Centering articles

Apparatus for advancing a plurality of articles in sequence from a load station into an aligned position at a work station spaced from said load station, which comprises:

• means for supporting the plurality of articles at spaced intervals, said supporting means including a plurality of article holders which are mounted on such supporting means at such spaced intervals;
• means for indexing said article holders sequentially in at least two increments between such load station and said work station to advance said articles toward said aligned position at said work station in steps corresponding to said spaced intervals toward said aligned position at said work station with at least one intermediate index position, each of such article holders having a distinct, predetermined deviation from such aligned position at said work station and in a predetermined direction with respect to the movement of the article holders toward said work station;
• means for adjusting the position of said articles located at such intermediate index position removed by at least one of the incremental steps corresponding to said spaced intervals from said aligned position at said work stations;
• and
• means for shifting the location of the article position adjusting means in a direction opposite to and by predetermined distances corresponding to said distinct, predetermined deviation of each such article holder from the aligned position at said work station.