PURPOSE: To prevent the sound to be produced when steel pipes collide against each other by supporting pivotally a cusion member to a sliding block and providing detectors for detecting the position of the steel pipes on the front and rear surfaces of the cushion member.

CONSTITUTION: The steel pipe A transferred to the cushion plate 1 stops by colliding against the front surface thereof but no colliding sound is generated. On the other hand, the advance command for the sliding block 2 is emitted to a driving device 15 and the block 2 advances when the pipe A is detected by the detector 5. The plate 1 in the state of being sandwiched between the pipes A and B is thereupon removed downward and is again disposed upward beyond a transfer table on the rear surface of the pipe A. A stop command is emitted to the device 15 to stop the block 2 and the backward command for the block 2 is emitted when the pipe A is no more detected by the detector 6. The rear surface of the plate 1 contacts with the pipe A upon retreating of the block 2 and the stop command for the block 2 is emitted upon detection of the pipe A by the detector 6 to stop the device 15 which waits for the transfer of the succeeding steel pipe.