Abstract: A fluid-bed furnace has at least one combustion chamber, preferably two side-by-side, housing a bed of incombustible particulate material to be fluidized when burning fuel fed thereto. Bed fluidization is by forced release in the incombustible material of combustion promoting gas, normally air, from a plenum chamber arrangement externally of the bed proper at a side or end thereof to save overall height.

Abstract: A fluid-bed furnace has one or more combustion chambers containing a fluidizable bed 10 of particulate material. At least adjacent pairs of combustion chambers are shown to share a common exhaust gas outlet system 30. For the or each combustion chamber there is an in-bed removable chamber 35 for housing a bed preheating burner 36 and supplying fluidizing combustion promoting gas via transverse feed pipes 38, usually equipped with upstanding outlet heads. Bed material support is by a V- or U-section trough 32 also at least partially accommodating the chamber 35 and a material extraction feed 34.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing or reclaiming material from a stockpile or other mass of material, comprising an elongate bladed member drivable to rotate about an axis longitudinal thereof, a frame carrying said bladed member and drivable to move the bladed member bodily sideways into the material to be removed or reclaimed and thereby transfer such material across the bladed member to a position rearwardly thereof.