US3709400A

US3709400A - Article carrier

Info

Publication number: US3709400A
Application number: US00155755A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Arneson
Original assignee: Federal Paper Board Co Inc
Current assignee: Federal Paper Board Co Inc
Priority date: 1971-06-23
Filing date: 1971-06-23
Publication date: 1973-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-09

Abstract

A cellular bottle carrier formed from a single sheet of cut and scored paperboard or similar sheet material which is characterized by a multi-ply rigid, suspending and longitudinal partition member subdividing its interior into two halves and by sets of cross partition members for each half with the center cross partition member being excised from a panel forming a ply of the longitudinal partition member and being hinged at its free end to a side wall and the remaining cross partition elements of each set thereof being derived in part by cutting strap forming portions from the upper corners of the side wall which are integrally hinged to the longitudinal partition member and which have attached thereto the upper portions of full depth separating panels which are derived from plies of the longitudinal partition member, thereby enabling the carrier to be produced with sufficient cells for 8 bottles and with partition panels providing substantially full depth separation of the bottles in adjoining cells.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Arneson [111 3,709,400 [451 Jan. 9, 1973 [73] Assignee: Federal Paper Board Company, Inc.,

Montvale, NJ.

[22] Filed: June 23,1971

[2]] Appl. No: 155,755

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. ..220/1l3, 220/115, 229/52 BC [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 75/00 [58] Field of Search ..220/113, 115; 229/52 BC [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,443,723 5/1969 Arneson ..220/113 3,567,069 3/1971 Harrelson ..220/1l3 3;568,880 3/1971 Harrelson ..220/113 3,572,544 3/1971 Forrer ..220/113 3,624,790 11/1971 Stout ..220/1l3 3,612,347 10/1971 l-larrelson ..220/l13 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-John J. Love Attorney-Guy A. Greenawalt et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A cellular bottle carrier formed from a single sheet of cut and scored paperboard or similar sheet material which is characterized by a multi-ply rigid, suspending and longitudinal partition member subdividing its interior into two halves and by sets of cross partition members for each half with the center cross partition member being excised from a panel fonning a ply of the longitudinal partition member and being hinged at its free end to a side wall and the remaining cross partition elements of each set thereof being derived in part by cutting strap forming portions from the upper corners of the side wall which are integrally hinged to the longitudinal partition member and which have attached thereto the upper portions of full depth separating panels which are derived from plies of the longitudinal partition member, thereby enabling the carrier to be produced with sufficient cells for 8 bottles and with partition panels providing substantially full depth separation of the bottles in adjoining cells.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 9 I975 SHEET 2 OF 2 ARTICLE CARRIER This invention relates to article carriers which are adapted to be fabricated from flexible paperboard or similar sheet material and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a carrier of the type which is especially adapted for use in the packaging, display and transportion of bottled beverages and similar products.

