AMENDED CLAIMS

received by the International Bureau on 23 April 2018 (23.04.2018)

CLAIMS

CLAIMS

1. An applicator plate for use in an apparatus for attaching a set of frangibly adjoined top engaging clips to a group of articles, the applicator plate having:

a generally planar body; and

a plurality of apertures within the body, the applicator plate further comprising at least one peg depending from a lower surface of said generally planar body.

2. An applicator plate according to claim 1 wherein an upper surface of said generally planar body is flat.

3. An applicator plate according to claim 1 or 2 wherein each aperture has ten internal walls arranged such that the aperture has a decagon shape.

4. (Cancelled).

5. An applicator plate according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns wherein said at least one peg depends from a location to the end or side of the matrix of apertures.

6. An applicator plate according to claim 1 wherein the at least one peg has a flat base and two side walls, wherein the two side walls meet at a first end of the peg, wherein the two side walls meet at a second end of the peg, wherein between the first and second ends the two side walls each curve outwardly away from the first and second ends, and wherein the peg has a substantially leaf-shaped cross-section.

7. An applicator plate according to claim 6 wherein the plurality of apertures comprises twenty four apertures arranged in four columns and six rows.

8. An applicator plate according to claim 1 wherein the at least one peg comprises fourteen pegs, two pegs at each end of the four columns and five pegs at each side of the six rows.

9. An applicator plate according to claim 8 wherein each peg is positioned adjacent to two apertures of the matrix. 2

10. An applicator plate according to claim 1 , 2 or 3 wherein the applicator plate comprises a series of apertures or recesses through which an alignment peg, of an apparatus with which the applicator plate is used, may pass.

1 1. An apparatus for attaching a set of frangibly adjoined top engaging clips to a group of articles, the apparatus comprising:

(i) an applicator plate according to any of claims 1 to 10;

(ii) a base plate for receiving a group of articles; and

(iii) a reciprocating element coupled to the applicator plate and/or base plate and being operable to provide relative movement of the applicator plate and base plate toward one another and away from one another.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a top plate coupled to the reciprocating element, wherein the reciprocating element is operable to move the top plate towards the base plate.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the applicator plate is associated with the top plate and moves towards the base plate with the top plate.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the applicator plate is structured and arranged to locate and form the set of frangibly adjoined top engaging clips onto a group of articles positioned on the base plate and is structured and arranged to break the frangible connection between adjoined engaging clips of the set in order to form a discrete number of clipped together groups of articles.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13 or 14 wherein a grouping component is provided and is structured and arranged for receiving a group of articles and for maintaining the group of articles as an organized group.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the grouping component comprises four sides, a base and an open top and wherein a group of cans can be deposited on said base and retained by the four side walls. 3

17. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 1 to 16 wherein the reciprocating element comprises a handle, lever arm and coil spring coupled together such that depression of the handle causes the spring to contract which causes the applicator plate to be lifted up away from the grouping component.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 further comprising a drive means for moving the reciprocating element up and down.

19. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 1 to 18 wherein the applicator plate is releasably attachable to the apparatus.

20. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the applicator plate is releasably attachable to the top plate.

21. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the top plate comprises at least one alignment peg-

22. A method of attaching one or more top engaging clips to a group of articles, the method comprising:

(i) receiving a group of articles and maintaining the group of articles as an organized group;

(ii) providing an applicator plate according to any of claims 1 to 10; and

(iii) locating and forming the one or more clips onto the group of articles thereby forming one or more clipped together groups of articles.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the one or more top engaging clips comprises a set of frangibly adjoined top engaging clips and the step of locating and forming the set of frangibly adjoined top engaging clips breaks the frangible connection between adjoined top engaging clips of the set and thereby forms a discrete number of clipped together groups of articles.

24. A method according to claim 22 or 23 further comprising:

(a) associating the set of frangibly adjoined top engaging clips with a lower surface of the applicator plate; and moving the applicator plate and set of frangibly adjoined top engaging clips down towards the group of articles.