K!,  the  opening  at  the  bottom  of  the  box  being  controlled
by  a  weighted  valve  K2.  The  gas  escapes  from  the  producer
by  an  outlet  L.  Air  is  led  from  a  blowing  apparatus  to  the
fuel  bed  by  pipes  M  connected  to  a  stand  pipe  N.  On  this
stand  pipe  is  mounted  a  cone-shaped  air-distributing  nozzle  P,
consisting  of  a  series  of  sloping  annular  plates  P15  P2,  P3,  P4,
overlapping  each  other,  curved  vanes  Q  being  arranged  all
round  the  annular  openings  R  thus  left  between  the  plates.
The  bottom  ring  P4  is  fitted  to  a  perforated  plate  S  fixed  to
the  stand  pipe  flange  N.  The  blower  piece  P  is  surmounted
by  a  cap  or  cover  P5.  The  action  of  the  apparatus  is  as
follows  :  After  the  producer  has  been  charged  with  fuel,
the  vertical  shell  A  is  turned  slowly  round,  and  this  slow
rotating  movement,  combined  with  the  polygonal  contour
of  the  lining  A1  of  the  shell,  has  the  effect  of  twisting  the
fuel  bed  so  as  thereby  to  break  it  open,  and  thus  feed  the  fuel
down  to  the  air-distributing  nozzle  P  in  an  open  condition.
The  air  issuing  from  the  blower  piece  P  is  thus  allowed  to
distribute  itself  freely  and  uniformly  through  the  fuel.  The
curved  vanes  Q  on  the  blower  piece  P  act  as  baffles,  and
impart  a  swirling  or  circular  movement  to  the  air  as  it  issues
from  the  blower  piece,  and  thereby  prevents  the  issuing  air
from  being  too  directly  and  forcibly  blown  upon  the  lining  A1
of  the  producer,  and  also  prevents  the  formation  of  adhering
clinker,  as  well  as  the  overheating  of  the  shell  plates.
