Patent ID: 7708556

Claim:
A bulk material cooler having a cooling grate which carries material to be cooled, and which conveys the material to be cooled in a conveying direction from a material charging end to a material discharging end while a flow of cooling gas flows through the material to be cooled, comprising: a) the cooling grate, viewed over a length and over a width of the cooler, is assembled from multiple cooling grate modules arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows, the modules in each row arranged in series in the conveying direction of the material to be cooled, being coupled to one another; b) the coupling of the cooling grate module in each longitudinal row of cooling grate modules is in each case achieved by an articulated joint; c) at least some of the cooling grate modules are supported by support rollers on guides; d) adjacent longitudinal rows of cooling grate modules are controlled for reciprocating movement such that all of the longitudinal rows move forwards together in a forward stroke in the conveying direction of the material to be cooled and are returned in at least two successive stages by means of a return stroke movement of fewer than all of the longitudinal rows at one time, so that the material to be cooled is progressively conveyed over the cooling grate according to the walking floor principle.