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: An article carrier and a blank for an article carrier for holding articles with tapered sides, for example connected plastic cups, comprising a top wall, opposed side walls and a base wall hingedly connected together to form a tubular structure. An article retention structure is hingedly connected to one of the side walls and the base panel. The article retention structure is formed by a plurality of panels including a side end flap so constructed and arranged to taper inwardly towards the base wall to substantially conform to the shape of an adjacent article.

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: An article carrier and a blank for an article carrier for holding articles with tapered sides, for example connected plastic cups, comprising a top wall, opposed side walls and a base wall hingedly connected together to form a tubular structure. An article retention structure is hingedly connected to one of the side walls and the base panel. The article retention structure is formed by a plurality of panels including a side end flap so constructed and arranged to taper inwardly towards the base wall to substantially conform to the shape of an adjacent article.

Abstract: An article carrier and a blank for an article carrier for holding articles with tapered sides, for example connected plastic cups, comprising a top wall, opposed side walls and a base wall hingedly connected together to form a tubular structure. An article retention structure is hingedly connected to one of the side walls and the base panel. The article retention structure is formed by a plurality of panels including a side end flap so constructed and arranged to taper inwardly towards the base wall to substantially conform to the shape of an adjacent article.

Abstract: A tray and a blank for forming the tray for holding foodstuff or the like are disclosed. The tray is formed from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material, and includes a base and opposed side and end walls hingedly connected to the base. Means are provided to give fluid communication between the surface of the base that forms the tray interior and a void so that fluid present in the tray can drain into the void. The void is formed by a double skinned zone adjacent at least a portion of the intersection between the base and at least one of the side and/or end walls, the double skinned zone being provided by folded outer panels of the opposed side and/or end walls.

Abstract: An article carrier and a blank for an article carrier for holding articles with tapered sides, for example connected plastic cups, comprising a top wall, opposed side walls and a base wall hingedly connected together to form a tubular structure. An article retention structure is hingedly connected to one of the side walls and the base panel. The article retention structure is formed by a plurality of panels including a side end flap so constructed and arranged to taper inwardly towards the base wall to substantially conform to the shape of an adjacent article.

Abstract: A tray and a blank for forming a tray for holding foodstuff or the like which tray is formed from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material, the tray including the base wherein the base has a doubled skinned zone providing a void wherein means are provided to give fluid communication between the internal surface of the base and said void so that fluid present in the tray can drain into the void.

Abstract: Panel interlocking means secures together first and second panels in overlapping relationship. The first panel comprises a locking tab struck therefrom adjacent the free edge thereof The locking tab extends away from the free edge of the first panel and defines a first aperture in the first panel. The locking tab has a neck portion hinged at its base to the first panel and terminates in its shoulder portion. The second panel includes a second aperture struck therefrom adjacent the free edge thereof. The second aperture receives the locking tab such that when the panels are locked together, the free edge of the second panel is located along the locking tab between the base of the neck portion and the shoulder portion, and the locking tab is engaged with an edge of the first aperture.

Abstract: A carton accomodating a plurality of articles, such as bottles, comprising a top (16, 26), a base (12, 30) and a pair of side walls (14, 28) interconnecting said top and base thereby forming a tubular structure, said top being provided with two spaced rows of apertures (54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64) through which the top portions of said articles protrude and a carrying handle means (18, 20, 22) extending upwardly from said top characterised in that said handle means is located between said two rows of apertures and is off set from a plane disposed midway between said rows of apertures.

Abstract: A carrier is provided for a brick-type container. The brick includes interconnected side and end walls, and an upper closure structure having folded portions overlapping and extending downwardly along a portion of each of the end walls. The carrier includes a top wall panel, a pair of side wall panels foldably connected to the top wall panel, and a pair of retention strips substantially vertically disposed and extending between the side wall panels. Each of the retention strips defines an upper free edge spaced from the top wall panel. The retention strips are foldably connected to the side wall panels, whereby the side wall panels and the retention strips together surround the brick and the free edges engage a lowermost end of the folded portions of the upper closure structure of the brick.

