Abstract: Method and apparatus are described for making cushioned shipping packet bags. A pocket within the cushioned bag is defined between two resilient, lightweight, flexible cushioning layers of polypropylene microfoam material which advantageously exhibits a relatively "non-slip" frictional gripping action on the item or items contained within the sealed packet bag. The cushioned bag is produced on a continuous motion machine having capability for adjusting the length and width of the cushioned bags produced. Two packages can be simultaneously produced end-to-end when their combined lengths do not exceed the overall width of the machine. To enable the protective outer kraft paper layers of the bag to be sealed together in spite of the intervening polypropylene material, this material is burned away from between the outer layers during the heat sealing of a polyethylene coating on the inner surfaces of the kraft paper enclosure by heat energy conducted through the kraft paper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for forming a stack of neatly aligned sheets of microfoam plastic material from a web of microfoam material. The method and apparatus provide for supplying the web of material to a cutting station and transporting an edge of the material a predetermined distance beyond the cutting station, restraining motion of the web and captivating it at a location adjacent to the cutting station, and cutting the web in a transverse direction. The web advancement, restraint and captivation, and cutting are repeated until a predetermined number of sheets of the material have been accumulated in a stack. The stack is then released from captivation and is conveyed from the cutting station.

Abstract: Large diameter long rolls of soft, spongy resilient material, for example, such as "microfoam" padding and packaging material which are to be cut into narrower sub-rolls are positioned in a support frame having means for restricting the rotational movement of the roll in one direction in the frame. A long knife blade and its reciprocating drive are positioned on the frame and with the knife blade being initially tangentially disposed with respect to the periphery of the roll. The reciprocating drive is positioned for reciprocally driving and incrementally advancing the knife blade inward with the knife blade rotating the roll on the push stroke of the blade while cutting and advancing inward along an arc on the pull stroke of the reciprocating drive.

Abstract: Two webs of different widths of microfoam are fed from web rolls by a continuously driven roller and a pinch roller through a heated-wire cutting station. At the cutting station, a single cutting wire extends across the path of both webs; a single set of clamping plates is also provided. The feed of the webs may be alternately interrupted by a clamping device which includes a pivotal clamp support that can be swung in a rocking motion back and forth about its pivot axis. A pair of U-shaped channels located on either side of the support pivot axis extend across the width of both webs and can be swung respectively toward and away from the webs. Removable clamping segments are fitted into a portion of each U-shaped channel to define adjustable length clamping elements which extend across the widths of respective webs for accommodating various sizes of webs. By swinging the clamp support between two positions, the clamping device alternately clamps one or the other web against a fixed clamp bar.