Abstract: A bottling apparatus has a frame having a horizontally extending upper portion and a horizontally extending lower portion separated from the upper portion by an open space and an endless conveyor element on the frame having a horizontal lower stretch in the frame lower portion, an upper stretch above the space in the frame upper portion, and upstream and downstream upright stretches extending between and interconnecting upstream and downstream ends of the upper and lower stretches. A drive advances the element continuously in a horizontal transport direction in the lower stretch. A plurality of holders secured to the element each form a transverse row of seats adapted to fit snugly around necks of respective bottles which are loaded into the holders at the upstream end of the lower stretch with mouths of the bottles open upward into the space and the bottles hanging by their necks from the lower stretch.

Abstract: This invention relates to a single-piece carrier for unitizing a plurality of containers with a retainer sheet integrated with a film sleeve. The retainer sheet may comprise a thicker material than the film sleeve. The retainer sheet comprises a plurality of container receiving openings for engaging a top portion of each container while the film sleeve surrounds the plurality of containers. Packages may comprise one or more layers of containers within the film sleeve.