U.S. patent number 3,667,593 [Application Number 05/023,650] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-06 for flowable dunnage apparatus and method of packaging with flowable and compliable inflated dunnage material.
Invention is credited to John M. Pendleton.
United States Patent |
3,667,593 |
Pendleton |
June 6, 1972 |
FLOWABLE DUNNAGE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF PACKAGING WITH FLOWABLE
AND COMPLIABLE INFLATED DUNNAGE MATERIAL
Abstract
Flowable dunnage apparatus characterized by discrete inflated
capsules formed of elastic impervious webs in facing relationship
and sealed along their edges with a quantity of air under pressure
captured therein, the discrete capsules being of minuscule
dimension as compared to the dimensions of an outer container, and
the dimensions of smaller articles or containers disposed within
the outer container. The discrete capsules are adapted to flow into
a partly filled container and to partly fill the interstices
thereof, and to fill the outer container to a surcharged condition
before the closing thereof. The closing of the outer container,
either by placing flaps into position, or by placing a separable
closure thereover, exerts pressure on the compliant capsules,
causing them to fill the interstices of the outer container
substantially completely, and to prevent migration or shifting of
smaller containers or articles within the outer container. The
invention herein also comprehends a method of packaging with
flowable and compliant dunnage material.
Inventors: |
Pendleton; John M. (Greendale,
WI) |
Family
ID: |
21816408 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/023,650 |
Filed: |
March 30, 1970 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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777940 |
Oct 1, 1968 |
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617977 |
Feb 23, 1967 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/584; 53/472;
53/474; 206/522; 217/53 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C
66/0326 (20130101); B29C 66/1122 (20130101); B29C
65/74 (20130101); B29C 65/18 (20130101); B31D
5/0073 (20130101); B29C 66/83413 (20130101); B65D
81/09 (20130101); B29C 66/81431 (20130101); B29C
66/24241 (20130101); B29C 66/24221 (20130101); B29C
66/81427 (20130101); B29C 65/745 (20130101); B29C
66/439 (20130101); B65D 75/40 (20130101); B29C
66/24244 (20130101); B29C 66/83513 (20130101); B29C
66/71 (20130101); B29L 2031/7138 (20130101); B29L
2031/714 (20130101); B29L 2022/02 (20130101); B29C
66/81423 (20130101); B29C 2793/0009 (20130101); B29C
2793/0027 (20130101); B29C 66/71 (20130101); B29K
2001/00 (20130101); B29C 66/71 (20130101); B29K
2023/06 (20130101); B29C 66/71 (20130101); B29K
2027/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B31D
5/00 (20060101); B65D 81/05 (20060101); B65D
81/09 (20060101); B65D 75/40 (20060101); B65D
75/00 (20060101); B65d 077/26 (); B65d 081/02 ();
B65d 085/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/46FR,46FC,DIG.30,56AA ;229/14C ;217/53 ;156/292 ;161/72
;53/36,37 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dixson, Jr.; William T.
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation in part of PENDLETON application
Ser. No. 777,940, filed Oct. 1, 1968, now abandoned, which in turn
was a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 617,977, filed
Feb. 23, 1967, now abandoned, for Dunnage Article.
Claims
I claim:
1. Flowable dunnage apparatus composed of a plurality of
lightweight flowable dunnage articles filling the interstices
between articles packed within an outer container, including a
closure therefor having a closure member movable to closing
position, said dunnage apparatus comprising a plurality of discrete
inflated capsules, each of said capsules being of minuscule
dimension as compared to the dimensions of said outer container,
each of said capsules comprising impervious and pliable films in
facing relationship and sealed peripherally and encapsulating a
gaseous medium under pressure therebetween to provide a
substantially freely compliant capsule substantially filling
completely the interstices of said outer container, said capsules
being flowed into said outer container and creating a surcharged
filling of said outer container prior to closing thereof, said
capsules being positioned and forming configurations substantially
eliminating any interstices within the said outer container and
placing pressure against said capsules and the articles within said
outer container upon movement of said closure member to closing
position to prevent shifting of said articles and said
capsules.
