Abstract: A carrier (800) that is reversibly erectable from a collapsed condition to an erected condition and that reliably maintains its erected condition. The carrier includes a tubular portion defined by side walls (118, 146, 152, 142, 156, 160) and a bottom wall defined by bottom panels (230, 260). The bottom panels are hingedly connected to an edge of the tubular structure. Gusset structures connect the bottom panels to the tubular structure and cause the bottom panels to toggle as the carrier is erected. The gusset structures additionally retain the bottom wall in the erected condition. In the erected condition, the bottom wall of the carrier includes a buffer for limiting or preventing damage to articles as they are loaded into the carrier. The handle of the carrier is ergonomically defined in multiple planes and includes handle flaps including curved portions that improve the comfort of a handle.

Abstract: A carton having a dispensing feature adapted for permitting the removal of articles from within the carton. Top and bottom opposed walls are interconnected by a pair of side walls to form a tubular body. An article dispenser is provided by a removable portion defined by an opening in the carton for exposing articles for removal. The removable portion is at least partially defined by a frangible line extending across each side wall to opposite side edges of the bottom wall. A portion of the frangible line extends at least partially along the adjacent end edge of the bottom wall and then extends to the opposite side edges of the bottom wall. A buttress arrangement for enhancing the stacking strength of the carton is formed from the distal portion of at least one side end flap.

Abstract: A carton for enclosing cylindrical articles includes a dispenser that provides access to at least two endmost articles in an uppermost row, and to at least one article in a lowermost row, when fully loaded. The dispenser is defined by contiguous severance lines that extend across the top wall, side walls, and end wall. The dispenser is opened by tearing the severance lines to define a stopper wall and as a recess in each side wall that, at its lowest point, is spaced at a distance above the bottom wall less than half the height of the carton, with the dimensions and position of the recess being sufficient to expose at least part of the ends of one or more lowermost articles. Each side wall severance line meets the end wall severance line at a distance above the bottom wall no less than half the height of the carton.

Abstract: An apparatus for sequentially manipulating from a supply point of a hopper carton blanks each having a contacting panel and for transferring the blanks to an in-feed end of a packaging machine. The apparatus comprises carton pick up means for sequentially engaging the contacting panel and for withdrawing from the hopper a blank. The carton pick up means is supported by a holder frame that is connected to a swingable collar structure to move the blank in a first direction transverse to the contacting panel of the blank in the hopper. The holder frame is slidably connected to the collar structure through rods to move the blank in a second direction transverse to the first direction to transfer the blank to the in-feed end for further processing.

Abstract: A package and two part blank for forming a package for carrying one or more articles comprising a carton having a plurality of wall panels for forming a tubular structure wherein each end of the carton is closed by a first panel hingedly connected to one of the wall panels, an intermediate panel hingedly connected to another wall panel of the carton and adapted to be placed in face contacting relationship within the inner face of the first panel. There further comprises within the carton an insert structure for supporting the one or more articles including a second panel. An aperture or recess is provided in the intermediate panel such that glue applied to an outer face of the second panel and the intermediate panel secures together said first, second and intermediate panels when placed together in face contacting relationship to close the end of the carton.

Abstract: A plunger assembly (30) is disposed on the access side of a conveyor (20). The conveyor (20) has a conveying surface upon which it transports articles by moving the conveying surface in a direction of flow (F). The plunger assembly (30) is mounted overhead vertically with respect to the conveying surface of the conveyor (20) such that sufficient clearance below the plunger assembly (30) is maintained to provide an access space through which the conveyor (20) and mechanisms and elements thereof can be accessed. Further, the plunger assembly (30) may be mounted both above and at least partially offset horizontally from the conveyor surface of the conveyor (20), such that no operative portion of the plunger assembly (30) breaks the plane (C) of the conveyor surface.

Abstract: A stabilized and guided conveyor belt (202) includes multiple transport chains (108) and interchangeable conveyor plates (100) that form the surface of the conveyor belt (202). The conveyor plates (100) can be easily attached independently of one another in a side by side fashion onto the transport chains (108) and are readily detachable from the transport chains (108) to facilitate replacement or rearrangement. Certain of the plates (100) function selectively as a platform on which to mount accessories such as lug members (136) and include means for receiving (134) accessories and for locking (138) accessories into place. The conveyor belt (202) is guided and supported by a smooth rail (420). Both the plate (100) and the rail (420) include interacting stabilizing features (130, 132, 424a, 424b) that cooperate to prevent buckling and rippling of the transport chain (108).

Abstract: An article transport, meterer and loader has a plurality of parallel lanes disposed above and in angular relation to a direction of transport of a plurality of article conveyors.

Abstract: A packaging machine (10) includes a lane assembly (12) that includes one or more lanes (L) which guide cylindrical articles (B), such as cans or bottles, across a series of substantially parallel conveyors. The lane assembly (12) includes an adjustable guide bar (34) which defines an adjustable portion (V) of the lane (L) that can be adjusted to adapt to the diameter of articles (B). The lane assembly (12) also includes lane extensions (70) that can be adjusted to control the position of rows of articles (B) as the articles (B) exit the lanes (L) onto a conveyor (20).

Abstract: A carrier chain includes an attachment link with a wing to limit the tilt of a support member. The wing extends from a base portion of a plate of the attachment link toward a plate of a pin link. When the attachment link begins to rotate in reaction to a force that is applied to the support member, the lower edge of the wing contacts upper edge of the plate of the pin link such that the adjacent roller link is constrained to be generally in line and to rotate with the attachment link. By extending the pitch between reaction rollers that contact upper and lower surfaces of a guide track, the attachment link restricts the rotational displacement of the support member.

