Over the past decade or so, bucket elevators have become smaller and more efficient, while their outputs have become greater.
It's kind of akin to the auto industry developing smaller engines that produce greater horse powers, V8 engines are now being replaced with six or four cylinder power plants equipped with turbos and/or superchargers.
In normal working conditions, elevator buckets are exposed to relentless punishment.
With this factor in mind, Tapco Inc continue to extensively tested its buckets under real-world conditions in order to ensure that they stay strong under pressure, better than any other.
Improved elevator efficiencies would not be possible without properly designed elevator buckets, since the bucket is the most critical component of the bucket elevator. The older 84-, 72- and 60-inch head pulley elevators equipped with wide spaced buckets are being replaced with 48-, 42- and 36-inch pulleys, using low profile buckets spaced on close centres.
The Tapco Inc CC style elevator bucket is a critical part of this effort to maximise output. CC stands for close centres – exactly what is needed for increased capacity. The bucket has straight sides (not tapered) as that also increases capacity. Ears on the sides of the bucket extend up above the water line, which further increases capacity.
But amazingly this CC style bucket is not new and is in fact it is more than 80 years old.
Patented in the US in 1938 and manufactured by the KI Willis Corporation, it was hailed as the best discharging bucket ever. It became so dominant that after the patent expired, three other bucket manufacturers then copied the CC bucket design.
The superior discharge is due to the four flat surfaces that form the bottom and front lip of the bucket (one flat is at an obtuse angle to the back whilst three are at acute angles).
In 1974, founder and president Paul Taylor established Tapco Inc in order to manufacture CC-style polyethylene elevator buckets. Prior to this, Paul was employed by Dura Buket, the first company in the US to manufacture plastic elevator buckets. Paul travelled extensively across the US, engaged in both sales and market research.
He resigned after four years, frustrated that he couldn't convince Dura Buket to expand its business. This experience with Dura Buket convinced Paul that the grain industry wanted a CC style bucket in plastic.
Research indicated that approximately 80-90 percent of grain and feed companies in the US bought CC metal buckets produced by four different manufacturers. Today, this CC-style bucket still dominates the North American elevator bucket market and is extensively exported throughout the world.
Output increased
In 2015 Tapco Inc introduced and patented the first improvement to the classic CC design in 75 years. It takes the close centre bucket to even closer centres by bringing the back a little lower the high ears and straight sides are maintained.
This bucket is referred to as our CC-LP (low profile) style and spaces on nominal projection minus 1°. The closer spacing results in output increases between 18 and 33 percent, depending on projection.
Please note, the CC-style bucket has been in existence for 83 years. It is the most specified style of bucket ever. Be aware that are some bucket manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, that use the CC designation in their literature, when in fact their buckets bear no resemblance to CC geometry.
Other make copies that are close but not the same and some companies will attempt to convince the industry that their smooth curved bucket will out-perform the CC style.
Tapco Inc's in-house manufacturing capabilities and dedicated injection-molding machines allow it to facilitate an expedient, cost-controlled process. These innovative systems also helps to create products that consistently provide better performance and more value for customers.
After more than eight decades of proven performance, Tapco Inc would not even consider changing geometry, eliminating the ears or tapering the sides so the buckets nest or stack like stadium cups.
Stackable buckets may save warehousing and shipping costs initially but they sacrifice carrying capacity for the entire life of the bucket. Popular sizes are in stock at Tapco Inc for immediate shipment.
