Abstract: An apparatus (10) is mounted on a briquetting press (12) and receives briquettes (14) in a magazine (18) which consists of two side rails (22, 24) and a smoothly polished base (28). A sensor (30) determines when the magazine (18) is full and operatively effects, through a programmable controller or microprocessor (not shown), the actuation of a motor (40) to withdraw the base (28) and discharge vertically the row of briquettes (29) from the magazine (18) onto one of a series of pallets (82, 84, 86, 88) transported transversely at a location below the surface of the magazine (18). Pallet position is sensed automatically so that briquettes (29) discharged from the magazine (18) are disposed at a preferred location on the pallet (82, 84, 86, 88). The operations of loading the magazine (18), detecting the magazine (18) as being fully loaded, and discharging the briquettes (29) from the magazine (18) onto a pallet, are coordinated with the movement with the pallets so that loading occurs automatically.