Method for operating a tubular bag machine for producing bags having a transverse bottom seam and a transverse top seam different to the transverse bottom seam

A method for operating a tubular bag machine (10) having a biaxially drivable transverse sealing device (16) for producing a tubular bag (01), a film sheet (04) being closed by means of a transverse bottom seam (02) and a transverse top seam (03) after having formed a film tube, at least an edge area of the film sheet (04) of the tubular bag (01) being folded so as to form a side fold (09) using a side folder (18), which is transversally moveable to a longitudinal axis of the film sheet (04), before the transverse bottom seam has been formed, and two transverse bottom seams (02) each being formed by adjacent tubular bags (01) in one work step of the transverse sealing device (16), and two transverse top seams (03) each being formed by adjacent tubular bags in one work step of the transverse sealing device (16), and said tubular bags (01) being formed in a draw direction having an alternating orientation, characterized in that the side folder (18) interacts with a stationary fold molding (19) disposed on the inner side of the film sheet (04) when forming the side fold (09) in an area of the transverse bottom seam (02), a minimal distance of the transverse sealing device (16) to a fold molding (19) being alternatingly altered in the draw direction on a closed movement trajectory when forming the transverse top seams and the transverse bottom seams, said minimal distance of the transverse sealing device (16) to the fold molding (19) being larger when producing the two transverse top seams (03) than the minimal distance of the transverse sealing device (16) to the fold molding (19) when producing the transverse bottom seams (02).