A Carrier device for grouping and transporting a set of cans of beverages into a package; the carrier comprises an upper central area arranged on a level above the top plane of the cans; clamping flanges surround and fit snugly to the tapered trunk portion of the can, and have a mantle with proximal, rising ends; a series of radial cuts forming two types of retainer flaps, where each retainer flap comprises a perimeter contour generated by a polygonal-elliptical cut line which in turn generates a cover flap that remains attached and co-planar to the central area of the device; and transition portions which extend in a downward sloping manner as a continuation of the upper central area and join laterally with the proximal ends of the flanges.

A shape-formable apparatus comprising locking sheets. The apparatus can have a first state in which the apparatus is formable, and a second state in which the apparatus has the desired shape and is substantially less formable than in the first state. The apparatus can further include an envelope defining a chamber, a port positioned to fluidly couple the chamber with ambience, and at least two locking sheets positioned in the chamber in an at least partially overlapping configuration. Each locking sheet comprises a major surface, and at least a portion of each locking sheet can be patterned to include solid regions and open regions, the solid regions being movable with respect to one another within the major surface.

A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier includes a plurality of panels that includes a top panel, at least one central panel, and at least one attachment panel configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers, the at least one central panel is for being positioned between and attached to adjacent containers of the plurality of containers. The carrier also includes at least one access feature that is positionable for allowing access to at least one container of the plurality of containers, the at least one access feature includes a marginal portion of the top panel and a marginal portion of the at least one attachment panel.

Provided is a film fitting system in which the formation and supply of a tubular film are not disrupted even if contents have spilled out from a container at a tubular film fitting position. A film fitting system 10 has a third container conveying device 16 and a film fitting unit 20. The film fitting unit 20 includes a tubular film forming unit 50 that cuts a long tubular film base material to a predetermined length to form a tubular film, and mandrel heads 40 that receive the tubular film formed by the tubular film forming unit 50 at a film supply position α and push up the tubular film in an opened state at a film fitting position β so as to fit the film on a container. The tubular film forming unit 50 is configured to form the tubular film and deliver the tubular film to the mandrel heads 40 at a position separated from a container conveying path of the third container conveying device 16 when viewing the system from above.

An apparatus for forming a carton containing a group of articles and a method of forming a carton. The apparatus comprises an article positioning system for positioning articles into a plurality of groups of articles and moving the groups of articles along a processing path, a blank handling apparatus for conveying a plurality of carton blanks towards the plurality of groups of articles, and a folding mechanism that is downstream of the blank handling apparatus for folding a portion of the ends of each respective carton blank downwardly around the respective group of articles.

A conveyor system for grouping containers including a conveyor module configured to convey and meter a stream of containers of various dimensions a first star wheel and a second star wheel configured to move a plurality of first containers along a first travel path, wherein the first containers each have a first geometric center, and wherein the first travel path is defined by the geometric center of the first containers, and a third star wheel and a fourth star wheel configured to move a plurality of second containers along a second travel path, wherein the second containers each have a second geometric center, and wherein the second travel path is defined by the geometric center of the second containers, wherein the first travel path and the second travel path are substantially similar.

Aspects of the invention relate to an applicator plate (10) for use in an apparatus (80) for attaching a set of frangibly adjoined top engaging clips (110) to a group of articles ‘C’. The applicator plate (10) having a generally planar body; and a plurality of apertures (16a-26f) within the body. Each aperture (16a-26f) has a series of internal walls (16i-16x) arranged such that each aperture (16a-26f) has a polygonal shape.

The present invention relates to a container carrier and to packaging systems for containers and using the same. This invention pertains to carrier stock for machine application to substantially identical containers such as beverage cans having annular chimes, cylindrical side walls, and frusto-conical walls between the chimes and the side walls. In particular, the present invention relates to plastic film having apertures to securely retain drinks cans, food cans, bottles and similar containers, a method of applying the film and the resultant combination.

A carrier having a plurality of apertures for holding a plurality of containers together is provided. The carrier has mutually spaced drive pins holes distributed longitudinally therealong. Each container aperture is positioned longitudinally between drive pin holes and each aperture has a centre which is longitudinally offset from a mid-point between successive drive pin holes.

A carrier and method of manufacture for a carrier that results in a package of containers includes a plastic sheet having an array of container apertures and a portion having a printed matte finish where the printed matte finish includes a lower coefficient of friction relative to a container than a remaining surface of the plastic sheet. A plurality of containers are each positioned within an aperture of the array so that the printed matte finish of the plastic sheet is positioned along an inner portion of the package and the remaining surface of the plastic sheet is positioned along an outer portion of the package.