Abstract: Transport unit for transporting circular-cylindrical profiled workpieces, including a loading drum which is rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation on a bearing journal and which is provided on an outer surface with a plurality of loading slides, wherein each loading slide is received on the outer surface so as to be linearly movable along the axis of rotation and has a workholder with a recess profiled in the form of a circular section along the axis of rotation, wherein profile axes of the recesses each intersect a circumference arranged coaxially to the axis of rotation and wherein it is provided that the workholder is received on the loading slide so as to be linearly movable along a radial direction aligned perpendicularly to the axis of rotation between a radially inner first functional position and a radially outer second functional position.