2. A package for articles comprising an outer container having a
closure therefor, packing material for said outer container
consisting of discrete impervious and pliable inflated capsules of
minuscule dimension as compared to the dimensions of said articles
and said outer container, said capsules being flowed into said
outer container to create a surcharged condition thereof and being
thereafter placed under pressure by movement of said closure member
to closing position with respect to said outer container, to cause
said capsules to adopt positions and configurations substantially
eliminating any interstices within the said outer container, the
pressure against said capsules, said articles and said outer
container preventing shifting of said articles.
3. A method of packing an outer container having a closure therefor
including a closure member movable to closing position with
articles placed within said outer container with flowable and
compliant inflated dunnage capsules of minuscule dimension as
compared to the dimensions of said outer container and the articles
placed within said outer container which comprises the steps of
placing articles to be shipped in said outer container, filling
said outer container to surcharged condition with said dunnage
capsules so as to fill in part the interstices in said outer
container, moving said closure member to closing position to
thereby place pressure against said inflated capsules to cause the
same to adopt positions and configurations substantially
eliminating any interstices within the said outer container and to
thereby place pressure against said capsules and the articles
within said container to prevent shifting of said articles and said
capsules.
4. The combination of a container having a closure with flowable
and compliant dunnage capsules for imposing pressure against an
article enclosed with a container, said capsules being of minuscule
dimension as compared to the dimensions of said container and said
article, said capsules being part of a large group thereof and
being adapted to be flowed into said container and to have pressure
placed thereon while a part of said group by movement of said
closure to closing position to eliminate substantially any
interstices between said capsules to prevent movement of said
article within said container.
5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein each of said
dunnage capsules is formed from a pair of impervious webs in
confronting relationship and sealed along the periphery thereof.
Description
The invention herein relates to improvements in special receptacles
and packages classified in class 206 and subclass 46 thereof.
The invention herein finds special application where a number of
small packages or articles are assembled at a central shipping
department and placed into a larger container for shipment to a
single consignee. Mail order houses have carried on this practice
for many years, and it is the practice to fill the voids or
interstices of the outer shipping container with excelsior or
shredded newspaper. More recent developments in dunnage for this
purpose have included small paper cylinders as disclosed in Stanley
U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,543, and Graham U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,136,
stranded olefin polymer foam as disclosed in Humbert et al. U.S.
Pat. No. 3,251,728, elastomer covered fiber glass as shown in
Edelman U.S. Pat. No. 2,579,036, and formed thermoplastic as shown
in Holden U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,264.
The use of excelsior or shredded newspaper always presents the
problem of storage as well as fire hazard, as do some of the other
dunnage materials of the patent art. On the other hand, the dunnage
material according to the present invention can be prepared as
needed by simple machines, and the storage requirements can thereby
be maintained at a minimum.
This application is related to Pendleton application Ser. No.
487,848, filed Sept. 16, 1965 for MACHINE FOR MAKING CUSHIONING
PACKAGING MATERIAL OR THE LIKE now U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,534, issued
June 25, 1968. Said patent discloses apparatus for making a dunnage
article as claimed herein.
Inflated dunnage devices are known in the art, these usually taking
the forms as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. to Cushman 2,978,119; Cushman
2,990,070; Seger 3,131,648; Langenberg 3,145,853; and Feldkamp
3,199,689. The dunnage devices shown in these devices are
reuseable, are of large size for cushioning heavy freight loaded
into cars, and are inflated to size after being positioned in the
car.
The prior art also shows thermoplastic sheet material formed with
air bubbles in a vacuum forming process. This material is used as a
sheet wrapping material and is not flowable. This material does not
lend itself to the formation of discrete capsules and is always
used in sheet form.
The flowable dunnage according to the present invention is adapted
for use in cushioning a frangible object or smaller cartons shipped
in an outer carton or other container. In some cases the flowable
dunnage can completely isolate the object or small containers from
the sides and top and bottom of such carton or container. In the
more common applications where smaller cartons are placed within a
larger shipping container, the pressure exerted against the
contents keeps them from migrating or shifting in the rough
handling encountered in transit. The flowable dunnage herein is in
the form of discrete capsules formed from films having good
bursting strength and having a quantity of air entrapped therein
under pressure. The capsules are formed preferably in a heat
sealing process. Polyethylene or polyvinylchloride, poly coated
cellophane film materials are examples of films having the property
of being heat sealable, the property of good bursting strength, as
well as the property of being impervious, so that the capsules may
be inflated and remain so until used.
