WORKPIECE TRANSFERRING APPARATUS

A reversible drive device rotates a sprocket wheel so that an endless chain engaging said sprocket wheel moves through a vertical path and then in a semicircular path around a chain guide. A workpiece conveyed by a conveyor device from a preceding stage is clamped by a clamping device extending from a base end of a workpiece retaining arm having an outer end connected to said chain. If the workpiece is to be transferred in an inverted orientation, a slider pivotally supporting the base end of the workpiece retaining arm is raised along a slide guide by the chain; then the outer end of the workpiece retaining arm circles around the upper end of the chain guide together with the chain, thereby rotating the workpiece retaining arm by half a turn and inverting the workpiece. The workpiece retaining arm is then lowered after the circling, the workpiece is unclamped and transferred to a conveyor device leading to a subsequent stage, and the reversible drive device is reversed by operation of a position detection device so that the workpiece retaining arm is returned to its initial position. If the workpiece is to be transferred in a noninverted orientation, the chain drive is reversed by a limit switch before the workpiece retaining arm reaches the semicircular part of the chain path, so that the workpiece retaining arm translates vertically only.