Packaging apparatus for stick confections

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, comprising, endless type first and second conveyor means each having product pusher means at uniformly spaced locations therealong defining pockets between adjacent pushers 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, the first and second conveyor means having relatively parallel inlet portions, means for feeding wrapped stick confections from the multi-lane wrapping machine into the pockets on the first and second endless conveyor means with the stick ends in juxtaposition, weigh scale means at the weighing station, the first and second conveyor means having relatively parallel intermediate portions extending past the weigh scale means with the product pushers on the intermediate portions of the first and second conveyor means arranged in transverse alignment to advance wrapped stick confections in opposed pairs to and away from the weigh scale means, ejector means at the ejecting station adapted when operated to eject wrapped stick confections from both the first and second conveyor means, means responsive to the weigh scale means and operative when the total weight of the wrapped stick confections advanced by a transversely aligned pair of product pushers to the weigh scale means is less than a predetermined value for operating ejector means to eject the stick confections advanced by that pair of transversely aligned pair of product pushers when they advance past the ejecting station, the first and second conveyor means having 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 means at the stacking station for assembling opposed pairs of wrapped stick confections from the first and second conveyor means into groups comprising a plurality of pairs of wrapped stick confections.