Apparatus for introducing articles into and/or removing articles from a machine

An apparatus for at least one of introducing articles into and removing articles from a machine by a handling device, said apparatus comprising:

• a transition element for connecting said handling device with said apparatus, wherein said transition element is rotatable about an axis of rotation thereof for driving said handling device;
• a slider connected with said transition element for actuating said transition element, wherein said slider has two abutment strip portions removably attached to said slider which form a guide passage;
• a cam disc connected to a shaft having an axis, said shaft drivably connected to and driven by said machine for driving said cam disc;
• an entrainment member eccentrically arranged on said cam disc and rotatable eccentrically about said axis of said shaft, said entrainment member arranged to move along said guide passage and move said slider between a first and a second limit position, said entrainment member being outside said guide passage when said slider is in one of said first and said second limit position;
• and
• a locking unit including a rotary lever, wherein said rotary lever is actuated by said cam disc and cooperates with at least one of said abutment strip portions for releasably holding said slider in one of said first and said second limit positions.