Abstract: A reinforced planar carrier is provided which can carry, for example, four 2-liter bottles, without significantly bending. The carrier is made from a one piece paperboard blank having a machine direction. It has a center line, a pair of side edges, and a pair of end edges. The carrier includes a top ply and a bottom ply joined together along a hinge line which extends generally perpendicularly to the machine direction of the paperboard and defines one of said carrier's end edges. Finger holes are formed on opposite sides of the carrier centerline, approximately midway between the end edges of the carrier. The finger holes are positioned such that the carrier is lifted at points near the load. The finger holes are elongate. A tab from the top ply finger hole extends through the bottom ply finger hole when the carrier is lifted to define a rib extending generally parallel to the machine direction of the paperboard.

Abstract: A paperboard carrier is provided. The carrier includes a two ply top panel, side walls, and a bottom panel. Apertures in the top and bottom panels allow for the carrier to be applied to a set of bottles. Tabs are formed in the top panel to support the bottles in the carrier. The carrier is provided with many different features, including a tongue which extends upwardly from the edge of the bottom panel apertures. The tongues engage the underside of the top panel to help prevent racking of the carrier relative to the bottles and to help space the top and bottom panels apart. The base of the tabs in the top panel top ply define a circle greater in diameter than the top panel bottom ply apertures, and the tabs engage the bottle at an angle of less than 45°. The tabs surrounding the top panel aperture can be of varying lengths. End panels are provided. The end panels are held substantially perpendicular to the top, bottom, and side panels by locking panels.

Abstract: A multi-pack carrier for holding a plurality of bottles includes a top panel, side panels depending from the top panel, and a bottom panel. The top panel has at least a top ply, a middle ply, and a bottom ply. The top ply includes a plurality of apertures with a plurality slits radiating outwardly from an edge of the each of the apertures to define a plurality of top ply tabs around the top ply apertures. The top ply apertures having a diameter less than a diameter of the bottle where the carrier intersects the bottle when a bottle is placed in the carrier so that the top ply tabs will be angled upwardly to engage the take-out bead of the bottle. The second ply has a plurality of apertures substantially coaxial with the top-ply apertures and a plurality of slits radiating outwardly from the second ply apertures defining a plurality of second ply tabs.

Abstract: A carrier for holding and transporting a plurality of bottles includes a top panel, a bottom panel, and two side panels extending between said top and bottom panels to form a sleeve through which the bottles extend. When the carrier is formed to carry six or more bottles, the top panel has at least two rows of outboard apertures which are adapted to receive the bottles to engage the bottles to retain the bottles in the carrier. The bottom panel extends between the side panels and also includes at least two rows of outboard surrounding apertures which are aligned with, but radially offset from the outboard apertures of the top panel, such that the centers of the bottom panel outboard apertures are closer to the side panels than are the outboard apertures of the top panel. If the carrier includes inboard apertures in the top and bottom panel, the inboard apertures of the top and bottom panel are preferably concentric with each other.

Abstract: A box-top carrier includes a top panel, a bottom panel spaced from the top panel, and two side panels extending between the top and bottom panels. The carrier is provided with a release mechanism to facilitate removal of bottles from the carrier. The top panel has apertures through which the bottle necks extend and a plurality of slits extending from an edge of the apertures to define a plurality of tabs around the apertures. The bottom panel has a plurality of apertures which are generally concentric with the top panel apertures. The top and bottom panel apertures are formed in an array having at least two columns of at least two spaced apart rows. The release mechanism includes pairs of tear lines in the top panel extending from the edges of the top panel to slits of the top panel apertures. The pairs of tear lines include two spaced apart tear lines which define tear strips extending between the top panel apertures.