A cutting and transfer apparatus (10; 230) comprising: a cutting system (14; 232) configured to cut an incoming continuous web of material into a plurality of discrete articles; and a transfer mechanism operable with the cutting system (14; 232) to transfer and rotate the plurality of discrete articles from at least a web receiving location to an article placement location, the transfer mechanism comprising: a drive shaft rotatable about a transfer axis; a puck wheel mounted to the drive shaft to rotate therewith about the transfer axis, the puck wheel including: a plurality of carriage units that rotate about the transfer axis to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from at least the web receiving location to the article placement location, each of the plurality of carriage units including a puck that is selectively operable to carry a discrete article thereon and reorient the article as the puck travels between the web receiving location and the article placement location; and a plurality of servo motors each operably connected to a respective carriage unit of the plurality of carriage units via a connecting arm, and with each of the plurality of servo motors operable to alter positioning of its respective carriage unit along at least a portion of the transfer path. a cutting system (14; 232) configured to cut an incoming continuous web of material into a plurality of discrete articles; and a transfer mechanism operable with the cutting system (14; 232) to transfer and rotate the plurality of discrete articles from at least a web receiving location to an article placement location, the transfer mechanism comprising: a drive shaft rotatable about a transfer axis; a puck wheel mounted to the drive shaft to rotate therewith about the transfer axis, the puck wheel including: a plurality of carriage units that rotate about the transfer axis to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from at least the web receiving location to the article placement location, each of the plurality of carriage units including a puck that is selectively operable to carry a discrete article thereon and reorient the article as the puck travels between the web receiving location and the article placement location; and a plurality of servo motors each operably connected to a respective carriage unit of the plurality of carriage units via a connecting arm, and with each of the plurality of servo motors operable to alter positioning of its respective carriage unit along at least a portion of the transfer path. a drive shaft rotatable about a transfer axis; a puck wheel mounted to the drive shaft to rotate therewith about the transfer axis, the puck wheel including: a plurality of carriage units that rotate about the transfer axis to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from at least the web receiving location to the article placement location, each of the plurality of carriage units including a puck that is selectively operable to carry a discrete article thereon and reorient the article as the puck travels between the web receiving location and the article placement location; and a plurality of servo motors each operably connected to a respective carriage unit of the plurality of carriage units via a connecting arm, and with each of the plurality of servo motors operable to alter positioning of its respective carriage unit along at least a portion of the transfer path. a plurality of carriage units that rotate about the transfer axis to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from at least the web receiving location to the article placement location, each of the plurality of carriage units including a puck that is selectively operable to carry a discrete article thereon and reorient the article as the puck travels between the web receiving location and the article placement location; and a plurality of servo motors each operably connected to a respective carriage unit of the plurality of carriage units via a connecting arm, and with each of the plurality of servo motors operable to alter positioning of its respective carriage unit along at least a portion of the transfer path.