US3813123A - Extruded plastic container carrier - Google Patents

Extruded plastic container carrier Download PDF

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Publication number
US3813123A
US3813123A US00252172A US25217272A US3813123A US 3813123 A US3813123 A US 3813123A US 00252172 A US00252172 A US 00252172A US 25217272 A US25217272 A US 25217272A US 3813123 A US3813123 A US 3813123A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
ribbons
bands
containers
fused
extruded
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00252172A
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English (en)
Inventor
R Owen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Illinois Tool Works Inc
Original Assignee
Illinois Tool Works Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Illinois Tool Works Inc filed Critical Illinois Tool Works Inc
Priority to US00252172A priority Critical patent/US3813123A/en
Priority to CA169,783A priority patent/CA983890A/en
Priority to ZA733011A priority patent/ZA733011B/xx
Priority to GB2132873A priority patent/GB1428521A/en
Priority to AU55353/73A priority patent/AU479979B2/en
Priority to DE2323333A priority patent/DE2323333A1/de
Priority to SE7306571A priority patent/SE392599B/xx
Priority to BR3388/73A priority patent/BR7303388D0/pt
Priority to FR7316996A priority patent/FR2184365A5/fr
Priority to CH664773A priority patent/CH578462A5/xx
Priority to IT23921/73A priority patent/IT987268B/it
Priority to NL7306613A priority patent/NL7306613A/xx
Priority to JP5174973A priority patent/JPS5440813B2/ja
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3813123A publication Critical patent/US3813123A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D71/50—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed otherwise than by folding a blank
    • B65D71/504—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed otherwise than by folding a blank the element being formed from a flexible sheet provided with slits or apertures intended to be stretched over the articles and adapt to the shape of the article

