Abstract: An improved manufacturing procedure for making slices or layers used to form shipping packs of concrete brick or block like articles. Such slices or layers, a plurality of which are used to form a shipping pack of bricks, are prepared according to the present invention by forming individual articles in a particular way on forming boards prior to curing. By making this specific arrangement of articles on the forming board prior to curing which arrangement corresponds to the form and number of lateral and longitudinal rows as are desired to ultimately appear in each slice of a shipping pack shipping packs are quickly and easily formed. After curing, it is only necessary to compact and, when necessary, strap the layer in its compacted condition. Thereafter, each layer or slice can be used directly to form a shipping pack without further handling or regrouping of individual brick or block like articles in each layer.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for individually and independently controlling the distribution of powdered solid fuel to each of a plurality of individual burners. A plurality of fuel outlet ports respectively and individually corresponding to individual ones of the plural burners are aligned with and spaced from a respectively corresponding plurality of air outlet ports. The air oulet ports are individually and controllably supplied with pressurized air while a supply of powdered solid fuel is fed into the spaces between the fuel outlet ports and the air outlet ports. In the preferred embodiment, a baffle is disposed between each pair of respectively corresponding fuel outlet and air outlet ports.