Bag with a square end and a handle

Abstract

A bag having a handle includes a front, a rear, and an end wall of flexible plastic, and is capable of being manufactured at high speed by automatic machinery. Left and right side walls of flexible plastic are provided, each side wall having a Y-shaped seam so that the bag assumes a cubic or hexahedral shape when filled. A flexible plastic handle is provided and bridges at least a portion of a rectangular end wall. Preferably, structure is provided for gaining access to the bag interior, and the plastic portions joined at the Y-shaped seams are substantially co-planar with no plastic overlap. The bag may be manufactured by folding a first flexible plastic sheet over on itself and then making an interior fold at the folded portion to provide a M-shaped cross section at one bag end. A second flexible plastic sheet is folded over on itself and affixed to the bag so as to span at least a portion of the first plastic sheet bag end having the M-shaped fold therein. The bag is then trimmed and sealed to eliminate left and right corner portions of the M-shaped fold and the second plastic sheet at the one bag end. Also, left and right side edges of the bag are sealed and trimmed so that the bag assumes a substantially cubic or hexahedral shape when filled. The second plastic sheet is also trimmed to form a handle.