Definitions

  • the invention can be made by known processes and apparatus for extruding molten plastic material such as polyethylene from what may be described as a plurality of nozzles,.and then by moving the nozzles or the extruded strands while the plastic material is still in a mol' ten or semi-molten state, toward and away from each other to cause the strands to be fused at selected positions linearly of the strands as they are extruded.
  • molten plastic material such as polyethylene from what may be described as a plurality of nozzles,.and then by moving the nozzles or the extruded strands while the plastic material is still in a mol' ten or semi-molten state, toward and away from each other to cause the strands to be fused at selected positions linearly of the strands as they are extruded.
  • Such systems have previously been used to produce plastic netting as shown in the'patent to Schultheiss, US. Pat. No.
  • the present invention contemplates the use of such systems to produce the multiple container carriers of the invention
  • Prior art multiple container carriers have been made from plastic materials and particularly sheet material as shown for example in the Poupitch US. Pat. No. 2,874,835. Further, cord-like container carriers have been previously known as shown in the Poupitch Pat. No. 3,097,740 and the Rockett Pat. No. 3,480,135.
  • tainer encircling bands are vertically oriented and aligned ribbons have a definitely greater height than thickness.
  • the ratio of the thickness to the height of the container encircling ribbons is important if efficient use of the plastic materialis to be accomplished. I have found in reductions to practice of my invention that my extruded plastic carriers for multiple containers are most cfficient if the container encircling ribbons are extruded so that a maximum area of frictional contact may be established between the outer vertical surfaces of the containers and the inner contiguous surfaces of r the present invention;
  • the present invention contemplates four preferred embodiments; three of the embodiments are particularly adapted for cylindrical containers such as cans, and the fourth embodiment is particularly adapted for bottles having reduced'neck portions.
  • Three of the four embodiments also include certain unique forms of handle means, and the handle means of one of the embodiments further function. to provide proper separation of adjacent containers where the containers have outwardly extending top sections such as chimes.
  • the primary object of the invention is to provide efficient and economical multiple container carrier constructions and arrangements utilizing known extrusion processes and apparatus capable of extruding and fusing molten or semi-molten plastic ribbons.
  • FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a section of extruded container carrier stock made according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a top plan view of 6 containers assembled in a unitary package with a section of the carrier stock shown in FIG. 1;"
  • FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of two of the containers and a section of the carrier stock of FIG. 2 applied thereto;
  • FIG. 4 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention:
  • FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the carrier structure of FIG. 4 shown as applied to form a unitary package of four containers such as cans;
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the package arrangement of FIG. 5;
  • FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 4, and taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 8 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a section of the carrier stock of FIG. 8 applied to a group of four cans;
  • FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 8 and taken substantially along the line l0l0 of FIG. 8;
  • FIG. 11 is a top plan view of another embodiment of FIG. 12 is a perspective viewof the upper portion of a group of six bottles with the carrier of FIG. I 1 applied thereto; and I FIG. 13 is an enlargedcross-sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 11 and taken substantially along the line 13-13 of FIG. 1].
  • the extruded ribbons forming the container encircling bands are relatively thin and relatively wide vertically oriented ribbons. This essential construction can be clearly seen in FIGS. 7, 10 and 13.
  • the preferred material of the invention is any suitable plastic material that can be extruded as ribbons which will in the molten or semi-molten states fuse when the faces of the ribbons are brought together.
  • preferred plastic material is further selected as one which is sufficiently resilient and deformable at normal ambient temperatures to form a suitable carrier device.
  • One such material presently commercially available is low density polyethylene.
  • Other plastic materials which maybe used are listed in the above noted patent to Schultheiss, Pat. No. 3,242,023.
  • the reason for maintaining the thin vertically oriented ribbon shape for the container encircling bands is that a unitary package of the carrier and a plurality of containers is intended to be carried by a person holding the carrier with the containers depending therefrom, and'it is therefore important that the container encircling bands grip the side walls' of the containers with a maximum frictional gripping force.
  • a maximum frictional gripping force is attained when for a given cross-sectional area ofthe band, the greatest possible area of the inner face of the band is in embracing physical contact with the outer circumferential surface of the container while avoiding making the band so thin that the elastic limits of the material are exceeded when the band is stretched and applied about the containers.
  • the extruded carriers of my invention by not having such notches or their equivalent on the vertically oriented fusion lines between the ribbons, uniquely and unexpectedly produce strong and economical carriers in relatively thin cross-sectional dimensions.
  • the important resistance to tearing also occurs in the embodiments of my invention wherein handle arrangements are extruded and fused as integral parts of the carriers.
  • FIG. 1 of the drawings container carrier stock made according to my invention is shown in plan view.
  • Four plastic ribbons 10 are simultaneously extruded and while in a molten or semi-molten state are brought together and separated in a repeating pattern to produce fused sections 11 and 12.
  • the fused sections 11 between adjacent ribbons l produce a plurality of transverse pairs of container encircling bands.
  • the inner peripheral measurement of the defined container encircling bands is less than the circumference of the containers, such as containers 13 in FIGS. 2 and 3 with which the carrier is to be associated so that the container encircling bands must be stretched when applied about the containers 13.
  • the fused sections 11 have a length sufficient to provide chime-to-chime separation of adjacent containers 13.
  • the fused sections 11 further have a length sufficient to permit cutting or severing of the fused sections 11 substantially longitudinally midway thereof to permit the carrier stock of FIG. 1 to be cut into individual carriers of any selected number of pairs of container encircling bands.
  • the fused sections 12 are located between the adjacent ribbons of adjacent container encircling bands to form the container carrier stock as pairs of transversely arranged, and longitudinally extending container encircling bands.
