Container carriers

Abstract

Improved carriers and improvements in handling equipment to provide for accurate entry of carriers into machines for application of carriers to containers and to prevent inverted entry of carriers into machines for applying carriers onto containers.

1 . A container carrier comprising: 
 a generally circular carrier member, and    a tab extending from said carrier member to engage a machine intake opening edge to prevent entry of an inverted carrier into an intake opening of a machine for the mounting of successive carriers on respective containers, whereby entry of inverted carriers into said machine is prevented.    
   
   
       2 . A carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein a ring portion of a carrier is prevented from being retained on a bottle cap being pressed about a container rim.  
   
   
       3 . A container carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the tab extending from said carrier is adapted to engage a side edge portion of an opening of the machine to prevent insertion of inverted carriers into an input opening of the machine, whereby incorrect insertion of an inverted carrier is prevented.  
   
   
       4 . A container carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the tab extends radially from the carrier periphery for prevention of inverted entry of the inverted carrier into a bottling machine for mounting the successive carriers on successive containers.  
   
   
       5 . A combination according to  claim 4  and further comprising a machine intake opening adapted to receive said tab on the side edge portion of said machine intake opening.  
   
   
       6 . A combination according to  claim 5 , and further comprising a plurality of rods disposed about stacked carriers in a machine to retain the carriers in alignment for application to successive containers.  
   
   
       7 . A combination according to  claim 6  wherein said carriers are of generally elliptical cross-section to economize in ring material without substantial reduction in rigidity.  
   
   
       8 . A container carrier comprising: 
 a carrier member of generally circular configuration,    said carrier member having two handles extending oppositely from the carrier member for upward manual bending and grasping of the handles, and    tab means extending from the carrier to prevent insertion thereof upside-down into a bottling machine by extension of the tab into an edge portion of a bottling machine intake opening.    
   
   
       9 . A combination according to  claim 8  wherein portions of said handles are at least partially elliptical in cross-sectional configuration, whereby costs of material are reduced.