The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 10, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 29, 1999
Applicant:
Inventor:
Grahame Tyreman, Huddersfield, GB;
Assignee:
Coca-Cola Enterprises Limited, Middlesex, GB;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B65B 3/530 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B65B 3/530 ;
Abstract
The invention relates to a trayless close packed array of cans locked together in a heat shrunk sleeve. The packaging machine includes a marshalling station for marshalling the cans in arrays in which there are unequal numbers of cans in each row and a collation station in which the array of cans in rows and columns are collated into close packed formation. A wrapping machine wraps a plastic sleeve around the close packed array and a sealing station seals and heat shrinks the sleeve around the array to lock the array into its formation.