Bottle separating and connecting band

Claim 1

A bottle carrying apparatus for carrying bottles in a close, tight cluster comprising a carrier frame for engaging and locking together the cluster of bottles, bottle engaging means within the carrier frame for engaging the necks of the bottles and including a pair of spreadable release elements to permit a bottle to be removed from the frame by pivoting the lower end thereof away from an adjacent bottle to force the neck of the bottle between said spreadable release elements, a bottle separating and connecting band for encompassing the cluster of bottles at a distance substantially below the carrier frame, a loop portion forming part of said band for encompassing a cluster of bottles, band portions integrally formed at opposite ends with said bottle encompassing loop portion and forming with parts of said loop portion individual retaining bands for each bottle, a bottle separator integrally connecting adjacent band portions to separate adjacent bottles, a plurality of pull tabs formed on said band for breaking the loop portion at different locations to release selected bottles, a weakened portion in the band adjacent each pull tab to facilitate breaking the band, said band encompassing tapered surfaces of the necks of the bottles and said bottle engaging band portions being characterized in that the upper edges are thicker than the lower edges, and inner surfaces of the bottle engaging band portions tapered in substantially complementary fashion to the surfaces of the tapered portions of the bottles which they engage, the weakened portion adjacent each pull tab being of uniform thickness substantially less than the thicker upper edges of the band portions to facilitate breaking the band.