A carton is formed from folding a unitary blank, made from paperboard, to establish a front panel, a rear panel, opposing side panels, a bottom wall and a top wall. To strengthen the carton, at least two side inserts, having a caliper which is equal to or greater than the caliper of the unitary blank, are provided within an interior cavity of the carton and against a respective one of the opposing side panels. The unitary blank has a predominate fiber orientation which is directionally different from each of the at least two side inserts. With this arrangement, the cartons have enhanced structural integrity, enabling similarly configured cartons to be effectively, vertically stacked without deformation.

A refrigerated liquid transport system is disclosed, which comprises a refrigerated container configured to be loaded with unit loads (200), a unit load (200) comprising a pallet (20) supporting at least one layer of ten liquid containers (300), each liquid container (300) having side walls (303) connected to one another by rounded edge portions (304), in which the main faces (303) of adjacent side walls (303) are generally mutually perpendicular; the upper side wall (301) comprises at least one recessed portion (315) containing an opening (312) able to be closed by an accordingly adjusted plug and at least one handle (313) above the bottom of the recess, the top of the handle (313) being either level with the main face of the upper side wall (301), or below same; and wherein the main faces of the liquid container (300) define a rectangular cuboid geometry with width of at least 250 mm and length of at least 380 mm, and a height, for example, of 440 mm, 365 mm or 310 mm.

A layer pad (10) comprises a substantially flat sheet (12) having first and second opposite substantially planar faces (14, 16). The layer pad (10) further includes at least one raised formation (18) on at least one of the faces (14, 16).

A support tray configured to support at least two different diameter cylindrical containers. The support tray includes a generally planar body with opposed support surfaces. A plurality of projections extend from at least one of the support surfaces. Each of the projections defines at least one engagement surface such that the engagement surfaces define a plurality of first rim receiving areas having a first diameter and a plurality of rim receiving areas having a second diameter distinct from the first diameter.

A method for creating an opening in a sheath, made of stretch film, that retains a goods stack arranged on a pallet. The pallet comprising an upper-side deck surface as support for the goods stack and lower-side support feet. The sheath engages under the support feet arranged in the region of the four outer edges of the pallet. At least one opening is in the sheath between two support feet . At least one opening is generated such that the sheath is first heated, the heated sheath is retracted from the pallet and then, still in the heated state, displaced upward. The upwardly displaced sheath is secured in its upwardly displaced position by cooling. The invention also relates to a shaping apparatus, and additionally to at least one heating device for carrying out the method.

A method, apparatus and program product perform automatic load profiling to optimize a wrapping operation performed with a stretch wrapping machine. Automatic load profiling may be performed, for example, to determine a density parameter for a load that is indicative of load stability such that one or more control parameters may be configured for a wrapping operation based upon the density parameter. Automatic load profiling may also be performed, for example, to detect a load with a nonstandard top layer, e.g., a load with a top or slip sheet, a load with an easily deformable top layer, a load with a ragged top surface topography and/or a load with an inboard portion, such that a top layer containment operation may be activated during wrapping to optimize containment for the load.

A method, apparatus and program product may determine load stability for a load to be wrapped based upon sensing the response or reaction of the load to a disturbance applied to the load, e.g., through intentionally moving, shaking, tilting, pushing, impacting or otherwise applying an input force to the load and sensing the response using one or more sensors. The sensed response may then be used to determine a load stability parameter that may be used in the control of a load wrapping apparatus when wrapping the load.

Disclosed are freestanding displays of packaged consumer products, particularly consumer paper products. The packaged consumer goods generally comprise one or more goods disposed in a carton, such as a folded paperboard box that is at least partially overwrapped with a film having a plurality of graphic elements disposed thereon. The graphic elements are preferably disposed on the film such that at least two panels of the resulting packages are visually similar, and two panels are visually distinct. The packages may be stacked in arrays to form a display having two more faces that are visually similar. The present freestanding display helps consumers recognize the packaged products from a distance even when displayed amongst other packaged goods in a crowded supermarket or club store.

A pallet-less brick is provided that allows for materials to be transported without the use of straps or pallets, which makes the transportation and subsequent use of the materials more efficient and more environmentally friendly. The pallet-less brick can have a generally planar body with a series of protrusions and recesses extending in different directions. A protrusion extending in one direction can be received in a recess of an adjacent brick, such that the bricks are stackable without the use of straps or pallets. Similarly, a second protrusion and recess combination fulfill a similar function, and the multiple protrusions and recesses secure stacked pallets in at least two directions.

A load cap (10) comprises a central portion (12) having an edge (14), and a rim arrangement (16) on the edge. The rim arrangement comprises a plurality of corrugations (20) extending substantially parallel to the edge.