With the foregoing considerations in mind, it is a principal object
of this invention to provide flowable dunnage apparatus consisting
of discrete inflated capsules formed by the sealing of elongated
webs along one or both edges thereof, and transversely sealing the
webs during the sealing process to provide a series of joined
capsules containing occluded air under pressure, and capable of
being severed along a transverse seal to provide the discrete
dunnage article.
Another object is to provide a method of packaging with discrete
elastic inflated, impervious and compliant dunnage articles, the
method comprehending flowing the dunnage articles into a partly
filled container to surcharge the container and then closing the
surcharged container in such a fashion as to place pressure on the
capsules whereby their compliance will cause the capsules to "flow"
about the articles in the container and substantially eliminate all
voids within the container.
Yet another object comprehends dunnage apparatus characterized by
extremely light weight dunnage capsules or minuscule dimension as
compared to the outer container and the articles within the
container, such capsules being formed of elastic, impervious and
compliant films in facing relationship, sealed along their edges
and containing a quantity of air under pressure.
IN THE DRAWINGS:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a discrete dunnage capsule adapted
to be used with the dunnage apparatus according to the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the dunnage capsule of FIG. 1
connected as a strip thereof;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an alternate form of the
dunnage capsule;
FIG. 4 shows the manner in which the discrete dunnage capsules may
be distributed about a frangible object to isolate the same from
the walls of a container;
FIG. 5 shows the manner in which a strip of the discrete dunnage
capsules may be wound about an object to isolate the same from the
walls of a container; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a pair
of moving webs being sealed along their edges, and showing the
introduction of air between the webs for the purpose of inflating
the tube formed by sealing of the webs along their edges prior to
transversely sealing the tube to form the series of inflated
capsules, which later are adapted to be severed into discrete
dunnage capsules;
FIG. 7 is a similar view to that shown in FIG. 6 in which a single
web of material is folded longitudinally and sealed at one
longitudinal edge in the formation of the dunnage capsule;
FIG. 8 is an isometric view showing an outer flapped container
partly filled with smaller containers and ready to receive the
dunnage capsules;
FIG. 9 shows the container of FIG. 8 filled to a surcharged
condition with capsules;
FIG. 10 is a vertical section through the container of FIG. 8,
showing the smaller containers placed therein, and the dunnage
capsules flowing into the outer container and around the smaller
containers therein;
FIG. 11 shows the container of FIG. 10 filled to a surcharged
condition with the dunnage capsules;
FIG. 12 shows the outer container of FIGS. 9 to 11 with the flaps
thereof closed to exert pressure against the dunnage capsules with
the containers within the outer container held against movement by
such pressure;
FIG. 13 is an isometric view of structure for forming a dunnage
capsule having a different configuration from that seen in the
previous figures;
FIG. 14 is a vertical section taken through the capsule forming
rollers of FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 is a plan view of a series of connected capsules formed in
the apparatus of FIGS. 13 and 14, before the severing of same into
discrete capsules;
FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 13 showing apparatus for forming
a dunnage capsule of still another configuration;
FIG. 17 is a plan view of a series of connected capsules formed in
the apparatus of FIG. 16;
FIG. 18 is a schematic isometric view of apparatus for forming a
capsule substantially in the form of a tetrahedron;
FIG. 19 is an isometric view showing a connected series of capsules
before severing of same;
FIG. 20 is a perspective of a discrete capsule formed in the
apparatus of FIG. 18;
FIG. 21 shows another form of sealing and severing apparatus for
forming the discrete dunnage capsules; and
FIG. 22 is a cross section through a form of web material having
thermoplastic or other sealable film, and a second film of paper or
the like.
In FIG. 1 there is shown a completed dunnage capsule 11 constructed
of a single sheet of material folded upon itself, so that the
sheets are in facing relationship, as seen in FIG. 7, and sealed
along a longitudinal edge 12 by electrically heated sealing wheels
13. A blast of air as shown by the arrows is directed between the
two plies of material in facing relationship to puff out the plies
as seen at 14 prior to sealing the two plies transversely at
regularly spaced intervals as denoted at 15 in FIG. 2. Such sealing
is achieved by electrically heated anvil members 16 and 17 while
the folded material travels in the direction shown by the arrows as
it is dispensed from a supply roll, not shown.
