
[0057] Referring to FIGS. 7a & 7b, the holding surface 5c of the tray 4c, can have a cross sectional contour that is an inverted V shape, with the centerline of the inverted V-shape contour being a ridge 5c. The fan-fold stack 12b can be placed on the holding surface 5c, with the central longitudinal perforation line 22 aligned with the ridge 5c. The side portions of the fan-fold stack 12b may then collapse or slump downward about the inverted V-shaped surface, aided by the weakened central perforation line 22. That is, opposing lateral sections of the fan-fold stack 12b can collapse downward on both sides of the ridge of the inverted V-shaped holding surface. Also, similar to that described above for holding surface 5b, in various embodiments, depending on an angle (a) as measured between opposing lateral sides of the holding surface 5c as shown in FIG. 7a, the foot print width of the tray 4c can be sized differently to accommodate the fan-fold stack 12b.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 8, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple longitudinal perforation lines 24 are provided on perforated paper stock material 24, which can be folded into a fan-fold stack 12c. In some embodiments, the multiple perforated lines 24 are equally spaced apart, and/or equally spaced from lateral edges of the stock material 24. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the longitudinal perforation lines 24 partition the stock material 24 into three longitudinal sections of equal, or approximately equal widths. In some embodiments, the perforated paper stock material of the fan-fold stack 12c also comprises lateral perforation lines, similar to lateral perforation lines 20 shown in FIG. 4a, about which creases in the fan-fold stack 12c can be formed, or otherwise aligned.
[0059] As shown in FIGS. 9a-9b, some embodiments of the present disclosure include a stock material 24a tray 4d having a holding surface 5d which has a cross sectional contour reflecting alternating sloped sections, namely, for example, a first section sloping upward in linear fashion, from left to right, then a second section sloped downward in linear fashion, from left to right, then a third section sloped upward in linear fashion, from left to right, the slopes of each section thus being aligned in zig-zagging fashion. In some embodiments, holding surface 5d is sized to accommodate the fan-fold stack 12c, which can be placed on the holding surface 5d with the longitudinal perforation lines 24 of the fan-fold stack 12c aligned with intersection edges 5d on the holding surface 5d. The intersections edges 5d reflect depth-wise extending intersections between the laterally extending alternating slopped sections of the holding surface 5d. Thereafter, as described previously, the fan-fold stack 12c can easily conform to the shape of the holding surface 5d, aided by the weakened perforated lines 24 which are aligned against the intersection lines 5d to allow the sections of fan-fold stack 12c to collapse against the non-planar holding surface 5d at substantially all locations on the holding surface 5d, as best seen in FIG. 9a. In some embodiments, the slopes of the laterally extending sections of the holding surface can be increased or decreased during manufacturing of the holding surface 5d, so that a foot print width of the fan-fold stack as held by the holder 5d can decrease or increase, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art after reviewing the present disclosure.
[0060] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, additional longitudinally extending perforations lines can be provided on the continuous sheet (or multi-ply sheet) of stock material in the fan-fold stack or roll. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, although up to two longitudinal perforation lines have been described, three, four, five or more longitudinal perforation lines can be provided. Also, various additional tray configurations can be provided that can be utilized with the perforated stock material. For example, although FIGS. 9a, 9b show three zig-zagging sloped sections for a holding surface, additional zig-zagging slopped sections can be provided, in which intersection edges can be aligned with longitudinal perforation lines on a corresponding fan-fold stack.
[0061] Referring to FIG. 11a, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a dunnage system 30 is provided in which fan-fold stacks 32 of stock material with centered longitudinal perforation lines 38, can be retained in horizontal fashion (e.g., laying on their sides, as opposed to vertically stacked stock material as described, supra). The fan-fold stacks 32 can be loaded onto a loading tray 40 having bounding sidewalls 44, between which the fan-fold stacks 32 can be placed in horizontal fashion. In some embodiments, a width between the bounding sidewalls 44 dictates a bending angle the user needs to impart between lateral opposing sides of the fan-fold stack 32, on either side of the longitudinal perforation lines 38, to fit the stack horizontally between the sidewalls 44. In some embodiments, when the fan-fold stack is pressed between the sidewalls 44, the tip of an approximate V-shape formed by the fan-fold stack is oriented pointing toward the dunnage system feed 1, located on a rear side of the dunnage system 30, on an opposite face from the dunnage output port 36. Line A in FIG. 11a, with an arrow, represents generally the direction in which stock material is taken up from the horizontally disposed fan-fold stacks 32, into a housing 42 of the dunnage system, within which volumization of the stock material from the fan-fold stacks 32 takes place via motorized forming members, as will be appreciated by those skilled in art after reviewing this disclosure.
