Abstract: A carton having a dispensing feature adapted for permitting the removal of articles from within the carton. To erect the carton, a plurality of panels are connected together to define an end of the carton. At least one removable portion is provided in the erected carton and is defined by an endless tear line. The endless tear line includes multiple portions defined in the top wall, one side wall, and end flaps extending from the top wall and the one side wall.

Abstract: A tubular carton and blank for forming the carton includes a top, base and a pair of side walls. At least one of the side walls includes a displaceable zone arranged to protrude out of the plane of the one side wall. The displaceable zone includes connected sections each occupying a different plane to a next adjacent section.

Abstract: A carton and blank for forming a carton of the top gripping type for accommodating a plurality of containers. The carton is tubular in structure and has top and base spaced, opposed panels. The base panel has apertures each for receiving a container. The base panel also has a foldable retaining tab hingedly connected thereto for operatively engaging part of the respective container. The carton also has a retaining structure depending from the top panel. The retaining structure comprises an engagement panel with an engaging edge to engage at least one of the containers.

Abstract: A selection apparatus for grouping articles in predetermined quantities from a moving stream of articles. The apparatus includes a horizontal rotating plate with three equally spaced arms and a lug assembly attached to an end of each arm. The plate rotates at a repeating velocity pattern enabling a lug assembly to be inserted between articles from the moving stream and a group of selected articles to be separated by a predetermined acceleration of the lug assembly.

Abstract: A package includes an article group formed of two or more vertically arranged tiers of similarly dimensioned, cylindrical articles disposed on their sides in a side-by-side parallel fashion, and a carton disposed around the group. The carton includes a top wall, opposed side walls, an end wall and an article dispenser. The side walls are disposed alongside the ends of the articles while the end wall is disposed adjacent to the side wall of an endmost article. The dispenser includes a corner portion of the carton formed from and detachably connected to the top, side and end walls to define an opening upon removal of the corner portion. The opening is shaped to define a recess in the end wall to reveal a part of the endmost article in the lowermost tier.

Abstract: A carton of the wrap-around type has a pair of overlapped base panels. One of the base panels which carries a locking tab overlies a tongue protruding from the end edge of the other base panel. The protruding tongue is formed with a complementary locking aperture engaged by the locking tab to secure the overlapped panels together. On either side of the locking tab, the said one base panel has a hinged tab protruding from the end edge of that panel. Each of the hinged tabs underlies the end edge of the other base panel, one on each side of the protruding tongue. This ‘over and under’ arrangement presents less of an externally overlapped edge than is the case of a simple complete overlap and thus mitigates against the base panels being skewed or prized apart leading to tearing and/or dislodgement of the locking means.

Abstract: A carton and a blank for forming a carton including a tray portion with an open top and a cover connected to the tray portion to close the top of the tray portion. The tray portion has a pair of opposed end walls each having a hand aperture, and the cover has a pair of end flaps disposed internally of the end walls of the tray portion. Another aspect of the invention also covers a package including a carton referred to above and a collapsible carrier retained within the carton.

Abstract: The wrap-around carrier of the invention includes opposed side panels hingedly connected to a top panel and to a pair of bottom flaps. An end retention structure is connected to at least one of the side panels and to the adjacent one of the bottom flaps. The end retention structure includes an anchor panel hingedly connected to an end edge of the one side panel and disposed in a face-contacting relationship with the inside surface of the one side panel, a gusset panel hingedly connected to the anchor panel and extending toward the adjacent end opening of the carrier, and an end panel hingedly connected to the gusset panel and disposed to engage the adjacent end article packaged in the carrier to prevent it from dislodging form the carrier. The end retention structure further includes a relief panel that hingedly interconnects the end panel with the one bottom flap. The relief panel is disposed in the plane of the one bottom flap when the carrier is in an erected condition.

Abstract: An article carrier and a blank for forming an article carrier, for holding one or more articles, for example foodstuff or the like, including a base panel, a pair of outwardly sloping side wall panels hingedly connected to the base panel and one or more inwardly sloping end wall panels hingedly connected to the base panel.

Abstract: A carton includes a top wall, a pair of opposed side walls connected to the side edges of the top wall, an end wall interconnecting the side walls and an article dispenser for dispensing articles from the carton. The dispenser includes a detachable portion of the carton formed at least from the side and end walls. The detachable portion is connected at least to the side and end walls by a detachable connection to be detached from the carton to define an opening for exposing at least an endmost article for removal. At least one of the side walls comprises a tear initiation arrangement for facilitating a user's cross-tearing motion for detaching the detachable portion along the detachable connection. The detachable connection of the detachable portion comprises a frangible line of joinder for defining an edge of the opening. The frangible line extends from the tear initiation arrangement into at least the end wall.

Abstract: A wraparound carton comprises wall panels hingedly interconnected in series, wherein the wall panels include a pair of base wall panels at the opposite end of the blank. One of the base wall panels is connected to an adjacent wall panel through a beam forming portion that includes a bracket panel hingedly connected to the one base wall panel and a pair of support panels both connected to the bracket panel and extending to the adjacent wall panel.

Abstract: A carton and blank having a tear line comprising a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows. There is also provided a carton and blank for forming a carton having a wall provided with a tear open feature which comprises a tear initiating tab formed in the wall and at least three tear lines extending from the tear initiating tab toward the perimeter of the wall, wherein each tear line comprises a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows.

Abstract: An article aligning apparatus for aligning a plurality article tiers to be loaded into a carton. Each article tier comprises an article array delivered from an in-feed stream at an in-feed end of a packaging machine. The apparatus comprises an article conveyor for conveying a lower article tier, a first article conveying means including one or more lugs mounted on an endless track for selecting an upper article tear and for conveying the upper article tier to a point of vertical alignment with the lower article tier, thereafter to be stacked and conveyed to the out feed end of the apparatus.

Abstract: A packaging machine for loading a plurality of articles into a carton which mechanism comprises carton erecting means for part erecting said carton to define a first article receiving cell, means for selecting a group of articles comprising at least two articles, means for separating said grouped articles from an adjacent like group of articles, means for loading said grouped articles into said first article receiving cell through an open end thereof in the packaging carton and a means for completing the construction of the carton. There also comprises a mechanism for forming a carton including a pair of article receiving cells comprising complementary die members, each said die member being mounted to a rotating wheel wherein each said complementing die member is adapted to interengage when a blank is positioned between the two members, such that said die members cause the blank to be folded to define said article receiving cells.

Abstract: An opening assist for a dispensing carton to facilitate the opening of the carton to dispense articles without unintentional tearing of the carton. The dispensing carton includes a plurality of panels hingedly connected to one another. A displaceable portion is detachably connected to an end of the carton to define an opening for exposing an endmost article for removal from the carton end. The displaceable portion is at least partially defined by a frangible line on the carton end. An opening assist is defined in the carton end at least partially along the frangible line to facilitate the opening of the dispensing carton via the displaceable portion.

Abstract: An article carrier of the basket type adapted to accommodate a plurality of articles, such as bottles, comprises a base, opposed side and end walls, and a medial partition structure. The bottles are received on both the sides of the medial partition structure. A securing flap is hinged to the medial partition structure and is secured to one end wall to create a joint between said medial partition structure and that end wall. The medial partition structure includes first and second medial panels hinged together along a first fold line. The first fold line is disposed inwardly of the carrier from the one end wall relative to a second fold line by which the securing flap is hinged to one of the first and second medial panels.