Abstract: Apparatus for manipulating carrying bags which are initially in a planely compressed state in a storage compartment. The bags are held on a carriage which may be rolled into and out of the storage compartment. Drive means secured to the storage compartment mate with driven means on the carriage, which driven means are adapted to feed the compressed bags to an opening and raising station. The opening and raising station includes a bottom plate pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis between a substantially horizontal position in which it supports an open bag and a substantially vertical position in which grip members are adapted to grip a portion of the compressed bag in order to pull the bag into an open form, after which the bottom plate is elevated into a higher position. The movement of the bottom plate is coordinated with two spades adapted to be pushed into a partly raised bag in order to be moved apart therein to maintain the bag in its open form.