  • FIG. 2 shows the container carrier stock severed at four fused sections 11 to provide a container carrier for six containers 13.
  • the container carrier stock may be severed between any selected transverse pairs of fused sections 11 to provide a carrier for any selected number of pairs of containers.
  • FIG. 3 shows a carrier for a single pair of containers 13. As shown in FIG. 3, the carrier has been stretched and applied about the pair of cans 13 immediately below the upper chimes 14-of the containers 13. Generally, the chimes 14 serve to lock the carrier on the container 13 against accidental slipping of the carrier from the containers 13 when the unitary package of the carrier and containers is transported.
  • the present invention contemplates that the gripping force of the container encircling bands upon the outer surface of the containers be great enough to prevent accidental slipping of the containers from the carrier under normal handling and transport conditions. As may be seen in FIG.
  • the fused sections 11 shown therein are substantially twice the cross-sectional area of the ribbons l0, and the face width of the ribbons 10 is many times greater than the thickness of the ribbons 10.
  • the ribbons 20 are simultaneously extruded with a cord member 21.
  • the ribbons 20 are periodically brought together and moved apart in a repeating pattern and in bonding contact with a longitudinally moving cord member 21 to fuse the ribbons 20 and bond the cord member 21 thereto to form the container'carrier stock as shown in FIG. 4.
  • the cord member 21 need not be a plastic material but may be any suitable material which may be bonded to the ribbons 20 as shown in the drawing.
  • the integral inter-connection of the container encircling bands of each pair of bands, and with the cord member 21, is made by maintaining the ribbons 20 together in the molten or semi-molten state, and with the cord member 21, for a substantial length of time to produce the fused sections 23 and form the carrier stock configuration shown in FIG. 4.
  • the cord member 21 from one fused section 23 to the next fused section 23 is of such a length relative to the length of the ribbons 20 between the fused sections 22 that when the container encircling bands are stretched and applied to the containers 13 the noted portion of the cord member 21 will form a loop as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 show'a cutting of the container carrier stock to form an individual container carrier for four containers 13.
  • the looped section of the cord member 21 provides a convenient finger hold which will function as a handle for carrying the unitary package.
  • a finger hold or loop will be provided between each group of two pairs of containers 13.
  • the ribbons 20 of the embodiments of FIGS. 4-7 are extruded to be dimensioned substantially as previously described and in FIG. 7, it may be seen that the fused section 23 is twice the thickness of the ribbons 20.
  • FIGS. 8-10 differs from that of FIGS. 4-7 in that the handle a member 31 which integrally joins the container encircling bands of eachpair of bands is formed of the same A "material as the four ribbons 30 and is extruded contemporaneously with the ribbons 30.
  • the individual containerencircling bands areformed by the fused sections 32 at spaced positions longitudinally of the ribbons 30.
  • the handle member 31 is extruded substantially as a ribbon in a plane perpendicular to the planes of extrusion of the ribbons 30 and is fused to the upper edge of adjacent ribbons 30 as may be seen in the enlarged crosssectional view in FIG. 10.
  • the handle member 31 has a width sufficient to provide convenient chime-tochime separation of containers 13 as shown in FIG. 9.
  • the container carrier stock of FIG. 8 is severed through the fused sections 32, and through the handle member 31 at convenient positions, to produce a con- .tainer carrier for any selected number of pairs of containers 13.
  • FIG. 9 shows the container stock of FIG. 8 severed, stretched and applied about the containers 13 to form a unitary package of four containers 13 with the carrier.
  • the handle member 31 will form a convenient finger loop between each group of two pairs of containers when the carrier is stretched and applied to the containers l3.
  • the carrier stock in the embodiment of FIGS. 11-13 differs from that of the previously described embodiments in the lengthof the fused sections 41 between the container encircling bands formed by the ribbons 40, and in the formation of the handle arrangement.
  • the carrier stock of FIGS. 11-13 is primarily intended for containers such as bottles 42 which have reduced neck portions.
  • the ribbons 40 are extruded and the fused sections 41 are fused to have a length sufficient to extend from the reduced neck portion of one bottle 42 to the reduced neck portion of the corresponding bottle 42 in the next pair of bottles 42 when the container encircling bands formed by the ribbons 40 are stretched and applied over the reduced necks of the bottles 42 as shown in FIG. 12.
  • the handle arrangement for the carrier stock of FIGS. 11-13 comprises a plurality of ribbons 43, 44, which are extruded contemporaneously with and are of the same material as the ribbons 40.
  • the extrusion of the handle arrangement as shown in the embodiment of the drawing is discontinuous, because the ribbons 43 and 44, which are fused at 45, are fused to the ribbons 40 at spaced-apart positions longitudinally of the ribbons 40.
  • the present embodiment does contemplate that the ribbons 43 and 44 may be extruded continuously with the ribbons 40.
  • the carrier stock of FIG. 11 is intended to be severed at appropriate positions through the fused sections 41 and 45 to produce a carrier of any selected number of pairs of container encircling bands, and the container encircling bands are then stretched and applied to containers such as bottles 42 as may be seen in FIG. 12.
  • the fused sections 45 of the ribbons 43 and 44 provide convenient finger gripping means to function as a handle for transporting the unitary package of containers 42 with the associated carrier.
  • a multiple container carrier comprising a plurality of at least four extruded plastic vertically oriented ribbons formed from a resilient deformable plastic material extruded in a semi-molten to molten state, a first pair of said ribbons having transversely face-fused joints at certain positions linearly of said ribbons, a second pair of said ribbons having transversely face-fused joints at certain positions linearly of said ribbons, one of said ribbons of each of said first and second pairs of said ribbons having transversely face-fused joints at positions intermediate said face-fused joints of said first and second pairs of said ribbons to define a plurality of integral bands capable of encircling a plurality of containers with the inner faces of said bands positioned against the circumferential surfaces of said containers, said ribbons having a ratio of thickness to face width producing a substantially maximum frictional gripping force of said bands on said containers against movement in a direction axially of said containers when said bands are stretched and applied about said containers, and the end surfaces of said face-fused
  • cord-like handle member of a substantially non-resilient material is bonded to said ribbons on the line of contiguity of the bands of each pair of said band's.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)
US00252172A 1972-05-05 1972-05-11 Extruded plastic container carrier Expired - Lifetime US3813123A (en)

