Abstract: A claw crane well suited for loading and unloading, transporting and stacking steel products such as blooms, includes a mast suspended from the crane proper to be moved vertically, a beam tiltably attached to the lower end of the mast, and a plurality of load carrying claw shifters and load unloading pusher means which are movably arranged on the beam.

Abstract: A steel ingot having a still-liquid portion therein is charged into a soaking pit; then, said ingot is heated by injecting a fuel from a combustion unit of said soaking pit into said soaking pit with a constant and minimum fuel flow rate capable of holding a pit temperature higher by from 10 to 100.degree. C than the cold point temperature of said ingot at the completion of solidification of said still-liquid portion in said ingot, until said still-liquid portion in said ingot is completely solidified; and then, upon the completion of said solidification, the surface portions of said ingot are further heated up to above a prescribed temperature permitting rolling thereof by injecting a fuel from said combustion unit into said soaking pit with a constant fuel flow rate of at least 60% of the maximum fuel flow rate of said combustion unit, thereby reducing the fuel consumption in said soaking pit.