Article carriers formed of paperboard or similar material have long been employed in the marketing or bottled beverages and similar products. Various designs have been developed, generally providing a plurality of cells for accommodating six beverage bots tles and more recently such carriers have been provided which have a larger number of cells so as to accommodate, for example, 8 beverage bottles. One such carrier, features of which have been successfully embodied in a commercial carrier, is disclosed in my US. Pat. No. 3,443,723, dated May 13, 1969. This carrier is characterized by a multi-ply, longitudinal, suspending partition member subdividing its interior into two halves which are further subdivided by sets of cross partition members extending between the longitudinal partition member and the side walls and dividing the two halves into four cells each so as to adapt the carrier to 8 bottle capacity. Other carriers adapted for receiving a number of beverage bottles larger than the conventional six pack are disclosed in my US. Pat. No. 2,687,232, dated Aug. 24, 1954, and US. Pat. No. 3,062,404, dated Nov. 6, 1962. While carriers embodying these designs have been used successfully for bottled beverages, their use has been limited to some extent because they do not completely satisfy all the requirements for packaging certain products, particularly, products such as bottled beer, where shipping regulations require that the bottles be separated by providing substantially full depth partition members between the bottles in adjoining cells.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved carrier having a multiplicity of cells greater than six with partition members extending between each pair of cells for separating the bottles which partition members are substantially the full depth of the cells so as to prevent contact between the bottles in adjoining cells.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide an improved cellular article carrier which is characterized by a strong, stiff, central suspending panel member for suspending the weight of a relatively large package which suspending member also serves as a longitudinal partition, separating rows of articles positioned on opposite sides thereof, and a plurality of cross partition members extending between the suspending member and the side walls, with certain of the cross partition members being in the form of straps cut from the upper corners of the side walls, and with other cross partition members being excised from the panels forming plies of the central suspending member together with supplemental cross partition members which are cut from the panels forming plies of the central suspending member and which are folded into the plane of the cross partition straps and extend substantially the full depth, or very nearly the full depth, of the cells, thereby forming cushion members between the portions of the bottles in adjoining cells which could otherwise be in contact.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bot tle carrier characterized by a mu'lti-ply, rigid, longitudinal, suspending partition member subdividing its interior into halves and by sets of cross partition elements for each half with one element of each set being arranged in integrally connected relation with and being cut from a panel forming a ply of the longitudinal partition member and being hinged at the free end thereof to a side wall, and the remaining cross partition elements of each set thereof being in the form of straps cut from the upper corners of the, side walls and integrally hinged to the longitudinal partition member, together with supplemental article separating panels which are cut from the panels forming plies of the longitudinal partition member and which are hinged into the plane of the cross partition straps and secured thereto so as to extend at least half the width of the cells and very nearly the full depth thereof thereby providing separation between the bottles in the cells for substantially the full depth thereof and preventing contact between the bottles in adjacent cells.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the bottle carrier which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with portions broken away, of an article carrier, in set up empty condition, which has incorporated therein the principal features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inside face of the prepared blank from which the carrier is formed, the view showing adhesive applied to certain areas of the blank preliminary to executing the first folding operation;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the blank shown in FIG. 4 following certain folding and adhesive applying operations; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the completed carrier in flat, knocked down condition.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated form of the carrier is fabricated from a generally rectangular paperboard blank 10 which is cut and creased as shown in FIG. 4. The blank is divided into a bottom wall forming section 11 and two substantially identical side wall and partition and handle forming sections 12 and. 13, with the latter two sections being symmetrical about the crease or score line 14 and forming mirror images of each other. Since the

blank sections

12 and 13 are divided into various fold forming panel elements by identical creasing and cutting lines, only one of these sections will be fully described, the same numerals primed being applied to the corresponding elements of the other section.

The section 12 of the blank 10 is subdivided by transversely extending, longitudinally spaced crease or score lines and longitudinally extending cutting lines into a side wall forming panel 15 which extends between longitudinally spaced, parallel,

transverse score lines

16 and 17, end

wall forming panels

20 and 21 at the opposite ends of the side wall panel 15, and longitudinal

partition forming panels

22 and 23 which are separated from the adjoining

end wall panels

20 and 21 by parallel,

transverse score lines

24 and 25. The one longitudinal partition panel 23 has an extended inner marginal portion 26 at the top forming edge thereof which is taken from the portion of the blank adjoining the longitudinal score line 14 and which is adapted to be trapped between panel elements of the handle structure when the carrier is set up. This panel is also subdivided by transverse score line 27 and longitudinal cutting line 28 to provide a supplemental cross partition panel 30. The panel 30 has a dimension in the transverse direction of the blank slightly less than the corresponding dimension of the side wall panel or slightly less than the depth of the bottle receiving cells when the carrier is set up. The dimension of the cross partition panel 30 in the longitudinal direction of the blank is greater than one-half the corresponding dimension of the end wall panel 21, that is, greater than one-half the dimension of the bottle receiving cells in the direction transverse of the carrier.

