Protective covers for cans, protective packages thereof and methods of forming and applying such covers

Claim 1

A COVER AND CARRIER FOR PROTECTING AND CARRYING A PLURALITY OF CLOSED AND SEALED CANS OF THE TYPE HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL, A CLOSED TRANSVERSE TOP END WALL AND AN AXIALLY AND RADIALLY EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIAL TOP BEAD HAVING A TOP, BOTTOM AND RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE PORTIONS; SAID COVER AND CARRIER BEING EFFECTIVE TO PROTECTIVELY OVERLIE THE CLOSED TOP ENDS OF SAID CANS, AND CONSISTING SOLELY OF A ONE-PIECE, PRESSURE-SHAPED AND SET SHEET FORMED FROM ELASTIC PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL INITIALLY OF A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS OF THE ORDER OF .010 INCH, SAID SHAPED COVER SHEET HAVING FORMED THEREIN AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE TOP SIDE THEREOF A PLURALITY OF SEPARATED AND INVERTED SCUPPED POCKETS INTO EACH OF WHICH THE TOP END OF ONE OF SAID CANS IS ADAPTED TO BE SOCKETED; EACH OF SAID POCKETS HAVING A TRANSVERSE TOP END COMPLETELY OVERLYING THE TOP END OF THE CAN SOCKETED THEREIN AND AN INTEGRAL, DEPENDING, CIRCULAR SIDE WALL WITH THE LATTER HAVING DEFINED THEREIN A CONTINUOUS CIRCULAR CONSTRICTED AND TENSIONED, ELASTIC GRIPPING BAND OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID CAN SIDE WALL WHEN THE CAN TO BE SOCKETED THEREIN IS FREE THEREFROM, AND AN ANNULAR INTERNAL GROOVE OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAID BAND, SAID GROOVE BEING DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE BAND AND SAID POCKET TRANSVERSE END WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID BAND AND THE BOTTOM SIDE OF SAID GROOVE INTERGRALLY CONNECTED BY A MERGING LATERAL SHOULDER, SAID CIRCULAR BAND OF EACH POCKET BEING ADAPTED TO BE SNAPPED DOWN OVER SAID RIM BEAD OF ONE OF SAID CANS TO TENSION SAID BAND IN GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SIDE WALL OF THIS CAN WITH SAID RIM BEAD THEREOF LOCATED IN SAID GROOVE AND PROJECT ING LATERALLY OVER SAID LATERAL SHOULDER FOR SUPPORT ON THE LATTER WHEN THE PACKAGE IS LIFTED BY GRASP OF SAID COVER SHEET, SAID COVER SHEET HAVING MEDIAL AREAS INTERMEDIATE SAID POCKETS.