Abstract: To move a workpiece from one location to another, the main body of the transfer mechanism is raised on an air bearing and pivoted automatically or manually from station to station, with the workpiece being held by a gripping head mounted to one end of the main body by a tranfer arm. To control the gripping head, a piston, slidably mounted within the transfer arm, is biased away from the gripping head so that, when air pressure is applied, it is forced toward the gripping head and, when air pressure is removed, it is moved away from the gripping head with the gripping head being provided with any one of a number of interchangeable piston-controlled gripping devices. To control the air pressure in the transfer arm, two external sensing switches are mounted outside the main body to control the flow of air, which switches are activated when the body is lowered.