Patent ID: 8146520

Claim:
A tag feeding apparatus for use with a bag-closing and tag-applying sewing machine in order to attach multiple tags to each bag in a sequence of bags delivered to the sewing machine for closing of each bag and simultaneous attachment of the multiple tags by sewing the bag and the multiple tags together along edges of the bag at an opening thereof, the tag feeding apparatus comprising a tag spreader arranged to receive a stack of tags comprising a plurality of different tags that are distinct from one another and stacked together in a face-to-face grouping and arranged to displace the different tags relative to one another along faces of the tags to project each tag partially outward from an adjacent tag next thereto in the grouping of tags; wherein the tag spreader comprises first and second belts entrained about first and second pulley sets to position the first and second belts face-to-face for movement along a common delivery path defined between face-to-face portions of the first and second belts, the first and second belts being arranged to receive the grouping of tags between the face-to-face portions and be driven to respectively travel unequal fist and second distances along the delivery path in a set amount of time to move the grouping of tags along the delivery path and shift the tags relatively to one another along the delivery path to displace the different tags relative to one another along the faces of the tags to project each tag partially outward from the adjacent tag.