WO2022036559A1

WO2022036559A1 - Constant friction device

Info

Publication number: WO2022036559A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/109822
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wenyong JIANG
Original assignee: Nuevopak (Jiangmen) Environmental & Technology Company Limited
Priority date: 2020-08-18
Filing date: 2020-08-18
Publication date: 2022-02-24
Also published as: CN215207639U; CN114074857A

Abstract

A device for dispensing a roll of sheet stock material (10), including a frame (100) having a mounting feature for securing the roll of sheet stock material (10); a friction device (200) engaging an outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material (10); and a counterweight (300) that is connected to the friction device (200) by a flexible connecting element (400), such that the friction device (200) applies a constant force of friction on the outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material (10).

Description

Constant Friction Device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a device providing substantially constant friction, for example, for expanding a roll of slit material into an expanded slit cushioning material or dispensing a roll of single or multiple layers sheet stock material without slit, such as cushioning dunnage.

Background

Slit sheet paper packing material increases in thickness when stretched. This stretching and increase in thickness of the slit sheet paper packing material is referred to as expansion. Slit sheet paper packing material typically includes a recycled paper with rows of die cut slit into the paper. The thickness of the slit sheet paper packing material increases relative to its original thickness, when stretched. This increased thickness allows the expanded material to serve as a protective cushioning wrap material. Slit sheet paper packing material are described in U.S. Patents No. 5,667,871 and No. 5,688,578.

Run-out and looping may happen when pulling/dispensing sheet stock material. Such run-out and looping effect will be explained referring to FIGS. 33-38, using a dunnage conversion dispenser as an example. It is understandable that run-out and looping may happen in various types of manually pulled or motorized dispensers for all kinds of sheet stock material. In FIG. 33, the sheet from the roll of stock material 2000 is unwinding and moving as a dispenser is pulling it. The tension of the sheet keeps constant as long as the dispenser is feeding. Once the dunnage conversion dispenser stops pulling the sheet, the roll 2000 will keep on rotating for a couple of turns due to the mass inertia and the sheet will keep unwinding, as shown in FIG. 34. This effect is referred to as “run-out” . Run-out will create a “loop” , as shown in FIG. 35. Once the dispenser starts pulling the sheet again, the loop will be processed first, and the roll is not moving yet, as shown in FIGS. 36-37. At the moment when the loop is gone and the roll of sheet material 2000 starts to rotate, the sheet will get a sudden pull which could cause the sheet to tear possibly at various tearing positions 2001 (e.g. at the web, at the entrance of a dunnage dispenser, or between transporting gears of a dunnage dispenser, as schematically shown in FIG. 38) .

Current solutions to try to minimize the run-out and looping effect are complex in amount of moving parts or may be a non-constant friction dispenser. A non-constant friction dispenser needs to be adjusted by the user while processing a roll of slit material. The amount of adjustments required may vary between the 4 up to 10 times per roll and need to be repeated after loading a new roll of slit material. The amount of expansion will vary during processing the slit material.

Summary

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a device for dispensing a roll of sheet stock material, including a frame having a mounting feature for securing the roll of sheet stock material; a friction device engaging an outer surface of the roll of material; and a counterweight that is connected to the friction device by a flexible connecting element, such that the friction device applies a force of friction on the outer surface of the roll of material.

The sheet stock material may be a slit material. The friction to the outside of the roll of slit material would expand it to a sheet paper packing material when pulling the paper. The sheet material may also be a roll of single or multiple layers sheet stock material without slit, such as used on a dunnage conversion dispenser for cushioning or void fill applications

A dispenser processes a roll of sheet stock material in frequent start and stop actions. Due to this process a roll of sheet stock material needs to accelerate and decelerate frequently. Due to the mass inertia, the roll of sheet stock material tends to run out when stopping pulling the sheet. This could cause tear off the sheet stock material when starting pulling the sheet stock material. The constant friction device of the present application significantly reduces the run-out when stopping pulling the roll of sheet stock material. The friction device also eliminates the looping effect.

Gravity based device creates a continuous friction towards the outside of a roll of sheet stock material. A counterweigh which is directly connected to a friction device, traveling the same distance in proportion of the roll diameter, touching the roll of sheet stock material which ensures a continuous pressure, and therefore a continuous friction to expand correctly without the need of any or frequent friction adjustments during processing a roll of sheet stock material which can be a sheet stock material vary in different grammages or types of paper.

