PURPOSE: To transfer a group of articles in a state that a plurality of flat articles are deviated obliquely in their positions so as to be overlapped with one another, while keeping such positions.

CONSTITUTION: Both ends of a first movement stop bar 24 are fixed between endless chains 23 disposed on both sides of a transfer path between endless chains 23 disposed on both sides of a transfer path of rice crackers package in a cylindrical film, and both ends of a lateral bar 25 are fixed to predetermined positions on a rear side in a direction in which the package rice crackers advance. In the vicinity of both the ends of the lateral bar, a pair of second movement stop bars 28 short in length are fixed. The first movement stop bar is allowed to abut against the lower face of the cylindrical film to push it upward and to about against a predetermined portion of the rice cracker positioned forward to control the rice carackers to be moved forward relatively. On the other hand, the second movement stop bars are positioned on the upper face of the cylindrical film and allowed to abut against a predetermined portion of the rice cracker positioned backward to stop the rice crackers from being moved backward relatively. Further, each bar is so designed to move at speed equal to the moving speed of the rice crackers (cylindrical film).