Priority Applications (13)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00252172A US3813123A (en) 1972-05-11 1972-05-11 Extruded plastic container carrier
CA169,783A CA983890A (en) 1972-05-11 1973-04-27 Extruded plastic container carrier
ZA733011A ZA733011B (en) 1972-05-11 1973-05-03 Extruded plastic container carrier
GB2132873A GB1428521A (en) 1972-05-05 1973-05-04 Extruded plastics carriers
AU55353/73A AU479979B2 (en) 1972-05-11 1973-05-07 Extruded plastic container carrier
DE2323333A DE2323333A1 (de) 1972-05-11 1973-05-09 Stranggepresster kunststoffbehaeltertraeger
SE7306571A SE392599B (sv) 1972-05-11 1973-05-10 Sprutad plasthallare for behallare
BR3388/73A BR7303388D0 (pt) 1972-05-11 1973-05-10 Transportador para diversos recipientes
FR7316996A FR2184365A5 (fr) 1972-05-11 1973-05-10
CH664773A CH578462A5 (fr) 1972-05-11 1973-05-10
IT23921/73A IT987268B (it) 1972-05-11 1973-05-10 Portacontenitori in plastica estrusa
NL7306613A NL7306613A (fr) 1972-05-11 1973-05-11
JP5174973A JPS5440813B2 (fr) 1972-05-11 1973-05-11