In some embodiments, the device may further include a guiding member to guide the flexible connecting element changing direction, such that the friction device engages the lower outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material. The guiding member may be a pulley.

In some embodiments, the device may further include an additional counterweight which is able to be added or removed as required, for example, added to or removed from the counterweight.

In some embodiments, the device may further include an adjustment device to modify the force of friction applied on the outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material. The adjustment device may include an adjustment spring member that is connected to the friction device and the counterweight; a movable guiding member that guides the adjustment spring member, such that the length of the adjustment spring member is able to be adjusted by moving the movable guiding member. The adjustment device may further include a lever configured to move the movable guiding member; and a locking device for holding the lever in position. The lever may be a rotatable lever with one end connected to the movable guiding member. The movable guiding member may be an adjustable rotating member, or a slotted guider connected to the lever. The adjustment device may further include at least one fixed guiding member for guiding the adjustment spring member. The adjustment device may further include a link rod connecting the rotatable lever on either lateral side of the device, such that the spring member on either side is able to be adjusted simultaneously.

In some embodiments, the mounting feature is used to secure a roll core shaft of the roll of sheet stock material. A roll of sheet stock material, with the use of a roll core shaft, is easily to position, to load, into the device or roll holder and directly ready for processing the sheet of stock material.

In some embodiments, the device may include a front lifting device and at least one wheel for moving the device between a loading position and a use position. The at least one wheel may not touch a packing surface when the device rests on the packing surface. The front lifting device may be a roller under which the unwound sheet stock material is fed.

The device, in use for expanded cushioning sheet material for wrapping/packing products, can be moved over a surface without the need of lifting the complete device. An added roller mechanism, without the need of any unlocking parts, makes it possible to move the device toward the user, for loading a new roll of sheet stock material. This is an ergonomic solution for the user, as a roll of sheet stock material may weigh between the 6 and 12kg which normally need to be lifted over minimal 40 to 80cm towards the loading position of a device.

The frame may include at least one surface holder to prevent the device to move when pulling sheet stock material.

The device may further include a dust collection device to collect abundance of paper substances. The dust collection device may include a dust collection plate and a first bottom brush. The dust collection device may further include an upstream brush device including a second bottom brush and a top brush, creating a dust chamber together with the dust collection plate and the first bottom brush.

The device may further include a motorized pulling device to unwind the roll of a sheet stock material. The motorized pulling device may include upper and lower rotating members on both the lateral sides of the device.

The gravity may be simulated by exerting tension toward the friction device, functioning equally as the gravity-based device described above. Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a device for constant friction to a roll of sheet stock material, including a frame having a mounting feature for securing the roll of sheet stock material; a friction device engaging an outer surface of the roll of material; and a resilient member that is connected to the friction device at one end and fixed to the frame at the other end, such that the friction device applies a force of friction on the outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material. The device may further include an adjustment guiding member, the position of which is able to be modified to adjust the length of the resilient member.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a roll core shaft comprising a first shaft piece and a second shaft piece which are able to be inserted into a core of the roll of sheet stock material. The first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are movable to a handling configuration where one or more operators are able to handle the roll of sheet stock material by the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece, and the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are movable to a stowed configuration where the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are further inserted into the core of the roll of sheet stock material. The outer diameter of each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece may be close or equal to an inner diameter of the core of the roll of sheet stock material. Alternatively, one or more plugs may be provided on each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece, and the outer diameter of each of the plugs is close or equal to an inner diameter of the core of the roll of sheet stock material. At least one bearing may be provided between the core of the roll of sheet stock material and each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece. Each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece may be provided with a stopper on an outer end to stop the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece to be further inserted into the core of the roll of sheet stock material when they are in the stowed configuration.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary dispenser in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates another view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1, with a roll of slit material about to be loaded on the dispenser.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1, with a roll of slit material being held on the dispenser.

FIG. 6 illustrates a roll shaft holder clip for the dispenser in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary dispenser equipped with an additional adjustment spring member in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary dispenser being used by an operator.

FIGS. 9-10 illustrate a lifting roller device for the dispenser in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIG. 11 illustrates the loading and use/wrapping position of the dispenser in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIGS. 12-16 illustrate a dust collection device for the dispenser in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIGS. 17-18 illustrate a motorized pulling device for the dispenser in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIGS. 19-20 illustrate another exemplary dispenser in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIGS. 21-24 illustrate a dunnage conversion dispenser stand, with a roll of non-slit sheet stock material loaded thereon, in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIGS. 25-32 illustrate a two-piece roll core shaft in accordance with the aspects herein.

