Abstract: A series of articulated product gripper mechanisms are mounted on a continuously operating pickup conveyor having a reach adjacent the product transfer zone of a continuously operating transport conveyor that has cold plates running through a freezing tunnel. The gripper mechanisms are employed to transfer frozen confections such as ice cream bars, ice cream cones, ice cream cups, and stickless or stick novelties from the transport conveyor cold plates to the pickup conveyor. Each gripper mechanism includes replaceable gripping tongs or fingers appropriate to the particular type of confection being handled, and is operable to pick up the moving confection, invert and dip the confection in a coating bath and in a dry confection applicator, and release the coated confection in predetermined orientation onto the inlet conveyor of an associated wrapping machine.