Abstract: A carton with an improved dispenser facilitates access to articles enclosed within by providing expansive side recesses that expose at least one article on the lowermost row and the two end most articles in the uppermost row. The dispenser opening is defined by one or more severance lines extending at least partially across the top, end, and side walls, with a portion of the end wall remaining as an article stopper after the at least partially detachable portion of the dispenser is removed.

Abstract: A package has an article group of at least one row of substantially cylindrical articles and a carton disposed around the article group. The carton includes a plurality of walls including a top wall, a base wall, a pair of opposed side walls connected to side edges of the top wall and side edges of the base wall, and an end wall interconnecting the side walls, and an article dispenser opening formed at the region of intersection of planes of the top wall, the opposed side walls and the end wall. A portion of the article dispenser opening is defined by the end wall terminating along an end wall severance line having all points disposed at elevations at a distance as measured from the plane of the top wall no greater than the diameter of the substantially cylindrical articles that lie in an upper row of the group.

Abstract: A locking mechanism is provided for releasably securing a grouper lug to a conveyor plate in a packaging machine conveyor belt assembly. The locking mechanism includes a cantilever arm that is disposed in a base wall of the grouper lug which defines a locking surface. The cantilever arm is defined by a channel that is formed in the base wall. A detent is disposed at the distal end of the cantilever arm and protrudes from the locking surface. An elongated key is integral to the base wall of the grouper lug and can be slidably received by a groove that is integral to the conveyor plate. The conveyor plate includes an aperture or depression that receives the detent to releasably secure the grouper lug to the conveyor plate.

Abstract: A carton for dispensing articles having a dispensing feature is adapted for restraining articles within the carton until the consumer desires to remove the endmost articles from the carton. To erect the carton, a plurality of panels are connected together to define an end of the carton. A first detachable portion at the end of the carton may be detached from the carton to define an opening for dispensing articles from an upper or lower row of articles within the carton. A second detachable portion at the end of the carton borders the first detachable portion and may also be detached from the carton to enlarge the opening in an alternative embodiment. The second detachable portion restrains articles in an upper row of articles prior to detaching the second detachable portion from the erected carton.

Abstract: A carton is provided with side walls that are shaped to securely or tightly enclose a group of tapered cylindrical articles. The curvature of the edges of each side wall is selected to cause the end wall or end closure structure to conform to the tapered shape of articles in the end most row that is disposed adjacent to the respective end closure structure of the carton. More specifically, the edges of each side wall are substantially continuously arcuate and the curvature of the edge is determined such that the maximum width of each side wall is greater than the width of the respective bottom edge of the side wall.

Abstract: A severable carton wall includes a substantially vertically disposed composite wall formed from a pair of overlapping panels joined along a seam, and a frangible line extending across the composite wall, traversing the seam, defining a removable upper portion of the composite wall. An extensively-weakened segment of the frangible line that substantially traverses the seam is shaped and disposed such that the extensively-weakened segment defines a notch in the removable upper portion within the seam of the removable upper portion. The extensively-weakened segment includes a pair of cut lines formed respectively in the end portions of the panels such that the cut lines define a pair of secured protrusions formed respectively from the panels and extending upwardly from the lower portion of the composite wall.

Abstract: Apparatus and a packaging machine comprising apparatus for placing packaging material in a pre-determined position relative to an array of articles for example bottles to be packaged, comprising a conveyor for conveying an array of articles, feed means for feeding the packaging material from a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the articles. The feed means accelerates the packaging material to a sufficient velocity relative to the velocity of the articles such that the packaging material is placed in the pre-determined position whilst continuous forward motion of the articles is maintained.

Abstract: A carton for dispensing and retaining articles such as cans or bottles is opened by at least partially removing a first detachable portion and then by at least partially detaching a second detachable portion. Removal of the first detachable portion defines an opening for dispensing articles, and defines means for retaining articles in the carton after one or both of the detachable portions have been removed, such as a stopper wall. Removal of the first detachable portion provides access to the second detachable portion to facilitate subsequent and at least partial detachment thereof. The second detachable portion may be yieldable so as to variably and reversibly redefine or reconfigure the opening to enlarge the opening to facilitate removal of articles that are being dispensed, and to reduce the opening to retain articles in the carton that are not being dispensed.

Abstract: Methods of loading cartons in a packaging machine are provided. A method comprises providing cartons with an end opening having a width less than a pitch of flight bars of a packaging machine, and detachably affixing the cartons so that one carton is horizontally adjacent another and the combined end opening width of the horizontally adjacent cartons is substantially equal to the pitch of the flight bars. The method also includes placing the cartons between the flight bars so that the horizontally adjacent cartons are disposed within the pitch of flight bars and detaching the plurality of cartons from one another after the cartons have been loaded. Other embodiments are claimed and disclosed.

Abstract: A carton for holding a plurality of articles, comprises a top wall, a base wall, opposed side walls and opposed end walls. A divider structure for separating adjacent articles is formed from at least one of the end walls. The divider structure includes first and second inwardly folded divider panels and an inwardly folded support panel. The divider panels are hinged together and to the opposed side walls respectively while the support panel is hinged to and extending between the respective lower portions of the first and second divider panels.