Sheet stock material configuration and apparatus, systems and methods for feeding sheet stock material, to a dunnage system
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.
1. A dunnage machine comprising:
an expander;
a forming member;
a motor connected to the forming member;
wherein the expander comprises a left saddle portion, a right saddle portion, and a middle sunken area between the left saddle portion and the right saddle portion, and a vertical separator rod disposed between the left saddle portion and the right saddle portion;
wherein a leading edge of the expander facing rearward against a direction of sheet stock material travel is tapered against the direction of travel; and
wherein an angle between a top outer wall and bottom outer wall of the tapered leading edge is being between 10 degrees to 120 degrees.
2. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein the vertical separator rod is sloped.
3. The dunnage machine of claim 2 wherein the slope of the vertical separator rod is rearward against a direction of sheet stock material travel.
4. The dunnage machine of claim 3 wherein an angle of slope for the vertical separator rod is between 10-75 degrees measured between an average plane of travel for sheet stock material moving through the dunnage machine and a rearward facing edge of the vertical separator rod.
5. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein a thickness of the vertical separator rod is less than about 1/10th of a maximum width of the sunken area between the left saddle portion and the right saddle portion.
6. The dunnage machine of claim 1 further comprising outwardly tapered edges on each side of the expander.
7. The dunnage machine of claim 1 further comprising a disk rotatably mounted on each side of the expander.
8. The dunnage machine of claim 7 wherein each of the disks has an outwardly tapered perimeter edge.
9. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein a maximum width of the expander is between 60% to 95% of a maximum width of a pre-configured sheet stock material being fed to the dunnage machine for processing.
10. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein a maximum width of the expander is between 60% to 70% of a maximum width of a pre-configured sheet stock material being fed to the dunnage machine for processing.
11. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein a maximum width of the expander is between 75% to 95% of a maximum width of a pre-configured sheet stock material being fed to the dunnage machine for processing.
12. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein a leading edge of the expander facing rearward against a direction of sheet stock material travel is tapered against the direction of travel and wherein a top outer wall rises from the leading edge and a bottom outer wall drops from the leading edge, and wherein a maximum height of the top outer wall is less than 60 mm, when a maximum width of pre-configured sheet stock material being processed in the dunnage machine is about 15 inches.
13. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein a leading edge of the expander facing rearward against a direction of sheet stock material travel is tapered against the direction of travel and wherein a top outer wall rises from the leading edge and a bottom outer wall drops from the leading edge, and wherein a maximum height of the top outer wall is less than 20% a maximum width of pre-configured sheet stock material being processed in the dunnage machine.
14. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein a leading edge of the expander facing rearward against a direction of sheet stock material travel is tapered against the direction of travel and wherein a top outer wall rises from the leading edge and a bottom outer wall drops from the leading edge, and wherein a maximum height of the top outer wall is 10% of a maximum width of pre-configured sheet stock material being processed in the dunnage machine.
15. The dunnage machine of claim 1 wherein a maximum width of the sunken area of the expander is 20% (⅕th) to 80% (⅘th) of a maximum width of the expander.
16. The dunnage machine of claim 15 wherein the maximum width of the expander is defined by a leftmost surface of a left side rotatable disk of the expander and a rightmost surface of a right side rotatable disk of the expander.
17. The dunnage machine of claim 15 wherein the maximum width of the expander is defined by a leftmost surface of a left side tapered edge of the expander and a rightmost surface of a right side tapered edge of the expander.
18. The dunnage machine of claim 1 further comprising a leading edge on the expander facing rearward against a direction of sheet stock material travel and toward a feed positioning member, the feed positioning member including a final contact location with sheet stock material being fed to the expander, and wherein a distance between the final contact location and the leading edge of the expander is less than 200 mm, or less than 150 mm.
19. The dunnage machine of claim 1 further comprising a leading edge of the expander facing rearward against a direction of sheet stock material travel and toward a feed positioning member, the feed positioning member including a final contact location with sheet stock material being fed to the expander, and wherein a differential in height between the final contact location and the leading edge of the expander is less than 60 mm.
20. The dunnage machine of claim 1 further comprising a leading edge of the expander facing rearward against a direction of sheet stock material travel and toward a feed positioning member, the feed positioning member including a final contact location with sheet stock material being fed to the expander, and wherein a differential in height between the final contact location and the leading edge of the expander is less than 40 mm.