GB2538050A

GB2538050A - Dunnage Manufacturing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2538050A
Application number: GB1506387.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cox Jason; Richard Bryant Keith
Original assignee: Easypack Ltd
Current assignee: Easypack Ltd
Priority date: 2015-04-15
Filing date: 2015-04-15
Publication date: 2016-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 2035-04-15
Also published as: GB201506387D0; GB2538050B

Abstract

A dunnage making apparatus, or sheet dispensing apparatus, features a guard downstream of a drive means. The apparatus outputs flat sheet material to be manually torn off against a lower edge of the guard, and subsequently manually crumpled into dunnage. Also disclosed is a corresponding method of usage of the apparatus. The presence of the guard may prevent material from being torn off too close to the drive means, which may block the apparatus

Description

Dunnage manufacturing apparatus The present invention relates to a dunnage manufacturing apparatus and to a method of operating such an apparatus.

A dunnage manufacturing apparatus includes a dunnage material supply from which dunnage material is provided. The material supply may comprise a roll of material. The material is drawn from the dunnage material supply by a driving means. Optionally, the driving means may feed the material through guide plates. A problem with dunnage manufacturing apparatuses is that they are known to jam when an obstruction hinders the material drawn from the supply from clearing the dunnage manufacturing apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to decrease the maintenance of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus resulting from dunnage material clogging the apparatus.

This object is achieved by providing a dunnage manufacturing apparatus with a clearing space such that material can clear the dunnage manufacturing apparatus without jamming the dunnage manufacturing apparatus. The clearing space is located downstream of the driving means, and the optional guide plates if present. During operation of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus material is drawn from the dunnage material supply by the driving means, fed through the optional guide plates and enters the clearing space.

During operation it may happen that the material drawn from the supply is hindered from exiting the clearing space of dunnage manufacturing apparatus. An obstruction may occur, for example, when on operator of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus reaches for the provided material while more is being drawn from the dunnage material supply. The clearing space provides a space downstream of the driving means, and the optional guide plates, where material may collect and bunch up. The clearing space prevents the material from jamming the operation of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a guard located on a dunnage manufacturing apparatus which provides a clearing space. Thus the guard provides a volume of space into which material is fed from the driving means, and the optional guide plates if present. A first portion of the guard is attached to or integrally formed with the dunnage manufacturing apparatus. The first portion receives dunnage material drawn from the driving means, and the optional guide plates if present. A second portion of the guard provides a region arranged for the dunnage material to exit the space provided by the guard.

The guard is positioned to shield the dunnage material while it clears the dunnage manufacturing apparatus. The guard is disposed such that an operator of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus is hindered from accessing the clearing space. Therefore at least a portion of the guard is disposed such that it extends alongside the dunnage material as it exits the dunnage manufacturing apparatus. Thus the guard provides a barrier between an operator of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus and the dunnage material clearing the driving means and, if present, the optional guide plates. The location of the portion of the guard disposed between the dunnage material and the operator may be offset towards the location of the operator. The guard may or may not restrict access from other sides of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus.

Suitably, the width of the guard is of at least the width of the dunnage material. The length of the guard may be chosen appropriately depending on the intended mode of operation of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus. In particular, the length of the guard may be chosen with respect to the choice of dunnage material and the length of dunnage material provided during typical operation of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus. The volume of space provided by the guard is substantially larger than the space provided by the optional pair of closely spaced guide plates. The guide plates are disposed closely together and configured to provide a small space that the dunnage material follows. The guard is configured to provide a large space which the dunnage material can fill when it bunches up due to some obstruction downstream of the guard.

The guard is provided with a cutting device. Advantageously, the cutting device is provided at the downstream end region of the guard, and extends across the full width of the material. The cutting device is suitable for separating the section of material extending past the end region of the guard which is farthest from the driving means, i.e. past the second portion of the guard. A section of material is detached by pulling the section of material extending outside the dunnage manufacturing apparatus such that the cutting device is engaged.

According to an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method of operating a dunnage material manufacturing apparatus. The method comprises causing the drive means to draw material from the material supply region. Once material has been drawn, a length of material is extending downstream of the end region of the guard. The method comprises an operative of the dunnage manufacturing apparatus urging the material against the end region of the guard and thereby detaching the length of material. The method comprises the operator subsequently using that length as dunnage.

The present invention can be carried into practice in various ways but one example will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a dunnage manufacturing apparatus when viewed from one side; Figure 2 is a view as shown in Figure 1 from the opposite side; Figure 3 is a front perspective view; and Figure 4 is a rear perspective view.

As shown, supply of dunnage forming material 10 which may be in a roll and which may be of paper has material 12 drawn from the supply by drive means 14 located downstream from the supply.

Adjacent to the roll 10 there may be an inclined plate 16 which may be a downwardly inclined plate, that may assist in guiding the material coming off the roll towards the drive station which may be beneath the roll and which drive station may be offset axis of the roll in the horizontal direction.

