Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Including aperture
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-30
2001-03-27
Watkins, III, William P. (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Including aperture
C428S034200, C428S034300, C428S124000, C428S156000, C428S153000, C428S154000, C428S126000, C428S137000, C428S136000, C138S166000, C493S464000, C493S227000, C493S233000, C493S967000, C206S584000, C206S586000, C206S814000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06207249
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The herein described invention relates generally to a cushioning conversion machine and method for converting sheet-like stock material into a cushioning product, a novel form of a stitching assembly for connecting a cushioning product formed from sheet-like stock material, and a resultant novel cushioning product.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the process of shipping an item from one location to another, a protective packaging material is typically placed in the shipping case, or box, to fill any voids and/or to cushion the item during the shipping process. Some conventional protective packaging materials are plastic foam peanuts and plastic bubble pack. While these conventional plastic materials seem to adequately perform as cushioning products, they are not without disadvantages. Perhaps the most serious drawback of plastic bubble wrap and/or plastic foam peanuts is their effect on our environment. Quite simply, these plastic packaging materials are not biodegradable and thus they cannot avoid further multiplying our planet's already critical waste disposal problems. The non-biodegradability of these packaging materials has become increasingly important in light of many industries adopting more progressive policies in terms of environmental responsibility.
The foregoing and other disadvantages of conventional plastic packaging materials have made paper protective packaging material a very popular alterative. Paper is biodegradable, recyclable and composed of a renewable resource, making it an environmentally responsible choice for conscientious industries.
While paper in sheet form could possibly be used as a protective packaging material, it is usually preferable to convert the sheets of paper into a relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product. This conversion may be accomplished by a cushioning conversion machine/method, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,509,798, 3,603,216, 3,655,500, 3,779,039, 4,026,198, 4,109,040, 4,717,613 and 4,750,896, and also in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 07/533,755, filed Jun. 6, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,013; 07/538,181, filed Jun. 14, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,352; 07/592,573, filed Oct. 5, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,477; 07/734,512, filed Jul. 23, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,581; 07/786,573, filed Nov. 11, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,620; 07/840,306, filed Feb. 24, 1992, now abandoned; and 07/861,225, filed Mar. 31, 1992, now abandoned.
With most, if not all, of the conversion machines/methods disclosed in the above-identified patents and applications, the cushioning product is produced by converting multi-layer, and preferably three-layer, paper stock material into a desired geometry. The cushioning product includes pillow-like portions formed by the lateral edges of all of the layers of stock paper being rolled inwardly to form a pair of twin spirals. The central regions of this structure are then compressed and connected (such as by coining) to form a central compressed portion and two lateral pillow-like portions which essentially account for the cushioning qualities of the product.
The central compressed portion of such a cushioning product is believed to be necessary to ensure that the pillow-like portions optimally maintain their cushioning qualities. In other words, without a connection of this type, the resiliency of the pillow-like portions would encourage the twin spirals to “unwind.” However, the central portion, due to its compressed state, increases the density of the overall cushioning product.
The cushioning conversion machines disclosed in the above-identified patents use a connecting assembly comprising a pair of loosely meshed gear-like members between which overlapping portions of the stock material layers pass. The loosely meshed gear-like members cooperate to stitch, as by coining, the overlapping portions thereby to connect the strip along the central portion of the product disposed between lateral pillow-like portions that primarily contribute to the cushioning properties of the product.
A secure stitching is desired to maintain the intactness of the pillow-like portions and thus the cushioning properties of the dunnage product. To this end, perforations heretofore have been provided in the connecting portion of the produced dunnage strip to aid the coined portions in preventing opening up or separation of the connected portions of the product, this commonly being referred to as “unzippering”. The perforations were produced by projections extending radially outwardly from the teeth of at least one of the gear-like members. For further details, reference may be had to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,937,131 and 4,968,291.
Although the connecting assemblies disclosed in the above-identified patents adequately perform their connecting and other functions, it would be desirable to have a stitching assembly that further facilitates and/or enhances the stitching of overlapped portions of sheet-like stock material forming a low density cushioning product, particularly when using heavier weight and/or stiffer stock material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a connecting assembly for a cushioning conversion machine, a cushioning conversion machine including the connecting assembly, a method of forming a novel cushioning product that results from using the connecting assembly, and a new dunnage product. A preferred embodiment of the connecting assembly, also herein referred to as a stitching assembly, provides a unique interlock between overlapped portions of the sheet-like stock material to prevent “unzippering” of the low density cushioning product produced by the cushioning conversion machine.
In accordance with the invention, a novel stitching assembly for a cushioning conversion machine comprises a pair of rotatable stitching members. A first one of the stitching members has a plurality of radially outwardly extending projections around the circumference thereof, the projections having at least two axially spaced apart segments defining a recess therebetween. The other or second stitching member includes at least one axial segment, herein referred to as a punch segment, including a peripheral edge portion dimensioned to be received in the recess in the first stitching member during rotation of the stitching members, the peripheral edge portion being cooperative with the projections of the first stitching member to produce as by cutting at each corner edge thereof a row of slits in the overlapped portions of the sheet-like stock material, thereby forming at least one row of tabs for interlocking the overlapped portions of the stock material. Preferably, the second stitching member includes another axial segment relatively adjacent the punch segment, such other axial segment having a plurality of radially outwardly extending projections meshing with the projections of one of the axial segments of the first stitching member. The peripheral edge portion of the punch segment has punch portions aligned with the spaces circumferentially between the first projections of the other axial segment of the second stitching member, and the punch portions have edges cooperative with edges on the projections of the first stitching member to produce, preferably cut, a row of slits in the overlapped portions of the stock material.
In one preferred embodiment, the axial segments of the stitching members are provided with radial projections such as teeth, at least some of which mesh and others which move past one another during rotation of the stitching members to sever or slit tab portions out of the overlapped layers of stock material. In another preferred embodiment, the peripheral edge portion of the second stitching member is circumferentially continuous with the punch portions being formed by portions of the circumferentially continuous peripheral edge portion that span the circumferential space between the projections of the relatively adjacent segment or segments.
According to another aspect of the invention, the stitching members are formed by a plurali
Belerlorzer Edwin P.
Lencoski Michael J.
Lintala Edward W.
Ranpak Corporation
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
Watkins III William P.
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