Shrink wrap container package

Abstract

This disclosure has to do with a bottle package of the type wherein at least four bottles arranged in two columns are formed into a package by wrapping a heat shrinkable plastics material film thereabout and effecting shrinking of that film to tightly grip bottles. In order to facilitate the carrying of the package, finger receiving openings are formed on opposite sides of central ones of the bottles with the film engaged over the top of the central ones of the bottles between the finger receiving openings defining a carrying strap. The shrinking of the film is effected in a shrink tunnel where hot air is directed against the film. The finger receiving openings are formed in the film between adjacent pairs of bottles after initial shrinking of the film has occurred, but before the film reaches the end of the shrink tunnel so that after slitting of the film occurs, there is further shrinking of the film, primarily down between adjacent pairs of bottles. The result is the widening of the slit in the film to define finger receiving openings which are generally oval or elliptical in shape with the periphery edge of each opening being reinforced by the thickening of the film due to shrinkage and wherein a strap is formed tightly about the central bottles, which strap forms a carrying or pick-up strap.