Method and apparatus for packaging containers

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR PACKAGING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: SUPPORTING A FLATTENED BLANK IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED POSITION, SAID BLANK COMPRISING A BOTTOM PANEL, A PAIR OF SIDE PANELS CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL, A PAIR OF END PANELS CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL, AN END FLAP CONNECTED TO EACH END OF EACH OF SAID SIDE PANELS TO FORM A PAIR OF END FLAPS AT EACH END OF SAID BLANK, AND A TOP PANEL CONNECTED TO AN EDGE OF ONE OF SAID SIDE PANELS, DEPOSITING A PLURALITY OF OBJECTS ON SAID BOTTOM PANEL TO SUBSTANTIALLY COVER SAID BOTTOM PANEL, LOWERING SAID BLANK AND OBJECTS DOWNWARDLY ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED PATH, FOLDING SAID SIDE PANELS UPWARDLY TO SUBSTANTIALLY ABUT SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID OBJECTS, FOLDING SAID END FLAPS INWARDLY TOWARDS SAID OBJECTS TO SUBSTANTIALLY ABUT END PORTION THEREOF, AND MOVING SAID BLANK AND OBJECTS SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY RELATIVE TO SAID VERTICALLY DISPOSED PATH AFTER SAID BLANK AND OBJECTS HAVE BEEN MOVED DOWNWARDLY TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION AND SAID SIDE PANELS HAVE BEEN FOLDED WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY FOLDING SAID TOP PANEL OVER SAID OBJECTS AND INTO SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL.