Apparatus for orderly transport and storage of flat objects

An apparatus for ordering, transporting and storing flat empty bags (4) closed at three sides and having an opening (6) at the fourth side and an extending flap (11) located adjacent said bag opening and projecting therefrom,

• said bags being aligned seriatim and in overlapping position in shingled arrangement on a carrier web (15) in which the carrier web provides for storage and delivery of the bags to a subsequent processing station,
• comprising means for providing a tear or servering or fracture line (13) between the extending flap (11) and the remainder of the bag;
• means for transporting the bags seriatim in a first direction (0) with their flaps extended at right angles to said first direction;
• means for fixing the carrier web (15) in a direction (44) which is perpendicular to said first direction (0);
• means for forwarding the bags, one after another, in predetermined time intervals in said first direction (0) at a level above said carrier web (15) from a first side of the carrier web and across the carrier web into an abutment or stop means (27) located at the second side of the carrier web;
• means for dropping said bags over and on the carrier web in mutually overlapping position while guiding the drop of the then dropping bag on the web and forming a shingled arrangement of bags on the web;
• means for aligning each side of the bag on the carrier web and exactly positioning the bags on the carrier web with their flaps at defined distances (A) from one another;
• means for permanently and irremovably attaching said flaps of bags, as positioned and aligned onto said carrier web, seriatim at said defined distances (A) from one another to insure separation of the bag from the flap at said tear, severing or fracture line upon application of a severing force to the bag while leaving the flap attached to the web;
• and means for storing said carrier web and said bags for subsequent separation of said bags from said flaps to permit subsequent filling, and separation and removal of said bags (4) from the web (15) while leaving the flaps (11) attached to the web (15).