Dunnage supply intake
Disclosed herein is a dunnage conversion machine for converting stock material to dunnage. The dunnage conversion machine includes a converting station and a drive mechanism positioned downstream of the converting station. The converting station includes a dunnage intake and a shaping member. The intake member includes an opening that constricts stock material as the stock material is pulled into and through the intake. The shaping member is positioned upstream of the intake member. The shaping member manipulates the path of the stock material in a way that causes the stock material to begin to bend or curl prior to being pulled into the intake. The drive mechanism receives the stock material and pulls the stock material over the shaping member.
1. A dunnage system comprising:
a dunnage converting station that pulls stock sheet material in a longitudinal direction from a supply station and converts the stock material into low-density dunnage, the dunnage converting station including:
an intake member having an outer structure that defines an opening that constricts the stock material as the stock material is pulled into and through the intake member; and
a stock material shaping member positioned upstream of the intake member and on an upstream portion of the converting station to bend the stock material pulled from the supply station about a transverse axis that extends generally transversely to the longitudinal direction, the stock material shaping member including:
a support structure that extends in generally the same direction as the transverse axis and causes the stock material to bend about the transverse axis, and
a central protrusion extending radially from a surface of the support structure and that protrudes more deeply into the bend in the stock material than the support structure, causing the stock material to bend about both the transverse axis and a longitudinal axis that extends generally in the longitudinal direction generally centrally into the stock material as the stock material moves longitudinally across the support structure and the central protrusion.
2. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the dunnage converting station includes a drive mechanism operable to pull the stock material into the intake member.
3. The dunnage system of claim 2 , wherein the intake includes a structural member that defines an opening disposed between the shaping member and the drive mechanism, which opening constricts the stock material as the stock material is pulled into and through the dunnage intake member in a longitudinal direction.
4. The dunnage system of claim 3 , wherein the shaping member is between 2 and 8 times wider than the opening.
5. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the shaping member manipulates the path of the stock material in a way that causes the stock material to begin to bend or curl prior to being pulled into the intake member.
6. The dunnage system of claim 1 , further comprising a supply station configured to hold stock material that has a stock material width.
7. The dunnage system of claim 6 , wherein the support structure extends across less than a full width of the stock material.
8. The dunnage system of claim 7 , wherein the support structure includes transverse free ends that allow the stock material to wrap around the free ends.
9. The dunnage system of claim 7 , further comprising the stock material.
10. The dunnage system of claim 6 , wherein the support structure extends across more than a full width of the stock material.
11. The dunnage system of claim 6 , wherein the supply station is configured to hold stock material that is wider than the width of the shaping member.
12. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the support structure is a transversely extending cylindrical bar.
13. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the central protrusion is a semi-circular protrusion, with the semi-circular protrusion having an axis that is perpendicular to a transversely extending axis of the support structure.
14. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the central protrusion extends away from the surface of the support structure a distance between approximately 1/10 and ½ of the length of the support structure.
15. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the central protrusion extends between about 15° and 75° off a horizontal plane passing through a center axis of the support structure in an upstream direction with respect to the intake member.
16. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the shaping member is connected to the intake member by a connection member extending therefrom.
17. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the shaping member is positioned to change the direction of the stock material as the stock material is pulled from a supply station and through the intake.
18. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the dunnage converting station includes:
a transverse barrier member extending from the outer structure in a direction that corresponds to the direction of the transverse width of stock material that is pulled into and through the intake member such that the transverse barrier member limits the tendency of the stock material to wrap around the outer structure without significantly restraining the stock material in an upstream direction; and
a drive mechanism positioned downstream of the converting station, the drive mechanism receiving and pulling the stock material through the intake member.
19. The dunnage system of claim 18 , wherein the transverse barrier member includes ears protruding transversely from the intake member and having a height less than the intake member.
20. The dunnage system of claim 19 , wherein at least one ear forms an attachment to a stand.
21. The dunnage system of claim 18 , wherein the shaping member is positioned upstream of the intake, the shaping member configured to manipulate the stock material along its path in a way that causes the stock material to begin to bend or curl prior to being pulled into the intake.
22. The dunnage system of claim 1 , wherein the dunnage converting station includes a transverse barrier member extending from the outer structure in a direction that corresponds to the direction of the transverse width of stock material that is pulled into and through the intake member.
23. A dunnage converting station that pulls stock sheet material in a longitudinal direction from a supply station and converts the stock material into low-density dunnage comprising:
an intake member; and
a stock material shaping member positioned upstream of the intake member and on an upstream portion of the converting station to bend the stock material pulled from the supply station about a transverse axis that extends generally transversely to the longitudinal direction, the stock material shaping member including:
a support structure that extends in generally the same direction as the transverse axis and causes the stock material to bend about the transverse axis, and
a central protrusion extending radially from a surface of the support structure and that protrudes more deeply into the bend in the stock material than the support structure, causing the stock material to bend about both the transverse axis and a longitudinal axis that extends generally in the longitudinal direction generally centrally into the stock material as the stock material moves longitudinally across the support structure and the central protrusion.