Type Z elevators
Z-type elevators are very similar to regular elevators, they just have a horizontal section, a vertical section, and another horizontal section with chain and buckets. Where 3 transport systems would be needed, we can achieve the same with such an escalator. Because the transport is done by the buckets, there is no wear and tear on the transported product (unlike an auger).
There are two categories of such elevators:
Type Z elevators with fixed buckets .
Here the buckets are firmly bolted to two chains and have no independent degree of freedom. They look a lot like buckets screwed onto a fascia. They turn when the chain turns too.
Z-type elevators with free buckets (cradle type) .
Here the buckets are suspended freely on two chains and thus have an independent degree of freedom and rotate like a swing or like a pendulum. They can sag (in the position we want it to empty) while the chain continues to move horizontally. In this way we can have more than one exit in the straight line.