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00252172A US3813123A (en) 1972-05-11 1972-05-11 Extruded plastic container carrier

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3813123A true US3813123A (en) 1974-05-28

Family

ID=22954904

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00252172A Expired - Lifetime US3813123A (en) 1972-05-05 1972-05-11 Extruded plastic container carrier

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US3813123A (fr)
JP (1) JPS5440813B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR7303388D0 (fr)
CA (1) CA983890A (fr)
CH (1) CH578462A5 (fr)
DE (1) DE2323333A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR2184365A5 (fr)
IT (1) IT987268B (fr)
NL (1) NL7306613A (fr)
SE (1) SE392599B (fr)
ZA (1) ZA733011B (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4018331A (en) * 1975-05-29 1977-04-19 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Multipackaging devices
JPS54130886U (fr) * 1978-03-02 1979-09-11
EP2311750A1 (fr) 2009-10-16 2011-04-20 Krones AG Gerbe constituée de plusieurs récipients et procédé de fabrication d'une telle gerbe
US20110099949A1 (en) * 2006-03-17 2011-05-05 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Heat-Shrinkable Holder for Articles and Heat-Shrinkable Package of Articles

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2573866B1 (fr) * 1984-11-27 1989-02-17 Veglia E D Sonde de mesure du niveau d'un liquide

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3038602A (en) * 1959-12-10 1962-06-12 Illinois Tool Works Container carrier
US3385626A (en) * 1966-09-21 1968-05-28 Mitchell S. Wozniak Plastic sheet carrier device
US3460863A (en) * 1968-05-02 1969-08-12 Owens Illinois Inc Multipack container carrier
US3611656A (en) * 1970-04-24 1971-10-12 Container Corp Method and apparatus for forming carriers for container groups
US3621628A (en) * 1970-03-24 1971-11-23 Container Corp Method and apparatus for forming carriers for grouped articles
US3688899A (en) * 1971-03-10 1972-09-05 Container Corp Article group carrier

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3038602A (en) * 1959-12-10 1962-06-12 Illinois Tool Works Container carrier
US3385626A (en) * 1966-09-21 1968-05-28 Mitchell S. Wozniak Plastic sheet carrier device
US3460863A (en) * 1968-05-02 1969-08-12 Owens Illinois Inc Multipack container carrier
US3621628A (en) * 1970-03-24 1971-11-23 Container Corp Method and apparatus for forming carriers for grouped articles
US3611656A (en) * 1970-04-24 1971-10-12 Container Corp Method and apparatus for forming carriers for container groups
US3688899A (en) * 1971-03-10 1972-09-05 Container Corp Article group carrier

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4018331A (en) * 1975-05-29 1977-04-19 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Multipackaging devices
JPS54130886U (fr) * 1978-03-02 1979-09-11
US20110099949A1 (en) * 2006-03-17 2011-05-05 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Heat-Shrinkable Holder for Articles and Heat-Shrinkable Package of Articles
EP2311750A1 (fr) 2009-10-16 2011-04-20 Krones AG Gerbe constituée de plusieurs récipients et procédé de fabrication d'une telle gerbe
WO2011045440A1 (fr) 2009-10-16 2011-04-21 Krones Ag Conditionnement fait de plusieurs articles ou contenants et procédé de fabrication d'un tel conditionnement
US20110089055A1 (en) * 2009-10-16 2011-04-21 Krones Ag Pack of several containers and method for the production of the pack
DE102009044271A1 (de) 2009-10-16 2011-04-28 Krones Ag Gebinde aus mehreren Behältern und Verfahren zur Herstellung eines solchen Gebindes
CN102482012A (zh) * 2009-10-16 2012-05-30 克罗内斯股份公司 包括多个物件或容器的二次包装及生产这样的包装的方法
US8439195B2 (en) 2009-10-16 2013-05-14 Krones Ag Pack of several containers and method for the production of the pack
US8851285B2 (en) 2009-10-16 2014-10-07 Krones Ag Secondary packaging comprising a plurality of articles or containers and method for producing such a package
CN102482012B (zh) * 2009-10-16 2015-07-01 克罗内斯股份公司 包括多个物件或容器的二次包装及生产这样的包装的方法
US9669979B2 (en) 2009-10-16 2017-06-06 Krones Aktiengesellschaft Secondary packaging comprising a plurality of articles or containers and method for producing such a package

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA983890A (en) 1976-02-17
NL7306613A (fr) 1973-11-13
JPS5440813B2 (fr) 1979-12-05
CH578462A5 (fr) 1976-08-13
IT987268B (it) 1975-02-20
JPS4961846A (fr) 1974-06-15
BR7303388D0 (pt) 1974-07-25
AU5535373A (en) 1974-11-07
DE2323333A1 (de) 1973-11-29
ZA733011B (en) 1974-12-24
FR2184365A5 (fr) 1973-12-21
SE392599B (sv) 1977-04-04

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