FIGS. 33-38 illustrate run-out and looping effect.

Detailed Description

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure. However, upon reviewing this disclosure one skilled in the art will understand that the disclosure may be practiced without many of these details.

The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

In the present description, inasmuch as the terms "about, " “substantially, ” “approximately, ” and "consisting essentially of” are used, they mean ± 20%of the indicated range, value, or structure, unless otherwise indicated. It should be understood that the terms "a" and "an" as used herein refer to "one or more" of the enumerated components. The use of the alternative (e.g., "or" ) should be understood to mean either one, both, or any combination thereof of the alternatives, unless expressly indicated otherwise. As used herein, the terms "include" and "comprise" are used synonymously, both of which are intended to be construed in a non-limiting sense, as are variants thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described for purposes of illustration, in the context of use with paper-based sheet stock materials for dunnage formation. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate upon reviewing this disclosure, other materials may also be suitable. Throughout this disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, the term “sheet” can refer to single-ply material, but can also refer to multi-ply material, with each “sheet” having multiple layers comprising thinner sheets.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, an example of a dispenser/adevice for dispensing a roll of sheet stock material 10 is shown. The dispenser 10 may facilitate dispensing a roll of sheet stock material, such as slit sheet paper packing material or a 1ply, 2ply or 3ply roll of material without slit. The dispenser 10 may be positioned on a packing surface, or in a dispenser stand, as described below.

The dispenser 10 is a gravity based device which creates a continuous friction towards the outside of a roll 1000 of slit material which expands to a slit sheet paper packing material when pulling the paper. Though the slit material is discussed here, it is anticipated that dispensing materials without slit may also benefit from the present invention. For example, the friction device may be used to control the tension of a roll of sheet stock material 2000 which got pulled by a dunnage cushioning or void fill dispenser, thereby controlling the looping and run-out effect.

The dispenser 10 may include a frame 100, a friction device 200, and a counterweight 300.

The counterweight 300 may be connected to the friction device 200 by a flexible connecting element 400. The flexible connecting element 400 may be substantially not stretchable, such as cable or rope, or may have certain resilience, such as spring. In some embodiments, flexible connecting element 400 is fixed to a neck 3011 of the counterweight 300 at one end and a neck 202 of the friction device 200 on the other end. In some embodiments, the counterweight 300 may be connected to the friction device 200 on both ends by independent first and second flexible connecting elements 400, 400’ for adjustment for correcting on imperfections of a roll of material keeping the same friction over complete roll width.

The flexible connecting element 400 may be guided by a guiding member 106 for change of direction, such as a pulley, such that the friction device 200 engages the lower outer surface of the roll 1000. The guiding member 106 may be mounted on the frame 100. In the embodiments with independent first and second flexible connecting elements 400, 400’, there are two guiding members 106, 106’ for each connecting element. The guiding members 106, 106’ may be mounted on the first and second side plates 101, 101’ of the frame 100. It can be contemplated that there are more than one guiding member for each connecting element.

Due to the actuation of the counterweight 300, the friction device 200 travels the same distance in proportion of the roll diameter, touching the roll 1000 of sheet stock material which ensures a continuous pressure, and therefore a continuous friction to expand correctly without the need of any friction adjustments during processing a roll of slit sheet material 1000 which can be a slit sheet material vary in different grammages or types of paper. Also, the width and diameter of the roll 1000 of slit material can vary without any adjustment needed, keeping the same optimum 60-70%of expansion, pulling, and processing the slit material into a slit sheet packaging material. Referring to FIG. 8, the roll 1000 of slit material may vary between the 300-600mm in width W, and may vary between the 40-260mm in diameter D.

The friction device 200 may have a friction surface 201 in contact with the outermost surface of the roll 1000 to apply friction to the surface of the roll 1000. The friction surface 201 may have various patterns for low friction sheet or have smooth surface. In the shown embodiment, the friction device 200 is a friction plate and the friction surface 201 extends almost all the way from the first side plate 101 to the second side plate 101’, such that rolls with different width, which can vary between the 300 and 600mm, can be used on the same dispenser without the need of any adjustments. The friction surface 201 may include an array of projections.

