Bulk bag or liner and method of making it

A method of making a flexible and collapsible bulk bag from a plurality of generally flat blanks comprising the steps of:

• a) providing at least a pair of generally flat inner blanks each having at least one pair of opposed side edges and connecting them together along a line generally midway between the pair of opposed side edges of each inner blank;
• b) severing each inner blank along the line of connection forming a left half and a right half of gusseted inner blanks with each half comprising a portion of each of the inner blanks with the portions of each inner blank of each half still connected together;
• c) providing at least a pair of generally flat outer blanks adjacent the left and right halves of the severed inner blanks with the left and right halves received between the outer blanks, the outer blanks each have a pair of opposed side edges generally aligned with the side edges of the inner blanks;
• d) connecting together the side edges of the outer blanks with the adjacent side edges of the gusseted inner blanks;
• e) providing a bottom wall interconnecting one end of each of the outer blanks and the left and right halves of the gusseted inner blanks by connecting each outer blank to an adjacent inner blank along canted lines forming triangular portions adjacent an end of each outer blank and an adjacent end of both the left and right halves of the severed inner blanks to provide a generally rectilinear integral bottom wall when the bag is expanded;
• and
• f) connecting a reinforcing patch to the bag surrounding the apex of each triangular portion to strengthen the bottom wall.

A method of making a plurality of flexible and collapsible gusseted bulk bags from a plurality of flat panels comprising the steps of:

• a) providing at least a pair of elongate webs of inner flat panels each having at least one pair of opposed side edges;
• b) connecting together each inner flat panel along a line generally parallel to and midway between the pair of opposed side edges of each inner flat panel;
• c) severing each inner flat panel along the line of connection forming a left half and a right half of gusseted inner flat panels with each half comprising a portion of each of the inner flat panels with the portions of each inner flat panel of each half still connected together;
• d) providing at least a pair of elongate webs of outer flat panels adjacent the left and right halves of the severed inner flat panels with the left and right halves received between the outer flat panels, the outer flat panels each have a pair of opposed side edges generally aligned with the side edges of the inner flat panels;
• e) connecting together the side edges of the outer flat panels with the adjacent side edges of the gusseted inner flat panels along substantially their entire length so that the inner blanks define opposed walls of the bag;
• f) severing each flat panel from its elongate web providing a discrete blank of the interconnected outer flat panels and gusseted inner flat panels having opposed upper and lower ends;
• and
• g) providing a bottom wall adjacent one end of the blank.

A method of making a flexible and collapsible bulk bag from a plurality of tubular blanks of material, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing at least a pair of generally flat inner tubular blanks each having at least one pair of opposed side edges and connecting them together along a line generally midway between the pair of opposed side edges of each inner tubular blank;
• b) severing each inner tubular blank along the line of connection forming a left half and a right half of gusseted inner tubular blanks with each half comprising a portion of each of the inner tubular blanks with the portions of each inner tubular blank of each half still connected together;
• c) providing at least a pair of generally flat outer tubular blanks adjacent the left and right halves of the severed inner tubular blanks with the left and right halves received between the outer tubular blanks, the outer tubular blanks each have a pair of opposed side edges generally aligned with the side edges of the inner tubular blanks;
• d) connecting together the side edges of the outer tubular blanks with the adjacent side edges of the gusseted inner tubular blanks with the outer tubular blanks defining opposed walls of the bag and the inner tubular blanks defining opposed walls of the bag;
• and
• e) providing a bottom wall interconnecting one end of each of the outer tubular blanks and the left and right halves of the gusseted inner tubular blanks.