Abstract: A tipping mechanism for buckets carried by a conveyor or elevator. Each bucket 28 is attached to a chain 26 by a swing link 29 and each bucket carries a sector shape cam 30. As the buckets are carried around a sprocket 27 the cam 30 contacts a peg 31, so as to cause the bucket to progressively tip and empty. The movement of the buckets back to their horizontal position is fully controlled and is smooth by virtue of the contact between a French curve on the cam 30 and a cam surface 35 of substantially wedge shape located above or below the conveyor or elevator chain.

Abstract: A conveyor system comprising a series of buckets supported by a chain along a predetermined endless path having straight portions and at least one internal curve. An individual pivoting arm supports a respective bucket on the chain. Each pivoting arm is pivotally attached to the entrainment means at a first end in fixed orientation to the chain, and pivotally supports the bucket at the opposite, second end. A chain guide engages the chain in advance of an internal curve in the path to cause the second end of the pivoting arm to which the bucket is attached to pivot outwardly and the buckets in turn to follow a diverging curved path of greater radius than the radius of the curve in the path being transited and thereby space the buckets further apart prior to negotiating the internal curve in the path than when the buckets are proceeding along a straight portion of the path.

Abstract: A bucket conveyor comprising a plurality of buckets, a chain on which the buckets are mounted in series, a chain track on which the chain is mounted for movement thereon, a drive for moving the chain whereby the buckets are moved along a circuitous conveyor path between one bucket filling station and one bucket emptying station, and a device for moving the buckets around the axis of movement of the chain as required for the buckets to negotiate curves and turns in the conveyor path as the buckets move along the conveyor path on the chain.