PURPOSE: To improve the possibility of wide use for various purposes by controlling the drive of a clamping arm disposed in a transport path according to the length of a product measured at the inlet portion of an apparatus to deliver a work to a processing unit in a transfer apparatus having a processing unit in the midway of the transport path.

CONSTITUTION: When a work is detected by a sensor not shown at an admission end of a transport path 11, rollers 12aW12d are driven so that the work advances on the conveyer 11. The length of a work is measured by a roller 16f and an encoder not shown at the position of the roller 16f. Subsequently, when the work is brought into contact with a stopper 17, the rollers 12aW12d are stopped, and a motor 34 is driven to move an arm 30 according to the length of the work. Then, the arm 30 is controlled to turn in such a manner that a holding portion 51 holds the work at the center of the conveyer 11. After that, the arm 30 holds the work to be moved to a processing unit. This arrangement can be widely used for various purposes.