Carton with separaters, its blank and apparatus facilitating its erection for use

The disclosure relates to cartons with separaters which, where the articles to be separated are deep, comprise a lower arrangement of separaters according to the invention in co-operation with a higher arrangement of separaters of known form and supported from a stiff central separater according to the invention. The lower and upper separaters erect automatically when the carton walls are moved from the flat condition to the rectangular condition, the lower ones are extensions of the known Crash-bottom style and arranged to interact together according to the invention to erect the separater forming extensions for separating two or more articles such as glass bottles. The invention includes joining the two separate similar opposing structures associated with the known Crash-bottom to effectively form one bottom member fixed at its four sides and the invention extends from the flat blank, through a process for folding and gluing the flat blank, to apparatus erecting the carton and effecting joining of the bottom structures ready for the commercial use of the carton.

The present invention relates to cartons and providing the bottom of such 
cartons with substantially vertical separaters which when used with a top 
structure according to the invention, will extend the separation and 
provide a handle for carrying the carton filled with articles for sale. 
The invention therefore provides the blank for the carbon and means for 
its erection for use. One such use would be as a carrier for bottles. 
Hitherto, for instance, carrier blanks have been made for glass bottles for 
which transport requirements make it necessary to have separation between 
the glass and these requirements have resulted in cartons with separaters 
between a central wall and two long side walls which, due to their method 
for folding flat when empty, have a bottom which is fixed to only the two 
long sidewalls. Such designs vary but they are necessarily complicated and 
require a lot of the paperboard from which they are made to be cut to 
waste, also the blank is complicated to fold and glue together which 
generally causes its production to be slow and limited to special gluing 
machines such as rightangle gluers so it is an expensive carton. Therefore 
it is desirable to be able to make such carrier cartons, or any carton 
requiring separaters or dividers, by using the type of bottom which will 
erect automatically when the sides are opened and are known generically by 
such names as the Crash-bottom, the Auto-bottom and the lock-bottom but 
such bottoms are weak and the reference to locking relates only to the 
engagement of two opposite parts of the bottom to prevent it returning to 
its original flat carton state. Furthermore such bottoms do not 
economically lend themselves to the provision of separaters, nor do they 
economically allow the type of flat folding required to allow a top 
structure, or one which can have a central handle held stiff as required 
by bottle carriers. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottom which is self 
erecting and has separaters which are self erecting when the side walls 
are opened from the flat condition by means provided or locked by means 
provided and which will also erect a top structure of the invention when 
used as a carrier for bottles. 
Accordingly the present invention provides a carton for use as an article 
carrier constructed and erected from a blank of sheet material including 
at least one upper separater panel member with a carrying opening and a 
bottom comprising bottom member panels depending from the bottom edge of 
each of four side walls at a horizontal line of fold, each side wall 
hinged by a line of vertical corner fold to a next side wall and when the 
carton is folded into flat condition two of the four said vertical corner 
folds lie between the two other vertical corner folds which are folded 
fully each with members adjacent to it forming two similar opposing 
structures, the adjacent bottom members folded to lie against the inside 
of the adjacent side walls and a glue lap divided from one of the bottom 
members of each structure by a diagonal fold meeting with the vertical 
fold folded fully and the horizontal line of fold, the glue lap folded to 
lie against the adjacent bottom member and glued to it; characterised in 
that opposing side wall parts of the erected carton have at least one 
substantially horizontal cut situated between substantially the top of the 
carton and the top of the carton walls of their full width, the ends of 
the cut connecting with the lower ends of two vertical folds which include 
a corner fold edge part of the carton therebetween and below the cut, a 
further vertical fold situated between the two vertical folds and above 
the cut, the carton material between the said two vertical folds reversing 
inwardly and situated to contribute stiffness to the carrying opening, 
said two vertical folds forming therefore additional such said corner fold 
edge parts of the carton. Such upper separation can therefore provide 
separation at the shoulders of bottles. 
Such said stiffening is increased wherein at least one said corner fold is 
a corner fold, which is folded fully when the flat blank is folded and 
glued into a collapsed carrier ready for erecting into a carton, and has 
at least one said further vertical fold also folded fully and the carton 
material between the said two vertical folds reversing inwardly upon 
folding and gluing the flat blank into a collapsed carrier. 
A further feature of the invention provides for its use as an article 
carrier for articles which require separation at the bottom such as the 
heel of a bottle and which separation can co-operate with separation at 
the shoulder to more economically provide separation effectively therefore 
for the article where it is straight sided from shoulder to heel. 
Accordingly the invention provides a carton constructed from a blank 
including low separater means for separating its contents and having a 
bottom comprising bottom member panels depending from the bottom edges of 
each of four side walls by a horizontal line of fold, each side wall 
hinged by a line of vertical corner fold to the next side wall, and when 
the carton is folded into a flat assembled condition two of the four said 
vertical corner folds lie between the two other vertical corner folds 
which are folded fully each with members adjacent to it forming two 
similar opposing structures, the adjacent bottom members folded to lie 
against the inside of the adjacent side walls and a glue lap divided from 
one of the bottom members by a diagonal fold meeting with the vertical 
corner fold folded fully and the horizontal lines of fold, the glue lap 
folded to lie against the adjacent bottom member and glued to it; 
characterised in that the free edge of at least one bottom member of each 
one of said similar opposing structures carriers a separater forming 
extension hinging with a bottom member at a line of weakness dimensioned 
to communicate with a line of weakness hinging such separater extension of 
the similar opposing structure when erected and said separaters arranged 
and adapted for the transmission to them of opposition force from an 
engaging separater for their rightangular displacement relative to their 
said at least one bottom member when it is rightangularly displaced by its 
diagonal fold being angularly displaced vertically and horizontally, when 
the said horizontal lines of fold of the bottom members are rightangularly 
displaced and the sidewalls are rightangularly displaced and each fold for 
folding fully is opened and moved one toward the other. 
Where two articles are separated by one separater wall it is sufficient for 
two separater extensions of two bottom panels to interact by one opposing 
the other to form one separater wall when erected but where there are four 
or more articles to be separated then such interaction is by one adjacent 
separater opposing another adjacent separater so the same opposition force 
is used but it is applied angularly and at the same line of contact as the 
angle increases and which line can therefore conveniently have a hinging 
line of fold located thereon and such hinge forms a further part of the 
invention. 
The bottom is strengthened by the separaters which provide stiffness and 
its security is improved in that a separater part or a bottom member part 
or an extension of a bottom member part of one said similar opposing 
structure is secured to a separater part or a bottom member part or an 
extension of a bottom member part of the other similar opposing structure 
by a stitch of any material from one said part through the other said 
part. 
The present invention extends from the flat and the glued blank for the 
carton so it also includes the process which cannot be carried out by hand 
for forming the carton for its use but only when used for erecting the 
carton according to the present invention and preparing it for commercial 
use by engaging and moving one side wall relative to another sidewall 
thereby opening each similar opposing structure and causing the relative 
adjacent bottom member panels joined by the said diagonal fold to draw 
apart and open the diagonal fold with the bottom members substantially 
flat between similar opposing structure side walls and cause the 
separaters depending from the bottom member panels to interact together 
and be supported at rightangles to the bottom. Apparatus means may be used 
for entering the carton and providing support for a part or parts of the 
inside of the bottom or separater to enable a locking action to be 
performed or a stitch action to be performed between the said similar 
opposing structures using paperboard or another material or any means for 
joining one similar opposing structure to the other. 
The present invention also extends to the process for folding and gluing 
the flat blank according to the present invention into the folded and 
glued flat blank according to the invention including the stages for 
folding the bottom folds for the flat folded and glued blank, imprinting 
glue on the surfaces to be fixed, folding over the vertical lines of fold 
for folding fully and inwardly folding any carton material reversing 
inwardly between vertical lines of fold for folding fully, applying 
pressure while the glue fixes the carton and separater parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Separaters, or dividers as they are sometimes called, normally have to be 
added to the carton after it is made and erected and these vary from 
display cartons for sachets which require separation to prevent the 
sachets sliding about the floor of the carton, to carriers for articles 
such as glass bottles to prevent them abrading each other or breaking, in 
which case the separation could be as deep as the bottle body. However it 
is not necessary, in the case of most bottles for the separaters to be 
full depth of the bottle body because it is unnecessary and undesirable to 
have any separater between the bottle shoulder and the bottle heel, 
otherwise the bottle label can be scuffed and damaged. Therefore one of 
the most economic and advantageous uses of the present invention is as a 
bottle carrier and, although it is not the only use for the invention and 
the features of it, bottle carriers will be used as the example known to 
the inventor with some of its embodiments which include upper and lower 
separation although each could be used alone and some forms of lower 
separation can be used with upper separation other than that upper 
separation with which they are shown by way of example. Unlike the known 
added separation, the lower separation of the invention begins at and is 
integral with, the bottom of the carton. An advantage of the upper 
separation is that it uses only the amount of material required to 
surround the group of bottles on their four sides. In the drawings of flat 
blanks continuous lines show lines of cut and broken lines show lines of 
fold. The lower part of the invention begins with a bottom which 
automatically erects similar to the embodiment shown by FIG. 1 which shows 
the inside of the carton material. 
