Abstract: The present invention includes a process and apparatus for producing highly specialized individual product pouches with high efficiency and simplicity at production speeds that are easily obtainable with present day forming machines, particularly, horizontal-type form-fill-seal machines. The subject process and apparatus advantageously form pouches from a continuous supply of flexible web material by folding the flexible web material into two side walls and a bottom gusset and performing one or more forming operations on only one of the gusset portion and lower side wall combinations at one time. Such forming operations may include any operation which physically or perspectively alters the appearance or nature of the pouches. After at least one such forming operation is conducted, a plurality of side seals are provided to define at least one specialized pouch.

Abstract: Pancakes of recording tape are packaged using stiff, expanded-plastic spacers, each having a web against which pancakes can rest in a stack of alternating pancakes and spacers. Each web terminates in an annular recess from which at least one deformable protuberance projects, and the core of each pancake is pinched between facing proturberances. A protective or reinforcing rim at the outer periphery of each web is sufficiently thin not to touch the rims so that each pancake can be held tightly against the adjacent webs while the stack is under axial compression, e.g., by a plastic shrinkwrap. By thus restraining both each pancake and its core, there is no core drop, upset or core rotation, problems besetting prior packages of pancakes of magnetic recording tape.