ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS

An article handling apparatus which is used to transfer a plurality of articles, such as glass containers which may be in a heated condition, from a pickup position which may be over a first conveyor to a discharge position which may be over a second conveyor employs a plurality of vacuum pickup heads mounted on a movable carriage. A drive mechanism connected to the carriage moves the plurality of pickup heads into laterally adjacent and embracing relationship with the articles at the pickup position so that one article is embraced in each of the respective heads. The drive mechanism then raises the carriage and the embraced articles so that they are held in a suspended condition and moves the carriage from the first conveyor to the discharge position where the articles are lowered onto the second conveyor. As the carriage lowers the embraced articles, the source providing the vacuum is disconnected from the plurality of heads and the articles are deposited at the discharge position.