CA1255376A

CA1255376A - Automatic feed circuit for dunnage converter

Info

Publication number: CA1255376A
Application number: CA000517684A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Gary W. Ottaviano
Original assignee: Ranpak Corp
Current assignee: Ranpak Corp
Priority date: 1985-11-04
Filing date: 1986-09-08
Publication date: 1989-06-06
Also published as: US4619635A

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A dunnage converter mechanism for pro-ducing relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product from flexible sheet-like stock material in roll form. The converter includes means for pulling the sheet-like stock material from a supply roll thereof into the mechanism while causing inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material, resulting in a pad-like cushioning product emitted from the machine, with the product having lateral relatively resilient pillow-like portions and a central connecting section holding the pillow-like portions together in generally side-by-side attached relation.
A settable control means is provided in an associated control circuit coupled to the electric drive motor for the converter mechanism, for selectively providing for programming the motor for actuation thereof during selected predetermined periods of time, whereby the pad-like dunnage product can be produced by the mechanism for a selected period of time of a plurality of time periods without any further action being needed on the part of a machine operator, after which the mechanism automatically shuts down production of the cushioning product. The settable control includes a selector module for selecting one of a plurality of time periods (e.g. seconds, minutes or hours) together with means for selecting ranges of said selected one time period, so that various lengths or runs of the produced cushioning product can be automatically provided.

Description

J
~ 1--AUTOMATIC FEED CIRCUIT FOR
_DUNNAGE CON~ER~ER _ SPECIFICATION
Thi~ invention relate~ in general to mecha-5 ni~m for producing a packaging ma~erial or cushiGnin~
dunnage as it i~ known in the art, and more particu-larly to a dunnage producing mechani~m for the pro-duction of a strip of re~ilient pad-like dunnage pxoduct from sheet-like ~tock material di~po~ed in 10 multi~ply stock roll form, with the ~he~t-like stock material beiny pulled into the mechani~m from the roll by mean3 of an electric motor driven, connectinq ~ection of the mechanism, and together with a ~ettable control means provided in circuit with the ;15 motor, providiny for selectively programming the motor for actuation thereof for a selected period of time of a predetermined plurality of time period~, wher~by the pad-like product can be automatically produced by said mechanism for a selected time 20 period without the need of any further action on :~ the part of a machine operator, thus freeing the oparator to accomplish other tasks while the mecha-niqm i9 producing the selected length strip of cushioning dunnage pr~duct.
~;25 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
; Dunnage producing mechanism ~or producing re~ilient pad~like cu3hioning dunnage product in strip form, having lateral pillow-like portions and a central connected or joined section running 30 generally lengthwise of the 5~rip of cushioning tj .. .
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dunnage product, are known in the art. U.S. patent 4, 026,198 to Ottaviano dated May 31, 1977 and entitled Cushioning Dunnage Mechanism, Transfer Cart Therefor, and Method, discloses a cushio~iny 5 dunnage producing machine or mechanism of the general type to which the pre~ent invention m~y be applied.
This type machine is adapted to take sheets of stock material frorn a multi-ply stock roll 10 and pull them into the machi.ne while rolling the lateral edge~ of the sheet-like mat~rial into generally r~lled form, and then connecting the rolled section~ together along the central portion of the pad-like product, and then emitting the lS strip of cushioning dunnage product from the ; machine, with the product compri~ing relatively : resilient laterally spaced pillow-like sections or portions and a centrally oriented connecting section running generally lengthwise of the ~trip of 20 product.
The connecting mechani~m in this type of prior art machine is a pair of coacting vertically arranged gear-like members, which coin the adjacent confron~ing edges of the lateral pillow-like 25 sections along the generally central section of the rolled edge stock material strip, and thus connect together th~ lateral pillow~like sec ions, resulting in the pad-like dunnage product.
There are numerous other prior art patent~
30 disclosing dunnage producing mechani~ms and method~

