The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

GRAVITY BUCKET CONVEYORS \2~l surface of the tipping gear is slightly corrugated, so as to give the bucket a jarring motion, which shakes out any material that might otherwise adhere to the sides. Fig. 170 gives a general outline of such a conveyor when receiving coal. The illustration shows on the left the railway truck which brings the coal and takes away the ashes. The truck is preferably self-unloading, and beneath it is shown a coal- breaker which reduces the coal to a moire uniform size, and then delivers it in a regular feed to the ascending buckets of the conveyor, which deposit it in the bunkers over the boilers. The return portion of the conveyor, when not in use for carrying coal, can be used for removing the ■ashes. One of the boilers is shown in the illustration, from which it will be seen that the ashes are collected fjg. 171. Position of the Pans and Buckets on the Upper Strand, in hoppers which deliver in a similar manner to those beneath the coal-breaker, so that the ashes can be deposited into the conveyor whenever it is available for this purpose. They are then discharged just above the hopper, from which the contents can be loaded into trucks at intervals. The illustration clearly shows the driving gear, the feeding and tipping devices, as well as the arrangements for keeping the chain taut. The buckets of this con- veyor are made of stamped steel. In the continuous pan section there are no joints whatever, as the sections can be bent out of one piece, and overlap each other to prevent leakage. They depend for their alignment with each other upon the wheels and axles upon which they are supported, and for their pitch upon the Fig. 172. Position of Pans and Buckets on the Lower Strand. cables which connect them. Each bucket is provided with a small roller which is used for its discharge. It is claimed for this conveyor that it is very easy to replace any portion should this be necessary, as the clamps by which the axles are attached to the cables are fully accessible along the entire upper strand. This will be seen from Fig. 171, which shows a portion of this pan and bucket conveyor in position on the upper strand. Fig. 172 shows a portion of the same conveyor on the lower strand. Fig. 173 represents the ordinary feeding device, from which it will be observed