A machine and related method for clipping a succession of generally planar sheets according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,726 onto a succession of rectangular arrays of cans of a type having an end with a chime. Each sheet has two lines of can-stabilizing strips defined by generally parallel slits and two longitudinal edge portions defined thereby. Successive arrays of cans are registered in such manner that successive cans are spaced regularly and are conveyed with one such sheet overlying the cans of each array. After transversely spaced wheels engage successive edge portions of successive sheets to clip such edge portions beneath the chimes of adjacent cane being conveyed, successive lobes of transversely spaced, lobar wheels engage of successive strips of successive sheets as successive arrays are conveyed. The arrays of cane are registered relative to the lobes of the lobar wheels.
A sheet that cooperates with a traditional ring carrier to create a package that covers openable ends of unitized substantially similar cans. The ring carrier unitizes an array of cans into longitudinal ranks and transverse rows. The sheet contains an array of longitudinal, substantially parallel pairs of slits corresponding with the arrayed cans. The corner slits are substantially curved and promote a positive corner wrap at the corner end of the slit. A slit transversely adjacent the corner slit is curved and a slit longitudinally adjacent to the corner slit is straight for most of its length. Two integral flaps extend transversely with respect to the sheet and are folded with respect to the remaining portion of the sheet through an angle greater than 90.degree.. Clipping the sheet onto the array of cans unitized by the ring carrier creates an assembled package. Portions of the sheet adjacent each pair of slits engage a portion of the chime of each corresponding can. Because of the slit and pre-folded integral flap configurations according to this invention, the integral flaps remain in a substantially flat position with respect to the sidewalls of the outside rows of cans.
