Abstract: A stacker for horizontally stacking a group of roughly round, generally flat shaped, irregularly dimensioned items, such as English muffins, doughnuts and the like types of baked goods, said stacker including a horizontally extending frame formed of opposite side and bottom wire-like elements for supporting the items on their edges, i.e., horizontally axially aligned. A piston is arranged between the elements for applying a horizontally axially directed force to the stack of items from one direction towards the opposite, item loading, end of the frame. A swinging barrier located at the loading end of the frame forms a stop to hold the stack against the force of the piston.

Abstract: A picker-loader formed of a number of flexible wires, each secured at one end to a moveable plate, extend through and are guided by passages formed in a sleeve which is axially aligned with the plate, so that the free ends of the wires may be extended outwardly of or be retracted relative to their adjacent sleeve end. The sleeve, plate and wires are mounted within a casing which is fastened upon a support holding a number of such pickers for simultaneous actuation. Thus, the free ends of the wires, when extended outwardly, embed in the soft goods, as for example, baked goods, for temporarily fastening such goods to the picker so that the goods may then be moved with the picker. Retraction of the wires release the goods from the picker.