Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing metal-containing amine solutions by reacting a metal or metal-containing compound, in particular, copper or a copper-containing compound, with an amine, carbon dioxide and an oxidizing agent. The resulting metal-amine solution can then be used to formulate a variety of metal-based wood preserving products.

Abstract: A method of removing HMO.sub.2.sup.- anions from an aqueous silicate solution comprising contacting the solution with a cationic ion exchange resin, where M is manganese, zinc, copper, nickel, or a mixture thereof. The method is particularly applicable to solutions of sodium silicate or potassium silicate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dehacking and stacking brick or the like is disclosed for automatically removing arrays of brick from a hack and for producing stacks of arrays suitable for packaging. A gripper transfer grips full arrays of brick resting on the kiln car and deposits such arrays on one of two compacting tables. While resting on the tables, the arrays are compacted to ensure lengthwise and lateral abutting alignment of the brick in the arrays. The brick are subsequently transferred after compacting directly to a stacking elevator on which the stack is formed. One compacting table is utilized to produce void rows and operates to withdraw compacted arrays from the stacking location so that brick can be removed to produce the required voids. The array with void rows is then returned to the stacking station for transfer to the stacking elevator at appropriate times in the machine cycle.

Abstract: A brick handling system is disclosed for automatically unloading grids of bricks from a kiln car and for forming such bricks in a stack suitable for easy handling, storage, and shipment. A first transfer grips a plurality of grids and transfers such grids to a spreader table. The spreader table operates to insure alignment of the bricks in rows and to separate the rows by a predetermined distance. A puller slides the bricks across a transfer table onto a marshaling table which positions the rows of bricks for stacking. The system is operable to form voids in selected rows of bricks so that voids are provided in the finished stack. A storage system is provided for temporarily supporting a void layer until it is required in a subsequent stack.