PURPOSE: To automate housing and taking-out to and from baskets for semiconductor substrates or the like to highly improve work efficiency, by sequentially lifting the baskets brought by a conveyor, to perform housing and holding.

CONSTITUTION: When a basket 5 is carried into between annular rails 3, 4 in the direction of an arrow 14 by a conveyor 13, this conveyor is stopped and drive wheels 5, 6 are rotated in the directions of arrows 15, 16 by drivers 11, 12 to move the annular rails 3, 4 in the directions of arrows 17, 18. At that time, the holding members 9, 10 of the annular rails 3, 4 are driven together, upper holding members 9a, 10a are engaged with the bottoms of lugs 19, 20 provided on the tops of both the sides of the basket 2 on the conveyor 13 and the basket 2 is lifted by a prescribed height above the conveyor 13. The baskets 2 are thus vertically housed and held between the annular rails 3, 4.