Method and device for transportation

A transfer method for transferring a workpiece from a preceding stage to a subsequent stage by using a transfer apparatus comprising at least one transfer section capable of revolving around a rotation axis, the method comprising:

• a pickup step, wherein in order for the transfer section to pick up the workpiece transferred by the preceding stage at a first transfer velocity, the transfer section moves at a pickup velocity substantially equal to the first transfer velocity in a pickup area;
• a velocity-changing step of changing the transfer velocity of the transfer section while the transfer section is holding the workpiece which has been picked up, using a velcoity-changing guide that is eccentric to the rotation axis and does not move around the rotation axis;
• a direction-changing step of changing a direction of the workpiece by pivoting the transfer section about an axis transverse the rotation axis using a direction-changing guide that runs along a path around the curved surface of a nonrotatable cylinder that is coaxial with the axis of rotation, the path of the direction-changing guide being displaced in a direction parallel to the rotation axis to effect the pivoting of the transfer section;
• and
• a hand-over step, wherein in order to transfer the workpiece at a second transfer velocity by the subsequent stage, the transfer section moves at a hand-over velocity substantially equal to the second transfer velocity in a hand-over area,
• wherein the pickup velocity and the hand-over velocity are different from each other.