Package assembly including a top member and an endless heat shrunk enclosure band

Claim 1

A CARRIER AND PACKAGE ASSEMBLY FOR A PLURALITY OF CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES, SUCH AS CANS, HAVING LATERALLY PROTRUDING CHIME RINGS AT THEIR UPPER ENDS AND COMPRISING A TOP MEANS HAVING A PAIR OF DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CENTER SECTIONS, EACH HAVING A DOUBLE WALL AND A PAIR OF PARALLEL DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED WALLS FORMING EDGE SECTIONS, ONE OF SAID WALLS OF EACH OF SAID CENTER SECTIONS BEING AN OUTER WALL AND BEING SPACED FROM AN EDGE SECTION ABOUT THE DISTANCE OF A DIAMETER OF SAID CANS FOR RECEIVING A ROW OF CANS THEREBETWEEN, AND THE REMAINING WALLS OF SAID CENTER SECTIONS BEING SPACED FOR RECEIVING A ROW OF CANS THEREBETWEEN, A PLURALITY OF CANS POSITIONED BELOW SAID TOP MEANS IN A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ROWS TO PROVIDE AN ASSEMBLY OF CANS, AT LEAST ONE WALL OF EACH OF SAID DOUBLE WALL CENTER SECTIONS BEING CONTINUOUS FROM MARGIN TO MARGIN OF SAID TOP MEANS TO PROVIDE STABILITY THERETO, CHIME ENGAGING MEANS ON EACH WALL OF SAID CENTER AND EDGE SECTIONS IN OPPOSED RELATION AND ENGAGING THE CHIME RINGS OF SAID CANS, AND OPEN ENDED HEAT SHRUNK ENDLESS BAND MEANS TIGHTLY ENGAGING SAID CANS AND TOP MEANS AND EXTENDING FULLY AROUND THE SIDES, TOPS AND BOTTOMS OF SAID CANS IN SAID ASSEMBLY TO RETAIN SAID CANS GROUPED TOGETHER INTO A COMPACT UNITARY ASSEMBLY WITH SAID TOP MEANS AND TO FURTHER HOLD SAID CHIME ENGAGING MEANS AND CANS IN ENGAGEMENT.