The movement of the friction device 200 and the counterweight 300 may be restrained by guides on the frame 100. As best shown in FIG. 2, the friction device 200 and the counterweight 300 have equal travel length along the slots. In the shown embodiments, the guides are cutouts or slots in the side plates of the frame 100. For example, slot 103 for the friction device 200 and slot 104 for the counterweight 300 are formed on the first side plate 101 of the frame 100, and slot 103’ for the friction device 200 and slot 104’ for the counterweight 300 are formed on the second side plate 101’ of the frame 100. In another embodiment, the guides may be guiding tracks at the inside of the side plates.

The counterweight 300 includes at least one mass 301. In the shown embodiment, the mass 301 is cylinder-like and extends almost all the way from the first side plate 101 to the second side plate 101’. It is contemplated that the mass 301 may have other shapes.

Additional counterweight/mass may be provided when different paper grammage or type is required. Referring to FIG. 3, an additional counterweight 302 may be added or removed by fastener 303, such as bolts. The additional counterweight 302 may be a single part or multiple parts. In other embodiments, the dispenser includes more than one additional counterweight.

FIGS. 4-5 illustrate the process of a roll of slit material being loaded on the dispenser. When loading a roll 1000, friction device 200 moves down, adapting to the diameter of the roll 1000. The counterweight 300 travels an equal distance as the friction device 200, keeping a constant pressure and therefore a constant friction on the surface of the roll.

The roll of material may be provided with a common core shaft to position the roll in the dispenser. The frame 100 may include mounting feature for securing the roll core shaft. Referring to FIG. 5, the roll core shaft 1003 carrying the roll 1000 of slit material is rested on recesses 102, 102’ (shown in FIG. 1) in the frame 100. Referring to FIG. 6, a roll shaft holder 1022 may be provided for securing the roll core shaft 1003 at least at one end. The roll shaft holder 1022 may be adjustable to the shaft diameter when loading. The roll shaft holder 1022 may be a clip and may be made from spring steel. The clip may be round or triangular shaped. In another embodiment, the roll shaft holder may be a magnet which holds the roll core shaft 1003 in place. The hold force applied by the roll shaft holder 1022 in total may be in the range between 1-5kg for processing a roll of slit material depending on grammage and type of the slit material. The total hold force is relatively low, as it has only to hold the push force of the friction device towards the roll of material minus the weight of the core shaft.

Roll core guides 109’ (shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) may be provided to prevent the roll of material touching the side plates 101, 101’ which would cause friction differences.

In some embodiments, the dispenser may include an adjustment device 500 to be able to use different grammages or different paper types. Referring to FIG. 7, the adjustment device 500 includes an adjustment spring member 501 and a movable guiding member 502.

The adjustment spring member 501 is connected to the friction device 200 and the counterweight 300. As the friction device 200 and counterweight 300 travel an equal distance, the spring tension, and therefore the friction, will keep equal towards the roll of material regardless of the roll diameter. The length of the adjustment spring member 501 can be adjusted by modifying the position of the movable guiding member 502. Thereby the counterweight may be balanced for the materials with various grammages to expand correctly.

The adjustment spring member 501 is guided by a movable guiding member 502, such as a pulley, the position of which may be modified to adjust the length of the adjustment spring member 501. The adjustment spring member 501 may also be guided by at least one fixed guiding member 506. In the shown embodiment, there are three pulleys for guiding the adjustment spring member 501, with the middle one, being the movable guiding member 502, positioned above the fixed guiding members 506. It is contemplated that the guiding members may have different arrangement.

The position of the movable guiding member 502 may be changed by a rotatable lever 503. The rotatable lever 503 is rotatably connected to the frame 100 by a pivot 5032. One end of the rotatable lever 503 may be connected to the movable guiding member 502, to rearrange the position of the movable guiding member 502 and thereby modify the length of the adjustment spring member 501. The other end of the rotatable lever 503 may be connected to a link rod 505 to adjust the spring members on both sides simultaneously. It is also contemplated that the spring members on two sides may be adjusted independently.

It is also contemplated that the position of the movable guiding member 502 may be changed by moving it on a track provided on the frame 100.

