Abstract: An apertured plastics film (100,110) for holding containers together to form a unitised carrier package, includes apertures (101) for respectively holding a single container wherein internal edge portions of each aperture form tab elements (102-105) for contacting the container when positioned within an aperture, and engaging with a beading of the container, and has a plastics cover sheet (120) applied to the apertured plastics film (100,110) and covering the apertures, wherein the plastics cover sheet (120) is attached to the apertured plastics film at least at edge portions of the apertured plastics film or edges of the apertures, and wherein a portion of the cover material (120) is deformed locally at each aperture to effect localised expansion by a former (146,151) before the apertured plastics film is applied to the containers.

Abstract: Items (30) are unitised into a package (31) by applying an apertured member (1) to an array of items (30) using a roller. The apertured member (1) has a series of apertures (2) each accommodating an item (30) within edge portions (10), with inter web portions (6) between the apertures (2). A release member (3) is attached at one edge (4) of the apertured member (1) for interacting with the inter web portions (6) to sequentially release items (30) from the package (31) without disturbing the array of items (30). The package can be used as a carrier for depositing items (30) directly to stock shelving or vending machines quickly by a single linear pull action upon the release member (3) first releasing the array of items to the shelving or vending machine and finally removing the apertured plastics carrier.

Abstract: A container packaging system for containers applies an apertured plastics film carrier stock to substantially identical containers such as beverage cans having annular chimes, cylindrical side walls, and frusto-conical walls between the chimes and the side walls. The carrier stock has shaped apertures to securely retain drinks cans, food cans, bottles and similar containers, as a multi-pack unit. The carrier stock is rolled onto suitably juxtaposed containers engaging a tabbed aperture edge portion progressively from above to below the upper edge of the respective containers to be multi-packed and assumes a waveform 3D conformation to unitise the containers. The rolling method contrasts prior stretch application methods and enables cheaper and thinner carrier stock to be used.