A conveying apparatus (1, 1') for articles, comprising: - a first conveyor having an inlet section for receiving articles to be conveyed and an outlet section for the articles, defining with said inlet section, a first conveying line of said articles; and - a second conveyor having a transfer section selectively set in communication with a transfer section of said first conveyor, said transfer section of said first conveyor being interposed between said inlet section and said outlet section along said first conveying line; said first conveyor being selectively set a first operative release configuration of said articles at said outlet section and in at least one second operative release configuration of said articles at its transfer section; and said second conveyor being selectively set in a first operative withdrawal configuration of said articles from said first conveyor at its transfer section and in at least one second operative inhibition configuration of said withdrawal, said second operative configuration of said first conveyor and said first operative configuration of said second conveyor defining a second conveying line of said articles distinct from said first conveying line; characterized in that said first and second conveyors (9, 10) are star wheels (18, 19) peripherally provided with a plurality of gripping clamps selectively displaceable between a closed position on the relative articles and an open or release position from the articles; each said star wheel (11, 13, 18, 19, 47) comprising a fixed support structure, a rotating part rotatably mounted on said support structure and provided with said clamps, and cam means (28a, 28b, 28c) borne by said support structure at the relative said inlet sections (20, 30), outlet sections (21, 31) and transfer sections (22, 25) and adapted to interact with said clamps to displace them between said open and closed positions; at least one of said cam means being displaceable with respect to the relative said support structure between a forward interaction position with the relative said clamps and a retracted detachment position from the clamps; said at least one of said cam means acting at a relative transfer section (22, 25) of said star wheels (18, 19), the cam means comprising two cams (33, 34) having an overlapping area of their profiles so as to maintain, in their forward position, the relative said clamps always in the open position during the passage at relative said transfer section (22, 25). - a first conveyor having an inlet section for receiving articles to be conveyed and an outlet section for the articles, defining with said inlet section, a first conveying line of said articles; and - a second conveyor having a transfer section selectively set in communication with a transfer section of said first conveyor, said transfer section of said first conveyor being interposed between said inlet section and said outlet section along said first conveying line; said first conveyor being selectively set a first operative release configuration of said articles at said outlet section and in at least one second operative release configuration of said articles at its transfer section; and said second conveyor being selectively set in a first operative withdrawal configuration of said articles from said first conveyor at its transfer section and in at least one second operative inhibition configuration of said withdrawal, said second operative configuration of said first conveyor and said first operative configuration of said second conveyor defining a second conveying line of said articles distinct from said first conveying line; characterized in that said first and second conveyors (9, 10) are star wheels (18, 19) peripherally provided with a plurality of gripping clamps selectively displaceable between a closed position on the relative articles and an open or release position from the articles; each said star wheel (11, 13, 18, 19, 47) comprising a fixed support structure, a rotating part rotatably mounted on said support structure and provided with said clamps, and cam means (28a, 28b, 28c) borne by said support structure at the relative said inlet sections (20, 30), outlet sections (21, 31) and transfer sections (22, 25) and adapted to interact with said clamps to displace them between said open and closed positions; at least one of said cam means being displaceable with respect to the relative said support structure between a forward interaction position with the relative said clamps and a retracted detachment position from the clamps; said at least one of said cam means acting at a relative transfer section (22, 25) of said star wheels (18, 19), the cam means comprising two cams (33, 34) having an overlapping area of their profiles so as to maintain, in their forward position, the relative said clamps always in the open position during the passage at relative said transfer section (22, 25).