How to Make Your Own Bucket Elevators

Mount an electric motor at the top of the conveyor space where you want to dump the buckets. Make sure the shaft points toward the conveyor. Mount the motor on a mounting plate.

Slide a sprocket over the motor shaft. Place a single-wrap clamp on the motor shaft to keep the sprocket from sliding off. The sprocket’s teeth should point toward the conveyor area.

Mount a second sprocket at the bottom of the conveyor. Do not place this sprocket on a motor shaft. Slide it over a steel shaft that is secured to a mounted flange. Secure it with a single-wrap clamp. Make sure the teeth of the sprocket point toward the conveyor area.

Thread a chain over both sprockets. The chain links must catch in the teeth of the sprockets. Turn the sprockets by hand to make sure the teeth are engaging the links.

Cut out links with a bold cutter. Determine the links you want to remove based on the spacing you want between buckets.

Replace the removed links with U-links. These links slip into the neighboring links, but on the arms of the U they have threaded ends. They are not closed like regular oval links, remaining open on one side of the U.

Drill holes in your buckets. These holes should match the diameter of the ends of the U-links. Insert the U-link arms into the buckets and bolt them down.

Start your motor at its slowest speed and make sure the buckets lift properly, dump at the top as they go over the top sprocket, and come down and around the lower sprocket.