Patent ID: 8485955

Claim:
A method of attaching a plastic handle at a precise location on an edge of a preformed plastic bag, said method comprising the steps of: i) conveying on a delivery conveyor a plurality of spaced-apart groups of said plastic bags, each group containing a predetermined number of said bags in a flat form disposed one on top of the other and offset along a leading straight edge thereof, said straight edges of said bags being oriented approximately transverse to a conveying direction of said conveyor; ii) detecting the orientation and position of a top one of said bags as they are conveyed into at least two bag transfer stations and wherein the bags may have been subjected to slight displacement; iii) engaging said top one of said bags by a bag engaging hand oriented by a controller to align with the said detected orientation and position of the said top one of said bags; iv) transferring said engaged top one of said bags to a handle securing station with said leading straight edge thereof disposed at a precise location relative to said plastic handle retained at said handle securing station; v) securing said handle to said bag at said precise location; vi) transferring said bag with said handle secured thereto away from said handle securing station for further processing; and vii) positioning a further handle at said handle securing station to receive a further top one of a following group of said groups of bags conveyed into said bag transfer station, said groups of bags being conveyed in an uninterrupted manner through said bag transfer station.