Groups of articles are received from a conventional drop packer grid, into one side of a rotatable carrier that defines pockets for receiving the articles. Each pocket is defined by upright fingers that form funnels for each article. These fingers are resiliently deformed by a star shaped cam located alongside each pocket so as to close around each article and hold it securely while the carrier is inverted. A second set of pockets accepts a second charge of articles while the first charge is dropped into a case lifted into place below the carrier. This case can be so positioned while the fingers are closed to reduce the verticle height through which the articles are dropped.