Apparatus for handling elongated products

In a weighing and packaging system for handling elongate products, the combination comprising:

• a weigher with product discharge means, receptacle means positioned below said discharge means for receiving weighed product charges from the weigher with the weighed products being arranged in a generally vertical position, said receptacle means having an open top portion and a bottom portion including an iris array which may be selectively closed for supporting product with respect to said receptacle means and opened for releasing product therefrom means for selectively moving said iris array;
• at lease two canister means angularly spaced apart and mounted for joint movement about a common horizontal axis between a first position for receiving product in a generally vertical attitude contained in said receptacle means to a second position for releasing such product in a generally horizontal attitude,
• said canister means having selectively movable sidewalls for releasing product from the canister in said second position;
• and
• power means for moving said canister means about said horizontal axis between said two positions and for opening and then closing said movable sidewalls when one of the canisters is in the second position whereby the elongate product may be dropped from the canister disposed in a generally horizontal attitude for movement to a location for a packaging operation.