An apparatus is disclosed for transferring valved bags such as cement sacks from a first supply position to a second position whereby they are removed by filling spouts of an associated packing apparatus. First bag transporting means in the form of a conveyor belt has a bag receiving position and a bag discharging position and is adapted to successively move bundles of the bags from the bag receiving position to its discharge position. Second bag transporting means such as a second conveyor belt is positioned adjacent the first transporting means and adapted to successively receive bundles of the bags discharged from the first transporting means and to position the bags so received in a generally upright stacked relation. Means for detecting deviations of the height of the stack of bags from a predetermined level resulting from successive removal of each uppermost bag from the stack by filling spouts of the associated packing apparatus, supplies a signal activating the second transporting means when the height of the stack of bags reaches a pre-set level. When the second bag transporting means reaches a predetermined bag receiving position the first bag transporting means is activated until a bag, or bundle of bags, arrives at a pre-set bag discharge position, and means to transfer the bags from the first transporting means to the second transporting means maintains the height of the stack of bags at a predetermined level so as to receive the filling spouts and be removed thereby. A unique method for handling such bags on the inventive apparatus is also disclosed.
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