Abstract: Apparatus for conveying stacked flat articles provided with two locating holes each, preferably bags made of plastic, including a stacking conveyor having a pair of juxtaposed endless belts, which are trained around pulleys that are intermittently driven. The conveyor is provided with pairs of upstanding stacking pins, which are secured to respective carrying plates and spaced a variable distance apart. Alternate carrying plates carrying respective stacking pins are connected to respective ones of the belts. The belts are adapted to be moved forwardly and rearwardly relative to each other and to be interconnected by the pulleys in a predetermined relative position. The pulleys are angularly shiftable relative to each other to vary the spacing between the stacking pins.

Abstract: Apparatus for aligning a wicketer frame with an edge of a tubular or semitubular plastic web. The positions of the edges of the web are sensed and the wicketer frame is transversely displaced in response to and in dependence on the sensed deviation of the edges of the web from an initial position. The wicketer frame is provided with at least one transverse rail, which is supported on rollers or sliding surfaces of an underlying carrying frame to permit transverse movement of the wicketer frame relative to the web. The wicketer frame is connected by a beam to an end frame, which carries the downstream end of a stacking conveyor and is supported on a base frame. The end frame is longitudinally displaceable and is rotatable through a small angle relative to the base frame. A rack and pinion arrangement is provided for transversely moving the wicketer frame.

Abstract: Apparatus for stacking and conveying flat articles that are preferably provided with locating holes and preferably consist of bags that have been severed from a tubular or semitubular plastic film web and have been closed by welding. The bags are carried from a forming station to a pair of adjacent, parallel stacking conveyors by a rotatable wicketer having spaced pairs of radial transfer arms. The stacking conveyors include endless belt like carries that pass around rotatable wheels or rollers and are intermittently driven. The carriers include upstanding stacking pins or stacking needles, which extend from and are secured to carrying plates mounted on the carriers. Two spaced, adjacent stacking conveyors are provided and different tools for acting on the intermittently conveyed stacks of bags are selectively provided and detachably secured to the frame of the apparatus between the stacking conveyors.