Provided is a supply device for supplying articles, especially "bean sprouts-like articles", in a loosened state and that can exhibit a sufficient dispersing function even for fine and light weight bean sprouts-like articles liable to be entangled with each other, such as alfalfa sprouts. The loosening supply device comprises at least one pair of transfer conveying devices (1,1030,40) which respectively have a plurality of needle members (6,1636,46) arranged to protrude from their outer surfaces and which are adapted to move at velocities different from each other. The transfer conveying devices (1,1030,40) of the pair are arranged such that they have moving paths opposed to each other at at least one portion so that the moving directions are the same at the at least one portion and that the needle members (6,1636,46) protruding from the transfer conveying devices (1,1030,40) at least partly mesh with each other at the at least one portion. The articles like sprouts to be supplied by the supply device are supplied into the running paths from above and encounter the needle members of the two transfer conveying devices running at velocities different from each other and intersecting with each other. On each time of the needle members intersecting with each other, the sprouts are separated upward and downward and dispersed.