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for producing a resilient pad-like cushioning dunnage product of a generally similar type to that of the present product; however, i.n all of the3e prior art mechanismq so far as applicant has been 5 able to determine, the product is emitted from the machine by means of an operator control sy~tem whi.ch either includes an intermittent control where the operator can control the length of strip of dunna~e product emitted from the machine by a spring loaded 10 hand control button switch or a ~pring loaded foot control button switch which are actuated ~o long a3 : pres~ure i9 applied thereto by the workman, and which in the case of the foot switch ~ree~ the hand3 of the operator, or the machine ha~ a 15 "maintained" control switch arrangement that can be ~witched on and in such condition will m~intain ; the machine running and emitting a continuous ~trip of pad-like cushioning dunnage product, until the maintained control switch is ~anually ~hut off~
:~ 20 SUMMA~Y OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pro~ides a dunnage produoing mechanism that enables the machine opcrator ~o selectively choose the length of str.ip of cushioning dunnage product that is to be 25 produced by the machine by programming the machine, ; and then the machine will automatically produce the dunnage product for a selected period of time and than will automatically shut down without the need of an operator monitoring the production of 30 such seleceed length of strlp proùuct sncl without ::

-, - ~$~ 6 ~-the need of the operator being at the machine to manually actuate the same to produce ~uch ~elected length of produced pad-like cu~hioning product.
In other words, the dunnage producing 5 mechani~m of the present invention compri~es a control circuit including a ~ettable control mean3 which enable~ the operator to selectively program the machine for actuation thereof for predetermined psriods of time, whereby the dunnage product will 10 be automatically produced by the mechanism for the selected period without any further action or o~erseeing on the part of a machine operator. Thu~, the machine operator is able to perform other duties :and move ab~ut, while the machine is producing a 15 ~elected length o~ ~trip of product, and without the op~rator being continuously involved with the operation o the machine.
Accordingly, an object of ~he invention is to provide a novel mechanism for producing 20 cu~hioning dunnage for u~e as packing material and the lika.
: Another object of the invention i9 to provide a mechanism of the latter type which utilizes a plurality of webs or ~heets of stock 25 material, ~uch a~ paper disposed in roll form, and forming such webs into a pad-like cushioning dunnage product po~sessing lateral pillow-like porti~ns and a central connecting portion runniny generally ~lengthwi~e of the strip of dunnage product, and ; 30 wherein the mechanism is provided with settable :, ~ , ' . ':
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control mean3 adapted to selectively provide for prcqrammir.g the drive mOtGr of the mechanism to actuate the ame for sel~cted predetermined periods of time whereby the pad-like cu hioning dunnage 5 product can be automatically produced by ~aid mecha-nism for a ~elected period of time of a plurality of time period~, witho~t further monitoring, controlling or overseeing on the part of the machine operator.
A ~till further object of the in~ention 10 is to provide a mechanism of the latter de~cribed type which includes a connecting secti~n in the m~chanism for generally ~ecurely connecting the lateral re~ilient pillow-like portion~ of the product together along a central portion thereoE
15 running lengthwise of the ~trip of product, and i wherein the connecting section is operative to pull ; the sheet-like stock material from the roll into the mechanism for the formation of the product and then to emit the produced product from the mechanism, 20 and wherein the settable control means of the control circuit i9 coupled to the electric drive motor of the mechani~m to thus provide for selectively programming of the motor for automatic actuation thor~of for selected predetermined period~ of time 25 without further monitoring, controlling or over-seeing on the part of the machine operator.
A still further object of the invention i~ to provide a mechani~m of the latter type which includes powered cutter mean~ thereon for selective 30 actuation in the cutting of the ~trip of dunnage '`