Alternately, the dunnage article 11 may be formed from two plies of
material 10 and 10' as seen in FIG. 6. In such cases the two plies
are sealed along their longitudinal edges 18 and 19 by heated
sealing anvil rollers 20. A blast of air enters between the webs 10
and 10' as shown by the arrows in FIG. 6 to form an inflated tube
21 prior to the operation of the heated anvils 16 and 17 in
providing transverse seals 22.
Irrespective of whether the two moving webs are joined along one or
both of the longitudinal edges 12, or 18 and 19, and sealed at
intervals transversely as at 15 or 22 there is supplied a strip of
dunnage capsules made up of a strip of the same, or a discrete
dunnage capsule as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, when the strip is severed
transversely.
The strip of dunnage capsules 11 may be wrapped about an article 23
as seen in FIG. 5 prior to placing the so wrapped article in a
container 24. Preferably, they are in the form of discrete capsules
as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, and in such cases they may be distributed
as seen in FIG. 4 about an irregularly shaped frangible object 26
to isolate such article from the walls and top and bottom of a
container 27.
The important aspects of the invention, however, reside in placing
a degree of pressure against one or more articles placed within an
outer shipping container. Such is a common practice in catalogue
mail order houses, and as disclosed herein the dunnage provided is
extremely light in weight, compliant, resilient and elastic.
Moreover, the films from which the dunnage is formed are
inexpensive, and can be made as needed at the working site from
film material sealed as described.
Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown an outer walled container 31
having closure flaps 32. Container 31 is loaded with smaller
containers 33, 34 and 36 which may be spaced in the manner shown or
placed side by side in contact with each other. A number of such
small containers are disposed within container 31 and they can be
filled into position on the container bottom with greater or less
interstitial volume therebetween depending on the size of such
small containers. As seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, container 31 is filled
with the dunnage capsules 11 which flow into container 31 from an
overhead hopper, not shown, or from some other storage source.
The size of the dunnage capsules 11 is an important feature of the
invention. As a general rule, the smaller they are, the more
readily they accommodate themselves to the contours and surface
irregularities of the containers 33, 34 and 36 or other articles
placed within the container 31. For example, the dunnage capsules
11 may be made from webs of polyethylene or polypropylene. If the
dunnage capsules are made from 4 inch wide webs in facing
relationship the resulting inflated capsule will be approximately
31/2 inch wide, 41/4 inch long and 11/2 inch thick. The use of 3
inch wide webs gives a resulting capsule of a size approximately
2.times. 2.times.1 inch. Webs 21/2 inch wide give a resulting
capsule of a size approximately 2.times. 2.times.1 inch.
As a general proposition, the smaller the inflated capsule the more
desirable it is for dunnage use. The smaller capsules more readily
fill the interstices between the containers or objects in the outer
container.
When the outer container 31 is surcharged as seen in FIG. 9 and 11
and flaps 32 folded down, the inflated capsules 11 are pressed
together as seen in FIG. 12 with substantially no volume within
container 31 not filled with either the small containers or
capsules 11. The capsules are compliant and adopt positions and
configurations substantially eliminating the interstices in
container 31. Good pressure is thereby maintained between capsules
11 and against the inner containers or articles.
At times the closing of the flaps 32 causes the pressure against a
capsule 11 situated at a sharp corner of the inner containers or
articles may be such as to perforate the capsule thereat as
indicated by reference numeral 11P. Upon its collapse at such
position perforated capsule 11P has a protective contour conforming
web to prevent puncture and collapse of adjacent capsules.
The container 31 need not be of the flap type and may have a
separate lid or closure. Prior to placing the closure on the
container the latter is surcharged as previously described, and the
placing of the closure in position atop the container 31 places
pressure against the capsules for the purposes as described.
Irrespective of whether a flap type container is employed, or one
with a separable closure, the pressure on the dunnage capsules and
the containers or articles within the outer container prevents
shifting. By reason of the innate elasticity of the dunnage
capsules, shock incident to shipping is kept to a minimum.
