Finishing machine

In a gyratory finishing machine which comprises a gyrating means having a plurality of finishing chambers mounted for gyratory motion in a common gyratory plane about a common center, the combination therewith of drive means for maintaining said gyratory means in gyratory motion and loading and unloading means for loading and unloading a selected finishing chamber, said loading and unloading means being independent of said drive means, whereby said loading and unloading can be effected without stopping the gyration of the finishing chambers other than said selected finishing chamber, which further comprises null-point producing means for establishing a null-point relation between the selected finishing chamber and said loading and unloading means, and which further comprises holding means for releasably holding said finishing chambers, each said holding means and the finishing chamber therein constituting a finishing unit, and in which said loading and unloading means comprises grasping means for grasping a finishing chamber for the purpose of removing it from or returning it to its said holding means, said null-point producing means being effective to bring said grasping means and a selected said finishing chamber into a null-point relation one to the other, removing and inserting means acting through said grasping means for removing or inserting a finishing chamber from or into said holding means, said grasping means and said removing and inserting means being operative when said selected finishing chamber and said grasping means are at said null-point, and carrying means for carrying said grasping means and said removing and inserting means, together with a removed selected finishing chamber, from said null-point to a remote work station and a newly charged finishing chamber back to said null-point.