Vertical lift conveyor

A vertical lift conveyor for lifting a bulk material from a lower elevation to a higher elevation, wherein the bulk material is disposed between and engaged by first and second flexible, endless belts in a sealed manner, said vertical lift conveyor comprising:

• an intake stage for receiving and transporting the bulk material in a generally horizontal direction;
• a transition stage coupled to said intake stage for receiving and redirecting the bulk material from the generally horizontal direction to a generally vertical direction;
• a trunk stage coupled to said transition stage for receiving and lifting the bulk material to a higher elevation;
• an extension section connected to said intake stage and to one of the flexible, endless belts and adapted to receive and provide the bulk material to said intake stage, wherein said extension section is movable between an extended use position for receiving the bulk material and a retracted non-use position for storage on or in said intake stage;
• and
• a lower reservoir in said extension section for receiving the bulk material and an upper guide member for directing bulk material into said lower reservoir, wherein said lower reservoir is stored in said intake stage and said upper guide member is disposed above said intake stage when in the retracted non-use position.

A vertical lift conveyor comprising:

• first and second adjacent moving resilient endless belts each having a pair of opposed edges;
• edge engaging plates—that extend along the length of said first and second belts and are maintained in fixed position—for maintaining adjacent edges of said first and second resilient endless belts in sealed contact;
• an intake stage adapted for receiving on said first belt bulk material, wherein said bulk material is conveyed and is confined between said first and second belts in a sealed manner by said edge engaging plates;
• a drive/transition stage coupled to said intake stage for displacing said sealed belts and redirecting said belts and the bulk material disposed therebetween from horizontal motion to vertical motion;
• a trunk stage coupled to said drive/transition stage for lifting the bulk material to a higher elevation wherein said bulk material is conveyed and is confined between said first and second belts in a sealed manner by said edge engaging plates;
• and
• plural support members disposed in said trunk stage and urging said first and second belts toward one another and providing lateral support for the bulk material during its vertical transit.