Supermarket checkout counter incorporating dual bag feeding apparatus for dispensing, delivering, opening and retaining flexible bags for purchased articles

A checkout counter for concurrently providing two flexible bags with handles and lateral pleats disposed in open condition for the selective introduction of articles into the open bags, comprising:

• a first and a second hopper through which articles are selectively introducible into flexible bags maintained in open condition below said hoppers;
• a first and a second reel, each said reel being formed of a continuous web of successively joined, preformed flexible bags wound about a central core, said bags being arranged along the webs such that the bottom of each bag is frangibly attached to the handles at the top of the next following bag in the web;
• and
• a first and a second automated bag feedig apparatus, each operable for dispensing a leading bag from a respective one of the reels, for detaching the leading bag from the continuous web of said one reel, for delivering the detached bag to an article-receiving station disposed immediately below a respective one of the hoppers, for opening the detached bag at the article-receiving station, and for maintaining the detached bag in its open condition at the station for receiving articles introduced through said one hopper for a period sufficient to enable the open bag to be filled with articles, wherein each of said automated bag feeding apparatus comprises:
• dispensing and delivering means for dispensing a single, closed, detached leading bag from the respective continuous web to the article receiving station by retracting said continuous web from said leading bag thereby detaching the leading bag from the continuous web, and for delivering the detached leading bag to the article-receiving station so that the top of the leading bag is delivered to the article receiving station prior to the bottom of said bag;
• and
• opening and maintaining means at the article-receiving station for opening the leading bag dispensed and singly delivered by said dispensing and delivering means and for maintaining the leading bag in an open condition at the article-receiving station to enable the selective introduction of articles into the open bag, said opening and maintaining means including a pair of opposed and relatively movable grippers operable for grasping opposed sides of the detached leading bag so as to open the bag and then maintain the open condition of the bag as the bag is filled with articles.