MACHINE AND METHOD FOR APPLYING AN ARTICLE CARRIER TO A PLURALITY OF BOTTLES

摘要

This invention relates to a machine and method for the packaging of bottles by application of an article carrier (c) having apertures (19, 23, 24) therein to a group of bottles so that the apertures in the carrier respectively envelope the bottle necks. Such carriers can be applied to bottles manually but this method is slow and not commercially feasible. The machine provides a high speed mechanism which includes a carrier applicator (60) pivotally mounted on a reciprocable plunger (55,59) and arranged to receive a carrier having apertures so that downward movement of the member with the plunger drives the carrier onto the bottles to cause the apertures to envelope the necks of the bottles. On completion of a loading operation the applicator (60) is swung about its pivotal mounting to disengage the carrier.