A denesting device for separating trays of joined cups prior to loading of the cup trays onto a conveyer belt of a packaging machine includes a feed bin mounted on a housing for receiving a stack of the nested cup trays. Associated with the bottom of the feed bin are a plurality of elongated helical screws each of which has a variable screw thread formed thereon. The variable screw thread on each of the helical screws has a variable pitch that increases from a first lesser pitch portion which is located adjacent to the feed means to a second greater pitch portion from which the denested cup trays are discharged. The plurality of elongated helical screws are rotatively mounted on the housing in a spaced array about the feed means. A drive mechanism rotates the elongated helical screws whereby upon rotation of the screws the first lesser pitch portion of the variable screw threads of the helical screws engages an edge of the cup trays stacked in the feed means and continued rotation of the helical screws moves the cup trays along the variable screw threads from the lesser thread pitch portion to the greater thread pitch portion with separation and denesting of the adjacent cup trays initiated and then increased as the cup trays move along the variable screw threads of the helical screws.
