System for reclaiming bulk solids from a storage pile

A system for reclaiming bulk solids from a large bulk-solids storage pile standing on the ground, said system comprising:

• a row of A-frame arches extending underneath said pile and each having a pair of legs having feet standing on the ground and a horizontal cross member spanning the respective legs;
• a guide supported on said arches and extending longitudinally along said row of arches;
• an elongated downwardly concave roof supported on said row of arches and having horizontally spaced lower edges spaced above the ground;
• a pair of longitudinally extending generally parallel tables supported on said cross members of said arches below said lower edges of said roof and below said guide and each having an outer edge turned away from the other table and an inner edge defining with the inner edge of the other table a horizontally extending slot, whereby said bulk solids can flow under said lower edges onto said tables;
• a carriage displaceable longitudinally along said guides above said slot and under said roof;
• an impeller on said carriage displaceable across said tables and along said slot and having arms extending horizontally outwardly beyond said roof below said lower edges thereof;
• means for driving said impeller and sweeping material on said tables into said slot with said arms;
• a longitudinally extending conveyor hung from said cross members underneath and generally parallel to said slot above said feet;
• means for operating said conveyor and thereby longitudinally carrying away bulk solids swept by said arms of said impeller into said slot and falling onto said conveyor;
• and
• respective sidewalls flanking said conveyor and supported on said arches, said sidewalls each having an upper edge joined to the respective table and a lower edge spaced above the ground.