Abstract: A self-contained pick-and-place apparatus for respectively engaging and releasing an elongate group of stacked articles such as an elongate stack of nested can ends comprises an elongate pivot shaft defining a longitudinal axis, a pair of elongated gripping members for surroundingly engaging the articles, and pivot arms coupled with the gripping members and mounted to the pivot shaft for bidirectional pivotal motion about the longitudinal axis for thereby moving the gripping members respectively toward and away from each other. The pivot arms are biased to pivot in a direction for moving the gripping members toward each other. One or more cams are supported by the pivot shaft for movement between a pivot arm open position and a pivot arm closed position.