Multi-container packaging apparatus and method

Claim 2

IN PACKAGING APPARATUS FOR FOLDING A BLANK OF CARDBOARD ABOUT A GROUP OF CONTAINERS AND WHICH BLANK IS OF THE TYPE THAT HAS A PANEL INTERMEDIATE A PAIR OF FOLDING FLAPS AND ON WHICH PANEL A GROUP OF CONTAINERS IS TO BE SUPPORTED FOR FOLDING SAID FOLDING FLAPS UPWARDLY TO TWO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID GROUP; A BLANK SUPPORT MOVABLE IN ONE DIRECTION ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SUCH BLANK HORIZONTALLY THEREON FOR MOVEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION IN A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PATH OF TRAVEL WITH THE SAID FOLDING FLAPS ON SAID BLANK EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PATH, FLAP FOLDING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID BLANK SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH IN A POSITION BELOW ONE OF SAID FLAPS WHEN SAID BLANK IS ON SAID BLANK SUPPORT, SUPPORTING MEANS SUPPORTING SAID FLAP FOLDING MEANS FOR UPWARD MOVEMENT FROM SAID POSITION, MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID FLAP FOLDING MEANS ACTUATABLE FOR MOVING SAID FLAP FOLDING MEANS UPWARDLY DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID FLAP FOLDING MEANS AND SAID BLANK SUPPORT IN SAID PATH FOR FOLDING SAID ONE FLAP UPWARDLY.

Claim 3

IN A METHOD OF FORMING A PACKAGE OF A GROUP OF CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS AND A PLANAR BLANK HAVING AN ADJOINING PAIR OF PANELS AND AN ADJOINING PAIR OF FLAPS INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND WITH EACH OTHER, THE STEPS OF: PLACING ONE OF THE SURFACES OF SUCH CONTAINER AGAINST ONE PANEL OF SAID PAIR ADJACENT TO THE JUNCTURE BETWEEN SAID PANELS WITH SAID PANELS AND SAID FLAPS IN FLAT, UNFOLDED CONDITION, SIMULTANEOUSLY FOLDING SAID PAIR OF FLAPS TO THE SIDE OF SAID BLANK AGAINST WHICH SAID CONTAINER IS SO PLACED AND TO A POSITION IN WHICH THE ONE FLAP ON SAID ONE PANEL IS IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID ONE PANEL AND AGAINST ONE OF SAID SURFACES OF SAID CONTAINER, CONTINUING FOLDING THE OTHER FLAP OF SAID PAIR PAST A POSITION IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID ONE PANEL AND AT THE SAME TIME FOLDING THE OTHER PANEL OF SAID PAIR THEREOF TO A POSITON AGAINST ANOTHER SURFACE OF SAID CONTAINER WHILE SAID ONE FLAP IS HELD AGAINST SAID ONE SURFACE WHEREBY A SECTION OF SAID OTHER FLAP ADJOINING AND INTEGRAL WITH SAID PAIR OF FLAPS AT THEIR JUNCTURE WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOLDED ALONG DIVERGENTLY EXTENDING LINES TO A POSITION BETWEEN SAID OTHER PANEL AND SAID OTHER SURFACE FOR HOLDING BY SAID CONTAINER IN SAID LAST MENTIONED POSITION WITH SAID OTHER FLAP AGAINST SAID OTHER PANEL.

Claim 4

IN A METHOD OF FORMING A PACKAGE OF A GROUP OF CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS AND A PLANAR BLANK HAVING AN ADJOINING PAIR OF PANELS AND AN ADJOINING PAIR OF FLAPS INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND WITH EACH OTHER, THE STEPS OF: PLACING ONE OF THE SURFACES OF SUCH CONTAINER AGAINST ONE PANEL OF SAID PAIR ADJACENT TO THE JUNCTURE BETWEEN SAID PANELS WITH SAID PANELS AND SAID FLAPS IN FLAT, UNFOLDED CONDITION, SIMULTANEOUSLY FOLDING SAID PAIR OF FLAPS TO THE SIDE OF SAID BLANK AGAINST WHICH SAID CONTAINER IS SO PLACED AND TO A POSITION IN WHICH THE ONE FLAP ON SAID ONE PANEL IS IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID ONE PANEL AND AGAINST ONE OF SAID SURFACES OF SAID CONTAINER, CONTINUING FOLDING THE OTHER FLAP OF SAID PAIR PAST A POSITION IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID ONE PANEL AND AT THE SAME TIME FOLDING THE OTHER PANEL OF SAID PAIR THEREOF TO A POSITON AGAINST ANOTHER SURFACE OF SAID CONTAINER WHILE SAID ONE FLAP IS HELD AGAINST SAID ONE SURFACE WHEREBY A SECTION OF SAID OTHER FLAP ADJOINING AND INTEGRAL WITH SAID PAIR OF FLAPS AT THEIR JUNCTURE WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOLDED ALONG DIVERGENTLY EXTENDING LINES TO A POSITION BETWEEN SAID OTHER PANEL AND SAID OTHER SURFACE FOR HOLDING BY SAID CONTAINER IN SAID LAST MENTIONED POSITION WITH SAID OTHER FLAP AGAINST SAID OTHER PANEL.