Claims
- 1. A cushioning conversion machine for converting stock material into cut sections of dunnage, said machine comprising:
- a frame including an end plate having an upstream side and a downstream side;
- a forming assembly, positioned upstream of the end plate, which forms a continuous strip of dunnage that travels along a longitudinal path through an outlet opening in the end plate, said outlet opening defining a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal path of travel;
- a stock supply assembly, positioned upstream of the forming assembly, which supplies the stock material to the forming assembly;
- a pulling assembly, positioned downstream of the stock supply assembly, which pulls the stock material from the stock supply assembly and advances the stock material through the forming assembly and through the outlet opening in the end plate; and
- a cutting assembly which cuts the continuous strip of dunnage into a cut section of a desired length after a length of the continuous strip has passed through the outlet opening in the end plate; said cutting assembly comprising:
- a movable blade mounted to the downstream side of the end plate and coupled to a motion-transmitting assembly, said movable blade being movable in a plane parallel to the plane defined by the outlet opening and across the outlet opening as it travels between an open position and a closed position;
- a motor, mounted to the frame upstream of the movable blade and connected to a shaft, which rotates the shaft in a predetermined direction, the shaft extending through a shaft opening in the end plate and connected to the motion-transmitting assembly;
- said motion-transmitting assembly including elements which transmit rotational motion from the shaft to the movable blade to move it between the open position and the closed position.
- 2. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cutting assembly further comprises a stationary blade mounted to the downstream side of the end plate adjacent the outlet opening, and wherein the movable blade coacts with the stationary blade as it travels from the open position to the closed position.
- 3. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 2, wherein one rotation of the shaft will move the movable blade from the open position to the closed position and back to the open position.
- 4. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein the motion-transmitting elements comprise at least one linkage member pivotally coupled to the movable blade.
- 5. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 2, wherein the motion-transmitting elements comprise at least one linkage member pivotally coupled to the movable blade.
- 6. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein one rotation of the shaft will move the movable blade from the open position to the closed position and back to the open position.
- 7. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 6, wherein the motion-transmitting elements comprise at least one linkage member pivotally coupled to the movable blade.
- 8. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the motion-transmitting elements comprise at least one linkage member pivotally coupled to the movable blade.
- 9. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 8, wherein the motion-transmitting elements further comprise a motion member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and also attached to the linkage member whereby as the motion member is rotated, the position of the linkage member will be varied to move the blade from the open position to the closed position.
- 10. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 9, wherein the motion member is a motion disc.
- 11. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 10, wherein the linkage member is attached to a tangential portion of the motion member.
- 12. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 8, wherein guide bars are mounted on the end plate adjacent the outlet opening and wherein the movable blade is slidably mounted with the guide bars whereby as the shaft is rotated in the predetermined direction, the position of the linkage member will be varied to move the movable blade within the guide bars between the open and closed positions.
- 13. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 8, wherein one end of the movable blade is pivotally mounted to the end plate at a pivot point whereby as the shaft is rotated in the predetermined direction, the position of the linkage member will be varied to pivot the movable blade between the open position and the closed position.
- 14. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pulling assembly and the forming assembly are mounted to the frame.
- 15. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the forming assembly draws inward the lateral edges of the stock material and wherein the pulling assembly is positioned downstream of the forming assembly and pulls the stock material through the forming assembly.
- 16. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stock supply assembly is mounted to the frame.
- 17. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the forming assembly causes inward rolling of the lateral edges of the stock material into a generally spiral-like form whereby a continuous strip having two lateral pillow-like portions separated by a central band is formed and wherein the pulling assembly is a pulling/connecting assembly which pulls the sheet-like stock material through the forming assembly and connects the continuous strip.
- 18. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 17, wherein the pulling/connecting assembly comprises a pair of gears which coin the continuous strip along its central band.
- 19. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 2, wherein the outlet opening is defined by a proximal side, a distal side, and two smaller lateral sides.
- 20. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 19, wherein the stationary blade is aligned with the proximal side of the outlet opening.
- 21. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shaft opening in the end plate through which the shaft extends is an open-ended slot.
- 22. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shaft opening in the end plate through which the shaft extends is located on a distal side of the end plate, offset from its center.
- 23. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cutting assembly further comprises a clutch assembly which serves as an interface between the shaft and the motor.
- 24. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end plate has predetermined height transverse to the longitudinal path of travel; wherein the forming assembly is mounted to the frame upstream of the end plate and at certain level relative to the height of the end plate; and wherein the motor of the cutting assembly is mounted to the frame upstream of the end plate and at the same level as the forming assembly.
- 25. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 24, wherein the motor of the cutting assembly is mounted on one side of the forming assembly.
- 26. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 25, wherein the pulling assembly includes a motor which is mounted on the frame upstream of the end plate and at the same level as the forming assembly.
- 27. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 26, wherein the motor of the pulling assembly and the motor of the cutting assembly are positioned on opposite sides of the forming assembly.
- 28. A cushioning conversion machine as set forth in claim 27, wherein the forming assembly includes a converging chute and wherein the motor of the cutting assembly and the motor of the pulling assembly are positioned on opposite sides of the converging chute.
RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation division of application Ser. No. 08/066,337, filed May 21, 1993 now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of and co-owned application Ser. No. 07/592,572, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,477, to Armington et. al. which was filed on Oct. 5, 1990 and which is entitled "Downsized Cushioning Dunnage Conversion Machine and Packaging Systems Employing the Same." The entire disclosure of this application is hereby incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3465632 |
Bilek |
Sep 1969 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
66337 |
May 1993 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
592572 |
Oct 1990 |
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