The first number of each reference used indicates the part and the suffix 
after the colon, thus :, indicates the figure wherein the part is featured 
in detail. For instance in FIG. 17 reference 24:5 is the line of 
horizontal fold of the bottom featured in FIG. 5, and in the same FIG. 17 
the reference 107:10 is seen in FIG. 10 and while the same number 107 is 
seen in FIG. 13 it is shown as 107:13 because it is differently disposed 
therein. Likewise FIG. 13 has bottom related parts with similar references 
and the suffix 9 because such features are interchangeable. 
FIG. 1 shows two diagonal folds 25:1 and 26:1 which divide the glue laps 
9:1 and 10:1 from the bottom member panels 6:1 and 8:1 which are folded up 
at a horizontal line of fold 22:1 and 24:1 respectively to lie against the 
inside of side walls 2:1 and 4:1 respectively as the glue laps 9:1 and 
10:1 are folded back to overlie bottom members 6:1 and 8:1. The bottom 
members 5:1 and 7:1 are folded up to lie against the inside of side walls 
1:1 and 3:1 respectively, so that the glue laps 9:1 and 10:1 can have glue 
applied to them and will fix to areas 31:1, which are shown by broken 
lines of shade because they are on the reverse of the carton material as 
shown, when side walls 1:1 and 4:1 are folded fully at lines of fold 11:1 
and 13:1 to overlie side walls 2:1 and 3:1 respectively to form two 
similar opposing structures when glue lap 15:1 is glued and fixed to free 
side wall edge 35:1. This embodiment of the invention is erected by moving 
the side walls such that vertical fold 11:1 and vertical fold 13:1 move 
one toward the other their bottom member panels of their own opposing 
structure being 5:1 adjacent 6:1 and 7:1 adjacent 8:1, will each be drawn 
down to form a common floor of the carton and the two edges 20:1 will 
oppose each other and be pushed one past the other and lock the bottom 
into place after so passing which prevents the return of the bottom folds 
to their collapsed flat form. During the action of erecting the carton 
bottom according to FIG. 1 the bottom members 5:1 and 7:1, being angled 
one toward the other, cause the members 16:1 and 18:1 to be also angled 
one toward the other. 
FIG. 2 shows the greater depth 385:1 of separater 16:1 overlapping 
therefore the shallower depth 397:1 of separater 18:1 and the greater 
depth 387:1 of separater 18:1 overlapping the shallower depth 395:1 of 
separater 16:1 such that as they slide across each other the separaters 
16:1 and 18:1 so engaged will push equally one against the other without 
one slipping over the other and so will erect each other with one opposed 
to the other by its resistance to bending at their lines of weakness 27:1 
and 29:1 respectively which will maintain them perpendicular to the bottom 
of the carton, FIG. 3. Therefore the force that is responsible for 
erecting them is the opposing force resulting from the change of angle of 
the bottom members. The separater embodiment of FIG. 1 is in its simplest 
form and it is required where only two articles are to be separated with 
only one separater between and the arrangement is useful for separating 
such items as whisky bottles, especially as the separation is therefore 
equal to two thicknesses of carton material. It will be seen later that by 
employing an arrangement related to that shown by FIGS. 6 and 7 two more 
opposing separaters can be arranged in the other direction as when fixed 
to panels 6:5 and 8:5 being separaters 17:5 and 19:5 respectively of FIG. 
5. Reference figures throughout this description are related in that 
similar figures have related purpose but they differ in their suffix. The 
suffix relates to the figure number which shows such difference best, such 
difference is not necessarily a species but it is one form of one species 
Therefore FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 include reference figures which all include the 
suffix 1 from FIG. 1 but the FIGS. 54 and 4 have the suffix 4 because they 
include the upper separation which is best recognized by considering the 
FIG. 4. 
FIG. 54 shows the lower separation included into a suitable upper separater 
structure wherein the corner fold edge part 12:1 has a cut 102:4 situated 
above the full width parts of the side walls 2:1 and 3:1, which cut runs 
from the lower end of vertical fold 101:4 and the lower end of vertical 
fold 103:4 and which in some species, such as this one, also coincides 
with the upper fold 13 being 13:4. Between the vertical folds 101:4 and 
103:4 there is a further vertical fold 12B:4 which is a reverse fold 
allowing the carton material between the folds 101:4 and 12B:4 being 106:4 
and between folds 12B:4 and 103:4 being 107:4, to reverse inwardly and to 
contribute stiffness to the carrying opening 104:4 as shown by FIG. 4 
wherein the carton carrier of FIG. 54 is seen erected ready for use. FIG. 
4 also shows that the carrier is seen to be the same whether corner fold 
edge part 12:1 is in the forefront or corner fold edge part 14:1 (hidden 
but seen in FIG. 3) is in the forefront because the carrier is equi-formed 
on each side of the one upper separater panel 106:4 combined with the 
other separater panel 106:4 The flat blank, where the lower separation 
shown by FIG. 1 and the upper separation shown by FIG. 4 are combined, is 
shown by FIG. 55 as seen from the outer side and all references therein 
have the meaning as discussed previously, with suffixes 1 and 4. The 
blanks in flat condition are shown together so that they may be readily 
compared and the scope and opportunity offered and taught by the 
description can be more readily learned. Shaded areas using broken lines 
are adhesive. The reverse fold 12B:4 and related to 12:1 would normally be 
given the reference "A" but because it is relatively long and there is a 
fold 101:4 behind it which resists expansion, while a normal reverse fold 
will resist compression, making the total fold very resistant because they 
are folded while back to back in this way. The inside fold is a reverse 
fold and may be formed by prepressing the paperboard in two parallel lines 
separated by between eight and sixteen times the thickness of the board 
and made by a strip of hard material between the parallel lines when 
pressed so that the paperboard between is raised in height by more than 
the thickness of the paperboard material and remains so in the assembled 
blank. When the assembled blank material so prepared and placed on a line 
of normal fold of the backing material are folded while together, the 
inside material must contract and the surplus material is relieved by the 
raised material rising further and allowing the total folding to take 
place without undue resistance, in FIG. 4 and in other figures where 
shown. 
The container carrier described above has good commercial value but it is a 
simple form of the invention relative to other embodiments and it will be 
understood that the opposition force, responsive for displacing and 
erecting the separaters, is the same force when the resulting erected 
separaters are adjacent one to the other, because they begin by facing 
each other and are to some degree facing each other throughout their 
angular displacement until they are rightangular one to the other as will 
be shown by the example of FIG. 5 separation. 
FIG. 5 shows the outside of a blank for lower separation for a carton 
bottom according to the invention wherein the separaters 16:5 and 17:5 
will oppose each other when bottom members 5:5 and 6:5 are folded to 
overlie side walls 1:5 and 2:5 and will be connected by glue lap 9:5 
divided from bottom member panel 6:5 and folded to overlie 6:5 and 
adhesive is applied to it at area 31:5 and adhesive is applied 32:5 to 
glue lap 33:5, and the fold 11:5 is folded fully for the adhesive 
therebetween to fix the contacting surfaces to form a structure which is 
opened by rightangularly displacing the side walls 1:5 and 2:5. The 
separaters 18:5 and 19:5, the bottom members 7:5 and 8:5, the glue lap 
10:5 and the glue lap 34:5 similarly treated to form a similar opposing 
structure attached to the first similar opposing structure by line of fold 
12:5 and 14:5 when the glue lap 15:5 is fixed by an application of 
adhesive to free edge 35:5. 
The theory of the action in each similar opposing structure is that upon 
rightangularly displacing the side walls adjacent the line of corner fold 
for folding fully, the edge 36:5 will rest against and continuously oppose 
the separater 16:5 as they are each similarly angularly displaced until 
they are rightangularly displaced, whereupon the edge 36:5 would no longer 
oppose separater 16:5 and would slip forward abruptly due to the 
resilience of its hinging line of weakness 28:5 along with line of 
weakness 27:5 but for the fact that the line 36:5 is also a line of hinge, 
hinging glue lap 33:5 which is fixed to separater 16:5, so preserving the 
erect position of the separaters and aiding their efficiency throughout 
the displacement as shown by FIG. 6 until they are erected as shown by 
FIG. 7. 