The adjustment device 500 may be provided with a locking device 504 to hold the needed tension. The locking device 504 may be a locking screw which holds the rotatable lever 503 in position.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary dispenser being used by an operator. The dispenser rests on a packing surface 900 in its use/wrapping position with the roll 1000 of slit material loaded thereon. When the operator pulls the loose end of the paper, the slit material expands to packing material. The distance L between the front of packing surface 900 to the front of the dispenser may be between 50-100cm. Approximate 20cm is needed to have the slit material to expand correctly as being fed from the front of the dispenser, another 30-80 cm is required to place products on the expanded sheet material to wrap the product with the unwound and expanded cushioning material.

For a manual dispenser, the sheet material is pulled manually, which requires the dispenser to be stationary on the packing table or surface to avoid the dispenser to move when pulling the sheet material. The dispenser may be provided with separate surface holders 105 to prevent the dispenser to move when pulling the paper. The holders 105 may be part of the side plates. The holders 105 may be rubber extension added to the dispenser. In other embodiments, the dispenser may be fixated to the surface using rubber feet to avoid the dispenser to move when pulling the sheet material.

As above described, the minimal distance from the front of the dispenser, were the operator is standing, is approximate 50cm up to 100cm. This requires the operator to reach over this distance to load a roll of sheet stock material, which commonly weights between the 6-12kg. Referring to FIGS. 8-10, in some embodiment, a front lifting device 107 may be provided on the frame 100 for moving the dispenser, for example, between the loading position (left view in FIG. 11) and the use position (FIG. 8 and right view in FIG. 11) . The front lifting device 107 may be lifted to a height H up to 15mm.

The front lifting device 107 may also be used to keep the unwound and expanded slit sheet material 1002 equally close to the packing surface 900 as the roll diameter changing. The front lifting device 107 may be a roller and may be spaced from the surface by a predetermined distance. In the shown embodiment, the front lifting device 107 is connected to the side plates 101, 101’ of the frame 100 at ends.

The dispenser may include at least one wheel 108 which may facilitate the movement of the dispenser. As can be seen in FIG. 9, the wheel 108 does not touch the packing surface 900 when the dispenser rests on a surface, to ensure the dispenser stays stationary when pulling the slit material. When the front lifting device 107 is lifted, the wheel 108 becomes the only component that engages the surface, as shown in FIG. 10. The operator may lift the front lifting device 107 and then move the dispenser on the wheel 108. In the shown embodiment, there are two wheels secured to the side plates 101, 101’ of the frame 100 respectively. With such arrangement, the dispenser may be moved on the surface effortlessly.

The front lifting device 107 may be lifted and pulled towards the operator for loading the roll of material close to where the operator is standing. After loading, the dispenser can be positioned back to its use position by lifting the front of the unit again and push back. This moving mechanism is not provided with any parts needed to unlock. The wheel is not in contact with the packing surface when the dispenser is stationary. In other embodiments, common casters with a brake may also be used to move the dispenser on a packing table/surface, unlocking the caster brake.

Paper slit material is generating notable dust when expanding, as slits are cut into the paper. When the slit material gets expanded, the pre-cut slits in the paper open and release the paper fibers from its slits. Paper substances would collect around the dispenser close to the operator. The packing area may need to be cleaned often which requires the dispenser and other items to be removed from the packing area for cleaning.

Referring to FIGS. 12-16, an exemplary dispenser with a dust collection device 600 is illustrated. The dust collection device 600 may be used with a manual or motorized dispenser, to minimize the uncontrolled abundance of paper substances in the packing area and under the dispenser.

The dust collection device 600 may include a dust collection plate 601 and a first bottom brush 602. The first lower brush 602 is positioned below and approximate to the front lifting device 107, to reduce paper abundances in front of the dispenser when expanding the slit material. With such arrangement, the majority of the paper substances will collect on the Dust-plate and therefore limits paper substances in the packing area. The dust collection plate 601 and brush 602 may be removable for cleaning. The dust collection plate 601 may be provided with a static surface which can be cleaned. The dust collection plate 601 may be provided with a removable sheet of adhesive paper where the paper substances collect on. The static surface or removable sheet of adhesive paper may be provided in a cassette for easy cleaning or replacement.

Optionally, the dust collection device 600 may be provided with an upstream brush device including a second bottom brush 603 and a top brush 604. A dust chamber 607 will be created to minimize paper abundances. This may be required for high-end users or clean products to pack, such as cosmetics or table wear.

The upstream brush device may further include an upper plate 605. The dust chamber 607 may be created by the dust collection plate 601, the first lower brush 602, the front lifting device 107, the second bottom brush 603, the top brush 604 and the upper plate 605. The upstream brush device may further include a guiding roller 606 upstream to the dust chamber 607.

