Device for the processing of pourable bulk material

A device for chemically and electro-chemical processing, especially electroplating, of pourable bulk material, comprising a tank adapted to contain a chemical solution;

• means removably supported on said tank spaced from the inner surface thereof for forming a trough to receive the material to be processed, said trough forming means comprising a pair of transversely spaced side plate means, a pair of reversing rollers turnably mounted in said side plate means with one of said reversing rollers at a lower elevation and the other at a higher elevation, an endless perforated belt extending about said reversing rollers and having an upper and a lower run, said side plate means being constructed to guide said upper run of said belt along a path having a first branch descending from said reversing roller mounted at said lower elevation of said side plate means at a small angle to the horizontal to a deepest point of said trough and a second branch rising from the deepest point in nearly vertical direction to the reversing roller at the higher elevation, and a tension roller engaging the lower run of said belt;
• means connected to said side plate means for removably supporting said trough forming means on said tank and for connecting lifting means to said trough forming means so that the latter may be lifted out of said tank;
• and reversible drive means operatively connected to one of said rollers to drive said belt in one or the other direction so that during processing the material said upper run may be driven in a direction moving from the lower reversing roller towards the upper reversing roller, whereby said second nearly vertical branch of said upper belt will retain the material in the trough while when the trough forming means is lifted out of said tank, said drive means may be reversed so that the material will be discharged from the trough over said first branch of said upper run and the lower reversing roller.