FIG. 6 shows that if there was no hinge 36:5 the above may not happen but 
that is only because the edge 36:5 is so close to the adjacent edge of 
separater 16:5 that in practice it would slip off, whereas if the 
separater 16:5 was continued as in FIG. 18 or 22, described later, then 
16:5 and 17:5 would remain together just as 16:18 and 17:18. However such 
slipping off is a practical consideration and so is the hinge and the 
theory of the erecting force is unchanged, whether the opposing force for 
displacing the separaters at rightangles to the bottom is by direct 
opposition as in FIG. 2, or angular opposition as in FIG. 6, and which is 
made efficient in practice by the presence of the hinge 36:5. 
FIG. 7 shows the lines of weakness 28:5 and 27:5 meeting and 29:5 (hidden) 
and 30:5 meeting after the separaters 18:5 and 19:5 connected at edge 37:5 
all of the similar opposing structure have also erected in the same way, 
for six containers, although it could be adapted to say four as at FIG. 
14, or for eight containers as at FIG. 13. 
FIG. 52 shows such a carton for six containers with a suitable upper 
structure in two variations in the assembled flat folded and glued 
condition. 
FIG. 8 shows the same assembled carton upper structure as FIG. 52 but in 
the erected condition. 
FIG. 56 shows a flat blank for such a carton as the upper one in FIG. 52 
and 8. Whereas the flat blank shown by FIG. 55 was merely glued where 
shown shaded by broken line, being on the inside, and finally folded at 
the folds 13:1 and 11:1 as described for the bottom, FIG. 56 is slightly 
more complicated in that after folding, the bottom members 5:5, 6:5, 7:5, 
8:5 at horizontal lines of fold 21:5, 22:5, 23:5, 24:5 to lie against the 
inside, the glue laps 9:5 and 10:5 back to overlie the bottom member and 
adhesive is applied to the shaded areas, or to the area with which it will 
make final contact and the blank is finally folded at the lines of fold 
for folding fully 11:5/11:8 and 13:5/13:8, the folds 11:8 and 13:8 are 
raised and as the final fold is made for 15:5/15:8 to fix to 1:5 and 
106:8, the folds 11:8 and 13:8 with their co-operating lines of vertical 
fold 101:8 and 103:8 will all be folded fully. The carton is discussed in 
more detail. 
In practice its performance does not have as much value as the others, 
mainly because it is unbalanced about the finger hole 104:8 which is not 
supported equally on each side by the material for supporting it, however 
it does serve to demonstrate a link in the upper structure of the 
invention because it will be seen that, relative to FIG. 4 the upper 
structure, as well as the lower structure have the width extended by a 
pair of related compartments on each side of it so that it is now the 
length of six compartments with the lower separation 17:5 and 19:5 in 
direct opposition as 16:1 and 18:1 in FIG. 2, but the at least one 
separater 106:4 is made to be continuous in 106:8 simply by repeating the 
invention. Refering again to the further lines of fold 11:8 and 13:8 which 
are fully folded, this is done to take material from the outside of the 
carton's upper structure where is can do no good and to move it inward to 
contribute stiffness to the carrying opening and it is made possible by 
having another substantially horizontal cut 102B:8 below each of the 
further vertical folds 11:8 and 13:8 and above the lower part of the at 
least one separater 106:8. 
Such higher substantially horizontal cutting as 102B:8 will join two 
vertical folds 101:8 and 103:8. Such inwardly reversing carton material at 
the point of gluing is important because it is glued to make two glued 
double thicknesses. This introduces an important difference in the same 
invention because as it is so repeated above the vertical corner fold 
which is folded fully in the assembled flat blank, the further fold 13:8 
and 11:8 are together and in line so forming a handle support which is 
four thicknesses of carton material thick along two thirds of its length 
across the top of the carton and which if used in such condition would 
provide the necessary balance about the finger hole 104:8. Similarly FIG. 
50 shows the assembled blank with such stiffening across the full width of 
the carton upper structure. 
In FIG. 8 the panels are shown to be made up of two thicknesses by leaving 
a gap for a better understanding however it will be understood that they 
are able to be glued together where required to ensure that they open from 
the flat condition where they are required to do so. It is notable that 
gluing machines in use prior to this invention were not considered 
adaptable for causing carton material to be inwardly reversed in their 
final fold stage since it is a new requirement. 
The lower part of FIGS. 52 and 8 show a part view of a carton where the 
lower parts, 105:8 of the upper separation is divided from the remainder 
of the said at least one upper separater and known as a strap and as such 
it is not able to significantly contribute to the stiffness of the handle. 
FIG. 9 shows the inside of a blank for a carton with lower separation and 
which is a variation on that described for FIG. 5. The edge and hinge line 
36:9 and 37:9, along with their glue laps 33:9 and 34:9 respectively 
replace glue laps 33:5 and 34:5 in the same second side wall 2:9 and third 
fourth side wall 4:9 related positions and other panels have been moved 
therefore as appropriate. Also the area of adhesive application 32:9 to 
glue laps 33:9 and 34:9 are shown shaded in broken line because the inside 
of the carton material is shown and the area of adhesive application 31:9 
for joining with diagonal glue laps 9:9 and 10:9 is shown instead on 
bottom members 5:9 and 7:9 respectively to illustrate such alternative 
position of the adhesive area because it will be understood that the 
adhesive application is made to which ever of the surfaces for fixing is 
most convenient in the process for the gluing machine. Such adhesive in 
the instance of carriers for bottles such as basket carriers is a 
wet-strength adhesive such as P.V.A. In FIG. 5 the glue laps 33:5 and 34:5 
were made from material which is a part of diagonal glue laps 9:5 and 10:5 
and so they are associated with them. However they can be disassociated as 
in FIG. 9 by moving them to separater 16:9 and 18:9 and which are 
dependent from the free edge of bottom members 5:9 and 7:9 at horizontal 
hinge lines 22:9 and 24:9. The diagonal glue laps 9:9 and 10:9 are divided 
from bottom member panels 6:9 and 8:9, and from their free edges, hinged 
by lines of weakness 28:9 and 30:9, are separaters 17:9 and 19:9, while 
the bottom member panels 6:9 and 8:9 depend from side walls 1:9 and 3:9 at 
lines of horizontal fold 21:9 and 23:9 respectively and these first and 
third positions are shown with a line of break because they could be any 
suitable length. For instance they could be the length for eight 
containers as shown by FIGS. 11, 12, 53 and 13. FIG. 12 shows circles of 
chain line denoting the positions of containers being separated all the 
length of the bottom centrally to divide the width but only one separater 
on each side of it to divide an end container from the remainder. 
Therefore the invention provides stiffness and separation for the bottom 
but two extra separaters are required at the bottom one each side which 
can be supplied by other means and still be more economic. However where 
the blank of FIG. 9 is used for only four containers they are all 
separated at the bottom as shown by FIG. 10, with walls of equal width. 
FIG. 10 shows a carton for four containers with separation at the top and 
bottom. Adhesive 31:9 and 32:9 is shown added to bottom panel member 5:9 
and 7:9 and to separater glue lap 33:9 and 34:9 respectively but as stated 
when describing FIG. 9 it could equally be added to the co-operating 
surface, as it has been in FIG. 14, and although no account of it has been 
considered in the drawings, such adhesive applications are normally 
arranged so that the centre of the carton is clear of adhesive so that the 
drive belts can grip the carton in the gluing machine. Therefore adhesive 
areas are favoured on the infolding parts which are shown raised beyond 
the folds 11:9/11:10 and 13:9/13:10. 
When describing FIGS. 52 and 8 it was shown that part of the carton 
material for reversing inwardly would be reversed at the time of gluing 
and in FIG. 10 the material is 106:10 and 107:10 divided by the further 
fold 11:10, and 106:10 and 107:10 divided by further fold 13:10. Therefore 
as shown the two centre panels 2:9 and 3:9 with their depending bottom 
member panels 5:9 and 8:9 and their separaters 16:9 and 19:9 with diagonal 
glue lap 10:9 folded to overlie 8:9, would be passed between the drive 
belts and whereas the drive belts are normally positioned to run as close 
to the final folds as possible, in this situation they would run close to 
the folds 103:10 and 101:10. The final folds are those defined as for 
folding fully, which is true of all erectable cartons in the final-fold 
section of the machine, however in this situation and all forms of the 
present invention where there is an infolding of carton material at the 
time of folding and gluing, as opposed to the present invention where 
there is an infolding of carbon material at the time of erecting the 
carton and depending only upon which corner of the carton is subject to 
the invention, the final folds 11:9/11:10 and 13:9/13:10 cannot be reached 
by the drive belts as in normal gluing machine practice but because it has 
not been done before no solution to the problem has been required. The 
solution according to the present invention therefore for folding the 
blank for gluing lies in the blank invention itself as follows and as 
described for FIG. 35. In paperboard, the fibres are bent locally and in a 
line required for folding by pressure from a creasing rule into a recess 
but it is a stiff line for folding and not free hinged until the fibres 
are loosened by prefolding by causing it to bend while held close to the 
line for folding, therefore the line of fold 11:9/11:10 and line of fold 
13:9/13:10 are prefolded so that they will hinge more freely than other 
lines of fold when in the final fold section of the machine and because 
the carton material held there between the drive belts is double along the 
lengths of horizontal lines of fold folded fully 22:9 and 23:9 right up to 
final folding lines 11:9 and 13:9 and the carton material is again double 
thickness beyond them at horizontal lines of fold 21:9 and 24:9, the 
material will bend at 11:9 and 13:9 when fully folded folds 21:9 and 24:9 
are raised and folded inwardly due to the concentration of stiffness up 
to, and then again beyond, 11:9 and 13:9. It is simultaneously, or only 
slightly later, necessary to raise the prebent reverse folds 11:10 and 
13:10 so that they will move overcentre and thereafter reverse inwardly. 
