Abstract: A transporting system for supplying and/or discharging workpieces disposed on carriers to at least one processing unit includes a cyclic conveyor driven by a drive as a function of the work cycle, particularly a web belt or chain conveyor which is equipped with cams that predetermine the position of each workpiece carrier in the conveying direction and enclose the workpiece carriers between them. A known stepping gear assembly is provided as the drive for the cyclic conveyor. A first signal generator detects the cyclic advance and a second signal generator detects the cycle time. The drive for the stepping gear assembly is controlled by signals of the signal generators so that the signal of the first signal generator switches off the drive as soon as the cyclic advance has been performed, and the signal of the second signal generator activates the drive at the end of the processing duration for a workpiece.