[0062] Referring to FIGS. 11a, 11f, and 11g, in some alternative embodiments, an end plate 34, or multiple end plates, against which the forwardmost fan-fold stack 32 of the stock material (from which current paper feed is taken), can be pressed up against, with the first sheet in the most forwardmost fan-fold stack 32 pressing against the end plate(s) 34. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art after reviewing this disclosure, the longitudinal perforation lines 38 that can run the entire continuous sheet in the fan-fold stacks 32 can assist in allowing the fan-fold stacks 32 to press up against, and conform to the end plate(s) 34. Also, in some embodiments, the end plates does not rise vertically the entire depth of the fan-fold stack, so that stock material can be easily taken up along line A into a feed on the housing 42. For example, as seen in FIG. 11a, the bounding sidewalls 44 rise only partially the height of the retained fanfold stacks 32, and the end plate 34 could, for example, only rise as high as the bounding sidewalls 44.
[0063] FIGS. 11f and 11g also show an alternative configurations for the end plate(s) 34. For example, as best seen in FIG. 11f, a pair of adjacent end plates 34 can be provided, with each being disposed at a lateral angle so that an overhead plan cross section of the plates approximates a v-shape, so that a distance between the end plates decreases extending forward toward a rear side of the housing 42. In some embodiments, the end plates do not join at their forward sections. As the forwardmost fan-fold stack 32 is pressed up against the end plates 34, the relative angels of the end plates 32 helps impart a v-shaped configuration to the fan-fold stacks 32. Also, in some embodiments, the end plates are imparted with a forward slope, and rise to a maximum height that is below a top edge of the bounding sidewalls 44.
[0064] In some embodiments, the fan-fold stacks 32 can have more than one longitudinal perforation line, such as, for example, as shown in FIGS. 8 & 10, and as such, when they are disposed in horizontal position, such as shown in FIG. 11a, they can accommodate similar bending configurations described previously, except in a horizontal orientation. Also, an end plate 34 can be configured to match bending configurations to assist a user in pressing the fan-fold stack 32 into bent position.
[0065] Referring still to FIG. 11a, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art after reviewing this disclosure, multiple stacks of fan-fold material can be connected together by connecting the finishing end section of a forward fan-fold stack 32, to a beginning section of a next fan-fold stack 32, such as, for example, by using edges with adhesives 26a. That is, for example, an adhesive strip 26a can run laterally along the edge of a last section of a fan-fold stack, and be used to attach that last section to an adhesive strip running laterally along an edge of a beginning section on a next fan-fold stack. In some embodiments, when a user removes liners 27 (such as those described previously) from the adhesive strips 26a, and aligns the fan-fold stacks end to end, as shown in FIG. 11a, on the horizontal loading tray 40, then presses them together, the adhesives strips 26a can be caused to adhere to a section on the adjacent fan-fold stack, either to the beginning section of the next fan-fold stack, or to the finishing section of a prior fan-fold stack. As such, when a forward fan-fold stack is depleted, the last section of the forward fan-fold stack will pull from the next fan-fold stack to lead it into the housing of the dunnage machine for volumization, without having to re-prime the dunnage system. In this manner, a user can continue to align new fan-fold stacks on the horizontal loading tray 40 ensuring a constant supply of stock material without having to re-prime the dunnage system for long periods of time.
[0066] Referring to FIG. 11b, in some embodiments, a horizontal loading tray for a feed for a dunnage system can receive fan-fold stacks 32 horizontally, without imparting a bend in the stack (unlike the bend imparted in FIG. 11a). However, an edge of a finishing section, or an edge of a beginning section, of each fan-fold stack 32, can be lined with an adhesive section, or strip 26a, for use in a similar manner to that described above. In some embodiments, both the beginning section and finishing section of each fan-fold stack have an edge with an adhesive section 26, while in other embodiments, only a beginning section, or only a finishing section, of each fan-fold stack has an edge with an adhesive section. Also, a peel away liner can be provided over each of the adhesive sections which can be easily removed before use.
