Kewaunee 500 elevator chain tension

wagsw900 · Jan 1, 2019

Purchased a 35 foot elevator for pilling firewood. The chain has broke twice now, and wondering what the proper way to tension the detachable chain. Sometimes as it's going around one side of the chain will fall down where the slats go. I tensioned it up more and it is running true on both ends. I know you pick up the chain where it lays in the bed up about 8 inches in the center. So what is the proper procedure? Thanks.

JD Seller · Jan 1, 2019

That eight inches in the middle sounds about correct.

You need to look and see if bark/small wood chips are back feeding down to the bottom of the elevator. If they are then they can knock the chain off the drive sprockets. Look on the bottom about 1/3 of the way up and see if there is a removable panel that might have a slotted section above it. If that solid panel is on then take it off and the majority of stuff will fall out and not return. If there is not a removable panel you may have to put one in. The chips and bark need to fall out. The chips and bark will eventually break the chain it they can not get out of the bottom boot.

Bob · Jan 1, 2019

(quoted from post at 11:12:24 01/01/19) Purchased a 35 foot elevator for pilling firewood. The chain has broke twice now, and wondering what the proper way to tension the detachable chain. Sometimes as it's going around one side of the chain will fall down where the slats go. I tensioned it up more and it is running true on both ends. I know you pick up the chain where it lays in the bed up about 8 inches in the center. So what is the proper procedure? Thanks.

Trouble is that most of these "farm elevators" are not "head drive"
and the whole length of the chain gets pulled on and stretched by the drive at the bottom.

Any looseness at all shows up at the top of the drive sprocket, and the "sag" will try to go around with the sprocket, which will likely break the chain.

wagsw900 · Jan 1, 2019

Thanks for the replies, make sense about the theory of driving on the bottom. Also found an access plate on the bottom that I'll take out so debris can fall out.

Leroy · Jan 3, 2019

That access plate is for when running ear corn every once in a while an ear will follow the chain around and come back down. It is to be removed to let that ear fall out. They are only used on small grain like shelled corn, wheat or beans so the kernals that do go around will get taken back up un nrxt trip of the chain. All elevators should have it. And for ear corn there is supposed to be a rod type of plate in top section to let the shelled kernal drop through instead of going in the crib and that rod type of plate will be a few feet higher up the elevatot so the shelled corn that drops through it will be dumped out the bottom hole to be picked up and used later.

Kewaunee 500 elevator chain tension

wagsw900

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JD Seller

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Bob

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wagsw900

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Leroy

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