A scrap shearing machine of the kind comprising an upper knife support which has an upper knife fixed to it and is vertically movable in a frame, a stationary lower knife and optionally also a vertically movable tamper, which is mounted immediately upstream of the cutting plane of the shearing machine, is provided with a bending plunger which acts on the scrap downstream of the cutting plane of the shearing machine. The bending plunger is movable in the frame in advance of the upper knife so that it comes into contact with the scrap before the upper knife comes into contact with the scrap. Preferably the bending plunger is fixed to an underface of the upper knife support and is inclined across the machine substantially parallel to the cutting edge of the upper knife.

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