Dear Shri Banerjee,

“Bucket wheel on bridge” reclaimer and barrel reclaimer can have arrangement to reclaim during forward travel and also during backward travel.

If reclaiming wheel / drum is rotating clockwise during forward travel, then the same will rotate anticlockwise during backward travel. In such arrangement buckets are pivoted at mid height and there are latching bolt-nuts at top and bottom of buckets. When bucket is latched at top it becomes suitable for say clockwise rotation; then while the bucket is latched at bottom it will become suitable for anticlockwise rotation.

Clockwise and anticlockwise implies only opposite direction and it can become vice-versa depending upon from which end one looking.

Thus, as explained above, the bucket wheel on bridge reclaimer and barrel reclaimer are suitable for reclaiming during forward travel as well as backward travel. The equipment manufacturer can add more information on the subject.

Prior to changing the direction of reclaiming, one has to only re-latch the bolt-nuts holding buckets. Needless to say, the harrow are already provided on both the sides.

Regards,

Ishwar G Mulani.

Author of Book : Engineering Science and Application Design for Belt Conveyors.

Author of Book : Belt Feeder Design and Hopper Bin Silo

Advisor / Consultant for Bulk Material Handling System & Issues.

Pune, India.

Tel.: 0091 (0)20 25871916

Email: parimul@pn2.vsnl.net.in ■

It is obvious from the original post that Mr B knows about the manual realignment of buckets. What he asked was the modus operandi of an automatic reversal system.

Needless to say...what is required is an over centre spring to maintain the alignment of the bucket during the empty descent stage. The changed rotation of the barrel will automatically orientate the buckets for the digging operation.■

Originally Posted by louispanjang

..what is required is an over centre spring to maintain the alignment of the bucket during the empty descent stage.

I don't know much about barrel reclaimers, but was watching some video of a bucket wheel reclaimer that ran on a radial arm. This needed to be bi-directional, but as far as I could see the buckets were just symmetrical and supported on a simple pivot ■

Yeh; some do do dat do dont dee? (Liverpool have just walloped Chelsea).

An over centre spring snaps over...the central pivot and holds the bucket back against the seating so that it doesn't flip down under its own weight and have to be pushed into place by the pile face each time they are introduced. It is optional.

There would be more chance of Liverpool going down than there would be of selling me a barrel reclaimer though.■