Retracting and swivelling transfer apparatus for attachment to a mobile conveyor

A transfer apparatus for use with a main conveyor that conveys particulate material from a supply discharge to a target location, in which the main conveyor includes a main duct having an inlet opening at an inlet end of the main duct to receive the particulate material into the main conveyor and a discharge opening at an opposing outlet end of the main duct to discharge the particulate material to the target location and a main conveying member operable within the main duct to carry the particulate material along the main duct from the inlet opening to the discharge opening, the transfer apparatus comprising:

• a guide track adapted to be mounted to extend in a longitudinal direction of the guide track along the main duct from a first end of the guide track in proximity to the inlet end of the main duct to an opposing second end of the guide track which is spaced along the main duct towards the outlet end of the main duct in relation to the first end of the guide track;
• a carriage frame operatively connected to the guide track so as to be movable along the guide track between a retracted stored position and a deployed position;
• a transfer conveyor including a transfer duct and a transfer conveying member received within the transfer duct;
• the transfer duct extending between an inlet opening at an inlet end of the transfer duct adapted to receive the supply discharge and a discharge opening at an outlet end opposite the inlet end;
• the transfer conveying member being operable within the transfer duct to carry the particulate material along the transfer duct from the inlet opening to the discharge opening of the transfer duct;
• the transfer duct being supported on the carriage frame so as to be movable with the carriage frame between the retracted stored position and the deployed position;
• in the deployed position, the transfer duct extending outwardly from the inlet end of the main duct and being arranged such that the discharging opening of the transfer duct discharges into the inlet opening of the main duct;
• in the retracted stored position, the carriage frame being displaced along the guide track towards the second end of the guide track relative to the deployed position such that the transfer duct extends alongside the main duct;
• the carriage frame including a swivel formed therein which supports the transfer duct for pivotal movement relative to the guide track about an upright swivel axis in the deployed position.