Pouch carrying apparatus

A split clamp for carrying pouches having a pouch width, the split clamp comprising:

• a leading clamp comprising a fixed jaw and a moveable jaw on a bracket, the bracket attached to a leading endless carrier;
• a trailing clamp comprising a fixed jaw and a movable jaw supported on a bracket, the bracket attached to a trailing endless carrier, the leading and trailing clamps forming an associated pair of clamps in which the trailing clamp trails the leading clamp by a lag distance, the trailing clamp controllably repositionable between a closed pouch position in which the leading and trailing clamps are separated by the pouch width, and an open pouch position in which the trailing clamp is transported toward the fixed clamp to open the pouch for filling;
• the movable jaw of the leading and trailing clamps being biased against the fixed jaw but operable to an open position in which the moveable jaw is spaced from the fixed jaw to allow a pouch edge to be inserted therebetween;
• and
• leading and trailing actuators respectively driving the leading and trailing endless carriers at substantially equal leading and trailing clamp speeds to maintain the lag distance between the leading and trailing clamps.