1,036,636. Packaging-machines. STAMICARBON N.V. July 18, 1963 [July 19, 1962], No. 28523/63. Heading B8C. Apparatus for filling and sealing bags joined side by side as a continuous strip with their unsealed mouths uppermost comprises means engaging the strip before and after the filling position to drive it forward intermittently, the means after filling stopping and starting before the means preceding filling to assist in opening the bag mouths and then stretching them to the closed position. The apparatus is particularly applicable to handling plastics film. As shown, a tubular web from a roll 2 is slit along its upper fold by a knife 3, the edges being kept apart by a rail 8. Jaws 4 form transverse seals below the rail. Belt 9, 9 1 , 13 , 13 1 support the web on either side of a filler 12, the bells 13, 13 1 , at least, being intermittently driven and stopping and starting in advance of the belts 9, 9 1 . An air jet 17 and suction members 18 assist in bag opening. The filled bags are supported on a conveyer 16 and sealed and severed by means 20, 22 respectively. In lieu of severing, perforating and tearing may be employed. Photo-electric means may monitor marks on the web and/or the bag contents to control the web and contents feed. An initially single thickness web may be doubled or, to produce two rows of bags simultaneously, folded to W form, for subsequent transverse sealing.