The other longitudinal panel 22 has an extended inner marginal portion 32 which is also taken from a portion of the blank adjoining the score line 14 and which is adapted to be trapped between panel elements of the handle structure when the carrier is set up. The panel 22 has a hook forming notch 33 at its outer or bottom forming edge which is adapted to receive the edge of the bottom wall when the carrier is set up, as shown in FIG. 2. The panel 22 has a cross partition panel 34 excised therefrom by the generally U-shaped cutting line 35, the legs of which extend longitudinally and terminate at the ends of a hinge forming transverse score line 36. A glue flap or glue tab 37 is formed on the free end of the panel 34 by the transverse score line 38 which is parallel with the score line 36. The glue tab 37 has a small tab extension 40 formed by the C-shaped cutting line 41, the legs of which extend to the score line 38. The width of the cross partition panel 34, that is, the distance between the parallel score lines 36 and 38 is substantially the same as the corresponding dimension of the end wall panel 20, which is the cell width, or dimension transversely of the carrier, when it is set up. The transverse score line 36 terminates short of the side edge 42 of the blank which leaves the cross partition panel 34 with a vertical dimension somewhat less than the depth of the bottle receiving cells while the width of the panel or its dimension normal to the score line 36 in the area immediately adjoining the latter is greater than onehalf the transverse dimension of the bottle receiving cells.

A supplemental cross partition panel 43 is cut from the panel 22 by the generally C-shaped cutting line 44, the legs of which terminate at extended end portions of the transverse score line 38 with the over-all dimension of panel 43 in the longitudinal direction of the blank being greater than one-half the dimension of the cells in the transverse direction of the carrier. The panel 43 is, of course, C-shaped by reason of the cutting of the glue tab 37 from the same. The outer legs of the

cutting lines

35 and 44 are aligned and the inner legs are aligned with a longitudinally extending score line 45 which separates from the panel 22 a longitudinal partition reinforcing and article separating panel 46 which is cut from the material in the area between the two longitudinal partition panels 22 and 22'. The panel 46 is cut free of the panel 22 on the line 47. It is cut free of the extension 32 of the panel on the irregular line 48 and the extension 32' of the panel 22 so that it is adapted to hinge about the score line 45 into position for sandwiching between the

panels

22 and 22 when the carrier is set up thereby forming a reinforcement for the iongitudinal partition panel assembly and with an inner section or portion 50 thereof forming also an article separating panel, as shown in FIG. 2, between the two end cells, with the main portion of the panel 46 constituting a separator between the next two adjacent cells.

A center divider and longitudinal partition and handle forming section 52 extends between the score lines 25, 25' and a cutting line 53 connecting the inner ends of the score lines 24 and 24'. The partition and handle forming section 52 is symmetrical about the longitudinally extending score line 14 and is divided thereby into two halves 54 and 54' which are mirror images of each other. The two handle halves 54 and 54' are hingedly connected to longitudinal partition panels 23 and 23' by extended portions 55 and 55' of the

score lines

25 and 25 and are hinged to each other on score line 14. The handle forming section 52 is freed from the end

wall forming panels

20, 20 and 21, 21 by the

diagonal cutting lines

56, 56' and 57, 57'. The intermediate portions of the

panel members

54, 54 are freed from the side wall panels 15 and 15' by parallel, longitudinal cutting lines 58 and 58 which extend between inner hinge forming sections 60, 60' and 61, 61' of the

score lines

16, 16' and 17, 17', respectively. The

score line sections

60, 60' and 61, 61 form inner hinges for relatively narrow cross

partition forming straps

62, 62' and 63, 63 which are cut from the comers of the

side wall panels

15 and 15 on the longitudinally extending

cutting lines

64, 64 and 65, 65, the latter terminating short of the center of the panel and extending parallel with the end portions of longitudinal cutting lines 58, 58'. Score lines 66, 66' and 67, 67 extend transversely of the blank between the spaced inner ends of the

cutting lines

64, 64 and 65, 65' and the cutting lines 58, 58 to form the outer hinges of the

cross partition straps

62, 62' and 63, 63' which straps extend in the set up position of the carrier between the side walls 15, 15' and the handle and longitudinal partition structure.

The handle and longitudinal partition forming section 52 of the blank 10 is divided by transversely extending

score line

68, 68, which is aligned with the score lines 66, 66, into outer

handle forming panels

70, 70 and inner handle forming reinforcing

panels

71, 71 the former having

hand holes

72, 72 and the latter having

hand holes

73, 73, cut out as indicated, with the

hand holes

72, 72 having associated locking flaps 74, 74' hinged about longitudinally extending score lines 75, 75'. The extensions 26 and 26' on the

partition panels

23 and 23 have

hand holes

76, 76 cut therein which are adapted to align with portions of the hand holes 73 and 73.

