Abstract: A wicket of bags such that the bags are releasably secured to a header by release lines. Each bag has a front and back side, side edges, a bottom edge and inner and outer surfaces. The outer surface of the back side of a first bag is adjacent to the outer surface of the front side of the next succeeding bag. A sealed pocket is formed on the outer surface of the front side of a bag and is adapted to have an article encapsulated therein.
Abstract: A wicket of bags are joined to a common header. Each of the bags has an open pocket formed on the front side. The bags are placed front side down on a support surface. The top most back of the wicket is turned over to expose the front side while being transferred to a sealing station. The sample is placed in the pocket, the pocket is sealed and the bag removed. The remaining bags of the wicket are filled with samples in a similar manner. These steps are accomplished without removing any of the bags from the common header.