Patent ID: 8006467

Claim:
A method for making a semi-rigid flexible film pack from a gusseted bag, said gusseted bag having an open end and five integral and intersecting walls consisting of a closed end wall and four side walls, two of which side walls are associated with a proximate gusset, said method comprising the steps of: a) cutting a slit at the intersection of each side wall of the gusseted bag, said slit starting at the open end of the gusseted bag to a defined distance towards the closed end, thus forming thereby four flanges at the open end of the gusseted bag; b) placing said gusseted bag over a rectangular male mandrel; c) heat sealing the gussets to their respective proximate side walls; d) placing said gusseted bag within a rectangular female mandrel, wherein further said female mandrel holds said flanges in a relatively perpendicular orientation to the side walls with which they are contiguous; e) loading said gusseted bag with a product; and f) sealing said open end of said gusseted bag with a sheet which mates with said flanges.