Method of forming unitized modular loads

Claim 1

Method of modular packaging of a multiplicity of individual retail consumer size containers for distribution, storage, transport and retail sales display without requiring individual handling of any of the containers prior to retail sale and enabling unitized and mechanical handling thereof at all points from manufacture to retail display comprising, at least the steps of: grouping such containers into aligned three dimensional generally rectangular cellular arrays of case load size, tightly binding each of said case load size cellular arrays into identically sized sub-modules of rectangular parallelepiped configuration so that said case load size bound groups can be manually handled and stacked; stacking said sub-modules into hand truck load sized aligned elongated stacks to extend the cellular array in a first direction to unit hand truck load size with the individual containers being stacked in vertical alignment, tightly overwrapping each of said stacks into identically sized rigid elongated modules of rectangular parallelepiped configuration having a cross section equal that of the case load size bound groups so that said hand truck load sized stacks may be handled and stacked without separation, arranging said modules in a bundle with side by side aligned face to face contact to extend the cellular array bi-directionally generally perpendicular said first direction to lift truck load sized unit loads with the individual containers being aligned thereby in a continuous three dimensional rectangular array throughout the unit load to enable said load to resist stack and clamp loads through the aligned walls of the individual containers, and sufficiently tightly binding said bundled stacks into sufficiently tight face to face contact with sufficient compressive loading to develop sufficient frictional forces between the abutting overwrap of the stack modules to rigidify the unit load and preclude sliding between the stack modules and thereby preventing dominoing thereof and enable aligned stacking of such unit loads to warehouse sized arrays resistant to dominoing and flowering.