Reversible arrangement for transporting bulk materials

In an arrangement for transporting bulk materials, a combination comprising a support;

• transporting means mounted on said support for rotation in opposite circumferential directions about a central axis and including a bucket wheel, at least one bucket having an open end, and means for mounting said bucket on said bucket wheel for angular displacement relative thereto along a plane transverse to said central axis between two end positions in each of which said open end faces in one of said circumferential directions, and for shared movement therewith in a circular path;
• means for rotating said transporting means in a transporting mode in which the bulk material enters said bucket through said open end which faces in the circumferential direction of movement of said bucket;
• means for operating said transporting means in a reversing mode in which said bucket moves in an opposite circumferential direction than during said transporting mode;
• and means for angularly displacing said bucket during said reversing motor, including detaining means arranged at a predetermined location along said path and operative for engaging said bucket, means for detecting the position of said bucket in said path, including a part-annular cam coaxially mounted on said transporting means for shared rotation therewith and extending over an angle corresponding to that through which said transporting means is to rotate during the actuation of said detaining means, a cam follower mounted on said support for displacement toward and away from the path of movement of said cam, means for displacing said cam follower between a retracted position in which said cam follower is spaced from said path of movement of said cam, an intermediate position in which said cam follower contacts said cam, and an extended position in which said cam follower extends into said path of movement of said cam beyond the limits of the latter, and means for generating a signal when said bucket is at said location during said reversing mode, mounted on said cam follower for shared displacement therewith and generating said signal in said intermediate position of said cam follower;
• and means for actuating said detaining means into engagement with said bucket at said location in response to said signal to thereby discontinue the movement of said bucket in said path and angularly displace the same relative to said bucket wheel from one into the other end position during the continuing rotation of said bucket wheel in said opposite direction.