Method of packaging together series of containers, particularly bottles, as well as a device and a holder designed to carry out the method

A device for packaging together a plurality of containers (6), each having a cap (26) and a neck flange (28), via a holder blank (4) comprising foldable side flaps (39) and a plurality of perforations forming flexible fingers defining a plurality of apertures for engaging with one of the plurality of containers, at least some of the flexible fingers being formed integral with and simultaneously movable in a direction opposite to a direction of movement of the foldable side flaps (39), the device comprising:

• a separation unit (9) for containing a plurality of stacked holder blanks and sequentially feeding one of the stacked holder blanks from the separation unit (9) to an application unit (3);
• a container conveyor for conveying the plurality of containers (6) in a desired arrangement (27) to a position in the application unit vertically below the sequentially fed holder blank;
• the application unit (3) having a mechanism for causing relative vertical movement between the fed holder blank and the plurality of containers in the application unit to facilitate folding of the foldable side flaps (39) of the holder blank (4) vertically downward for contacting and at least partially encompassing an adjacent group of the plurality of containers while the flexible fingers, formed integral with the side flaps (39), simultaneously moving in an opposite vertically upward direction, and concurrently urging the holder blank vertically downward to allow each of the apertures to engage one of the plurality of containers in a desired arrangement (27) such that the remaining flexible fingers are biased vertically upward, as a result of contact with the cap and the neck flanges of the containers engaging within the apertures;
• and
• the mechanism of the application unit (3), upon further relative vertical movement between the fed holder blank and the plurality of containers, causing the fed holder blank to be moved vertically below at least the caps of the plurality of containers to facilitate the flexible fingers elastically and independently springing into a locking position to captively engage at least one of the cap and neck flange of the plurality of containers.

A device for packaging together a plurality of containers (6) having a cap (26) and a neck flange (28), by means of holder blanks (4) comprising foldable side flaps (39) and perforations forming flexible fingers defining a plurality of apertures for engaging the plurality of containers, at least some of the flexible fingers formed integral with and substantially moveable in planer symmetry with the foldable side flaps (39), the device comprising:

• a separation unit (9) for compiling a plurality of holder blanks in a stack and feeding a holder blank from the stack compiled in the separation unit (9) to an application unit (3);
• the plurality of containers (6) being conveyed in a desired arrangement (27) via a container conveyor to a position in the application unit vertically below the holder blank and the holder blank is applied to the plurality of containers wherein the foldable side flaps (39) of the holder blank (4) are folded downward to contact and at least partially encompass an adjacent group of the plurality of containers, and the holder blank being urged concurrently downward to allow the apertures to engage the plurality of containers wherein the flexible fingers are pressed and turned vertically upward via contact with the cap and neck flanges of the containers engaging within the apertures;
• the holder blank being moved further downward to a level at least below the caps to allow the flexible fingers to elastically and independently spring into a locking position to captively engage at least one of the cap and neck flange of the containers;
• a horizontal multiple function plate (23) arranged between the opposed horizontal surfaces (18) and the pivots (19) of the carrying hooks (17), the horizontal multiple function plate (23) is fastened to the lower portion of a plurality of columns (24), the columns supporting on an upper portion thereof the pivots (19), the plate is replaceable and has a pattern of vertical, preferably through holes (25), corresponding to the desired arrangement of the plurality of bottles (27) on the container conveyor (5), and are designed to align with and be pressed downward over the caps (26) and flanges of the containers (6) and wherein a flange (28) is formed below the cap (26) on the container, the through holes are provided with one of an upper step and constriction (29), which allows the caps, but not the flanges, to pass unobstructed through the through hole.