Elevator-conveyor for bulk material

Claim 1

In an elevator-conveyor for conveying bulk material over a predetermined path, at least a portion of which path is in a vertical or near vertical direction and comprising a pair of juxtaposed belts between which the bulk material is to be located and air pressure means adapted to act directly on one or both of the outer belt surfaces when the belts are in the vertical or near vertical direction so that the belts are pressed towards one another and against the interposed bulk material so as to enclose the same and so that the juxtaposed longitudinal edge portions of the belts are pressed against each other, the improvement wherein a terminal portion of the elevator-conveyor designed to be located in the vertical or near vertical direction comprising a pair of spaced apart lower drums at the lower end of the conveyor and over which the juxtaposed belts pass, and an upper drum engaged with one of the belts, the relative position of the drums causing the belts to form oppositely facing substantially straight terminal portions of said belts which are disposed at an acute angle with respect to each other and define therebetween a substantially wedge shaped feed zone, said angle not being greater than that which allows entrainment of the material therein, said zone opening outwardly from a position where the belts are substantially in contact towards a feed end of the conveyor where the belts define a maximum thickness of the feed zone, said straight terminal portions having lengths substantially greater than the maximum thickness of said feed zone, and a feed mechanism for gathering and projecting said bulk material into said feed zone.