PURPOSE: To reliably prevent the occurrence of lateral swing of the lower end part of a work and to perform accurate and rapid insertion of the work into a work insertion hole by lowering the work in a state that the lower end part of the work is grasped by a work grasping means.

CONSTITUTION: By operating an air cylinder device, frame levers 1b at right and left lower ends of a work containing cage 1 are grasped by a clamper lever 16 and the cage 1 is fixed on a moving table 3. The moving table 3 is then moved rightward through operation of a table moving means during a time in which the rightmost work insertion hole of the work containing cage 1 is moved to a position right below a work feed head 6 and stopped in the position. In this state, a work W in a work waiting position is sucked to a sucker 28 and grasped by means of the two fingers 30 of a work grasping device 31. A gate device 37 is opened, through rotation of a screw lever, the work W is moved to a position right above the work insertion hole of the containing cage 1. The work W is then lowered in relation to the two fingers 30 and inserted in the insertion hole.