Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for unhooking and transferring hung articles, such as cuts of meat, from haulage vehicles to sorting and warehousing installations. The apparatus includes a gripping mechanism movable in three respectively orthogonal directions. The gripping mechanism is adapted to withdraw the articles from the hooks on which they are initially hung, and to transfer and re-hang them upon other hooks. The gripping mechanism includes two symmetrically arranged gripping elements. These elements are movable with respect to each other from a first working position at which their respective free extremities are in contact, to a second working position in which the elements are separated by a distance which allows insertion of one of the hooks between them or removal of previously inserted hook.