Abstract: A container for shipping household appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and the like comprises six separate pieces. The pieces include a top cap, a separate bottom support which may also be in the form of a cap and four separate corner posts which form the package the appliance is placed on or within the bottom support or cap. The four corner posts are then placed on the four corners of the appliance and the top cap is then placed over the appliance and the four corner posts. Two tensile straps are then fastened around the package. Each tensile strap passes around the top and bottom and along two of the corner posts. Optionally, where the package is of the BASILOID flange type a third strap may be passed horizontally around the top to provide the support for that flange.

Abstract: The blank produces a box having on at least one of its sides, near its upper portion, a hand grasping aperture substantially vertically centered with respect to the side. Between the aperture of at least one side and the top edge of this side, on the innermost ply of the fibreboard, a load diffusing reinforcing band extends along the sides, thereby defining an endless circumferential band enabling diffusion of the load and tear prevention of the box, and particularly on portions having critical stress points. Between the aperture of at least one side and the top edge of this side, on one of the plies of the fibreboard, but away from the innermost ply and not adjacent thereto, vis-a-vis the load diffusing reinforcing band, a constraining reinforcing band extends along the sides thereby defining an endless circumferential band constraining the sides of the box and strengthening the fibreboard above the hand grasping aperture and its vicinity.

Abstract: Access to the handle or hand hole in the central partition of a beer box or the like is provided by means of an access flap formed from a top panel and positioned adjacent to but on one side of the partition panel, a first fold line connects a main panel to three spaced part connecting panels each of which is foldably connected to a top panel of the box by aligned connecting fold lines parallel to the first fold line. Tabs extend from the top panel between each pair of adjacent connecting panels to the first fold line. These tabs are positioned immediately over a pair of adjacent bottles and extend beyond the top of the bottles toward the partition by an amount sufficient to permit the main panel and connecting panels to move into the box by folding about the connecting fold lines. The movement of the main panel is limited by engagement of the main panel with the bottles or the caps on the bottles so that the main panel remains in position to protect the hand from engaging the tops of the bottles.