Apparatus for cooling hot material

In apparatus for cooling hot material discharged from a kiln or the like to a cooler grate via an inlet, the improvement comprising a transfer stage interposed between said kiln and said grate and occupying said inlet and over which said material moves along a path from said kiln to said grate, said transfer stage comprising a group of individual carrier elements connected to one another and extending transversely across the length and breadth of said inlet, a common frame supporting all of said carrier elements, each of said elements having air holes through at least one wall thereof extending along said path, said group of elements being downwardly inclined between about 10.degree. and 20.degree. to the horizontal in the direction of movement of said material, and means for adjusting said frame to a position in which the inclination of said carrier elements enables said transfer stage to support thereon a layer of said material at its angle of repose, thereby enabling said layer of material to provide a protective covering for said carrier elements and enabling additional material discharged onto said layer to move along said path, said air holes being aligned to direct air in the direction of material movement along said material transfer stage.