Abstract: An article carrier has a plurality of interconnected panels, including a side wall panel and a second wall panel which are foldably interconnected. Article receiving and retention in the carrier along the side wall panel and second wall panel is provided by an aperture adapted to receive a portion of an article contained within the carrier, and a flap struck from and hingaably connected to an edge of the aperture, which flap is adapted to abut the article received in the aperture. The flap is pivotal into an operative position about its hinged connection inwardly of the carrier to provide portions thereof which protrude both inwardly and outwardly of the carrier so that a portion of the flap engages the article internally of the carrier and another portion of the flap engages the article externally of the carrier.

Abstract: A mechanism (10) and method for applying a top gripping type carrier carton onto the tops of a group of bottles (B) disposed within a crate comprises a carton transfer unit (34) for withdrawing a carton (c) from a supply (H) and transferring a carton from the supply to a position of application, a carton manipulating device (36) for at least partially erecting the carton during transfer, a pivotal arm (12) being provided for pivoting the transfer unit and the manipulating device together with the carton so that the carton is inverted during transfer into an attitude correct for applying it to the bottle group.

Abstract: A package (46) of the wrap-around type has a central row of articles (48) and an auxiliary row of articles (50,52) one on either side of the central row. The articles of the auxiliary rows are disposed in abutting nested relationship with respect to those in the group. A securing strap (S) is provided to hold together the articles of the central row and the strap is held in position closely to embrace the articles in the central row by the abutting articles in the auxiliary rows. An outer open-ended wrapper (54) is provided for maintaining the articles of the auxiliary rows in their abutting nested relationship with respect to the articles in the central row.

Abstract: A package accommodating a group of containers arranged in two tiers has an upper tier and a lower tier each comprising a plurality of like containers disposed in more than one row (R1,R2,R3,R4). The package includes an outer wrapper (10) which secures all the containers of the group together in a unit and a partition (50) provided between the bases of the containers in the upper tier and the tops of the containers in the lower tier. The wrapper includes bottom panels (12,20) on which the bases of the containers in the lower tier are seated. The partition and the bottom panels each include a keel (K1,K2) adapted to separate the containers in one row from those in an adjacent row in the upper and lower tiers and each of the keels have recesses (A,O) to separate one container from a neighboring container in each of the rows of containers.

Abstract: An article grouping technique is embodied in a machine which continuously end-loads groups of bottles into open-ended carton sleeves. The machine includes a fixed base plate 10 along which a line of bottles (B) move, a series of parallel metering bars (12) spaced apart to receive the open-ended carton sleeves which are mounted for movement together along the base plate. Fixed guides defining infeed conveyors (22, 24) are provided along which bottles to be loaded are fed into the machine. Each of the infeed conveyors converges towards the path of movement of the carton sleeves and each metering bar has a free end section which is movable obliquely across the path of movement of the bottles on the respective infeed conveyors so that a predetermined number of bottles are formed into a sub-group on each of the infeed conveyors between adjacent metering bars.

Abstract: A cam assembly (10) for a carton blank feeder mechanism comprises a cam plate (16) having formed therein a first continuous cam track (44) and a second relatively shallower cam track (46). A cam track follower arm (26) includes a first follower (30,32) for relative movement within only the first continuous cam track and a second follower (28) for relative movement within the first and second cam tracks. Drive means (12,24) are provided for moving the follower arm relative to the cam plate and article pickup means is connected to the cam arm by an eccentric arm (34). The first and second cam tracks includes arcuate portions (44c, 46d) engaged sequentially by respective ones of the first and second followers so that the article pickup means is caused to move to an outwardly extended position and to an inwardly retracted position, respectively, relative to a central axis of the cam plate.

Abstract: A packaging machine (10) for wrapping together a plurality of uniform containers (c) which machine includes an infeed section (12) having conveying means (18) for continuously feeding a series of wrapper blanks in substantially flat condition longitudinally towards an outfeed section of the machine and conveying means (22,24) for continuously feeding a linear series of containers to be wrapped in longitudinal alignment with said series of wrappers so that each container is moved into a position directly above a wrapper blank, a loading section (20) in which each container is caused to be located in an aperture (`a`) provided in a base panel of the wrapper while the container and wrapper are conveyed in synchronism, a forming section in which wrapping of further panels or each blank with respect to the containers is affected to complete the package and an outfeed section from which the completed packages leave the machine, characterized in that loading is achieved by causing the containers to enter the loading