In the packaging of bottled beer, there has recently been suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,808 to provide a packaging structure, especially for beer bottles, which consists of a substantially rigid tray which may be reusable several times and typically constructed of plastic material and a disposable sleeve which closes the open top of the tray. The disposable sleeve includes downwardly depending panels integrally formed with a top panel coextensive with the open top of the tray, the downwardly depending panels extending substantially the height of the tray walls and gripping the tray walls thereby inhibiting the removal of the sleeve from the tray. The top panel of the sleeve has an opening means whereby the consumer may gain access to the beer bottles in the tray, the sleeve, however, remaining in association with the tray after opening of the opening means.
The packaging of beer bottles for sale is a high speed generally automated operation requiring precise and reliable machinery. Currently, there is not available packaging machinery suitable for high speed operation in the formation of packaging structures in accordance with the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,808.