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pro~uct produced by the machine into ~elected lengths, togather with manual control means for causing actu-ation of the powered cutter mean~ to initiate the cutting operation, and with means being provided in 5 circuit with the settable control mean~ and with the motor, for automatically interrupting the activation of the motor upon activation of such cuttex control means, whereby the cutting operation on the dunnage product occurs when the produced 10 product i9 stationary in the machine.
Other object~ and advantage~ of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accomp3nying drawin~s wh~rein:
: 15 BRI~F DESCRIPTION OF T~æ D~AWINGS
. . . _ FIGURE 1 i~ a generally diagrammatic ~ide elevational view of a cu~hioning dunnage producing machine or mechanism which embodie3 the invention, FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the 20 machine of FIGURE 1, FIGURF. 3 is a per~pective rear elevation of the machine of FIGURES 1 and 2 illu~trating a ~trip of dunnage product being emitted rom the machine:
FIGU~E 4 is a per~pective view of the machine of FIGURE 3 taken from the opposite end or ~tock material entry end thereof:
FIGURE S is a schematic of the control circuit for the machine of FIGURES 1-4 and which 30 include~ a settable control module providing for ' :..: : .
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programming of the drive motor for the machine for actuation thereof for a selected period of time of a plurality of time periods, whereby the pad-like dunnage product can be automatically produced by 5 the machine for the selected period without further monitorin~, control or overseeing on the part of a machine operator, and FIGU~E 6 i~ an Pnlarged front per~pective view of a ~ettable control module for use in the 10 circuit of FIGURE 5.
DESCRIPTION OF P~EFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now aga.in to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1-4 thereof, there is illustrated a dunnage producing machine or mechanism 15 10 which utilizes a single, multi-ply stock roll 12 of sheet-like stock material such as, for instance, 30 pound kraft paper sheet. In the embodiment of ~tock roll illustrated, the plies of the stock j roll are illustrated as being of equal width and 20 in the embodiment illustrated comprise three plies disposed in roll form for expeditious installation on the dunnage producing mechanism.
The stock roll 12 c~mprises, in the embodiment illustrated, a hollow core 14 of 25 generally cylindrical configuration on which the three superimpossd webq or sheets of paper stock materiAl are wound. The stock roll i~ adapted to ~ be mounted on a ~upporting rod 16 extending :~ through the core 14 for rota~ion o the stock roll 30 1~ relative to the support bracket structure 18, as :

~ 8-the pap~r ~tock i3 drawn into the dunnage machine 10.
Open toppecl, upstanding, gen0rally U shape guides 22 are provided, in the embodiment illustrated, for gen~rally loosely receiving the endq of the rod 5 16 and r~taining the rod on the ~upport ~tructure 18 while providing for generally rapid replacement of a ~tock roll when neces~ary. One end of the rod extending through the stock roll is adapted to have an opening therethrough receivlng a pin ~not shown) 10 projecting laterally of the rod for preventing or limiting rotation of the rod upon rotation of the roll about the rod. In other words, the roll of stock material preferably frictionally rotates relative to the rod 16 during pulling of the stock 15 material into the dunnage producing mechanism, in the embodiment illustrated.
While in the embodiment illustrated, the ~tock roll is mounted directly on the dunnage producing mechanism, it will be understood that the 20 roll of stock material could be mounted on a ~ separate support and fed into the mechanism 10 in .~ a manner known in the art.
The machine 10 in the embodiment illustrated, comprises a framework 24 including leg 25 portion3 24a for suppor~ing the framework 24 with respect to a ~upporting ~urface S (FIG~RE 1).
The framework 24 in the embodiment illu~trated, supports a longitudinally converging funnel-like member or chute 26 which chute form~ a 30 guide and ~upport for the webs of ~tock materi~l :

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a, b and c as they are drawn off the stock roll and are passed to a longitudinally elongated crumpler section 28 of the dunnage producing machine. In the embodiment illustrated, the chute 26 and the crumpler section 28 may be provided as a integral unit.
As the sheets or webs of stock material are drawn off ~rom the roll 12 of stock material, they are passed through the chute whereln ~he lateral edges of the sheets are caused to be rolled inwardly to form the pillow-like portions 29 (FIGVRE 3) of the produced dunnage product P, and the connecting mechanism 30 of the machine comprising meshed vertically arranged motor driven gear members 30a, 30b, secures the adjacent pillow-like portions together along the generally central portion of the pad~like product running lengthwise of the same, to form a pad-like dunnage product P which is adapted for us~ as cushioning packing and the like. Reference may had to aforementioned U.S.
patent 4,026,198, for a more detailed disclosure of the structural arrangement of a suitable connecting mechanism which in addition to connecting the lateral pillow-like portions to one another, moves the sheets of stock material from the supply roll through the machine and which also operates to emit the produced pad-like product out the exit end 31 of the machine.
Pusher mechanism 32 in the embodiment illustrated comprises a tubular framework of MLS/J

