Conveyance apparatus

A conveyance apparatus configured to convey an object in a reference direction by transferring the object between two clamp mechanisms configured to move relative to each other along the reference direction, wherein

• each of the clamp mechanisms is configured to freely change its state among a fully clamping state in which the object is held by a tightening force equal to or greater than a set tightening force, a semi-clamping state in which the object is held by a tightening force smaller than the set tightening force, and a non-clamping state in which the object is not held,
• each of the clamp mechanisms includes a support claw configured to support the object, a movable claw configured to clamp the object between the support claw and the movable claw, an urging mechanism configured to urge the movable claw to a clamping side, and a locking mechanism configured to prevent movement of the movable claw to a release side, the semi-clamping state is achieved such that the urging mechanism is actuated while the locking mechanism is not actuated, and the fully clamping state is achieved such that the locking mechanism is actuated while the movable claw moves to a predetermined lock position through actuation of the urging mechanism,
• the support claw has a protruding pin to be inserted into a hole formed in the object, and
• when the object is delivered from a first clamp mechanism that is one of the clamp mechanisms to a second clamp mechanism that is the other one of the clamp mechanisms, the second clamp mechanism is brought into the semi-clamping state to temporarily hold the object with the protruding pin of the second clamp mechanism inserted into the hole of the object from a condition that the first clamp mechanism is holding the object in the fully clamping state with the protruding pin of the first clamp mechanism inserted into the hole of the object and the second clamp mechanism is in the non-clamping state, and then the first clamp mechanism is brought into the non-clamping state and the second clamp mechanism is brought into the fully clamping state.