Abstract: A scrap shearing machine of the type comprising shears, a feed trough for feeding scrap material to the shears, a lateral plunger disposed at one side of the trough for compacting scrap material in the trough in a direction across the trough to produce a column of scrap material in the trough and a pressing lid which is pivotally mounted at one side of the trough and has a drive by which it is movable downwards to compact scrap material downwards in the trough and is also movable upwards into an open position, has its pressing lid provided with one or more electromagnets. The electromagnets, when energized, are operative to grip the column of scrap in the trough and, when the lid is opened, to raise the column from the trough and turn the column as the lid is moved to its open position. In operation, after the column of scrap has been lifted in this way, the magnets are de-energized so that the column falls back into the trough in its turned position.