Abstract: Newly made glass containers received on a conveyor belt in random orientation are conveyed and brushed into transversally separated columns in lying-down orientation, mouths randomly forwards and rearwards. An escapement periodically addresses the leading row of the columns and sets all the containers of this row in a mouth-upwards upright condition. These upright containers are transferred, several at a time, to individual pockets of an indexing rotary table. Typically, the table has four positions, in which the containers are respectively loaded into pockets, plug gauged, photoelectrically inspected, and unloaded. The relative position of inspection-failing containers is stored in a memory and, in connection with unloading the rotary table, these containers are culled. Apparatus for accepting and automatically packing the inspection-passing containers in boxes is preferably juxtaposed with the unloading station of the rotary table.