In the case of a carrier for bottles the matter is helped by the carton 
material being a Carrier Board which is a white coated unbleached pure 
coniferous kraft paperboard which is very stiff and which hinges well. As 
shown at reference 76 of FIG. 35 the raising of folds 11:10 and 13:10 is 
done by a mechanical lifter but it is common practice to do such raising, 
or initiating of a movement, by a flat spring blade, fixed to press 
continuously but by a controlled amount, against the blank as it passes 
over so that the prefolds 11:10 and 13:10 will always be lifted at the 
right time without the need for timing the action. The long arrows on the 
drawing FIG. 10 show the positions to which the contacting areas will 
reach with an area of adhesive equal to that shown shaded therebetween in 
the assembled carton. It is therefore suited to a high speed in-line 
gluer. FIG. 10 is also noteable in demonstrating a further arrangement of 
the substantially horizontal cut 102A:10 which is one cut continuous with 
the substantially horizontal cut 102B:10 because by covering two or more 
different cut levels between vertical folds 101:10 and 103:10 without 
meeting with any similar line of cut it will produce the necessary 
attachment between the upper carton structure and the lower carton 
structure. This carton is shown erected at FIG. 17. FIG. 10 is grouped 
with FIG. 14 to enable comparisons to be made. 
FIG. 11 shows the blank of FIG. 9 elongated as previously stated for eight 
containers but if considered having the sidewalls all of the same length 
as at FIG. 10 then separaters 18:9 and 16:9 would be moved to come 
opposite to effectively provide one separater from side to side to FIG. 12 
and as shown like the FIGS. 15 and 16 which derrive from FIG. 14 so it 
will be understood that the blank of FIG. 5 could similarly be used for 
eight containers by elongating two walls. As seen FIG. 11 shows the 
separators 17:9 and 16:9 erecting each other by their opposition and 
angularly connected to receive such force by 36:9, while separaters 18:9 
and 19:9 erect each other by their opposition and angularly connected to 
receive the opposing force by 37:9 until they are erect as seen in FIG. 
12. FIG. 53 shows an assembled flat blank upper structure for a carton 
suitable for such eight containers and assembled from a blank according to 
the invention as shown by FIG. 57. 
FIG. 57 shows a flat blank suitable for eight containers as seen from the 
outside therefore the glued areas are mostly on the reverse and therefore 
shown shaded by broken lines. The lower structure, being related to the 
blank of FIG. 9 for the sake of example only, has references all with the 
suffix 9. The upper structure being shown in the erected condition by FIG. 
13 all have the suffix 13. The bottom member panels 7:9, 8:9, 5:9, 6:9 are 
all folded fully at the horizontal folds 24:9, 23:9, 22:9, 21:9 to lie 
against their respective side wall inner sides with diagonal glue laps 
10:9 and 9:9 folded fully at diagonal folds 26:9 and 25:9 to overlie 
bottom panel members 8:9 and 6:9 respectively. Adhesive is applied to all 
of the areas shown shaded by broken lines or the areas that they are 
intended to contact when folded into the assembled flat blank. The blank 
is folded at the lines of fold for folding fully 13:9 and 11:9 and as they 
begin to overfold the sets of upper separation formed by carbon material 
106:13 and 107:13 divided by further vertical fold 108A:13 and 106:13 and 
105:13 divided in one set by fold line 13:13 and in the other set by fold 
line 11:13 each set of upper separaters being raised overcentre so that 
the dividing folds (otherwise refered to as further vertical lines of 
fold) 108A:13 and 13:13 and 11:13 will reverse fold and will become fully 
folded along with fold lines 101:13, 103:13 and 108:13 when fold lines 
13:9 and 11:9 are fully folded and the glue lap 13:9/15:13 has fixed with 
the other free end of the blank. 
A difference between the blank of FIG. 57 relative to the blanks of FIGS. 
10 and 56 is that not all of the reverse folding is in a line with the 
other folds for folding fully 13:9 and 11:9 so there is no continuous fold 
line across the blank and so it is not possible to provide it with a 
simple prebend or subsequent fold in the final fold section of a gluing 
machine and so an in-line high speed gluer may not be suitable. 
FIG. 13 shows the blank of FIG. 57 and assembled as FIG. 53 erected and it 
shows that carton material for reversing inwardly to contribute stiffness 
to the handle need not be reversed from above a vertical corner fold of 
the lower carton structure and it can be reversed from above any vertical 
corner fold of the carton, including a vertical corner fold of the carton 
which has resulted from reversing material inwardly above another vertical 
corner which may be a vertical corner of the lower carton structure and 
which has resulted in the carton of FIG. 13 not having a continuous fold 
line across its blank (FIG. 57) for prebending as mentioned above. 
For instance all material length for reversing inwardly, according to the 
invention in every instance shown, is equal to a length of the periphery 
of the lower structure as seen in plan view excepting that is can be 
divided in its height as seen from side view so that such divided material 
is available to reverse again in plan view as demonstrated by the lower 
parts of FIGS. 52 and 8, and it will reverse as a rectangle or multiple of 
a rectangle with an inward corner opposite a outward corner above a 
substantially horizontal line of cutting connecting with the other two 
corners of the square. Consider the example of FIG. 13, even when the 
strap 105:13 is separated out, the material of upper separators 106:13 and 
107:13 contribute stiffness to the carrying opening where they meet at a 
said further vertical fold 108A:13 opposite the vertical corner fold 
108:13, which corners are divided by horizontal cutting 102B:13 and which 
vertical corner 108:13 is a corner resulting from carton material 105:13 
and 106:13 reversing inwardly on each side of further vertical fold 14:13 
above vertical corner fold 14:9 and divided from it by the substantially 
horizontal line of cut 102A:13 meeting with vertical folds 108:13 and 
101:13. The horizontal cuts are refered to as being substantially 
horizontal because although they all afford the result as above, it is 
necessary for them to avoid meeting another of its kind in order to avoid 
severing the carton upper structure from its lower structure and which 
would defeat its object, so it must therefore change it height during its 
horizontal travel, in some instances, to reach a different level. For 
instance in FIG. 13 of the said substantially horizontal lines of cutting 
102A:13 is horizontal, 102B:13 is horizontal, 102C:13 is substantially so, 
102D:13 is substantially so and then they repeat. Therefore there may be 
different cuts on different levels. FIG. 13 further includes chain dot 
lines from the carrying opening and forming two triangles, one transverse 
to the other and showing the distribution of tension and compressive 
forces acting in the upper separation arrangement of this example with 
arrows pulling apart in the outer angles and showing tension and arrows 
pointing one toward the other in the horizontal lines showing compression. 
Now in FIG. 13 the top edge of the carton's upper structure separation 
panel members, which are for fixing together as previously described, are 
shown a little apart to aid the understanding of their composition. 
However the result of the triangles of force distribution shows that when 
the carton is loaded with containers and supported by the carrying 
opening, the separation panels will pull apart in the way that they are 
shown apart in FIG. 13, therefore it will be realised that where the 
carton material is sufficiently stiff and the load is sufficiently light 
then it will suffice to draw the members together by hand and to hand glue 
the separator panel members at their central meeting point local to the 
inner sides of the cross to make the invention servicable. In this way it 
is only necessary to glue the carton lower structure including the glue 
laps 15:9 and 15:13 in the gluing machine and which can be a high speed 
in-line gluer. FIG. 14, like FIG. 10, shows a blank with adhesive applied 
to it being folded for assembly and here the bottom is the blank shown by 
FIG. 5, so it makes the point that any suitable lower structure may be 
used with any suitable upper structure separation. It also shows the 
carton material 106:14 and 107:14 reversed inwardly all as in FIG. 10 and 
previously described although such references here have the suffix changed 
to 14 because it typifies the variation wherein the substantially 
horizontal cut 102A:10/102B:10, since it included two levels of height, is 
replaced by the horizontal cuts 102A:14 at the lowest level of upper 
separation required and 102B:14 which is above the beginning of the upper 
separation. A similar carton to that of FIG. 14 is shown by FIG. 44 
erected and it will be realised that the result is the same whether cut 
102A:14 being the low cut is across panel 106:14 and 107:14 or across 
panels 90:14 and 90:14, or a cut 102B:14 is across panels 90:14 and 89:14 
or across panels 106:14 and 107:14 or across a corner 101:14 resulting 
from the infolding or across a corner 103:14 resulting from the infolding 
as seen in FIG. 13, in fact it is easier to infold where the reverse fold 
11:14 and 13:14 is as short as possible so it would be advantageous if the 
height levels of the horizontal cuts were exchanged and such free movement 
of the substantially horizontal cutting to obtain a prefered design is 
demonstrated by FIGS. 10, 13, 14. For instance the blank of FIG. 22 shows 
the shape produced by the horizontal cutting and used to improve the 
separation so available. 
