Cone labeling, separating and restacking apparatus

A cone labeling, separating and re-stacking apparatus comprising a magazine for storing a plurality of stalks of cones parallel to one another, said magazine having a sloped discharge area for gravity feed of stalks of cones from said magazine, a loader ram disposed adjacent to said discharge area for retaining said stalks of cones in said magazine, and means for causing reciprocal motion of said loader ram for moving a first stalk of cones and allowing a second stalk of cones to be released from said magazine, a tray for receiving said first stalk of cones, cone nose receiving means for receiving the nose end of said first stalk of cones in said tray means, said cone nose receiving means being axially aligned with said stalk of cones in said tray means, cone base receiving means axially aligned with said cone nose receiving means, labeling means for placing a label into the cone base end of said first stalk of cones, and cone separating means for separating the cone at the cone base end of said stalk of cones and moving said cone to said cone base receiving means, said cone separating means including a nozzle having a fluid passageway therein for admitting fluid under pressure between contiguous cone noses, and traverse means for moving said tray means in a direction parallel to the axis of said stalk of cones on said tray, said traverse means including index means for disposing said fluid passageway of said nozzle between successive contiguous cones of said stalk of cones.