US 12,492,027 B2
Applicator plate, apparatus and method
Linh L. Kooc, Richmond, VA (US); Casey P Grey, Richmond, VA (US); and Matthew E. Zacherle, Moseley, VA (US)
Assigned to WestRock Packaging Systems, LLC, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by WESTROCK PACKAGING SYSTEMS, LLC, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Sep. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/949,766.
Application 17/949,766 is a continuation of application No. 16/332,024, granted, now 11,453,516, previously published as PCT/US2017/054275, filed on Sep. 29, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/393,344, filed on Sep. 12, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0121478 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. B65B 5/06 (2006.01); B65B 17/02 (2006.01); B65B 27/04 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 17/025 (2013.01) [B65B 27/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An applicator plate configured to apply a top engaging carrier to a group of articles, the top engaging carrier configured to hold the group of articles so as to be carried as a package, the applicator plate comprising:
a generally planar body;
a plurality of apertures formed in the body as an array of apertures in a row or in a column or in a matrix of one or more rows and one or more columns, each of the apertures corresponding in a one-to-one relationship to a respective article in the group of articles to which the top engaging carrier is to be applied and sized to receive a portion of the respective article therein; and
an alignment peg depending from a lower surface of said generally planar body,
wherein the alignment peg is positioned at a location that is to an end or side of the array of apertures so as to be laterally outward of the array of apertures in the body and adjacent to at least one of the apertures, wherein the alignment peg is configured to provide direct alignment of the applicator plate with the top engaging carrier and with at least one article of the group of articles in applying the top engaging carrier to the group of articles.