FIG. 15 shows the lower structure of the carton according to the blank 
shown by FIG. 5 where all the side walls are the same length and it is 
assembled and the bottom is being erected by the angular displacement of 
the side walls adjacent vertical corner folds 11:5 and 13:5 through the 
connection by diagonal folds 25:5 and 26:5 respectively while separater 
16:5 and 17:5 are erected by their connected angular opposition and 18:5 
and 19:5 are erecting by their connected angular opposition also until 
they are all displaced through a rightangle. FIG. 50 shows the lower 
structure of FIG. 14 and the upper structure of FIG. 10 to show that the 
same invention includes such free exchange in the assembled folded and 
glued blank laying flat and wherein all references have their previously 
described meaning. 
FIG. 17 shows the assembled carton of FIG. 50 after it has been erected and 
it therefore shows all of the references with their previously described 
meaning. Like FIG. 13 it includes the distribution of stress in one of the 
four upper separaters by applying a triangle of forces and showing tension 
in the vertical component, tension in the upper angular component and 
compressive force in the lower angular component and as all such 
components are equal in the upper structure which is all equispaced about 
the carrying opening, the whole is in equilibrium. However the strain will 
try to separate the separator members and pull them apart as they are 
shown apart at the point of their meeting therefore it is especially 
important that this area is well stuck in the gluing operation. This well 
balanced form of the invention is one of the most useful in that it has 
full separation in the upper and lower structure. It will be seen that by 
combining the lower structures of FIG. 10 and FIG. 14 and extending the 
glue laps 33:9/34:9 and 33:5/34:5 double thickness separaters will result, 
and so it is very suitable for very heavy bottles, or for the amount of 
drink held by a six 12 fl oz Basket Carrier but in four 18 fl oz bottles, 
or four half liter bottles which are the same. This would be beneficial to 
both public and producers because the bottles would cost much less and 
save on energy which has resulted in a trend toward the larger bottles. 
The separaters as shown in FIGS. 10, 14, 15, 16 include the outer part of 
their hinging line of weakness and having the general reference 27, 28, 
29, 30, all cut through. This is because the resistance of these hinges is 
too great where they are erected from force applied to one end only. 
Preferably the line of weakness is prefolded to loosen the fibres and form 
a free hinge, either by using a rightangle gluer or by using the device 
shown for the purpose, see FIGS. 36 to 41. 
The arrangement of upper structure according to the invention will be seen 
to be the same as that used to provide separation in the carton shown by 
FIG. 4 excepting that instead of carton material being reversed inwardly 
to stiffen the carrying opening from only two opposite vertical corners, 
carton material is reversed inwardly from four opposite corners to stiffen 
the carrying opening of FIG. 17, two from corners fully folded in the 
carton assembly and two from corners which are flat in the assembled 
carton and which will be folded and so reversed inwardly when the carton 
is erected. 
FIG. 18 shows a blank for lower separation according to the invention as 
seen from the outside and which provide an "H" shape separation instead of 
the two back to back "L" shapes previously described. This is done by 
lengthening the separaters 16:5 and 18:5 to be as 16:18 and 18:18, and 
also shortening 17:5 and 19:5 to 17:18 and 19:18 which the advantage that 
the same amount of separation is provided but it also provides the 
opportunity to for the inclusion of narrow separator 40:18. 
The blank is assembled by folding the bottom members 7:18, 8:18, 5:18, 6:18 
at horizontal lines of fold 24:18, 23:18, 22:18, 21:18 to lie against 
their respective side wall inner sides, folding the diagonal glue laps 
10:18 and 9:18 to overlie the bottom panel members 8:18 and 6:18 
respectively, adding adhesive to the shaded areas and to the reverse of 
the areas shaded by broken lines and folding fully the folds 13:18 and 
14:18 for the adhesive of the glue lap of 15:18 to join to the free edge 
35:18. 
FIG. 19 shows the blank of FIG. 18 being erected where it is seen that the 
glue lap 34:18 of FIG. 18 is fixed so that the hinged edge 37:18 of FIG. 
19 will oppose and erect the separator 18:18 similarly glue hinge 36:18 
(hidden) will erect the separator 16:18. The opposing force between the 
separators 19:18 and 18:18 through the resistance offered by their 
stiffness is readily apparent because they are necessarily face to face in 
the flat assembled blank shown by FIGS. 18 and 51, and again in FIG. 19 
where they are angled one to the other and it is not possible for 
separator 19:18 therefore to slip out of opposing contact with separator 
18:18 until they are at rightangles one to the other, by which time they 
are both erect and separator 19:18 is opposing the similar opposing 
separator 17:18, the ends of which will support both separator 18:18 and 
16:18. However the hinged edges 37:18 and 36:18 are important for 
practical control. 
FIG. 20 shows the assembled blank of FIG. 19 erected and the tabs 40:18 
next to the glue laps 33:18 and 34:18 now out of sight below the 
trap-door-like opening 41:18 so that it is only necessary to provide 
support around the inside of the opening 41:18 and to raise the tabs 40:18 
by hinging them tip first through the opening flaps which will return to 
keep the tabs 40:18 in vertical condition so so that they will keep 
separate any cylindrical shape containers because they can only make line 
contact so that even a narrow tab like 40:18 will provide just as much 
separation as a full length separator. 
FIG. 19 also shows a locking arrangement not included in the blank shown by 
FIG. 18 and it is shown in the blank shown by FIG. 22 and so the parts 
carry the suffix 22 to avoid the need for repeating the drawing later in 
the description. FIG. 51 shows the lower separation structure of FIG. 18 
assembled with suitable upper separation structure for six containers. 
FIG. 21 shows the assembled carton of FIG. 51 in the erected condition. 
FIG. 22 shows the inside of a flat blank for the upper structure seen in 
FIGS. 51 and 21 along with a variation of the flat blank shown by FIG. 18 
and which will erect in basically the same manner as shown by FIGS. 19 and 
20. It is helpful at this point to have all of the blank drawings grouped 
for comparison purposes. 
FIG. 30 therefore shows a flat blank for the upper separation structure of 
FIG. 14 already described along with a variation of the lower separation 
structure first described for the blank shown by FIG. 5. 
As in FIG. 13 the blank shown by FIG. 22 makes use of carton material 
reversed inwardly according to the invention as shown in the recognisable 
form of FIG. 21 therefore the suffix used for this upper structure shown 
in FIG. 22 and 21 and in the lower structure it is suffix 18. 
Vertical corner fold 12:18 divides side wall 2:18 and 3:18 and they cease 
to have their full width at the substantially horizontal line of cut 
102C:21 connecting the lower end of vertical fold 101:21 and 108:21 having 
the further vertical fold 12:21 therebetween so that the carton material 
above the cut 106:21 and 105:21 is inwardly reversible with 106:21 
contributing stiffness to the carrying opening 104:21 and resulting in 
corner fold edge part of the carton being formed at vertical fold 108:21 
and which can therefore have a substantially horizontal cut 102B:21 above 
it connecting with vertical folds 12:21 and 108:21 and having the further 
vertical fold 108A:21 therebetween so that the carton material above the 
cut 106:21 and 105:21 is inwardly reversible with 106:21 continuing to 
contribute stiffness to the carrying opening 104:21 and resulting in a 
vertical corner edge part of the carton being formed at vertical fold 
108:21 and which again has a substantially horizontal cut 102A:21 above it 
connecting with vertical folds 108A:21 and 13:21 and having the further 
vertical fold 108B:21 therebetween so that the carton material above the 
cut, 106:21 and 107:21, is inwardly reversible with 106:21 continuing to 
contribute stiffness to the carrying opening and 107:21 also contributing 
stiffness to the carrying opening through 108B:21. Such chain definition 
of the invention could continue and include 13:21 which is notable in that 
it is also in the active role accorded to reference 103:21 and which is 
complimentary to the co-operating vertical fold 101:21 between which 
carton material is inwardly reversible for the purpose of contributing 
such stiffness. 
