Reduced iron production method and device

A device for producing reduced iron by heating a plurality of spherical raw materials capable of forming reduced iron, each of which contains carbonaceous reducing agent and iron oxide, the device comprising:

• a reduction-melting furnace having a hearth travelable in a specific direction, a ceiling located over the hearth, and a hearth covering material made of powder spread on the hearth, the reduction-melting furnace being capable of producing reduced iron by successively heating the raw materials that are set on the hearth covering material with travel of the hearth;
• a raw material charging unit capable of charging the plurality of raw materials successively into the reduction-melting furnace to set the raw materials on the hearth covering material;
• and
• a discharging unit capable of discharging the reduced iron produced in the reduction-melting furnace, wherein
• the raw material charging unit capable of releasing the raw materials downward from a lower surface of the ceiling and lets the raw materials fall onto the hearth covering material while giving a horizontal velocity to each of the raw materials, the horizontal velocity having a horizontal direction that is equal to the direction of the travel of the hearth and being greater than a speed of the travel of the hearth, to thereby bring the raw materials into rolling action in a direction of the horizontal velocity on the hearth covering material.