PURPOSE: To ensure the discharge of articles into prescribed chambers by a construction wherein article holding tanks each having in the lower portion a discharge port which can be opened and closed are provided on the top of a partition wall partitioning a collective shoot, and the article holding tanks are inclined so that articles are discharged onto one side of the partition wall.

CONSTITUTION: A collective shoot 2 is partitioned into rooms 4 and 6 by a partition wall 3 and division walls 17 and 19, and discharge ports 12 and 14 are provided at the bottom of the rooms respectively. On the top of the division walls 17 and 19 auxiliary tanks 54g and 54h, as well as 58g and 58h, which are used commonly and can select the room 4 or 6 by their inclination are provided. Other article holding tanks 54aW54f and 58aW58f are used exclusively for the rooms 4 and 6 respectively. By a control unit not shown in the figure, an operation is conducted so that the total of articles held in each holding tank reaches a desired amount, instructions are given as to the number of the exclusively-used holding tanks to be employed and as to the commonly-used holding tanks to be inclined to either of the chambers, and the bottom plates 56 and 60 of the holding tanks to which the instructions are given are opened to release the articles into the chambers 4 and 6. By this construction, it is made easy to discharge articles exactly in a prescribed amount.