The bottom wall forming panel section 11 is separated from the adjacent side wall forming panel 15 by hinge forming score line 77 and is subdivided by a parallel outwardly spaced score line 78 into two substantially equal bottom wall panels 80 and 80'. At the other side of the blank 10 a glue flap 81 is provided which is separated from the adjoining side wall panel 15 by hinge forming score line 82.

The blank 10, when out and creased, is glued and folded to provide the carrier which is illustrated in FIG. 1. In setting up the carrier from the blank 10, adhesive is applied to the

handle reinforcing panels

71, 71, to the

inner portions

26, 26 and 32, 32' of the

longitudinal partition panels

23, 23' and 22, 22, to the cross partition glue flaps 37, 40 and 37', 40 and to portions at the inner ends of the supplemental

cross partition panels

30, 30' and 43, 43. The handle forming inner panels 71, 71' are first folded inwardly about the score lines 68 and 68', the cross partition straps 62 and 62 folding with them about the score lines 66 and 66'. The longitudinal partition panels 23 and 23' are then folded inwardly about the score lines 25 and 25' after which the longitudinal partition panels 22 and 22' with their adjoining end wall forming panels 20 and 20' are folded inwardly about the score lines 16 and 16. The longitudinal partition and reinforcing panel 46 is then folded about the score line 45 bringing the blank into the condition shown in FIG. 5. Adhesive is then applied to the exposed face of the one longitudinal partition panel 22 or 22', and the

panel portion

26 or 26 as shown in FIG. 5. The bottom wall panels 80 and 80' are then folded upon each other and the entire assembly is folded about the score line 14 so that the glue flap 81 overlies and is adhered to the outside margin of the outermost bottom wall panel 80'. This completes the gluing and folding of the blank and provides the collapsed carrier shown in FIG. 6, which when opened up, is in the form shown in FIG. 1.

In the form of the blank and carrier which is illustrated, the supplemental cross partition members 30 and 30' are cut from the longitudinal or

center partition panels

23 and 23 which are at one end of the blank while the cross partition members 43 and 43' are cut from the

longitudinal partition panels

22 and 22. In another form of the blank and carrier which is contemplated the

longitudinal partition panels

22 and 22 may be extended a sufficient distance in the longitudinal direction of the blank to enable both sets of the supplemental cross partition panels to be cut from these panels along with the center cross partition panels 34 and 34'. The panels 22 and 22' would be ex tended some distance beyond hinge lines for the additional supplemental cross partitions and said hinge lines would be located a distance from the parallel hinge lines 36 and 36' corresponding to the distance between the hinge lines 36, 38 and 36', 38', with the supplemental cross partition members cut from the panel material which lies between said hinge lines and the ends of the panels which are connected to the end wall forming panels. The free ends of the

longitudinal partition panels

22, 23 and 22', 23' would be cut to provide portions for separating the bottles on opposite sides of the center partition member and the panel 46 would be extended in like manner for the same purpose.

Iclaim:

1. An article carrier formed from a blank of flexible sheet material, comprising a pair of rectangular bottom panels foldably connected to each other along a central fold line, side wall panels foldably connected to the side edges of the bottom panels, end wall panels foldably connected along vertical hinge lines to the end edges of the side wall panels, each of said end wall panels having a longitudinal center partition forming panel connected along a vertical hinge line to the inner edge thereof, said longitudinal partition panels having upper marginal portions extending above the top edge of the side wall panels and being connected in paired relation at each end of the carrier, a pair of handle forming sections spanning the space between and secured to said upper marginal portions of said longitudinal partition panels, said handle sections being foldably connected at one end thereof along vertical hinge lines to the upper marginal portions of an adjacent pair of said longitudinal partition panels, handle reinforcing panels connected along vertical hinge lines at the other ends of said handle sections and inwardly folded so as to extend between the latter, a pair of relatively narrow cross partition straps foldably connected to each of the side walls on parallel vertical hinge lines in the upper margins thereof which are spaced apart approximately twice the length of said straps, the cross partition straps of each pair thereof being foldably connected at their opposite ends along vertical hinge lines to a handle section and a handle reinforcing panel, respectively, a pair of center cross partition panels integrally hinged to a pair of said longitudinal partition panels and having flaps at their outer ends connecting said center cross partition panels on vertical hinge lines to the side wall panels intermediate the hinge connections therewith of said cross partition straps, said cross partition panelseach being cut from the associated longitudinal partition panel in an area extending from the hinged connection therewith toward the end of said longitudinal partition panel which is connected with the end wall panel, and supplemental cross partition panels cut from said longitudinal partition panels and hinged into cross partition relation on vertical hinge lines, which are spaced from the end wall panels a distance approximately the same as the hinged connection of said cross partition straps with said longitudinal partition structure, which supplemental cross partition panels cooperate with said cross partition straps to provide substantially full depth separation for the bottles in the adjoining cells.

2. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1, and said cross partition straps being cut from the upper corners of said side wall panels and integrally connected at their inner ends to the handle panels and the handle reinforcing panels, respectively, and said supplemental cross partition panels having top marginal portions connected to said cross partition straps.

3. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supplemental cross partition panels are in paired relation at opposite ends of the carrier and wherein the panels of one pair of said supplemental cross partition panels each have a hinged connection with the longitudinal partition panel from which it is out which is spaced from the hinged connection of said longitudinal partition panel with the associated end wall panel a distance corresponding approximately to the spacing from said end wall of the hinged connection of the associated cross partition strap with the longitudinal partition structure.

4. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said longitudinal partition structure includes a panel which is hinged to the top edge of a longitudinal partition panel from which one of said center cross partition panels is cut and which is folded downwardly so that it is disposed between the pairs of cells at one end of the carrier so as to provide substantially full depth separation between the bottles in said pairs of cells.

5. A carrier for a plurality of bottles comprising a bottom wall, upright side walls hinged to the side edges of the bottom wall, end walls connecting corresponding ends of the side walls, a multi-ply rigid suspending and longitudinal partition member subdividing the carrier into two halves, a set of cross partition elements in each of said halves which are longitudinally spaced to divide the same into four bottle accommodating cells, each set of cross partition elements including a panel element which is integrally connected at one end thereof to a panel forming a ply of said longitudinal partition member on a vertical hinge line spaced equal distances from the end walls, said longitudinal partition panel ply being integrally hinged to one end wall and said panel element being cut from a portion of said panel ply which extends between said vertical hinge line and the end wall to which said panel ply is hinged and having an integrally hinged glue flap at the end opposite said vertical hinge line which is secured to the side wall at the center thereof, a pair of strap-like elements constituting cross partition members which are cut from the upper corners at opposite ends of the side wall and integrally hinged to said side wall on vertical hinge lines 7 spaced equal distances from the adjacent end wall and from the hinged connections of said panel element with said side wall and the longitudinal partition member and supplemental cross partition panels cut from panels forming plies of said longitudinal partition member and hinged on vertical hinge lines into transverse planes with the top margins overlying said straplike cross partition elements whereby to provide the carrier with sufficient cells to accommodate eight bottles and with substantially full depth separation of the bottles.

6. A carrier as set forth in claim wherein said supplemental cross partition panels are cut from panels forming plies of said longitudinal partition member which ply forming panels are hinged to said end walls at opposite ends of said carrier.