Expanding the sheet material may generally be based on manually pulling the sheet material from the dispenser but may also be driven by rotating members and a motor. This motorized solution could be based on an add-on option to the manual dispenser. Or, dedicated driven dispenser can be required for large packaging customers which require a continuous output of slit cushioning material.

Referring to FIGS. 17-18, an exemplary dispenser with a motorized pulling device 700 is illustrated. The motorized pulling device 700 may be an additional add-on to the manual dispenser. The motorized pulling device 700 for a manual constant friction dispenser may be provided for high-end users as an ergonomic solution.

The motorized pulling device 700 may include a driving device 701, upper rotating members 703, 703’, and lower rotating members 704, 704’. The upper and lower

rotating members

703, 703’, 704, 704’ are positioned on the lateral sides of the dispenser and driven by the driving device 701. As shown in FIG. 18, the unwound and expanded slit sheet material 1002 is positioned between the upper rotating members 703, 703’ and the lower rotating members 704, 704’ and fed by the rotating members. The hands of the operator may be replaced by the motor driven rotating members which pull the slit material only on the lateral sides of the unwound slit sheet material from the roll to avoid decrease of expansion, cushioning, of the slit sheet material which may flatten when rotating members will be in contact with the complete width of the slit material.

The distance between the rotating members can be factory set to the minimal thickness of a sheet of slit material. All various grammages and paper types can be processed without the need of any adjustment to the rotating members.

A guiding plate 705 may be provided to guide the slit sheet material towards the driven rotating

members

703, 703’, 704, 704’. A lower and upper center guiding plates may be provided to guide the expanded slit sheet material to avoid the cushioning material to misalign with the driven device when the slit material is fed.

Referring to FIGS. 19-20, another exemplary dispenser 10a is illustrated. The dispenser 10a includes a frame 100a and a friction device 200a which are similar to the frame 100 and the friction device 200 of the dispenser 10.

Further, the dispenser 10a includes a resilient member 300a which is a simulated gravity friction generator. The resilient member 300a is connected to the friction device 200a at one end and fixed to the frame 100a at the other end, applying substantially constant force on the friction device 200a to pull the friction device 200a towards the roll of material.

The movement of the friction device 200a may be restrained by guides on the frame 100a. As best shown in FIG. 19-20, the friction device 200a moves along the

slots

103a and 103a’ formed on

side plates

101a, 101a’ of the frame 100a.

The resilient member 300a is guided by at least one guiding member which may be mounted on the side plate 101a of the frame 100a. The at least one guiding member comprises an adjustment guiding member 400a, the position of which may be modified to adjust the length of the resilient member 300a.

The side plate 101a’ of the frame 100a may have the same arrangement. The tension of the resilient members 300a on both sides may be simultaneous adjustable to reduce or add tension if a different grammage or paper type is required. In the shown embodiment, the adjustment guiding members 400a on both sides are connected by a link rod 500a. The link rod 500a may have necks at the ends. The necks may slide along

slots

104a, 104a’ and nest in

dents

105a, 105a’ formed in the frame 100a. With such arrangement, the location of link rod 500a together with the adjustment guiding members 400a may be adjusted step by step. It is contemplated that adjustment guiding members 400a may be adjusted steplessly by a locking device that can lock the link rod 500a or the adjustment guiding members 400a at any location.

The resilient member 300a may also be guided by at least one fixed guiding member 102a. Longer resilient member is desirable because the length change (as the diameter changes) will not substantially change the tension of the resilient member, thereby obtaining substantially constant friction. The friction difference between a full roll and small roll of slit material is minimal using a long resilient member. It may be achieved by providing more guiding members and making the successive guiding members as far away as possible. In the shown embodiment, there are four fixed guiding members 102a, with two of them arranged at the top portion of the frame and the other two at the bottom portion of the frame. It is contemplated that the fixed guiding members 102a may have different quantity or arrangement.

Referring to FIGS. 21-24, a dunnage conversion dispenser stand 800 is illustrated. In some embodiments, the dispenser described above may be part of a dispenser stand 800. The dispenser described above may be on a separate roller cart, movable from the rest parts of the dispenser stand 800. In the shown embodiment, a roll of non-slit sheet stock material 2000 is loaded in the dispenser stand 800. Though the non-slit material is discussed here, it is anticipated that the dispenser stand 800 may be also used for dispensing slit material. The friction device used in the dispenser stand 800, based on gravity or spring load as described, provides a continues friction to a roll of material. The sheet material may be pulled by a manual or motorized device.

