Packets and their manufacture

A method of manufacturing packets each comprising an envelope of web material and containing a flowable material, and each provided with a length of thread for contracting the packet, comprising the steps of:

• (i) forming thread loops, each loop having a pair of end portions and an intermediate portion between said end portions, and attaching the end portions of each loop to a respective tag,
• (ii) placing one face of a first envelope web against intermediate portions of thread loops while maintaining the web spaced from the tags and temporarily attaching the web to the portions of the thread loops placed against it,
• (iii) bringing the tags with said loop end portions of the thread loops over a face of the web opposite said one face and attaching them temporarily thereto,
• (iv) locating said first envelope web against a second envelope web carrying doses of the flowable material to enclose said doses between opposed walls of said first and second webs, said thread intermediate portions being thereby disposed between the first and second webs, said opposite face of the web carrying said tags forming an exterior face of the first and second webs, and
• (v) joining said opposed walls of the two webs together to form sealed compartments holding the doses of flowable material and to retain said thread intermediate portions between the two webs.