PURPOSE: To provide automatic work removal which is useful in processing long works by changing the travelling speed of a hook member when the hook member is engaged and disengaged with work.

CONSTITUTION: A work is put on a blade 37 and fed toward a grinder strinking up a hook 35 to start grinding, then the work moves of itself. When the hook 35 is unhooked from the work, the hook 35 and a member 34 are released and a sensor 25 is cut off, so that a starting timer is set to start a DC motor 1 at a speed 1.5 times the moving speed of the work to drive a driving chain 10 which drives a plate 20 and the hook 35. When the hook come into contact with the work, the hook 35 is moved in X-direction. At this moment, photoelectric tubes 39 and 40 are cut off and the Dc motor is changed-over to low speed. When the work leaves the hook 35, the photoelectric tubes are connected and the DC motor operates at a high speed again.