ABSTRACT
The bucket elevator is one of the few conveyors designed for the primary purpose of elevating material. Bucket elevators consist of an endless loop of chain or belt strung between two sprockets or pulleys, respectively. Attached to the belt or chain are evenly spaced buckets. Some designs of bucket elevators are more suitable for handling certain material characteristics than others. Bucket elevators are best suited for handling fine free-flowing materials. Materials that are extremely abrasive should not be conveyed in a bucket elevator. The maintenance requirements and replacement costs will be extremely high. The gravity discharge conveyor is a bucket carrier-type conveyor, which serves the dual purpose of horizontal conveyor and vertical elevator. It is predominantly used for handling coal but is also suitable for handling other materials that are not highly abrasive. It derives its name from the fact that material is discharged from the buckets by gravity.
