Abstract: Apparatus for collating ice cream sandwiches for packaging, includes a flat dead plate; an endless belt conveyor for conveying the articles in a first direction onto the dead plate; a stop and guide for limiting movement of the ice cream sandwiches on the dead plate to a first position; an optical detector which detects when a predetermined number of the ice cream sandwiches have been conveyed to the first position on the dead plate against the stop; an air cylinder mounted above the dead plate; a sliding plate movable along the air cylinder; a pivot bracket secured to the sliding plate; an L-shaped pusher member pivotally mounted on the bracket for pushing the ice cream sandwiches from the first position to a second position in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction so as to collate the ice cream sandwiches; a cam track fixed to the frame; a roller mounted on the pivot rod of the pusher member and which rides along the cam track from the first position to the second position so as

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically depositing parallelepipedic articles into an upwardly open collecting hopper, carton or the like, including a pair of article support members pivoted in spaced opposed facing relation, the support members respectively having spaced upper and lower jaw members defining respective opposed channel areas. The support members reciprocate in synchronous opposed pivotal movement between an article supporting position wherein their channel areas open in facing relation for receiving and supporting articles at their lateral sides on the lower jaw members and an article depositing position wherein the channel areas open downwardly for releasing the articles to drop gravitationally into the hopper or carton.