Abstract: An apparatus for extracting stick confections from a row of mold cups of a stick confection molding machine and for transferring the extracted confections to a multi-lane wrapping machine having a number of lanes that is a submultiple of the number of mold cups in a row. The transfer apparatus includes a plurality of transfer bar assemblies which are moved from an extraction location above and parallel to a row of mold cups to a discharge location above and transverse to the lanes of the multi-lane wrapping machine. Each transfer bar assembly includes a number of gripper heads mounted on the transfer bar assembly for turning movement about individual turning axes transverse to the transfer bar and spaced apart therealong and a number of individual gripper units mounted on each head.

Abstract: A conventional refrigeration vault has cooling coils and air-moving fans for freezing confections that are conveyed therethrough. An endless conveyor belt describes a tortuous path through the vault and carries the confections in a spaced single-file arrangement. One wall of the refrigeration vault has openings therein, and one reach of the endless conveyor belt extends through the openings to pass by a discharge point, at which finished (hard frozen) confections are removed, as well as a pickup point at which soft frozen confections having a predetermined shape are received. The soft frozen confections are introduced through one of the openings into the refrigeration vault and travel along the tortuous path for a relatively short distance (as compared with the total length of the conveyor within the vault).