Conveyor boom assembly having reversing distal section

A mobile conveyor boom system, comprising:

• a vehicle;
• a rotatable mount disposed on the vehicle;
• a main boom section mounted in the rotatable mount, the main boom section having a proximal end adjacent the rotatable mount and a distal end opposite the proximal end, a main conveyor belt that transits the main boom section between the proximal end and the distal end;
• and
• a distal boom section coupled to the distal end of the main boom section by a coupler which holds the distal boom section and operates to move the distal boom section relative to the coupler and the distal end of the main boom section to a selected position that is between one of an extended position where the distal boom section extends outward relative to the distal end of the main boom section, and a retracted position in which the distal boom section is positioned under the main boom section at the distal end of the main boom section, and wherein the coupler maintains a distal conveyor belt of the distal boom section under the distal end of the main boom section so that material conveyed by the main conveyor belt falls off the distal end of the main boom section and onto the distal conveyor belt, and wherein the coupler is operable to selectively and alternatively extend and retract the distal boom section relative to the coupler and the distal end of the main boom section during operation of the main boom section, and wherein the distal conveyor belt is operable to move, alternatively, in both a forward direction and a reverse direction independent of the main conveyor belt.

A method of operating a conveyor boom assembly, comprising:

• providing a main boom section on a rotatable mount at a mounting point of the main boom section, the main boom section having a proximate end adjacent the mounting point and a distal end opposite the proximate end, the main boom section having a main conveyor belt operable to move material from the proximate end to the distal end of the main boom section;
• providing a distal boom section that is coupled to the distal end of the main boom section and held under the distal end of the main boom section such that a distal conveyor belt of the distal boom section is positioned under the distal end of the main boom section to receive material from the main conveyor belt onto the distal conveyor belt, wherein the distal conveyor belt is operable to move, alternatively, in both a forward direction and a reverse direction independent of the main conveyor belt, wherein a coupling that couples the distal boom section to the distal end of the main boom section is operable to selectively and alternatively extend and retract the distal boom section relative to the coupling under the distal end of the main boom section during operation of the main boom section while maintaining an alignment of the distal conveyor belt under the distal end of the main boom section;
• positioning the main boom section to a desired position by rotating the rotatable mount;
• positioning the distal boom section relative to the distal end of the main boom section;
• conveying material from a feed point at the main conveyor belt to the distal end of the main boom section;
• receiving, onto the distal conveyor belt, from the main conveyor belt, under the distal end of the main boom section, the material;
• and
• conveying the material on the distal conveyor belt to, selectively, a first end of the distal boom section or a second end of the distal boom section by operating the distal conveyor belt in either the forward direction or the reverse direction, respectively.