As described above, a roll core shaft may be used to position a roll of sheet stock material in the dispenser, roll holder or separate roll cart. To load a roll of sheet stock material using a roll core shaft requires both ends of the shaft to be extended from the roll. A roll of sheet stock material may vary in weight between the 3kg up-to 45kg, possibly needing to be lifted by two persons on each side of the roll of stock material, as ergonomic requirement.

As shown in FIG. 25, the length L of extensions 1004, 1004’ at each end of the roll core shaft needs to be at least 100mm, to be able to safely hold and lift the shaft by hand. The extensions of a roll core shaft require extra, unused space on both sides of a dispenser/roll holder, which means that the roll holder core shaft extends, in total, a minimum of 200mm outside of the actual footprint of a dispenser/roll holder. Referring to FIG. 25, it can be seen that, after loading a roll of sheet stock material 1000, the core roll shaft extensions L extending out of the footprint w of the dispenser, dispenser stand or roll holder, require unused space in a packing area b in use position. Further referring to FIG. 26, limited space f to position and use a dunnage conversion dispenser may be common in a packing area b due to storage of user articles such as printers 3000, boxes 4000 for packing products. Using a dispenser on a packing table/surface environment with a roll shaft wider than the dispenser body may be a restriction to position a dispenser/roll holder due to limitation of space or even cause minor injuries by bumping into the extension of the shaft.

To solve this problem, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a two-piece roll core shaft 1003a including first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’. The first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ may be positioned into a roll core respectively from left and right side.

The first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ may be slide or pushed into the core 1001 of the roll of sheet stock material 1000 after the roll is loaded on a dispenser or roll holder. After the two-piece roll core shaft is slid or pushed into the roll core 1001, the extension outside of the dispenser/roll holder footprint could be limited to 10mm.

To make sure the roll of sheet material 1000 concentric to the two-piece roll core shaft 1003a, the diameter of the two-piece roll core shaft 1003a is close or equal to the inner diameter of the roll core 1001. Alternatively, one or more plugs (e.g. plugs 1007, 1007’) with diameters close or equal to the inner diameter of the roll core 1001 are provided for a thinner shaft.

Low rotation friction means, such as bearings, may be provided between the core 1001 and the shaft, to facilitate the rotation of the roll of sheet material 1000 on the roll core shaft 1003a. The outer ring of the bearing may engage the inner surface of the roll core 1001.

The first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ may be provided with stoppers 1006, 1006’ respectively on the outer end, to ensure the shaft pieces have a certain length outside the roll of sheet stock material for holding the roll on the dispenser, dispenser stand or roll holder.

The first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ may have same or different lengths, depending on the space available in the packing area. A shorter and longer shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ may be required if a dispenser or roll holder is positioned close to an obstacle on one side.

FIGS. 26-30 illustrate how the two-piece roll core shaft 1003a works. Referring to FIG. 26, for loading a roll of sheet stock material 1000, the dispenser, dispenser stand or roll holder may be relocated to a loading position from the common use area u. Referring to FIGS. 27-28, the first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ are about to be inserted into the roll core 1001. In the shown embodiment, the first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ are provided with plugs 1007, 1007’. There may be two or more plugs for each shaft piece. FIG. 29 shows that the first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ are in handling configuration, being half way into the roll core 1001 with a length L (e.g. 100mm or more) remaining outside the dispenser, dispenser stand or roll holder, for manipulating the roll. It can be seen that the outer diameters of the plugs 1007, 1007’ are close or equal to the inner diameter of the roll core 1001, thereby the roll of sheet material 1000 concentric to the first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’. FIG. 29 shows that the first and second shaft pieces 1005, 1005’ are in stowed configuration. The stoppers 1006, 1006’ interfere with the dispenser, dispenser stand or roll holder to stop further insertion. The space f’ of the roll of material with the two-piece roll core shaft 1003a in stowed configuration is less than the space f which a common core shaft would require.