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genexally triangular shape in plan (FIGU~E 2~ and i8 supported in the chute 26 in relatively closely spaced relation to the bottom interior surface thereof by front and rear threacled rods 32a. Roda 32a S may be adju~table to provide for adjustment of the relative closeness of the pusher with respect to the confronting surface of the chute.
Mounted on the frame 24 downstream from the rotational mounting 22 of the stock roll 12 i9 a 10 ~eparating means 33 (FIGIJRE 1~. In the embodiment illu~trated ~eparating means 33 comprise~ a plurality of vertically spaced bar-like elements 33a, 33b, and 33c through which areadapted to pass the web~ of ~tock material from the ~tock roll 12, The ~eparator mechanism maintains the webs in separated condition prior to their being urged ba~k into generally juxtaposed condition at the pusher mechanism 32, the latter being down~tream ~ rom the preferably cylindrical separator rod~.
: 20 A powered cutter mechani~m 34 of conventional type and actuated, as Por in3tance by mean~ of a pneumatic motor unit 34a controlled by a ~ol~noid valve 34b (FIGURE 5) may be provided, for ; selecti~ely severing or cutting the pad-like product 25 being emitted from the machine, into selected lengths. 5uch cutter mechani~m i9 operated manually, preferably by the hands of a workman act~ating manual switchea Por controlling actuation of the cutter power unit 34a, a3 will be hereinafter :` 30 described in greater detail.

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Referring now p,articularly to FIGU~E 5, there i~ shown ~chematical~y a control system for controlling operation of the dunnage producing mechani~m. The ~y~tem is adapted for being plugged 5 into a conventional 115 volt A.C'. source of electrical power, and includes manual on-off overload switch 36, and al90 preferably rear cover interlock switch 38, which ensures that the mechanism 10 is operable only if acces~ cover 40 is in it~ "down" position, a~
10 lllu~trated.
Left and right m~nually actuated spring : loaded cut button switches 42, 44 are provided on table portion 46 of the mechanism, toge her with common spring loaded cut button switch 48 located 15 preferably generally centrally of the framework 24 at the exit end of the converter mechanism, for manual actuation of the aforementioned cutter device 34 by the operator. It will be seen that in order to actuate the solenoid valve 34b controlling ~: 20 the cutter motor unit 34a, both the common cut button Rwitch 48 and one or the other of the cut button switches 42, 44 must be actuated, which ~uppli8~ current to the solenoid valve 34b to cau~e actuation of the air cylinder 34a, and ~hus actuation 25 of the cutter device, thereby accompli~hing generally tran~verse seVeing of the produced dunnage product from the continuou~ strip thereof emitted from the ~: machine. Having a cut botton switch on both sides of the machine facilitates operation of ~he converter 30 by a workman from either side of the converter mechanism.

