Slit sheet material dispensing pad

Abstract

A pad of a plurality of sheets of expandable slit paper is provided in which the paper expands in thickness when stretched to form expanded cells, wherein the sheets of expandable slit paper are bound together along a single edge and otherwise unbound together. In some embodiments, sheets of slit sheet material are removable for use of the slit sheet material for packing items or the like with the slit sheet material in an expanded state.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method of manually expanding an expandable slit sheet paper without an expansion device, comprising:
 a) providing a manually expandable slit sheet paper product for manual expansion of expandable slit sheet paper without an expansion device, comprising:   an expandable slit sheet paper that is configured to expand when stretched to form expanded cells;   said expandable slit sheet paper being rolled into a generally cylindrical roll of expandable slit sheet paper; and   wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is manually expandable without an expansion device by having a user manual grasp and pull a distal end of said expandable slit sheet paper with respect to said expandable slit sheet paper product;   b) having a user manually grasp the expandable slit sheet paper while said product is independent and free from any expansion device, and   c) having the user manually pull the expandable slit sheet paper to cause the sheet to expand and form a plurality of expanded cells without a separate expansion device.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further including providing said manually expandable slit sheet paper product with a support that supports the expandable slit sheet paper. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the support is made of paper board, cardboard or chip board. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said support is stiff or rigid. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising having a user manually grasp the expandable slit sheet paper and manually pull a distal portion of the sheet away from the support to cause said distal portion of said sheet to expand and form a plurality of expanded cells. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further including having the user manually separate the expanded expandable slit sheet paper. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , further including having the user manually wrap the expanded expandable slit sheet paper around an item or object. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the expandable slit sheet paper is provided as a Kraft paper in the range from about 40 #to 60 #. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the expandable slit sheet paper has a slit pattern in the range from of approximately 0.45″ slit length, 0.17″ land length between ends of slits, and 0.11″ row width between slits to approximately 0.40″ slit length, 0.15″ land length between ends of slits, and 0.1000″ row width between slits. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the slit sheet paper has a slit pattern with slits having a length of 0.50″ or less. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said expandable slit paper is an extensible paper having an extensibility, in an unslit condition, in a machine direction of at least 5%. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said expandable slit paper is an extensible paper having an extensibility, in an unslit condition, in a cross direction of at least 5%. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said expandable slit paper is an extensible paper having an extensibility, in an unslit condition, in a cross direction of at least 5%. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 32 , further including having the user wrap the expanded sheet around an item. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , further including having the user place the wrapped item within a package or box. 
     
     
         47 . A manually expandable slit sheet paper product for manual expansion of expandable slit sheet paper without an expansion device, comprising:
 an expandable slit sheet paper that is configured to expand in thickness when stretched to form expanded cells;   said expandable slit sheet paper being rolled into a generally cylindrical roll of expandable slit sheet paper;   said expandable slit sheet paper being sized for ergonomic manual manipulation with a width in a cross direction of said expandable slit sheet paper of between 4 inches and 15.25 inches; and   wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is manually expandable without an expansion device by having a user manual grasp and pull a distal end of said expandable slit sheet paper with respect to said expandable slit sheet paper product.   
     
     
         48 . A manually expandable slit sheet paper product for manual expansion of expandable slit sheet paper without an expansion device, comprising:
 an expandable slit sheet paper that is configured to expand in thickness when stretched to form expanded cells;   said expandable slit sheet paper being rolled into a generally cylindrical roll of expandable slit sheet paper; and   wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is manually expandable without an expansion device by having a user manual grasp and pull a distal end of said expandable slit sheet paper with respect to said expandable slit sheet paper product.   
     
     
         49 . The product according to  claim 47 , wherein the product includes a support that supports the expandable slit sheet paper. 
     
     
         50 . The product according to  claim 49 , wherein the support is made with paper board, cardboard or chipboard. 
     
     
         51 . The product according to  claim 49 , where the support is stiff or rigid. 
     
     
         52 . The product according to  claim 48 , wherein the slit sheet paper is a Kraft paper in the range from about 40 #to 60 #. 
     
     
         53 . The product according to  claim 48 , wherein the slit sheet paper has a slit pattern in the range from of approximately 0.45″ slit length, 0.17″ land length between ends of slits, and 0.11″ row width between slits to approximately 0.40″ slit length, 0.15″ land length between ends of slits, and 0.1000″ row width between slits. 
     
     
         54 . The product according to  claim 48 , wherein the slit sheet paper has a slit pattern with slits each having a length of 0.50″ or less. 
     
     
         55 . The product according to  claim 48 , wherein said expandable slit paper is an extensible paper having an extensibility, in an unslit condition, in a machine direction of at least 5%. 
     
     
         56 . The product according to  claim 48 , wherein said expandable slit paper is an extensible paper having an extensibility, in an unslit condition, in a cross direction of at least 5%. 
     
     
         57 . The product according to  claim 55 , wherein said expandable slit paper is an extensible paper having an extensibility, in an unslit condition, in a cross direction of at least 5%. 
     
     
         58 . The product of  claim 49 , wherein said support is fixed to an end the extendable slit sheet paper, said support having a length in a cross direction that extends across the entire width of said extendable slit sheet paper and having a width in a machine direction that is substantially narrower than said length in the cross direction. 
     
     
         59 . The product of  claim 58 , wherein said length of said support is substantially equal to the width of said extendable slit sheet paper. 
     
     
         60 . The product of  claim 49 , wherein said extendable slit sheet paper is rolled around said support. 
     
     
         61 . The product of  claim 60 , wherein said support is a fixture ( 400 ) that is fixed to said end of the extendable slit sheet paper. 
     
     
         62 . The product of  claim 48 , wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is removably supported upon a support member made of cardboard, paperboard or chipboard. 
     
     
         63 . The product of  claim 62 , wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is adhered to said support member. 
     
     
         64 . The product of  claim 62 , wherein one end of said expandable slit sheet paper is connected to said support member employing an adhesive. 
     
     
         65 . The product of  claim 62 , wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is attached to said support member at a proximal end of said expandable slit sheet paper. 
     
     
         66 . The product of  claim 62 , wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is attached to said support member at only a proximal end of said expandable slit sheet paper. 
     
     
         67 . The product of  claim 62 , wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is attached to said support member at only a proximal end of said expandable slit sheet paper while a side of said expandable slit sheet paper contacts a surface of said support member. 
     
     
         68 . The product of  claim 67 , wherein said side of said expandable slit sheet paper contacts said surface of said support member but is unattached and expandable along the region of said side such that substantially the entire length of said expandable slit sheet paper is expandable. 
     
     
         69 . The product of  claim 62 , wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is adhered to said support member at a proximal end of said expandable slit sheet paper and wherein the expandable slit sheet paper is manually separatable from said support member such that the entire expandable slit sheet paper can be employed for wrapping. 
     
     
         70 . The product of  claim 62 , wherein said expandable slit sheet paper is adhered to said support member at a proximal end of said expandable slit sheet paper employing a releasable adhesive such that the expandable slit sheet paper is manually releasable from said support member upon applying sufficient manual force so that the entire expandable slit sheet paper can be employed for wrapping. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said roll is held in place by a band that surrounds said roll. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein said band surrounds said roll for storage in roll form. 
     
     
         73 . The product of  claim 47 , wherein said roll is held in place by a band that surrounds said roll. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein said band surrounds said roll for storage in roll form. 
     
     
         75 . The product of  claim 48 , wherein said roll is held in place by a band that surrounds said roll. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 75 , wherein said band surrounds said roll for storage in roll form.