A feeder for orienting and aligning disorderly incoming articles includes a table having a peripheral wall, a rotary surface surrounded by the peripheral wall, and a discharge substantially tangential to the peripheral wall, the discharge being sized to receive one article at a time from the rotary surface in a predetermined orientation; and at least one pile eliminating member extending above the rotary surface and defining a gap with the rotary surface, the gap being sized to solely permit passage of non-superposed articles laying in the predetermined orientation on the rotary surface. It also relates to a method for doing same and a method and an apparatus for removing obstructing blocks from the discharge.