Referring to FIGS. 13 to 15 there is shown another form of
apparatus for making a dunnage capsule of still another
configuration. Said apparatus is denoted generally by the reference
numeral 40 and comprises a pair of mating forming rollers 41 and 42
turning at identical speeds upon respective drive shafts 43 and 44.
Each of the rollers has a number of essentially hemispherical
pockets 46 therein. The pockets 46 of each roller moving in
conjugate relationship with like pockets of the other.
A folded web 47 of thermoplastic material is fed between rollers 41
and 42, and a current of air is introduced between the web folds as
the same moves between the rollers 41 and 42. The latter are heated
and thereby seal the web folds together except for an inflated
capsule 48 formed at each of the conjugate pockets 46.
The strip of connected capsules 48 may be severed into discrete
capsules by mating cutting rollers 49 and 51 turning synchronously
on respective shafts 52 and 53. Each roller has pockets 54 therein
to receive the inflated capsule 48 formed by rollers 41 and 42.
Roller 49 has transversely extending knives 56 in the surface
thereof between the pockets 54 thereof, these knives 56 each
cooperating with roller 51, which acts as an anvil roller, to sever
the strip into discrete capsules.
In FIGS. 16 and 17 there is shown another form of apparatus denoted
by the reference numeral 60. In this form of the apparatus the
heated forming rollers 41 and 42 have essentially prismatic shaped
conjugate pockets 62 therein. The web 47 fed between rollers 41 and
42 results in inflated capsules 63, each generally in the form of a
prism of triangular cross section, and connected as a strip as seen
in FIG. 17.
As with the embodiment seen in FIGS. 13 to 15, the strip seen in
FIG. 17 may be severed between knife and anvil rollers 49 and 51
having conjugate pockets 62 in the periphery of each. Knife roller
49 in this case has pitched knives 64 between the pockets 62 and
mating with corresponding anvil surfaces 66 on anvil roller 51 to
sever the strip into discrete capsules 63.
In FIGS. 18 to 20 there is shown another embodiment of a capsule
forming structure indicated by the reference numeral 70. In this
embodiment a tube 71 of thermoplastic material moves in the
direction shown, a jet of air impinging into the tube to inflate
the same. The moving tube is sealed transversely thereof between
heating sealing anvils 72 extending in a vertical plane and movable
horizontally toward and away from each other in such plane to
effect a vertical heat seal 73. When the vertical seal is
completed, and the tube is still inflated, a pair of heated sealing
anvils 74 extending in a vertical plane and movable vertically
toward and away from each other effect a horizontal heat seal 76
spaced from the vertical heat seal 73.
It will be understood that the anvil members move alternately in
their heat sealing function to provide a strip 77 of connected
capsules 78, each being essentially in the form of a tetrahedron.
It will be understood that the tube 71 may be formed of a pair of
plies as seen in FIG. 7 and air introduced between such plies as
the tube 71 is formed, and that the tube 71 moves in a continuous
fashion.
Severing means, not shown, may be employed to sever the strip 77
into discrete capsules as seen in FIG. 20 along the horizontal and
vertical heat seals seen.
In FIG. 21 there is shown another embodiment of apparatus indicated
by the reference numeral 80. It comprises cusped sealing rollers 81
and 82 having cooperating heated sealing surfaces 83 at the
peripheries thereof. Surfaces 83 effect transverse seals 84 in a
moving tube 86 which is inflated as described and which moves
between the sealing rollers 81 and 82.
Rollers of this configuration are especially indicated where
polyethylene films are sealed, and it is important that the
capsules 87 formed thereby do not thereafter contact the heated
rollers, each of which has the cavities 88 permitting clearance of
the inflated capsules 87.
Similar knife and anvil rollers 89 and 91 sever the dunnage strip
formed by rollers 81 and 82 into discrete dunnage articles 87 as
shown.
In FIG. 22 there is shown a double web 95 capable of being inflated
and sealed along its edges. The double web may consist of an outer
paper, glassine or cloth layer and an inner layer 97 capable of
self adhesion as heat sealing or subject to a gluing operation.
* * * * *