FIG. 31 shows that the two-piece roll core shaft 1003a is applied with a roll of slit sheet stock material 1000 and a dispenser on a table. FIG. 32 shows that the two-piece roll core shaft 1003a is applied with a roll of non-slit sheet stock material 2000 and a dunnage conversion dispenser stand 800. In both embodiments, the two-piece roll core shaft 1003a in stowed configuration will occupy less space and the risk of hurting people is reduced or eliminated.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.

Claims

A device for dispensing a roll of sheet stock material, comprising:

a frame having a mounting feature for securing the roll of sheet stock material;

a friction device engaging an outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material; and

a counterweight that is connected to the friction device by a flexible connecting element, such that the friction device applies a force of friction on the outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 1, further comprising a guiding member to guide the flexible connecting element changing direction, such that the friction device engages the lower outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 2, wherein the guiding member is a pulley.
The device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising an additional counterweight which is able to be added or removed as required.
The device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising an adjustment device to modify the force of friction applied on the outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 5, wherein the adjustment device comprises:

an adjustment spring member that is connected to the friction device and the counterweight; and

a movable guiding member that guides the adjustment spring member, such that the length of the adjustment spring member is able to be adjusted by moving the movable guiding member.
The device of claim 6, wherein the adjustment device further comprises:

a lever configured to move the movable guiding member; and

a locking device for holding the rotatable lever in position.
The device of claim 6 or 7, wherein the adjustment device further comprises at least one fixed guiding member for guiding the adjustment spring member.
The device of claim 7 or 8, wherein the adjustment device further comprises a link rod connecting the rotatable lever on either lateral side of the device, such that the spring member on either side is able to be adjusted simultaneously.
The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the mounting feature is used to secure a roll core shaft of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 10, wherein the roll core shaft includes a first shaft piece and a second shaft piece which are able to be inserted into a core of the roll of sheet stock material, the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are movable to a handling configuration where one or more operators are able to handle the roll of sheet stock material by the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece, and the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are movable to a stowed configuration where the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are further inserted into the core of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 11, wherein the outer diameter of each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece is close or equal to an inner diameter of the core of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 11, wherein one or more plugs are provided on each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece, and the outer diameter of each of the plugs is close or equal to an inner diameter of the core of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 11, wherein at least one bearing is provided between the core of the roll of sheet stock material and each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece.
The device of claim 11, wherein each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece is provided with a stopper on an outer end to stop the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece to be further inserted into the core of the roll of sheet stock material when they are in the stowed configuration.
The device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a front lifting device and at least one wheel for moving the device between a loading position and a use position.
The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one wheel does not touch a packing surface when the device rests on the packing surface.
The device of claim 16 or 17, wherein the front lifting device is a roller under which unwound and sheet stock material is fed.
The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the frame comprises at least one surface holder to prevent the device to move when pulling sheet stock material.
The device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a dust collection device to collect abundance of paper substances.
The device of claim 20, wherein the dust collection device comprises a dust collection plate and a first bottom brush.
The device of claim 21, wherein the dust collection device further comprises an upstream brush device including a second bottom brush and a top brush, creating a dust chamber together with the dust collection plate and the first bottom brush.
The device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a motorized pulling device to unwind the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 23, wherein the motorized pulling device comprises upper and lower rotating members on both the lateral sides of the device.
A device for dispensing a roll of sheet stock material, comprising:

a frame having a mounting feature for securing the roll of sheet stock material;

a friction device engaging an outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material; and

a resilient member that is connected to the friction device at one end and fixed to the frame at the other end, such that the friction device applies a force of friction on the outer surface of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 25, further comprising an adjustment guiding member, the position of which is able to be modified to adjust the length of the resilient member.
A roll core shaft comprising a first shaft piece and a second shaft piece which are able to be inserted into a core of the roll of sheet stock material, wherein the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are movable to a handling configuration where one or more operators are able to handle the roll of sheet stock material by the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece, and the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are movable to a stowed configuration where the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece are further inserted into the core of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 27, wherein the outer diameter of each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece is close or equal to an inner diameter of the core of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 27, wherein one or more plugs are provided on each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece, and the outer diameter of each of the plugs is close or equal to an inner diameter of the core of the roll of sheet stock material.
The device of claim 27, wherein at least one bearing is provided between the core of the roll of sheet stock material and each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece.
The device of claim 27, wherein each of the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece is provided with a stopper on an outer end to stop the first shaft piece and the second shaft piece to be further inserted into the core of the roll of sheet stock material when they are in the stowed configuration.