Channel-shaped carrier for cans having external beads and for other containers having shoulders proximate their ends

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR CONNECTING AND CARRYING CONTAINERS DISPOSED SIDE BY SIDE IN A ROW AND PROVIDED WITH SHOULDERS SPACED FROM THEIR ENDS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A PANEL PORTION ENGAGEABLE WITH THE ENDS OF THE SEVERAL CONTAINERS, AND FLANGE PORTIONS HAVING FREE MARGINS REMOTE FROM SAID PANEL PORTION, SAID FLANGE PORTIONS BEING LATERALLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SIDES OF THE SEVERAL CONTAINERS AND FOLDABLY CONNECTED WITH THE PANEL PORTION UPON FOLD LINES WHICH ARE GENERALLY PARALLEL AND SPACED BY A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE ENDS OF THE CONTAINERS, THE SAID DEVICE HAVING GENERALLY C-SHAPED SLITS INTERRUPTING THE FOLD LINES IN PAIRS AND OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER ACROSS THE LOCATIONS AT WHICH THE PANEL PORTION WILL REST UPON THE TOPS OF THE CONTAINERS, EACH OF SAID SLITS SEPARATING FROM THE FLANGE PORTIONS AFORESAID TABS IN THE PLANE OF THE PANEL PORTION AND PROJECTING OPOSITELY THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID SLITS FURTHER DEFINING ON ITS RESPECTIVE FLANGE PORTION A CUT EDGE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY RECTILINEAR AND OFFSET FROM THE RESPECTIVE FOLD LINE BY A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLING THE SPACING BETWEEN THE SHOULDER AND THE END OF A CONTAINER WITH WHICH THE DEVICE IS TO BE USED, WHEREBY, WHEN SAID DEVICE IS APPLIED TO THE CONTAINERS OF SUCH A ROW, THE PANEL WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS ACROSS THE ENDS OF THE CONTAINERS, WITH THE TABS PROJECTING LATERALLY ACROSS THE SIDES OF SAID CONTAINERS, SAID CUT EDGES HAVING CONFINING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDERS OF THE RESPECTIVE CONTAINERS WHEN THE FLANGE PORTIONS ARE FLODED DOWNWARDLY TO POSITIONS APPROXIMATELY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PANEL PORTION, THE RESPECTIVE FLANGE PORTIONS BEING STIFF AND FREE OF FLOOD LINES FROM THE FOLD LINES FIRST MENTIONED OUTWARDLY TO THE FREE MARGINS OF THE FLANGE PORTIONS, SAID FLANGE PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE DEFORMED CURVILINEARLY OUTWARDLY AROUND SIDE PORTIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE CONTAINERS AND BE STIFFENED BY SUCH CURVILINEAR DEFORMATION AND HELD IN SUPPORTING RELATION TO SAID SHOULDERS.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR CONNECTING AND CARRYING CONTAINERS DISPOSED SIDE BY SIDE IN A ROW AND PROVIDED WITH SHOULDERS SPACED FROM THEIR ENDS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A PANEL PORTION ENGAGEABLE WITH THE ENDS OF THE SEVERAL CONTAINERS, AND FLANGE PORTIONS HAVING FREE MARGINS REMOTE FROM SAID PANEL PORTION, SAID FLANGE PORTIONS BEING LATERALLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SIDES OF THE SEVERAL CONTAINERS AND FOLDABLY CONNECTED WITH THE PANEL PORTION UPON FOLD LINES WHICH ARE GENERALLY PARALLEL AND SPACED BY A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE ENDS OF THE CONTAINERS, THE SAID DEVICE HAVING GENERALLY C-SHAPED SLITS INTERRUPTING THE FOLD LINES IN PAIRS AND OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER ACROSS THE LOCATIONS AT WHICH THE PANEL PORTION WILL REST UPON THE TOPS OF THE CONTAINERS, EACH OF SAID SLITS SEPARATING FROM THE FLANGE PORTIONS AFORESAID TABS IN THE PLANE OF THE PANEL PORTION AND PROJECTING OPOSITELY THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID SLITS FURTHER DEFINING ON ITS RESPECTIVE FLANGE PORTION A CUT EDGE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY RECTILINEAR AND OFFSET FROM THE RESPECTIVE FOLD LINE BY A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLING THE SPACING BETWEEN THE SHOULDER AND THE END OF A CONTAINER WITH WHICH THE DEVICE IS TO BE USED, WHEREBY, WHEN SAID DEVICE IS APPLIED TO THE CONTAINERS OF SUCH A ROW, THE PANEL WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS ACROSS THE ENDS OF THE CONTAINERS, WITH THE TABS PROJECTING LATERALLY ACROSS THE SIDES OF SAID CONTAINERS, SAID CUT EDGES HAVING CONFINING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDERS OF THE RESPECTIVE CONTAINERS WHEN THE FLANGE PORTIONS ARE FLODED DOWNWARDLY TO POSITIONS APPROXIMATELY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PANEL PORTION, THE RESPECTIVE FLANGE PORTIONS BEING STIFF AND FREE OF FLOOD LINES FROM THE FOLD LINES FIRST MENTIONED OUTWARDLY TO THE FREE MARGINS OF THE FLANGE PORTIONS, SAID FLANGE PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE DEFORMED CURVILINEARLY OUTWARDLY AROUND SIDE PORTIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE CONTAINERS AND BE STIFFENED BY SUCH CURVILINEAR DEFORMATION AND HELD IN SUPPORTING RELATION TO SAID SHOULDERS.