7. A carrier as set forth in claim 5 wherein each said supplemental cross partition panel is hinged on a vertical hinge line to a panel forming a ply of said longitudinal partition which panel is hinged to an end wall at the adjacent end of the carrier 8. A one piece article carrier forming blank which is cut and creased to divide the same into a bottom wall forming section, side wall forming panels, an end wall forming panel hingedly connected to each end of each of said side wall panels, a center partition forming panel hingedly connected to each of said end wall panels, one of said side wall forming panels being con nected on a hinge forming crease line to a side of the bottom wall forming section, each of the center partition forming panels at one end of the side wall panels having a cross partition panel cut therefrom so as to extend from a crease line spaced inwardly of the free edge thereof in the direction of the associated side wall panel and handle forming panels divided into two portions, each of which is hingedly connected at one end thereof to inner edge extensions of adjacent center partition forming panels and each said handle forming panel portion having a handle reinforcing panel hinged to the edge thereof WhlCh lS opposite its hinged connection with the respective center partition forming panel, said handle forming panel portions and handle reinforcing panels being connected to the side wall panels by cross partition forming straps which are hingedly connected thereto at opposite ends thereof, and supplemental cross partition panels cut from said center partition forming panels which have a dimension transversely of the blank corresponding approximately to the dimension of the side wall panels in the same direction, said supplemental cross partition panels each having a dimension in a direction longitudinally of the blank which is no less than one-half the corresponding dimension of the adjoining end wall forming panels whereby when said center partition forming panels are folded inwardly and overlie the adjoining end wall panels a top marginal portion of each supplemental cross partition panel will overlie a portion of a cross partition forming strap adjacent the hinged connection of said strap with the associated center partition forming panel.

9. A one piece article carrier forming blank as set forth in claim 8 wherein a supplemental center partition panel is cut from the area of blank material between said center partition forming panels at one end of the blank which is hingedly connected to the inner longitudinally extending edge of one of said center partition forming panels so that said supplemental center partition panel may be folded about its hinged connection and sandwiched between said center partition forming panels when the carrier is erected to provide substantially full depth separation between articles in the pairs of cells at one end of the carrierv 10. A one piece article carrier forming blank as set forth in claim 8 wherein each supplemental cross partition panel is cut from a center partition forming panel so as to hinge on a line extending transversely of the blank and spaced from the transverse hinge line connecting the center partition forming panel with the adjacent end wall panel a distance corresponding to the width of said end wall panel. I

Claims

1. An article carrier formed from a blank of flexible sheet material, comprising a pair of rectangular bottom panels foldably connected to each other along a central fold line, side wall panels foldably connected to the side edges of the bottom panels, end wall panels foldably connected along vertical hinge lines to the end edges of the side wall panels, each of said end wall panels having a longitudinal center partition forming panel connected along a vertical hinge line to the inner edge thereof, said longitudinal partition panels having upper marginal portions extending above the top edge of the side wall panels and being connected in paired relation at each end of the carrier, a pair of handle forming sections spanning the space between and secured to said upper marginal portions of said longitudinal partition panels, said handle sections being foldably connected at one end thereof along vertical hinge lines to the upper marginal portions of an adjacent pair of said longitudinal partition panels, handle reinforcing panels connected along vertical hinge lines at the other ends of said handle sections and inwardly folded so as to extend between the latter, a pair of relatively narrow cross partition straps foldably connected to each of the side walls on parallel vertical hinge lines in the upper margins thereof which are spaced apart approximately twice the length of said stRaps, the cross partition straps of each pair thereof being foldably connected at their opposite ends along vertical hinge lines to a handle section and a handle reinforcing panel, respectively, a pair of center cross partition panels integrally hinged to a pair of said longitudinal partition panels and having flaps at their outer ends connecting said center cross partition panels on vertical hinge lines to the side wall panels intermediate the hinge connections therewith of said cross partition straps, said cross partition panels each being cut from the associated longitudinal partition panel in an area extending from the hinged connection therewith toward the end of said longitudinal partition panel which is connected with the end wall panel, and supplemental cross partition panels cut from said longitudinal partition panels and hinged into cross partition relation on vertical hinge lines, which are spaced from the end wall panels a distance approximately the same as the hinged connection of said cross partition straps with said longitudinal partition structure, which supplemental cross partition panels co-operate with said cross partition straps to provide substantially full depth separation for the bottles in the adjoining cells.

3. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supplemental cross partition panels are in paired relation at opposite ends of the carrier and wherein the panels of one pair of said supplemental cross partition panels each have a hinged connection with the longitudinal partition panel from which it is cut which is spaced from the hinged connection of said longitudinal partition panel with the associated end wall panel a distance corresponding approximately to the spacing from said end wall of the hinged connection of the associated cross partition strap with the longitudinal partition structure.