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Actuation of any of the button switche~ 42, 44 or 48 di3connects the reversible electric drive motor 50 which drives the connecting mean~ 30 o~ the converter mechanism, thus ensuring that the produced 5 product will be stationary relative to the converter mechani~m during the aforementioned ~evering operation.
In the embodiment illustrated, spring biased foot switch 52 is provided for furnishing a 10 manual operator control for actuation of electric motor 50, and thus actuation of the converter m0cha-ni~m. Actuation of the manual foot switch 52 by th~
machine operator cause energization of the drive motor 50, to cause the produced dunnage product to 15 be emitted from the exit end of the converter mecha-ni~m. Relea~e of the foot ~witch automatically disconnects the drive motor 50 from power, and cau~es the converter mechanism to stop emitting dunnage product if it i5 under manual control.
Motor 50 is preferably a reversible AC
; motor and include~ manual reversing switch 54 (FIGURES 3 and 5) for providing for rever~e actuation of the electric motor 50, whereby the strip of produced dunnage product can be reversed in its 25 direction of movement, and moved in the direction of the supply roll 12. Such an arrangement i~ con-venient in the event of a need to remove a "jam" in the converter mechanism in the production of the pad-like dunnage product.
Re~erring now particularly to FIGURES 5 and ''' ., .
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~ ~d 5 5 3~7 and 6, the control circuit illustrated includes a settable control module 58 which enables the machine opexator to selectively program the drive motor 50 for act~ation thexeof for a selected one period of 5 time of a predetermined plurality of periods of time, as provided by the control module 58, whereby the pad-like product will be automatically produced by the converter mechanism for the selected one period of time, without further monitoring, control or 10 over9eein9 on the part of t})e machine operator.
Such control module 58 in the embodiment illustrated compri~es a dial adjustable, length timer module which in the preferxèd embodiment has ~ix settable time periods ancl more particularly ~15 period3 of one second, ten seconds, one minute, :ten minutes, one hour and ten hours. Such time period~ are selected by turning the upper dial 58a to the selected time period (e.g. ten seconds) with the lower control dial 58b providing for varying 20 the range of the selected time period within the increments indicated on the low~ dial, thus controlling the period of time in which the timer module 58 will cause automatic energization of the drive motor 50 of the dunnage producing 25 converter mechanism. For instance, for the afore-mentioned selected time per.iod of ten seconds, rotation of lower dial 58b from the numerical ~etting 10 to the numerical setting 1 on the lower dial can change the selected time period from the 30 selected maximum of ten seconds down to a one second 3`7~;

period. The same hold~ true for the other selectable time periods whether it be minutes or hours, or one ~econd time ranges.
A suitable timer module is one known as a 32aA
5 length timer produced by Automatic Timing and Controls Company of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406. The mod-ule may be provided with an indicator light 58c which i~
activated when the time relay 58 is set to "on" condition and which, at the end of the timing period selected, i9 10 adapted to blink rapidly until the timer module i9 re~et, to indicate that the timing cycle controlled by the mod-ule 58 is completed. At th~ end oE the selected timing period, the timing relay 58 will automatically drop out and the timer goes back to the "before ~tart" condition.
Coupled to the timer module 58 is an on delay : timer 59 which will delay energization of the motor 50 for a predetermined short period of time (approximately one second) after the module is activated (as by moving switch 36 to "on" position), in order to provide for 20 giving the cutter 34 time to return to its home or in-; . active position prior to initiating actuation of the dri~e motor 50 of th~ dunnag~3 producin~ m0ch~niam. In other word~, the produced product is maintained station~
ary with respect to the mechanism during the cutting 25 operation and shortly thereafter when the timer module 58is in control of the activation of drive motor 50. A
preferred form of on delay timer is one known as model TH lA 410.7 S.S.A.C. Timer available from Jim Finnegan & Co. of Cleveland, Ohio.

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When the workman initiates a ~evering or cutting operation by actuating the common cut button 48 and one or the other of the auxiliary cut buttons 42 or 44, and the dunnage producing mechanism 5 is under the control of the automatic control circuit of the automatic timer module 58, the drive motor 50 will be deenergiæed. The severing operation by means of the cutter 34 will occur as aforedescribed while the produced dunnaqe product i5 stationary.
10 Upon relea~e of the selected cutter actuating cut buttons, the timer module 58 is delayed for approxi-mat~ly one second before it reenergizes drive motor 50 of the dunnage producing mechanism, thus giving the cutter apparatus 34 time to move from it~ active lS cutting or severing position back to its "home" or "inactive" po~ition. Reset button 60 and associated latch relay (FIGURES 3 and 5) is provided for prevent-ing inadvertent actuation of the converter drive motor 50 upon power reactivation thereof.
Anti-tie down and anti-repeat module 62 (FIGU~E 5) is provided in the control circuit for preventing immediate ree~ergization of the cutter mechanism 34 after completion of a cutting operation, and al90 preventing energization of the cutter mecha-25 nism if a machine operator attempts to by--pass the plural cutter button switch requirement by having some device mechanically hold one of the cutter button switches (e.g. common cutter switch 48) in its activated condition. E'or instance, if an 30 operator would force a nail or wood splinter into any of the cutter button switches to hold it in activated condition, module 62 would prevent ~:; ,. ' ' ' :: .