[0067] As shown in FIGS. 11c-11e, in some embodiments, the dunnage system 30 permits a user to situate a table top 46 over the loading tray 40 and feed stock for the dunnage system, with the loading tray 40 position lower than the housing 42 of the dunnage system 30, and extending horizontally toward a user position on an output side of the dunnage system 30. In some embodiments, the loading tray extends horizontally forward from a forward side (output side) of the housing 42 at least 8 inches, or at least 12 inches, or at least 24 inches, or at least 30 inches, or at least 36 inches, or at least 42 inches, or at least 48 inches, or more than 48 inches. A user can use the table top 46 to hold work pieces 48 (e.g., containers) which the user can pack with cushioning material (or void fill material) dispensed from the output port 36 of the housing 42. In some embodiments, the horizontally extending loading tray 40 is positioned on the same side of the housing 42 as the output port 36 of the housing 42. This configuration can be ergonomic for the user, who can load the tray 40 from the front of the dunnage system 30, where the user is positioned when packing the container 48 with cushioning materials. Also, since the loading tray 40 can be disposed under the table top, precious space can be conserved on a factory floor.
[0068] As shown in FIG. 12, in some embodiments, fan-fold stacks 20a, 20b, can be pre-configured. For example (referring also to FIGS. 4a & 4b), a continuous length of perforated stock sheet material, or perforated paper 20, can have outside lateral sections 20 that are inwardly folded before formation of the stock material into fan-fold stacks 20a, 20b, (or rolls). Also, the fan-fold stacks 20a, 20b, can be provided with adhesive strip sections 26a at an edge of a beginning section (or flap) 20a thereof, as shown for stack 20a, and at an edge of a finishing section (or flap) 20b thereof, as shown for stack 20b in FIG. 12. In some embodiments, the adhesive strip sections 26a are provided on both sides of the paper 20. As such, one of the beginning section 20a, or finishing section 20b, can be inserted into a pocket 50 formed between the laterally folded sections 20 and a middle unfolded section 20 (See, e.g., FIG. 4a) of the other, and an adhesive strip sections 26a can contact and bind the beginning section 20a and finishing section 20b together. In some embodiments, the flap of the beginning section 20a and the flap of the beginning section 20b are configured so as to extend only partially across the entire depth of the fan-fold stack, whereas all other flaps (fold sections) extend the full depth of the fan-fold stack, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art after reviewing this disclosure.
[0069] Still referring to FIG. 12, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a housing 54 of the dunnage system 52 can be disposed on its side, in a position that is rotated by approximately 90 degrees about a longitudinal axis thereof, in comparison with a conventional orientation, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,501,302. As such, the forming members 60 (e.g., gears) within the housing 54 are also pivoted 90 degrees from conventional orientation. For example, in some embodiments, a gear assembly of a dunnage system 52 that stitches (or otherwise compresses) portions of stock material together, can be disposed with a rotational axis C of the gears 60 in vertical orientation such that the gears rotate about the vertical rotational axis C in a horizontal direction (plane) as shown by arrow D, so that a portion of stock material is stitched/compressed between the gears 60 laterally, to press a vertically extending maximum width Wm, and can thus also be dispensed as a dunnage strip 56 with a maximum width Wm that extends vertically upon output, or otherwise, with a horizontal width that is less than a vertical width (as contrasted with a dunnage strip that is typically dispensed with the maximum width portion extending horizontally, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,501,302).
[0070] A support member 58 for the housing 54 (e.g., legs, wheel, or other resting platform) can be is affixed or positioned on the housing 54 so that when the housing is set down against a resting surface on the support member 58, the housing is axially off-set from its conventional orientation by 90 degrees. This upright side edge 56 orientation of the dunnage strip 56, with the maximum width Wm being oriented vertically, can provide distinct advantages in packaging. In particular, a user can easily bend the dunnage strip horizontally to wind the dunnage strip to form a cushioning surface that can be disposed in a container for protecting product in the container (See, e.g., FIGS. 12b, 12c). Alternatively, a user can wind the dunnage horizontally about a product before placing it in a container, or placing a wound dunnage strip in the container below a product, or above a product (See, e.g., FIG. 12c).
[0071] After reviewing the present disclosure, an individual of ordinary skill in the art will immediately appreciate that some details and features can be added, removed and/or changed without deviating from the spirit of the invention. Reference throughout this specification to one embodiment, an embodiment, additional embodiment(s) or some embodiments, means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment(s) is included in at least one or some embodiment(s), but not necessarily all embodiments, such that the references do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment (s). Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
