US 11,731,849 B2
Spindle mechanism for protective packaging device
George T. Bertram, Southbury, CT (US); and Douglas Walker, Hamden, CT (US)
Assigned to Pregis Intellipack LLC, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC, Deerfield, IL (US)
Filed on Apr. 22, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/391,026.
Application 16/391,026 is a continuation of application No. 13/223,123, filed on Aug. 31, 2011, granted, now 10,266,361.
Prior Publication US 2019/0270607 A1, Sep. 5, 2019
Int. Cl. B65H 23/182 (2006.01); B65H 75/18 (2006.01); B65H 75/30 (2006.01); B65H 19/12 (2006.01); B65H 23/06 (2006.01); B65H 16/10 (2006.01); B65H 23/185 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 23/182 (2013.01) [B65H 19/126 (2013.01); B65H 75/185 (2013.01); B65H 75/30 (2013.01); B65H 16/103 (2013.01); B65H 19/123 (2013.01); B65H 23/063 (2013.01); B65H 23/066 (2013.01); B65H 23/185 (2013.01); B65H 2402/51 (2013.01); B65H 2701/11234 (2013.01); B65H 2801/63 (2013.01); Y10T 156/10 (2015.01); Y10T 156/17 (2015.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A protective packaging device, comprising:
a filling mechanism configured for filling a space between plies of a web with a substance;
a sealing mechanism configured for sealing the filled plies to retain the substance therebetween;
a supply unit including:
a roll core and the web provided as a roll thereon, which roll core includes:
a roll core mechanical coupling portion including a plurality of roll core engagement features comprising teeth or splines spaced around an inner diameter thereof, and
a roll core magnetic coupling portion; and
a web handling system including:
a base portion,
a spindle extending from the base portion and configured for receiving the roll core thereon, the spindle being further configured to rotate about a horizontally-oriented axis extending in an axial direction of the spindle, the spindle including:
 a first end portion adjacent the base portion;
 a freestanding second end portion;
 a spindle mechanical coupling portion located at the first end portion of the spindle and including a plurality of spindle engagement features comprising teeth or splines spaced around the spindle mechanical coupling portion and extending in the axial direction of the spindle between a first and a second axial position, wherein the teeth or splines of the spindle mechanical coupling portion and the teeth or splines of the roll core mechanical coupling portion mate with each other to transmit torque between the spindle and the roll core,
 a spindle magnetic coupling portion located at the first end portion of the spindle and on the spindle mechanical coupling portion, the spindle magnetic coupling portion comprising at least one magnet positioned, at least in part, at the first axial position and radially outward of the teeth or splines, the spindle magnetic coupling portion being configured to magnetically attract the roll core magnetic coupling portion in a horizontal direction to maintain the mating of the teeth or splines of the spindle mechanical coupling portion and the teeth or splines of the roll core mechanical coupling portion when the roll core is received on the spindle, and
 a spindle biasing element rotationally coupled to the spindle mechanical coupling portion to thereby brake the rotation of the supply unit via the mating of the teeth or splines of the spindle mechanical coupling portion and the teeth or splines of the roll core mechanical coupling portion and configured for rotationally biasing the roll core against an unwinding of the web therefrom to apply tension to the web being pulled from the supply unit.