Can packaging

Claim 2

A can having an annular protuberance at each end and having a longitudinal axis and external walls of generally cylindrical configuration, which can is to be assembled with other like cans to form a group of abutting cans in which the cans have their axes parallel and held in assembled arrangement by a band about the group, which group is to be transferred from one location to another, said can being characterized by having: a plurality of regularly arranged protrusions and depressions in said wall, each protrusion extending outwardly from said generally cylindrical wall and each depression extending inwardly from said generally cylindrical wall in the form of a socket for receiving a protrusion, said protrusions and depressions having proximal ends at said generally cylindrical wall, said protrusions and depressions being so positioned that when the cans are assembled in said group one object of each pair of abutting objects has a protrusion which extends into a depression of the other object of the pair, thereby preventing movement of the objects of the pair with respect to each other in a direction generally parallel to said axes so long as said objects are maintained in said abutting relationship by said band, thereby preventing the cans of said group from moving, with respect to each other, in a direction transverse to said axes, the protrusion extending farther in a radial direction from said wall than said annular protuberances and sufficiently far beyond the wall so that the protrusion will seat in the depression of an adjacent can of said group before annular protuberances of the two come into contact, whereby when the cans are tightly banded together the can walls act as springs tending to hold the cans in engagement with each other and with the band.

Claim 3

A can as set forth in claim 1, wherein each protrusion is between two depressions an vice versa, and the centers of an adjacent protrusion and depression are spaced from each other by an angle of 60° measured about said axis.

Claim 4

An object as set forth in claim 1, wherein said protrusions and depressions are positioned in two planes normal to said axis, one plane being above the mid-point of said axis and the other plane bein below the mid-point of said axis when said axis is vertically aligned, wherein each protrusion in one plane being vertically aligned with a depression in the other plane and each depression in said one plane being vertically aligned with a protrusion in said other plane.

Claim 5

An assembly of a group of objects held as a unit to facilitate the movement of the group from one location to another, each object having an axis and an external wall of generally cylindrical configuration thereabout, each object being a can having annular protuberances at each end which extend outwardly from the generally cylindrical wall, said assembly comprising: each object having a plurality of regularly arranged protrusions and depressions in said wall, said protrusion extending outwardly from said generally cylindrical wall and each depression extending inwardly from said generally cylindrical wall in the form of a socket for receiving a protrusion, said protrusions and depressions having proximal ends at said generally cylindrical wall, said protrusions and depressions being smaller, both vertically and horizontally, at their distal ends than at their proximal ends, said protrusions and depressions being so positioned that when the objects are assembled in said group one object of each pair of abutting objects has a protrusion which extends into a depression of the other object of the pair, the part of the wall defining the depression fitting closely about the distal end of the protrusion of the other object of the pair, thereby preventing movement of the objects of the pair with respect to each other in a direction generally parallel to said axis; and a band about said group holding the objects of the group in said abutting relationship thereby preventing movement of one object of the group with respect to the remaining objects of the group in a direction transverse to said axis; the protrusion of one can extending sufficiently far beyond the wall so as to seat in the depression of a corresponding can before the annular protuberances of the two come into contact, said band being sufficiently tight to hold said annular protuberances of said cans in contact with one another, whereby when the cans are tightly banded together the can walls act as springs tending to hold the cans in engagement with each other and with the band.

Claim 6

An assembly of a group of objects held as a unit to facilitate the movement of the group from one location to another, each object having an axis and an external wall of generally cylindrical configuration thereabout, each object being a can having annular protuberances at each end which extend outwardly from the generally cylindrical wall, said assembly comprising: each object having a plurality of regularly arranged protrusions and depressions in said wall, said protrusion extending outwardly from said generally cylindrical wall and each depression extending inwardly from said generally cylindrical wall in the form of a socket for receiving a protrusion, said protrusions and depressions having proximal ends at said generally cylindrical wall, said protrusions and depressions being smaller, both vertically and horizontally, at their distal ends than at their proximal ends, said protrusions and depressions being so positioned that when the objects are assembled in said group one object of each pair of abutting objects has a protrusion which extends into a depression of the other object of the pair, the part of the wall defining the depression fitting closely about the distal end of the protrusion of the other object of the pair, thereby preventing movement of the objects of the pair with respect to each other in a direction generally parallel to said axis; and a band about said group holding the objects of the group in said abutting relationship thereby preventing movement of one object of the group with respect to the remaining objects of the group in a direction transverse to said axis; the protrusion of one can extending sufficiently far beyond the wall so as to seat in the depression of a corresponding can before the annular protuberances of the two come into contact, said band being sufficiently tight to hold said annular protuberances of said cans in contact with one another, whereby when the cans are tightly banded together the can walls act as springs tending to hold the cans in engagement with each other and with the band.

Claim 7

An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein in each object each protrusion is between two depressions and vice versa, and the centers of an adjacent protrusion and depression are spaced from each other by an angle of 60° measured about said axis; and the objects of the group are so arranged with respect to each other so that each object abuts at least two other objects and the three objects so abutting are positioned so that their axes are at the corners of an equilateral triangle.

Claim 8

An assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein in each object said protrusions and depressions are positioned in two planes normal to said axis, one plane being above the mid-point of said axis and the other plane being below the mid-point of said axis when said axis is vertically aligned; and said band encompasses the space between said two planes.

Claim 9

An assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein in each object said protrusions and depressions are positioned in two planes normal to said axis, one plane being above the mid-point of said axis and the other plane being below the mid-point of said axis when said axis is vertically aligned; and said band encompasses the space between said two planes.

Claim 10

An assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein in each object each protrusion in one plane is vertically aligned with a depression in the other plane and each depression in said one plane is vertically aligned with a protrusion in said other plane.

Claim 11

An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein in each object said protrusions and depressions are positioned in two planes normal to said axis, one plane being above the mid-point of said axis and the other plane being below the mid-point of said axis when said axis is vertically aligned; and said band includes portions at opposite sides of said two planes.