Sheet carrier conditioning die assembly and conditioning method

Abstract

An assembly to effectuate conditioning of a sheet carrier for a container multi-pack is provided. The assembly includes a die plate and a sheet carrier receiver plate resiliently retained thereupon for select displacement towards same via engagement of a sheet carrier received upon the receiver plate by a press plate. The die plate includes a central portion and a central portion periphery adjacent the central portion, the die plate characterized by a select array of conditioning dies upwardly extending from the central portion of the die plate, the dies characterized by a shoulder delimiting upper and lower die portions. The sheet carrier includes a central portion and a central portion periphery adjacent the central portion which includes a select array of passages configured to correspond to a configuration of the select array of conditioning dies of the die plate. Passages of the receiver plate circumscribe the lower die portions of the conditioning dies and during sheet carrier conditioning, discrete portions of the sheet carrier manipulated about/over the shoulder/lower die portions of the dies.