Thomas A Bilkie

8419606, Apr 16, 2013

Jun 8, 2010

12/796112

Daniel L. Carlson - Ravenna OH, US
Donald A. Gorg - Mentor OH, US
Thomas A. Bilkie - Medina OH, US

Ranpak Corp. - Concord Township OH

B31B 1/00

493464, 493352, 493407, 493967

A compact dunnage conversion machine includes a converging chute with a restricted inlet, a powered feed assembly with a sealed gearbox, a plurality of interchangeable power supplies, and a restricted outlet chute. The converter can convert a sheet stock material into dunnage for use in packaging one or more objects in a container. The restricted inlet and outlet make it more difficult for foreign objects to enter the converter and disrupt the conversion process. The sealed gearbox interposed between the driving elements of the feed assembly and an electric motor facilitates maintenance and repair of the feed assembly, while also protecting the gears therein. Finally, the power supplies provide electrical power to the motor and can include an electrical storage device, such as a battery, or an alternating-current-to-direct-current converter which is connectable to a source of electricity for supplying that electricity to the motor in an acceptable form.

20070287623, Dec 13, 2007

Jun 11, 2007

11/761099

Daniel L. Carlson - Ravenna OH, US
Donald A. Gorg - Mentor OH, US
Thomas A. Bilkie - Medina OH, US

B31B 1/00

493464

A compact dunnage conversion machine includes a converging chute with a restricted inlet, a powered feed assembly with a sealed gearbox, a plurality of interchangeable power supplies, and a restricted outlet chute. The converter can convert a sheet stock material into dunnage for use in packaging one or more objects in a container. The restricted inlet and outlet make it more difficult for foreign objects to enter the converter and disrupt the conversion process. The sealed gearbox interposed between the driving elements of the feed assembly and an electric motor facilitates maintenance and repair of the feed assembly, while also protecting the gears therein. Finally, the power supplies provide electrical power to the motor and can include an electrical storage device, such as a battery, or an alternating-current-to-direct-current converter which is connectable to a source of electricity for supplying that electricity to the motor in an acceptable form.

20080098699, May 1, 2008

Nov 7, 2005

11/718723

Robert C. Cheich - Independence OH, US
David V. Murphy - Painesville Twp OH, US
Harry H. Lu - Mentor OH, US
Kevin W. Park - Chardon OH, US
Thomas A. Bilkie Jr. - Medina OH, US

RANPAK CORP. - Concord Township OH

B65B 55/20

53472, 53238

A system () for automatically dispensing a strip of dunnage to a container () includes a dispenser () having an outlet () from which the dispenser can feed a length of a strip of dunnage lengthwise, a container support () for supporting a container () thereon, and a pusher device () at the outlet () for pushing, more particularly propelling, a trailing end of the strip of dunnage from the outlet () toward the container support (). The outlet () is aligned with the container support (). Thus the outlet () is positioned relative to a container () such that the strip will curl or fold back and forth upon itself within the confines of the container () as it is being fed from the outlet (). A container closer ( and ) automatically closes the flaps ( and ) of the container ().

20080141625, Jun 19, 2008

Aug 21, 2006

12/063709

Thomas A. Bilkie - Medina OH, US

RANPAK CORP. - Concord Township OH

B65B 57/00

53396, 53 55, 53508, 53 51

A packaging system (), and associated components and methodology, that provides for automatic detection of a full, overfull, closed or partially closed container, even when mixed with other containers. An exemplary packaging method includes the following steps: (a.) determining the dimensions of a container; (b.) detecting a height of the container and its contents in one or more locations within a scan area of an open side of the container; (c.) comparing the detected height of the container and/or its contents to pre-specified criteria; and (d.) when the detected height exceeds the pre-specified criteria, generating a signal that indicates that the scan area includes a height that exceeds the pre-specified criteria.

20090173040, Jul 9, 2009

Apr 10, 2007

12/296726

Daniel L. Carlson - Ravenna OH, US
Thomas A. Bilkie - Medina OH, US

RANPAK CORP. - Concord Township OH

B65B 5/10
B65B 3/30
B65B 5/00

53250, 53503, 53475

A system, and associated components and methodology, that automatically acquires data representative of the space left in each of a series of containers () in which one or more articles have been placed for packaging, and dispenses a controlled amount of dunnage material based on that data from a selected one of a plurality of dunnage dispensers (). The system includes void volume data acquisition apparatus () for acquiring void volume data for the containers sequentially supplied thereto and for associating the sequentially acquired void volume data with the container. The system also includes a plurality of dunnage dispensers remotely located relative to the void volume data acquisition apparatus to dispense a controlled amount of dunnage material for insertion into one of the containers selectively transported to that dispenser from the void volume data acquisition apparatus.

20130196839, Aug 1, 2013

Mar 15, 2013

13/832044

Donald A. Gorg - Mentor OH, US
Thomas A. Bilkie - Medina OH, US

RANPAK CORP. - Concord Township OH

B31D 5/00

493464

A compact dunnage conversion machine includes a converging chute with a restricted inlet, a powered feed assembly with a sealed gearbox, a plurality of interchangeable power supplies, and a restricted outlet chute. The converter can convert a sheet stock material into dunnage for use in packaging one or more objects in a container. The restricted inlet and outlet make it more difficult for foreign objects to enter the converter and disrupt the conversion process. The sealed gearbox interposed between the driving elements of the feed assembly and an electric motor facilitates maintenance and repair of the feed assembly, while also protecting the gears therein. Finally, the power supplies provide electrical power to the motor and can include an electrical storage device, such as a battery, or an alternating-current-to-direct-current converter which is connectable to a source of electricity for supplying that electricity to the motor in an acceptable form.

20190176431, Jun 13, 2019

Feb 15, 2019

16/276836

- Concord Township OH, US
Donald A. Gorg - Florence SC, US
Thomas A. Bilkie - Medina OH, US

B31D 5/00

A compact dunnage conversion machine includes a converging chute with a restricted inlet, a powered feed assembly with a sealed gearbox, a plurality of interchangeable power supplies, and a restricted outlet chute. The converter can convert a sheet stock material into dunnage for use in packaging one or more objects in a container. The restricted inlet and outlet make it more difficult for foreign objects to enter the converter and disrupt the conversion process. The sealed gearbox interposed between the driving elements of the feed assembly and an electric motor facilitates maintenance and repair of the feed assembly, while also protecting the gears therein. Finally, the power supplies provide electrical power to the motor and can include an electrical storage device, such as a battery, or an alternating-current-to-direct-current converter which is connectable to a source of electricity for supplying that electricity to the motor in an acceptable form.