The similar inward reversal of carton material prevails in relation to the 
opposite corner of the carton lower structure which is 14:18 and which 
divides the other two side walls 4:18 and 1:18 above which the inward 
reversing is repeated. The side walls 1:18 and 4:18 are made as one 
continuous surface by joining the glue lap portions 15:18 and 15:21 with 
the free edges 35:18 and 35:21. Adhesive is applied to the inside area 
shown 32:21 as seen at the areas shaded by double oblique shading lines 
and to the reverse side area shown 31:18 as seen at the areas of single 
oblique shading lines and the bottom members are folded according to the 
description for the blank of FIG. 18 with the result that when the side 
wall 4:18 is overfolded to fold 13:18 fully and side wall 1:18 is 
overfolded to fold 11:18 fully the adhesive will adhere to the areas to he 
united and the side walls 4:18 and 1:18 will combine to form a mirror 
image over the walls 2:18 and 3:18 and because said inward reversing is 
generated from corner 12:18 and 14:18, which are not folded in the 
assembled blank, they will not reverse inward until the carton is erected. 
Whereas had the inward reversing been generated from corner 11:18 and 
13:18 then the inward reversing would have to be carried out at the time 
of assembly and it would reverse fully but on erecting it would be 
reversed only sufficient to form rightangularly. So the easiest and 
fastest form for folding is where only two opposite reversings take place 
and only upon erecting the blank, as the blank of FIGS. 55 and 22 are 
designed to do. It is also possible to take the view that the carton 
material inwardly reversible is between 101:21 and 103:21 as in the case 
of FIG. 30 being 101:14 and 103:14 but it is unsuitable for definition 
purposes since the continuity of the substantially horizontal cutting is 
crucial to the action. 
A feature of the invention and running through all of the blanks considered 
is that it has improved economy by the glue lap of the carton lower 
structure hinged to a side wall free edge by a fourth line of vertical 
corner fold for joining it to the other side wall free edge along its 
lower portion on assembly having an upper portion of the lap extension 
forming a part of the separater panel member of the carton upper structure 
by continuing beyond the substantially horizontal cut and joining to the 
separator panel member other free edge. 
Therefore although the invention includes that the glue laps having the 
generic reference 15 may be sufficiently wide to contain the adjacent 
upper separater panel's full width so that it can also contain the end of 
the substantially horizontal cut for keeping it closed and enabling the 
blanks to be fed smoothly from the magazine of a gluing machine, the blank 
of FIG. 22 is more economic by dividing the cut 102C:21 and, where 
necessary, closing it near the open ends by a weak bridge which can be 
broken after it has enabled the blank to be fed from the magazine. 
As shown in FIG. 22 only two of the lower structure vertical corners are 
used to enable carton material to reverse inwardly whereas all four 
corners are used in the blank of FIG. 30 and because, in FIG. 22, the 
carton material is reversed inwardly only upon erecting the carton. 
Because the carton material reversed inwardly is back to back with other 
carton material the inside reverse fold carries the reference "B" as 
previously defined when describing the reference 12B:4 of FIG. 4. 
Therefore FIG. 22 includes the reference 108B:21 and it is formed as 
previously described because when assembled it must be enabled to perform 
similarly upon erecting. 
The straps 105:21 are defined by substantially horizontal cuts 102A:21, 
102B:21, 102C:21 and they level out on three distinct levels to produce 
the straps 105:21 on two levels with the improved result that the 
separaters 106:21 will, when combined, have a continuous bottom edge for 
separating as seen in FIG. 21 and caused by the middle level of the 
cutting lines, which will also provide the highest point of separation by 
the strap 105:21 adjacent the contact point made by a cylindrical 
container. 
The separater 17:18 and 19:18 are seen in FIG. 19 and 20 to oppose each 
other and for the purpose of securing the bottom from side wall 3:18 to 
side wall 1:18 it would be seen to be beneficial to fix them together to 
resist the separating force from a load and one such method for fixing is 
to provide a stitch from one member through the other and which can be 
made from the carton material as included in FIG. 22 wherein the tab 
44:22, with side barbs hinged beyond the lines of bending shown by broken 
lines, is pushed through the opening 43:22 where the side barbes will 
reopen and become secure behind the line of weakness 28:18 and shown 
secured in FIG. 20. The important object is to secure one similar opposing 
lower structure member by a stitch through the other by a nonreturnable 
stitch tab of the carton material. 
The lower structure of FIG. 22 shows a narrow separater tab 50:22 which is 
closely related to the narrow separater 40:18 of FIG. 18 because it can be 
rotated point first through the opening left by tab 51:22 when it is 
displaced and which will return to maintain tab 50:22 vertical as a narrow 
separater and perform also as a stitch through from one similar opposing 
structure to lock above the other similar opposing structure due to side 
barbs shown hinged by lines of fold, indicated by broken lines, and which 
open again after passing through the opening 51:22. Such stitching through 
represents an important step in the invention because the bottom fixed by 
the diagonal glue laps 9:18 and 10:18 are restricted to two of the four 
corners only and so between them they secure only one end of each bottom 
member panel. Now because the stitches 50:22 are included in additional 
carton material 45:22 beyond a line allowing some bending 46:22 at the 
opposite end of the bottom member panels to diagonal fold 25:18 and 26:18, 
such stitches are through one similar opposing structure from the other 
similar opposing structure so all bottom member panels are secured at both 
ends due to the remaining two opposing corners being fixed together also 
to form a one piece bottom whether such narrow separater remain vertical 
or become laid over and perform only as stitches through. 
The extra carton material 45:22 is additional to that normally associated 
with diagonal folding carton bottoms and it is made from material 
otherwise cut to waste but which, provided its edge 48:22 will pass in 
front of the edge 49:18 as viewed from the outside of the bottom as 
erecting it commences then the material 45:22 will slide over the bottom 
members 5:18 and 7:18. 
FIG. 23 shows extra carton material 45:22 after it has been determined by 
the shape of its leading edge 48:22 shown by FIG. 22 to pass in front of 
edge 49:18 and they are sliding over bottom members 5:18 and 7:18 and 
bending a little at fold line 46:22 which is not always needed. 
FIG. 28 shows the bottom after the sliding is completed and narrow 
separater and stitch 50:22 has stopped over the cut surrounding tab 51:22 
and the stitch 50:22 has been pushed through the opening vacated by 51:22 
and will be maintained perpendicular to the bottom inner side by the tab 
51:22 urged by its line of hinge shown by broken line. 
FIG. 29 shows the tab 50:22 maintained perpendicular to the bottom inner 
side by the tab 51:22 urged by its line of hinge, shown by broken line, 
from the inside. FIG. 30 shows the inside of a blank for a carton for four 
containers having an upper and lower structure as described for FIG. 14 
excepting that the bottom includes extra carton material gained in a 
similar manner to that of FIG. 22 and which can be used for any purpose 
but which is here used to form a stitch only for securing the bottom 
member panels across the two corners not already connected by glue laps 
9:5 and 10:5. The extra material 45:30 begins at diagonal folds 46:30 
which allow some flexing of 45:30 as it passes over the bottom members to 
stop with stitch tab 52:30 over opening 54:30 and tab 53:30 so that when 
stitch 52:30, with side barbs beyond the folds shown by broken lines, is 
pushed through the opening vacated by tab 53:30 the tab 53:30 will retain 
the tab 52:30 either as shown by FIG. 31 or perpendicular to the carton 
bottom as shown by FIG. 32 seen from the inside of the erected carton. 
In FIG. 30 double oblique shading 32:14 means that adhesive is applied to 
those areas or to those areas that they contact and single oblique shading 
31:5 means that adhesive is applied to those areas or to those areas that 
they will contact. Stitching, as the name implies, is made through one 
similar opposing structure of the carton from the other similar opposing 
structure and it may be of any material including the known wire or flat 
wire stitch for fixing them together after erecting. Another suitable 
method for fixing to enable the bottom to carry a greater load is for an 
adhesive of any kind including hot-melt adhesive to be applied to a part 
of a similar opposing structure which will contact another part in the 
erected blank. For instance the area over which the extra carton material 
45:22 or 45:30 will slide and cover parts of the bottom, could have a spot 
of hot-melt shot from a nozzle, or a dab of adhesive applied, because the 
containers when loaded into the carton will hold together the members for 
fixing during the open time of the adhesive and it will be set before 
being picked up. FIG. 33 shows the outside of a blank which is similar to 
that of FIG. 30 but with a more direct method for locking the two of the 
four corners not connected by a diagonal fold of a glue lap and which make 
use of extra carbon material 45:33 by providing it with a sythe-like form 
for operating radially about the point of junction between the horizontal 
line of fold 21:5 and 22:5 and vertical fold 11:5 and radially about the 
point of junction between the horizontal lines of fold 23:5 and 24:5 and 
vertical line of fold 13:5. On the radial line of travel of the sythe-like 
forms 45:33 and where they will strike the bottom members 6:5 and 8:5 
during erecting there is an opening 58:33 and at the point where they stop 
after erecting the tab 45:33 is enabled to lock with the opening 58:33 by 
co-operating cuts 57:33 on each side of the sythe-like tabs and on each 
side of the opening. 
