Apparatus and method for flipping and positioning articles

A machine for making sandwiches, comprising a movable conveyor capable of receiving sandwich elements arranged in at least two rows extending in the direction of movement of the conveyor, a depositing device arranged and adapted to deposit a sandwich filling on each of the sandwich elements of a first of two adjacent rows on the conveyor, and an apparatus for inverting and displacing a floppy article, comprising:

• an engagement member adapted to engage a lateral edge portion of a sandwich element;
• a drive unit configured to drive the engagement member to move in a motion profile, wherein the motion profile comprises a straight portion and an arc portion;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the drive unit to operate the motion profile for the engagement member, whereby the sandwich element engaged by the engagement member is lifted in the straight portion of the motion profile and turned about the opposite lateral edge to invert the sandwich element in the arc portion of the motion profile and the opposite lateral edge of the sandwich element is caused to be raised to approximately at or above the level or height of the engaged lateral edge portion during the inverting, wherein the apparatus is arranged for engagement with the sandwich elements of a second row, whereby each of the latter sandwich elements is inverted, laterally displaced and superimposed on a corresponding sandwich element of the first row on which a filling has been deposited.