Deep-pan Bucket Conveyor

Construction of Bucket Elevators 

Bucket elevators are suitable for conveying materials of specific particle size and bulk density, as well as powdered materials, in industries such as metallurgy, mining, construction, chemical engineering, food processing, and grain handling. The bucket elevator consists of buckets, a drive unit, top and bottom drums (or sprockets), a belt (or traction chain), a tensioning device, and a housing.

Traction Components

(1) Rubber Belt:

Secured to the belt mouth with screws and elastic washers. The belt is 35–40 mm wider than the buckets. Standard belts convey materials at temperatures not exceeding 60°C, while heat-resistant belts can handle materials up to 150°C.

(2) Chains:

Single chains are fixed to the rear wall of the buckets; double chains connect to both sides of the buckets. Chain elevators use single chains for bucket widths of 160–250 mm and double chains for 320–630 mm. The main drawback is significant wear between chain links, increasing maintenance frequency.

(3) Sprockets:

Drive sprockets on bucket elevators. These solid or spoked gears mesh with the pitch-accurate blocks on the chain links or cables, transmitting motion through engagement with roller chains.

Sprocket tooth design: The sprocket tooth profile must ensure smooth entry and exit of chain links into and out of meshing, minimize impact and contact stress during engagement, and facilitate machining. Sprocket material must provide sufficient strength and wear resistance, so sprocket tooth surfaces are typically heat-treated to achieve a specific hardness.

Buckets

(1) Cylindrical buckets:

Deep buckets with inclined openings and significant depth, used for conveying dry, free-flowing granular materials that discharge readily.

(2) Shallow buckets:

Buckets with inclined openings and minimal depth, used for moist and free-flowing granular materials.

(3) Deep buckets:

Deep buckets are generally used for dry materials with good flowability.

(4) Triangular Hopper:

Typically designed for oriented gravity discharge.

(5) Sharp-Angled Hopper:

Side walls extend beyond the base plate to form a retaining edge. During discharge, material flows along the channel formed by the hopper's retaining edge and base plate. Suitable for transporting viscous and heavy lumpy materials.

Advantages 

Bucket elevators are vertical material handling conveyors characterized by simple structure, low maintenance costs, high conveying efficiency, substantial lifting capacity, stable operation, and broad applicability ].

(1) Low drive power consumption: Featuring gravity-fed loading, gravity-assisted unloading, and densely arranged large-capacity buckets, these elevators exhibit minimal backflow and digging during material transport, resulting in reduced power loss.

(2) Wide material compatibility: This elevator imposes minimal restrictions on material type and properties. It handles not only common powdery and granular materials but also highly abrasive substances. Excellent sealing minimizes environmental contamination.

(3) High operational reliability: Advanced design principles and manufacturing methods ensure robust performance, with mean time between failures exceeding 20,000 hours. Smooth operation enables significant lifting heights.

(4) Extended service life: The elevator employs a gravity-fed loading system, eliminating the need for bucket scooping. Minimal material compression or collision occurs during handling. The design minimizes material spillage during loading and unloading, reducing mechanical wear.

Working Principle

Buckets scoop material from the lower storage area, lifting it along the conveyor belt or chain to the top. After passing over the top pulley, the buckets invert and discharge the material into the receiving hopper. Belt-driven bucket elevators typically use rubber belts mounted on drive pulleys at the top or bottom and deflection pulleys at the upper and lower ends. Chain-driven bucket elevators usually feature two parallel drive chains, with a pair of drive sprockets at the top or bottom and a pair of idler sprockets at the bottom or top. Bucket elevators are generally enclosed in a housing to prevent dust dispersion. They are suitable for elevating materials from lower to higher elevations. After materials are fed into the buckets via a vibrating table, the machine automatically operates continuously to transport them upward.

Installation Requirements

1. The bucket elevator must be securely mounted on a solid concrete foundation. The concrete foundation surface shall be level and horizontal to ensure the bucket elevator meets vertical alignment requirements after installation.

For taller bucket elevators, appropriate sections of the middle and upper casings shall be braced to adjacent structures (such as silos, workshops, etc.) to enhance stability. During installation, first mount the lower section and secure the anchor bolts. Then install the middle casing, followed by the upper casing. After casing installation, verify vertical alignment. Measure verticality throughout the entire height using a plumb line; deviation must be less than 10mm. Upper and lower shafts must be parallel, with their centerlines lying in the same plane.

For bucket elevators with lower heights, the upper, middle, and lower casings can be fully connected and adjusted at ground level before being hoisted as a single unit and secured vertically on the concrete foundation.

2. After casing installation, mount the chain and buckets. The U-bolts used to connect buckets serve both as chain joints and bucket fasteners. Ensure the nuts on U-bolts are securely tightened and reliably anti-loosening.

3. After installing the chain and buckets, apply appropriate tension.

4. Add the appropriate amount of oil and grease to the reducer and bearing housings respectively. Lubricate the reducer with industrial gear oil. Calcium-based or sodium-based grease is suitable for the bearing housings.

5. Conduct a trial run. After installation, perform an empty trial run immediately. During idle operation, ensure: no reverse rotation occurs and no impact or collision happens. Idle operation must last no less than 2 hours without overheating. Bearing temperature rise should not exceed 25°C, and reducer temperature rise should not exceed 30°C. After 2 hours of idle operation with all systems functioning normally, proceed to load testing. During load testing, feed material evenly to prevent excessive feeding, which could cause blockage in the lower section and result in stalling.

Bucket Elevator Style Images From Factory

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