FIG. 34 shows the carton being erected and the sythe-like extra carton 
material 45:33 entering the openings 58:33. 
FIG. 24 shows the outside of a blank including the three panels forming the 
end of the made up carton blank shown by FIGS. 25, 26, 27 which are of the 
form shown by FIG. 18 but varied in that the narrow separater is formed by 
two cut-out tabs 55:24 and 56:24 hinged at folds 63:24 and 24:24 and to 
cut around by a line of cut shaped to include two notches 65:24 and 66:24. 
These tabs are covered from the outside and the opening which would be 
left when they are raised is covered by the diagonal glue lap 9:24 which 
has the adhesive area 31:24 applied to the other side in the pattern shown 
by shaded lines. In the diagonal glue lap 9:24 there is provided the 
access opening 67:24. On assembly the bottom member panels 6:18, 5:18, 
8:18, 7:18 are folded at horizontal lines of fold 21:18, 22:18, 23:18, 
24:18 to lie against the inside of sidewalls 1:18, 2:18, 3:18, 4:18 and 
diagonal glue lap 9:24 is folded fully to overlie the bottom member panel 
6:18, likewise diagonal glue lap 10:24 not shown will overlie bottom 
member panel 8:18 after adhesive has been similarly applied to the glue 
lap extension 15:18 and 33:18 it is finally folded fully at lines of fold 
11:18 and 13:18 for glue lap extension 15:18 to fix with the other side 
wall free edge. Thus the tabs 55:24 and 56:24 remain free and the object 
of the access opening 67:24 is to allow the blunt edge of flat probe 61:24 
seen in FIG. 25 to enter and engage the tabs 55:24 and 56:24 between their 
hinges for displacing them upwardly until their notches 65:24 and 66:24 
engage as shown by the carton inside view FIG. 26 and maintain both tabs 
upright for the purpose of acting as one narrow separater as shown by the 
carton inside view FIG. 27. 
During the action of the probe 61:24 it is necessary to ensure that the 
carton bottom will not lift and tha it should be restrained by a firm 
anvil 59:24 part of the machine which also operates the probe 61:24. 
Although the use of such twin interlocking tabs 55:24/56:24 is not related 
to the use of a flat wire stitch and such a stitch could be used with any 
suitable structure, the FIGS. 24 to 27 show a suitable application when 
the extra carton material 45:24 is included to receive the flat wire 
stitch 47:24 and the anvil 59:24 is used to clench it. Because the probe 
61:24 would otherwise be obstructed by 45:24 another opening 64:24 is made 
therein to provide access. Such a stitch positioned as shown centrally and 
close to the line of weakness 27:18 and 29:18 will pass through extra 
material 45:24, 9:24 and bottom member panel 5:18 of the carton end shown. 
Also it is out of the way of the base of a cylindrical container which 
might be otherwise damaged by a hard protusion like a wire stitch. 
Such a position is also suitable for a tab stitch as previously described 
and cut from the extra carton material 45:24 for pressing through openings 
in the erected members above it so that its side barbs will collapse back 
as it passes through the opening and will reopen on the inside to prevent 
its return and for this purpose a differently shaped probe 60 is required 
because its leading edge is required to contact the tip of the tab first 
and push it through the opening in a swing action of the tab about its 
attaching fold as seen in the bottom righthand detail of the FIG. 42, 
after which the tab may lay over but it may not return below the inner 
side of the bottom after the probe 60 has retracted. The probes 60 and 
61:24 are each different and their duties require a shape which cannot be 
substituted for by a human finger. 
The anvil 59:24 may be a part of 59 which is a general item for entering 
the carton for servicing the inside and the carton general shape resulting 
from the inherent resistance of the folds in carton material to respond 
completely to the forces from the mechanical action for which it is 
designed, such as the opposing force from the separaters for erecting the 
separaters. 
Such a part 59 is therefore enabled to counter such resistance and 
overpress the separaters in the direction that they resist most so that 
they return to the desired rightangular position. Similarly the folds for 
allowing material to reverse inwardly can be arranged to be overpressed by 
such an item entering from above. Such a part 59 able to enter the carton 
is therefore able to press onto the inside of the bottom and press it 
against a spring loaded plate through which such probes 60 or 61:24 
project and do their job while remaining stationary therefore it may be 
included in a machine for erecting the carton, as described later. 
A further feature of the invention relates to the opening in the central 
separater for carrying the carton with separaters. A disadvantage of such 
cartons when used as a carrier for bottles for instance is that the 
fingers must be pushed down among the crown closures of the bottles in 
order to grasp the finger hole and bar above it for carrying therefore a 
feature of the central separater 106 is that it may have a carrying bar 
cut out of it, which due to the position of certain cuts and folds at each 
end of the carry bar, the carry bar can be raised above the normal height 
of the carton so that it is more inviting to the prospective purchaser. 
Such a carrier is shown by FIG. 46 erected and FIG. 47 the handle raised. 
FIG. 180 shows the blank for such upper separation for six bottles where 
broken lines are lines of fold and full lines are lines of cut, 211 of 
FIG. 47 wherein its upper edge shown 212 is the lower edge cut of a 
horizontal strip 213 forming a carrying bar continuous with connecting 
strips 214 depending from its each end, the connecting strips 214 defined 
by substantially vertical cuts 215 outer and 216 inner, each respective 
connecting strip 214 lower end surrounded by separating vertical cuts each 
side of it and the lower ends of the vertical separating cuts 218 being 
connected below the connecting strip lower end by a horizontal cut and the 
upper ends of the vertical separating cuts higher than the lower ends of 
the connecting strip 214 by an amount equal to half of the height by which 
the carry bar 213 is required to rise to form an opening 211 below the 
lower edge 212 of the carry bar 213 and facilitated to rise by horizontal 
lines of fold 219 outward from the lower end of each connecting strip to 
the respective vertical separating cuts 218 and inward folds 220 from the 
upper end of each respective separating cut 218 to the respective 
surrounding connecting strip 214 for providing a chain of linked panels 
221 on each side of the carry bar 213 to enable it to be carried easily 
after raising the carry bar from the position seen in FIG. 46 to the 
position shown in FIG. 47. The carrier blank of FIG. 180 is assembled in 
its lower structure as described for FIG. 18 and in its upper structure as 
described for FIG. 21. The adhesive is shown applied to the areas shown 
shaded by single oblique lines, being the inside uppermost, and by broken 
oblique lines on the reverse. Here again adhesive can also be applied to 
the areas to which the shaded areas will contact upon folding and in fact 
this would be the better method because the drive belts will press onto 
the shaded areas but it is better to show the areas of adhesive all 
together while the other two parts to be joined, to form one, show the 
various cuts and folds which are also repeated on the upper part of panels 
2:18 and 3:18 because as shown in FIGS. 180, 46, 47 two of the said upper 
separater panels are cut and provided with lines of fold and they are 
superimposed one upon the other back to back with adhesive between them 
but because it is impractical to attempt to provide that all the cuts made 
in the upper structure of panels 2:18/3:18 should coincide with all of the 
cuts made in combined upper structure panels 1:18/4:18, they are 
deliberately off-set in each panel considered relative to a centre line of 
each panel so that when both panel combinations are made the same and 
turned back to back one side will withdraw one way and the other side will 
withdraw the other way freely. 
As shown the glue lap extension 15:18 forming a part of the lower structure 
and 15:21 for forming a part of the upper structure, will overlie the side 
wall and upper separator and whereas this is found to be the strongest 
method throughout the examples shown, it is quite acceptable for the first 
side wall to overlie the glue lap extensions of the fourth side wall or 
for the first side wall to carry the glue lap extensions themselves. This 
applies to all examples. 
As previously shown, although the upper structure of FIG. 18 looks very 
different to the upper structure of FIG. 14 its fundamental difference is 
that in FIG. 21 only the two vertical corner parts which are flat in the 
erectable blank are used to form carton material reversible inwardly, 
whereas in FIG. 14 the two vertical corner parts which are left flat and 
the two vertical corner parts which are folded fully in the erectable 
blank are all used to form carton material for reversing inwardly. 
Similarly the above described raisable handle applied to the upper 
structure of FIG. 21 can also be applied to the upper structure of FIG. 
14. 
FIG. 43 shows the inside of a blank for assembling in the manner described 
for FIG. 14 excepting that adhesive is applied according to the areas 
shown shaded by oblique lines and to the reverse side where shown shaded 
by broken oblique line and also with the exception that the glue lap 
extensions 15:5 forming part of the lower structure and glue lap extension 
15:14 forming part of the upper structure is prepared to join to the inner 
side of the side wall 4:5. 
