Packaging apparatus for stick confections

Abstract

A packaging apparatus for assembling wrapped stick confections from a multi-lane packaging machine into groups with the stick ends of the wrapped stick confections overlapping. The packaging apparatus comprises endless type first and second conveyors each having product pushers at uniformly spaced locations therealong for advancing stick confections crosswise of their length from a loading station sequentially past a weighing station and an ejecting station to a stacking station. Mechanism is provided at the loading station for feeding wrapped stick confections from the multi-lane wrapping machine into the pockets on first and second conveyors with the stick ends in juxtaposition. A weigh scale apparatus is provided at the weighing station and, when the total weight of the wrapped stick confections advanced by a transversely aligned pair of product pushers to the weigh scale apparatus is less than a predetermined value, the scale apparatus operates an apparatus to eject the stick confections advanced by that pair of transversely aligned pair of product pushers when they move past the ejecting station. The first and second conveyors have outlet end portions extending from the ejecting station to the stacking station with the product pushers arranged in transverse alignment to advance wrapped stick confections in opposed pairs and with their stick ends overlapping to the stacking station, and group forming mechanism is provided at the stacking station for assembling opposed pairs of wrapped stick confections from the first and second conveyors into groups comprising a plurality of pairs of wrapped stick confections.