Apparatus for forming and taking away packets of bags

Apparatus for forming and taking away packets of bags deposited by a rotary depositing cylinder of a bag-making machine, in which the bags are deposited on a stationary collecting table extending substantially radially to the depositing cylinder and the packets of bags are withdrawn and transported away in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the depositing cylinder by gripper units which pass through the plane of the collecting table and lift the packets of bags off the collecting table, wherein the improvement comprises long and short holding fingers each having one end positioned below the collecting table, said holding fingers extending through recesses of the collecting table from below and projecting beyond the collecting table, the other end of said long holding fingers projecting away from the depositing cylinder periphery, said holding fingers being flexible so they can move longitudinally of the collecting table, and can be flexed towards the depositing cylinder, mounting means for mounting said short holding fingers for reciprocating sliding motion substantially tangentially to the depositing cylinder between a retaining position where said short holding fingers retain bags on the depositing cylinder and a lowered position below the plane of the collecting table, control means for moving said short holding fingers substantially tangentially to the depositing cylinder to the retaining position after the lifting of an entire packet of bags by the gripper unit has commenced, and to the lowered position after collection of the first bags a new packet.