The drive station 14 may include a nip through which the material may pass. The nip may be defined by a drive member such as a roller 18 and an opposed member 20 which may be a roller which may be caused to rotate by the drive of the roller 18. One of the rollers may be a friction roller such as a roller with a resistant or rubber or tacky surface. The other roller may be a smooth roller or a non-friction roller. The provision of the friction roller and the non-friction roller may assist in preventing the material from wrapping around the friction roller. The rollers may be biased towards each other.

Beneath the drive station the material 12 may be caused to pass through an elongate gap 22 defined by opposed spaced plates 24 and 26.

A guard 28 is provided for the material to pass after the material has left the drive means (and after the spaced plates 24 and 26 when present).

The guard 28 may prevent an operator located on side A of the apparatus from inadvertently contacting the drive means. It will be appreciated that the drive means and the supply of dunnage material may be enclosed by a casing (not shown).

Alternatively or additionally the guard 28 may prevent an operator from accessing the material as the material leaves the drive means (or the plates 24 and 26, when provided).

Such access may cause the material to bunch up prior to being dispensed which may cause a jam of the material.

In order to operate the machine an operator located on side A causes the drive means to draw material from the supply 10. The material passes below the lower edge of the guard 28. The operator can then pull the paper towards the lower edge 30 of the guard in the direction of arrow 32. The material beyond the guard is then separated by the lower edge of the guard by tearing. For instance, one side of the material may be urged against the lower edge of the guard first to initiate a tear which is then continued across the material as the operator continues to pull the material to cause the tear to move in the direction of arrow B, for instance.

The activation of the drive means may be effected by a switch (not shown) activated by the hand or foot of the operator which switch may be remote from the drive means.

The length of material drive by the driven means may be a predetermined length. That predetermined length may be variable upon activation of a control (not shown). The length may be greater than 0.5m or lm.

After the material has been separated by the guard the material is then crumpled up and placed in a container to cause objects located in the container to be protected and thus the material forms dunnage.

The material is preferably paper. Preferably the ratio of the pt/m2 to the thickness in j_t/m is less than 1:4 or less than 1:1.35 or less than 1:3 or less than 1:2.5 or less than 1:2 or less than 1:1.5 or less than 1:1. This compares to tissue paper which has a ratio of 1:4.5.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

Claims 1. A dunnage manufacturing apparatus including a dunnage material supply region and driving means arranged, in use, to draw material from the supply region and a guard located downstream of the drive means and extending away from the driving means alongside of which, in use, material driven from the drive means is arranged to extend, and in which, in use, material is arranged to engage an end region of the guard farthest from the drive means in order to detach a length of material to be used in making dunnage.
2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the drive means is located at a lower elevation than the material supply.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the guard extends downwardly away from the drive means.
4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the guard comprises a plate.
5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drive means comprises a pair of opposed rollers.
6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which at least one of the rollers is a driven roller.
7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 in which at least one of the rollers is a friction roller.
8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7 in which at least one of the rollers is a non-friction roller.
9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drive means are arranged to be activated by a switch remote from the drive means.
10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which, in use, a predetermined length of material is arranged to be driven by the drive means.
11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including a control which, when operated, is arranged to alter the length of material to be driven by the drive means.
12. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which, in use, the material supply region comprises a roll of material.
13. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the material, when provided, is paper.
14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 and claim 13 in which the ratio of the Wm2 to the thickness of the paper is less than 1:4.
15. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim when fitted with a material supply.
16. A method of operating a dunnage material manufacturing apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim comprising causing the drive means to draw material from the material supply region such that a length of material extends downstream of the end region of the guard with an operative urging the material against the end region of the guard and thereby detaching a length of material with the operative subsequently using that length as dunnage.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16 in which the length of detached material is more than 0.5m.Amended claims have been filed as follows:-Claims 1. A dunnage material dispensing apparatus including a dunnage material supply region for fitting a material supply and driving means arranged, in use, to draw material from the supply region and a guard located downstream of the drive means and extending away from the driving means alongside of which, in use, material driven from the drive means is arranged to extend, and in which, in use, material is arranged to engage an end region of the guard farthest from the drive means in order to detach a length of material for forming dunnage.2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the drive means is located at a lower elevation than the material supply.3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the guard extends downwardly away from the drive means.4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the guard comprises a plate.5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drive means comprises a pair of opposed rollers.6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which at least one of the rollers is a driven 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 in which at least one of the rollers is a friction roller.8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7 in which at least one of the rollers is a non-friction roller.9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drive means are arranged to be activated by a switch remote from the drive means.10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which, in use, a predetermined length of material is arranged to be driven by the drive means.roller.11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including a control which, when operated, is arranged to alter the length of material to be driven by the drive means.12. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which, in use, the material supply region comprises a roll of material.13. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the material, when provided, is paper.14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 in which the ratio of the p/m2 to the thickness of the paper is less than 1:4.15. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim when fitted with a material supply.16. A method of operating a dunnage material dispensing apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim comprising causing the drive means to draw material from the material supply region such that a length of material extends downstream of the end region of the guard with an operative urging the material against the end region of the guard and thereby detaching a length of material with the operative subsequently using that length to form dunnage.17. The method as claimed in claim 16 in which the length of detached material is more than 0.5m.