236,262. Turner, S. G. March 29, 1924. Delivery.-A machine for loading briquettes from the press on to a trolly &c. comprises means for turning each briquette on to its side, for transferring the briquettes to a loading tray and for lifting each complete layer from the tray on to the trolly. together with means for turning through 90‹ the briquettes which are to form each alternate layer, in order to increase the stability of the stack. The machine is shown in plan in Fig. 1, and in side elevation reversed in Fig. 2. Each briquette 16 is delivered from the press by a conveyer on to a four-leaved support 10 which is rotated intermittently through 90‹ about a horizontal axis 11 by means of a star wheel 12 and a rotating arm 15 on the driving- shaft 14. The briquette which is delivered on to the support 10 broadside down is thus turned on to its side and it is then pushed by a rod 19 on to a circular table 20 which is held stationary during the formation of one layer of briquettes on the loading tray 34 and is turned with each briquette through 90‹ during the formation of every alternate layer, as described below. The pusher rod 19 is driven by a cam 17 on the shaft 14 and a spring 21. The briquette is taken from the table 20 to the loading tray 34 by a pusher plate 21, Fig. 3, pivoted on an endless chain 23 which is moved to and fro by chain gearing comprising an oscillating wheel 29 driven from the rotating crank 30 on the shaft 14. The movement of the chain 23 is sufficient to carry the pusher plate from wheel 26 to wheel 25 and up the vertical guides 33 permitting the next briquette to pass beneath before the motion of the pusher plate is reversed. On the formation of a complete row of briquettes on the tray, a rod 54 is engaged by the end briquette of the row and closes switches 55, 67 to start a motor 56 which drives a shaft 59 actuating a pusher plate 62, to move the complete row of briquettes along the table out of line with the rod 54, leaving a clear space for the formation of a second row. and permitting a limit switch 63 to stop the motor on completion of one revolution of the shaft 59. The rows of briquettes are closed up by passing between spring plates 116, 117. These actions continue until only the final row remains to be formed, when the first row engages a pivoted arm 64 so as to close a switch 66. On completion of the last row, the switches 55, 67 are closed as before, and complete a circuit through the switch 66. A solenoid is thus energized which operates a switch to cut out the motor 56, and another solenoid closes a switch to start a motor 169 which operates the lifting grab 70, shown in Fig. 1, in elevation on the line A-B of Fig. 2. The grab comprises a weighted tray 102 to which are pivoted the gripping arms 70, 71 having resilient pads 105, 106 to engage the briquettes. The arms are also pivoted at 100, 101 to frame members 73 pivoted on a shaft 88 having rollers moving in guides 84. The grab is operated by counterweighted swinging arms 76 pivoted on the machine at 78 and moved by the motor 169 through gearing 89 - - 95. The to and fro movements of the grab take place automatically under the control of reversing switches in the motor circuit. Although the switches 66, 67 are opened when the briquettes are lifted from the tray, the motor circuit remains completed through a switch 99, Fig. 1, on the grab, which is closed when the grab is in the gripping position. When the outward movement of the loaded grab brings the layer of briquettes on to the trolly 107, the continued downward movement of the frame members 73 turns the arms 70, 71 about the pivots 103, 104 opening the grab and moving a catch 113 to the right so that the grab is locked open by engagement of the catch with the bracket 113<a>. With the grab open, the switch 99 is open, and the motor is operated in the reverse direction, bring- ing the open grab over the loading tray 34. In this position, a lever 115 is engaged and the motor circuit broken, and the arm 113<d> of the catch strikes a lever 114, Fig. 2, releases the catch and leaves the arms 70, 71 free to close. The lever 114 retains the catch in the disengaged position until the grab has gripped its load. The mechanism for operating the table 20, as mentioned above, comprises a cam 46, Fig. 1, on a wheel 45, Fig. 2, rotated through reducing gearing from a star-wheel 40 actuated by the passage of each briquette, so that during the formation of one layer of briquettes the cam engages. a rod 47 which holds the table 20 stationary, and during the formation of the next layer the table is free to rotate. The table 20 rests in frictional engagement on a disc which is rotated by gearing from the shaft 11 so as to turn through 90‹ during the passage of each briquette. When not held by the rod 47, the table 20 turns through 90‹ with its supporting disc, turning each briquette at right angles to those of the preceding layer.