3~7 -~6-energization of the cutter ~olenoid 34b and thu~
pr~vent energi~ation of the cutter mechani~m 34.
The main cutter button ~witch 48 and one or other of the auxiliary cutter button ~witches thus havs to S be actuated wit~ acouple of seconds of one anothar or el~e the air solenoid 34b is inoperakle. Likewi~e, both cutter button ~witche~ have to be released before the solenoid can be actuated to initiate a subsequent cutting operation. Anti-tie down - anti-repeat 10 module 62 i5 a commercially available it~m obtainable from Nolatron, Inc. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and a suita~le one ha~ been found to be a module identified as No. 3370, For example, if a machine operator wi~he~
15 to program the dunnage producing mechani3m 10 for producing cushioning dunnage product for say approxi-mately ben minutes of time, he will ~et the range selector 5aa on module 58 at the time range of ten minutas, and he will then move the timer cantrol 20 ~nob 58b to ten on the ~nob ~cale. He then will actuate to'~n"the ~witch 36 whereby the electric motor 50 on the mechanism 10 will be energized ~ after the aforedi~cu~sed one second delay to : automatically cause production of the pad-lik~
: 25 dunnage product for a pexiod of approximately ten minute3. If tha operator 9et9 tha control ~no~ 58b on say for instance five on the ~cale instead of on ten, the production of the dunnage product will . occur for half the selected range pexiod or in 30 other word~ ~or approximately five minute~ (minu~

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the one ~econd delay). It will be seen therefore that the machine operator can select the xange of time period fox which he wi~hes the converter mecha-nism to automatically produce the pad-like dunna~e 5 product, and without any further monitorinq or control or overseeing of the machine. Th~ dunnage product i8 automatically produced for the selected period : of time and then the drive motor 50 i~ automatically deactivated to await the next programmed instruction~
10 by the machine operator. Or on the other hand, the machine operator can manually operate the converter mechanism by means for instance of the foot switch 52, and which will neces3itate continual activation of the foot 3witch until ~uch time as the desired 15 length of strip of pad-like dunnage product i9 produced by tha mechanism, whereupon relea~e of the pre~sure on the foot switch will automatlcally ~hut down the drive motor 50.
From the foregoing di~cussion and 20 accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the invention provides a dunnage converter mechani~m ~or producing relatively low den~ity pad-like cu~hioning dunnage product from flexible sheet-like stock material, and which mechani~m includes a 25 control circuit having a settable control means for ~electively providing for programming the electric drive motor of the mechani~m for automatic actuation thereof during a ~elected one period of time of a predetermined plurality of periods of 30 time, whereby the pad like dunnage product is :

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automatically produced by the converter mechanism or the selected one time period without any further action required on the part of a machine operator.
The invention al~o provides a mechani~m of 5 the latter type which includes cutter means for ~elective severing of the produced dunnage product into selected lengths, together with means for automatically interrupting actuation of the drive motor of the converter mechanism upon actuation of 10 the cuttex mea~s, whereby the cutting operation on the dunnage product occurs when the motor iB
deactivated and thus the dunnage product is stationary relative to the converter mechanism.
The terms and expressions which have been 15 u3ed are used as terms of description and not limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalent~ of any of the features shown or de3cribed, or portions thereof, and it is recognized 20 that variou~ modifications are possible within the cope of the invention claimed.
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Claims

1. In a mechanism for producing relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product in strip form from flexible sheet-like stock material comprising a support frame, means on said support frame for pulling sheet-like stock material from a supply roll thereof into said mechanism and causing inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material to form a pad-like product having lateral relatively resilient pillow-like sections and a central connecting section holding the pillow-like sections together in generally side-by-side relation and running generally lengthwise of the product, said means being also operable to emit the produced pad-like product from said mechanism, said means including an electric motor and settable control means operatively coupled to said motor and providing for selectively programming said motor for actu-ation thereof for a selected one period of time of a predetermined plurality of periods of time, whereby the pad-like product can be automatically produced by said mechanism for said selected one period without any further action on the part of a machine operator.

2. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 including powered cutter means for selective cutting of the produced dunnage product into selected lengths, manual control means for causing actu-ation of said cutter means to institute said cutting operation, and means automatically interrupting actuation of said motor upon acti-vation of said manual control means whereby said cutting operation on the dunnage product occurs when said motor is deactivated and thus the dunnage product is stationary relative to said mechanism.

3. A mechanism in accordance with claim 2 wherein said motor is a reversible motor and including manual control means for causing reverse actu-ation of said motor whereby the stock product produced in said mechanism is movable relative to said mechanism is the direction of the supply roll.

4, A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plurality of periods of time of said settable control means includes seconds, minutes and hours, and means for selecting ranges of said selected one period of time.

5. A mechanism in accordance with claim 2 wherein said settable control means includes means for delaying reenergization of said motor for a predetermined period of time after a cutting operation in order to give said cutter means adequate time to return to its home position prior to initiating actuation of said motor.

6. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first mentioned means includes a pair of generally vertically oriented rotatable method gear-like members adapted for powered rotation about generally horizontally oriented axes, the stock material being adapted to be received between the bite of said gear-like members for accomplishing said pulling of said stock material into said mechanism and for forming said central connecting section on the produced product.

7. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein the stock roll comprises a multi-ply roll of superimposed sheets, and including separating means on said support frame upstream from the first mentioned means for separating the sheets of stock material as the latter move from the stock roll toward said first mentioned means.

8. A mechanism in accordance with claim 7 wherein said separating means comprises elongated transversely extending generally vertically spaced bar-like members about which a respective sheet of the stock material is adapted to pass in generally sliding relationship.

9. A mechanism in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first mentioned means includes a forming frame disposed downstream from said separating means, said forming frame being adapted to slid-ingly engage with and to press against the sheet-like stock material as it travels from the stock roll into said mechanism.

10. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for causing inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material includes a longitudinally converging funnel including a widened entrance end and a relatively narrower exit end.

11. In a mechanism for producing relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product in strip form from flexible sheet-like stock material such as paper, comprising a support frame, means on said support frame for pulling sheet-like stock material from a supply roll thereof into said mechanism and causing inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material to form a pad-like product having lateral relatively resilient pillow-like sections and a central connecting section holding the pillow-like sections together in generally side-by-side relation and running generally lengthwise of the product, said means being also operable to emit the produced pad-like product from said mechanism, said means including an electric motor for powering said mechanism, and a control circuit for controlling operation of said motor, said circuit including a settable control module providing for selectively programming said motor for actuation thereof for a selected one period of time of a plurality of periods of time, whereby the pad-like product can be automatically produced by said mechanism for said selected one period without any further required action on the part of a machine operator, said control circuit including manual control means operative to deactivate said control module and provide for manually controlling operation of said motor.

12. A mechanism in accordance with claim 11 including powered cutter means on said frame for selective severing of the produced dunnage product into selected lengths, said cutter means being movable from an inactive position to an active cutting position and return to said inactive position, said circuit including control means for controlling the actuation of said cutter means, the last mentioned control means including manual switch means for instituting actuation of said cutter means, said manual switch means including means which upon actu-ation of said switch means automatically interrupts actuation of said motor whereby the severing operation on the dunnage product can occur only when said motor is deactivated and thus the dunnage product is stationary relative to said frame.

13. A mechanism in accordance with claim 12 wherein said plurality of periods of time of said control module includes seconds, minutes and hours, and including means for selecting ranges of each said selected one period of time.

14. A mechanism in accordance with claim 13 including timer means coacting with said control module providing for delaying reenergization of said motor for a predetermined time period after said severing operation in order to give said cutter means adequate time to return to its inactive position prior to initiating actuation of said motor.