One can single out 4 stages in the history of refining practices for charging blast furnaces. At stage 1, that is from 17th to 19th centuries , the blast furnaces used to be charged with the help of baskets, which is called as a spot charging pattern. Stock was distributed unevenly, as it was difficult to control the process. At the next stage a charging apparatus “funnel to bell” came into being in 1850, invented by Parry ( Britain). That device realized the circular method of stock charging. In comparison with the spot charging, this method had improved tangibly the quality ( uniformity) of the circular distribution of burden in the furnace top. The practice of circular charging with the help of bell apparatuses is still being upgraded, up till now. The modern apparatuses of this design would be equipped with rotating distributors of burden , third bells, moving armoured plates and other devices. Stage number three in the development of the burden charging process is characterized by the appearance of bell-less charging units (BLT). This device realizes a flow-like (single flow) charging of stock into the blast furnace. The advantage of this method is that the possibilities for radial stacking of material are significantly wider. Besides, the absence of bells made it possible to create more dependable apparatuses for furnaces of a bigger volume and increase the pressure of gas in the furnace top. The first patents on BLT were granted in the USSR in 1959. However, in reality the bulk contribution into refining had been made by Paul Wurth Co., who exerted a stimulating influence upon the universal popularity of BLTs in the world. Other apparatuses that would practice a single flow charging pattern are “Gimbal Top” by Siemens VAI and “No-Bell Top” by Zimmerman & Jansen. It should be noted that the last two are under way to the industrial adaptation. Nowadays a rotary method of burden charging has been put into practice on 6 blast furnaces. Initially, this practice of charging was implemented in the bell-type charging apparatuses at the West Siberia Integrated Steel Plant and Bhilali Steel Plant in India . Now there are two bell-less rotary charging units (TOTEM TOP), installed by TOTEM Co. Ltd. A multi-flow pattern of charging has been put into practice. As it happens, each flow of material is wide and thin at the same time. This method ensures a high uniformity of stock distribution, its averaging in the course of ongoing charging process, soft stacking of burden and flexible radial distribution of burden along the top radius. These features of the rotary method of charging made it possible to enhance the productivity of blast furnaces by 4 –7％ and reduce the summary fuel rate in iron making by 5-6％. The outlook for further improvements in the application of this burden charging method is discussed in the presented paper.