5. A carrier for a plurality of bottles comprising a bottom wall, upright side walls hinged to the side edges of the bottom wall, end walls connecting corresponding ends of the side walls, a multi-ply rigid suspending and longitudinal partition member subdividing the carrier into two halves, a set of cross partition elements in each of said halves which are longitudinally spaced to divide the same into four bottle accommodating cells, each set of cross partition elements including a panel element which is integrally connected at one end thereof to a panel forming a ply of said longitudinal partition member on a vertical hinge line spaced equal distances from the end walls, said longitudinal partition panel ply being integrally hinged to one end wall and said panel element being cut from a portion of said panel ply which extends between said vertical hinge line and the end wall to which said panel ply is hinged and having an integrally hinged glue flap at the end opposite said vertical hinge line which is secured to the side wall at the center thereof, a pair of strap-like elements constituting cross partition members which are cut from the upper corners at opposite ends of the side wall and integrally hinged to said side wall on vertical hinge lines spaced equal distances from the adjacent end wall and from the hinged connections of Said panel element with said side wall and the longitudinal partition member and supplemental cross partition panels cut from panels forming plies of said longitudinal partition member and hinged on vertical hinge lines into transverse planes with the top margins overlying said strap-like cross partition elements whereby to provide the carrier with sufficient cells to accommodate eight bottles and with substantially full depth separation of the bottles.

6. A carrier as set forth in claim 5 wherein said supplemental cross partition panels are cut from panels forming plies of said longitudinal partition member which ply forming panels are hinged to said end walls at opposite ends of said carrier.

7. A carrier as set forth in claim 5 wherein each said supplemental cross partition panel is hinged on a vertical hinge line to a panel forming a ply of said longitudinal partition which panel is hinged to an end wall at the adjacent end of the carrier.

8. A one piece article carrier forming blank which is cut and creased to divide the same into a bottom wall forming section, side wall forming panels, an end wall forming panel hingedly connected to each end of each of said side wall panels, a center partition forming panel hingedly connected to each of said end wall panels, one of said side wall forming panels being connected on a hinge forming crease line to a side of the bottom wall forming section, each of the center partition forming panels at one end of the side wall panels having a cross partition panel cut therefrom so as to extend from a crease line spaced inwardly of the free edge thereof in the direction of the associated side wall panel and handle forming panels divided into two portions, each of which is hingedly connected at one end thereof to inner edge extensions of adjacent center partition forming panels and each said handle forming panel portion having a handle reinforcing panel hinged to the edge thereof which is opposite its hinged connection with the respective center partition forming panel, said handle forming panel portions and handle reinforcing panels being connected to the side wall panels by cross partition forming straps which are hingedly connected thereto at opposite ends thereof, and supplemental cross partition panels cut from said center partition forming panels which have a dimension transversely of the blank corresponding approximately to the dimension of the side wall panels in the same direction, said supplemental cross partition panels each having a dimension in a direction longitudinally of the blank which is no less than one-half the corresponding dimension of the adjoining end wall forming panels whereby when said center partition forming panels are folded inwardly and overlie the adjoining end wall panels a top marginal portion of each supplemental cross partition panel will overlie a portion of a cross partition forming strap adjacent the hinged connection of said strap with the associated center partition forming panel.

9. A one piece article carrier forming blank as set forth in claim 8 wherein a supplemental center partition panel is cut from the area of blank material between said center partition forming panels at one end of the blank which is hingedly connected to the inner longitudinally extending edge of one of said center partition forming panels so that said supplemental center partition panel may be folded about its hinged connection and sandwiched between said center partition forming panels when the carrier is erected to provide substantially full depth separation between articles in the pairs of cells at one end of the carrier.

10. A one piece article carrier forming blank as set forth in claim 8 wherein each supplemental cross partition panel is cut from a center partition forming panel so as to hinge on a line extending transversely of the blank and spaced from the transverse hinge line connecting the center partition forming panel with the adjacent end wall panel a distance corresponding to the width of said End wall panel.