FIG. 44 shows the blank of FIG. 43 after assembly and erected for bottles. 
FIG. 45 shows the erected carrier with the handle raised for carrying with 
the fingers clear of the bottle tops. 
The arrangement of cuts and folds are shown by references which have the 
same meaning as in FIG. 180 in which the reference began with a 2 whereas 
in FIG. 43 they begin with a 1 and fundamentally it is the same excepting 
that in FIG. 43 the composite panels are still centrally divided but here 
it is by the fold line 11:14 and 13:14. The carrying opening seen in FIG. 
45 reference 111 defined by cut 112 below the horizontal strip 113 forming 
a carry bar continuous with connecting strips 114 depending from its each 
end, the connecting strips 114 defined on the outer edge by the natural 
edge of the separator of FIG. 14 and at the lower ends by the vertical 
separating cuts 118 being connected below the connecting strip lower end 
by a horizontal cut to make continuous each cut 118 with the upper ends of 
the vertical part higher than the lower ends of the connecting strip 114 
by an amount equal to half of the height by which the carry bar 113 is 
required to rise to form an opening below the lower edge 112 of the carry 
bar 113 and facilitated to rise by horizontal lines of fold 119 outward 
from the lower end of each connecting strip to the respective vertical 
separating cuts 118 and inward folds 120 from the upper end of each 
respective separating cut 118 to the respective surrounding connecting 
strip 114 for providing a chain of linked panels 121 therebetween on each 
side of the carry bar 113 to enable it to be carried easily. 
Because the invention extends from the flat cut blank through its assembly 
into a flat folded and glued blank an example of a practical machine which 
includes the process of folding and gluing the carton blank is here 
provided. 
FIG. 35 shows the elements of a process or machine system for gluing the 
bottom and separaters according to the invention and shown as stages. 
Stage references are: 71 infeed of a flat blank located by a flight on a 
chain for controlling and synchronising the blank with the actions of the 
machine through gluing by a patterned stencil, known as timed pattern 
gluing, and special folding: 72 prebending of the vertical lines of fold 
for folding fully in the final fold section; the bottom member panels 
folded at the horizontal lines of fold for folding fully and for the 
bottom member panels to overlie the side walls with the diagonal glue laps 
folded fully to overlie their respective bottom members panels; 73 the 
bottom is being folded according to FIGS. 36 to 41 described in detail 
below; 74 following the stage shown by FIG. 41 the folded blank is about 
to pass below the glue imprinting cylinder; 75 glue imprinting cylinder 
for stencilling a specific pattern of adhesive by adhesive fed through 
rollers onto an elastomeric sterio (such as the known process belonging to 
the Asahi Chemical Industry Co of Japan) for imprinting the intricate 
shape of the adhesive application required; 76 folding fully the folds for 
folding fully including the folding of any reverse folds for folding fully 
and allowing carton material to reverse inwardly for contributing 
stiffness to the carrying opening panel by the use of a lifter of some 
form such that side walls one and four will overlie side walls two and 
three and such that the glue lap extensions between side walls one and 
four for joining them will join them; 77 the carton in flat assembled 
condition is pressed while the adhesive fixes. FIGS. 36 to 41 show a 
device for prebending the lines of weakness between the separators and 
their bottom panel member's free edge for the purpose of loosening the 
fibres locally such that it is enabled to bend automatically when the 
carton is erected, otherwise these lines of weakness must be further 
weakened by cutting through intermittently known as skip-scoring. The 
device will also fold the bottom panel members and the diagonal glue lap. 
FIG. 36 shows the device which is a new device and which can be used for 
prebending the lines of weakness generically having the reference 27 to 
30, for fully folding the diagonal folds generically having the reference 
9 and 10, and for fully folding the horizontal lines of fold 21 to 24. The 
device is 79 and it is pivoted on crossbar 78 and as shown the blank is 
driven bottom first to enter the internal shape of the device 79 while the 
diagonal glue laps 9 and 10 are prevented from rising by guide rail 81 and 
the bottom members rise by bending at horizontal lines of fold 21 to 24. 
FIG. 37 shows the separaters generically referred to as 16 to 19 being 
deflected by deflecter 80 and diagonal glue laps 9 and 10 being bent back 
under their respective rail 81 by the action of their respective device 79 
spaced out along the cross bar such that one will serve each of the 
members depending from a side wall and progressively bend them back over 
the side walls. 
FIG. 38 shows the deflector itself deflected and 79 pivoted until vertical 
on 78 the folds 27 to 30 folded fully, the diagonal folds bent further 
back and the horizontal folds 21 to 24 bent through rightangles. 
FIG. 39 shows the device 79 moved to the far side of centre and the 
deflecter regaining its position, the folds 27 to 30 unfolding, the 
diagonal glue laps 9 and 10 overlying the bottom panel members which are 
overlying the side walls FIG. 40 shows the device having reached it 
rearmost point and the blank folded and leaving the device to pass under 
the rail 81 with the diagonal folds of the glue laps 9 and 10 folded fully 
the horizontal folds 21 to 24 folded fully and the lines of weakness 27 to 
30 having all been fully prebent. FIG. 41 shows the blank folded and 
leaving the device and about to allow the device 79 to assume its original 
position. the above device therefore is an alternative to the known method 
of Hooks used for folding the diagonal folding bottoms for cartons on an 
in-line gluer. 
Because the invention includes the erecting of the assembled carton into a 
carton for use with containers an example of a machine illustrating the 
process is included FIG. 42 shows a machine in which the carton is 
transported in indexing stages through erecting, locking the bottom and 
shaping, loading with bottles, ejecting. Erecting where the blank is drawn 
into the compartment between flight walls 91 and 92 by vacuum plate 82 on 
reciprocating arm 83 such that curved wall 84 will displace carbon wall 
2:21 as shown until it is at rightangles to carton wall 3:21 whereupon the 
carton will enter between flight wall 91 and 92 and be retained erect as a 
consequence. The flight walls 91 and 92 will then index in the direction 
shown by the horizontal arrows until they are in the position shown 
occupied by flight walls 92 and 93 and arm 83 will remain in the position 
shown by the chain lines with the vacuum hold released until flight walls 
91 and 100 are indexed and stopped with vacuum head 82 therebetween so 
that it can draw another blank from the stack of blanks maintaining a 
blank available to head 82 at each stroke of it. During which stroke the 
bottom 59 will enter the inside of the carton and press on any part of the 
bottom or support a separater for stitching one carton similar opposing 
structure to the other. Support 59 is a general item and may support any 
part of the bottom while an action is performed on it or it can press the 
bottom against a spring supported plate 88 which will resist but be 
overcome by the support 59 exerting pressure beyond the normal level of 
the bottom whereby fixed probes 60 or 61 will pass through the carton 
bottom while it is so clamped, see FIG. 42 bottom right hand corner detail 
view shown related. Such probes may perform any action preparing the 
carton for its commercial use and may themselves be moved, or they may 
apply glue for fixing the opposing structures together. 
Alternatively wire stitching heads may be activated against the carton 
bottom for instance as demonstrated by FIGS. 25 and 26. Such a plate has 
many economic advantages including that it is also an ejector plate for 
freeing the carton in locked condition. The support 59 then lifts clear of 
the carton as shown by the vertical arrows and the carton indexes to the 
next position so that flight walls 91 and 92 occupy the position shown 
occupied by flight walls 93 and 94 where the articles for loading at 85 
are loaded into the carton. If loading is done vertically and by gravity 
then the bottom of the carton will rest on a shock absorbing base 86 which 
may be spring supported. The carton will then index to the next position 
so that flight walls 91 and 92 will occupy the positions shown occupied by 
walls 94 and 95 and at this stage the loaded carton may be ejected from 
the apparatus ready for commercial use. 
Such machine is capable, with adaptation, of erecting the various forms of 
self-erecting lower structure according to the invention combined with the 
many possible interpretations of the upper structure invention discussed 
for the advantage of economy afforded in materials, labour and energy as a 
consequence, relative to the known form of basket carrier for bottles. 
Carton material is saved both through the avoidance of waste areas and the 
ability to provide a compact rectangular blank of such proportions as will 
combine on a printer's sheet size. 
Labour is saved through the ability to print and cut more blanks at a 
stroke, also by increased gluing machine speeds. 
Such cartons according to the invention when used as a carrier for 
containers also has the advantage of improved stiffness in the lower 
structure by the bottom being fixed on all four sides, while the upper 
structure has the advantage of improved stiffness by material being 
reversed inwardly either at the stage of erecting or at the stage of 
assembly of the flat blank or both. 
The methods and features taught by the invention provide many obvious 
variations encompassed by it and all are beneficial to their users.