NOVELTY - A solid-bed gasifier (1) comprising (a) a reaction chamber (2) for a charge (21) of solid fuel plus the resulting coke and ash, (b) a fuel charging system (14) at the top of the chamber (2), (c) a downward ash take-off (26), (d) a heating chamber (3) with a heater (29) for producing radiant heat, connected to the reaction chamber (2) via a heating window and (e) a gas take-off system (37) for removing any gaseous reaction products.    USE - For the pyrolysis of solid fuel, e.g. biomass, sewage and carbonaceous residues such as plastics, garbage, waste paper and the like, for the purpose of gas production.    ADVANTAGE - An improved solid-bed gasifier in which the dwell time of the fuel material in the pyrolysis zone is only a few minutes while the dwell time of the pyrolysis coke in the coke layer may be several hours, enabling the production of low-dust gas with a high energy content and a low tar content (tar is eliminated by passing the pyrolysis gas out through the heating chamber). The process can be reliably automated.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a method for the gasification of solid fuel in a bed (21), (a) on which the solid fuel is added at the top and is moved downwards, (b) a thin layer of fuel (43) covers the bed (21) while steam, air or a steam/air mixture flows upwards through the bed, (c) the fuel layer (43) undergoes allothermic pyrolysis by separate heating using burners (31) and/or radiant tube heaters (30) and (d) the resulting pyrolysis gases are taken off through a heating chamber (3) which is at a temperature above that in the reaction chamber (2).    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - Vertical section of solid-bed gasifier (1) with radiant tube heating.    reaction chamber (2)    heating chamber (3)    heating window (4)    slider housing with screens (5; 6, 7)    lining (8)    mantle (9)    interspace with auxiliary heater (10; 11)    fill level sensor (12)    temperature sensor (13)    fuel filler with lock (14; 15)    stirrer with shaft, drive and arms (16; 17, 18, 19, 20, 22-25)    fuel bed (21)    ash take-off with lock and duct (26; 27, 28)    heater with radiant tube (29; 30)    recuperator burner (31)    fuel addition line (32)    air inlet line (33)    recuperator (34)    off-gas channel (35)    temperature sensor (36)    gas take-off (37)    catalyst (39)    gas cooler (40)    evaporator (41)    opening (42)    fuel layer (43)    pyrolysis coke layer (44)    ash layer. (45)