Designing a small coal chute

Do you have any pictures or tips to design a coal chute to get rice coal into a small basement window? The coal would arrive in either a pickup truck or a dump trailer with a wide tailgate. I'm sure others have a better engineering mind than I do.

Thanks.
Troy

Trouble with rice coal is it needs quite a pitch to run down the chute, about 40 degrees, that's not an issue for me most of the time since I have a hi-lift. The only time it becomes an issue is when I can't get close enough to the window. In ideal circumstances I can put it in a window 7 feet off the ground.

If the truck dumps and has a small opening in the tailgate you can utilize just set the chute up so the coal is going onto the chute. Hopefully it will have a enough pitch to go down the chute. Aluminum or stainless works best, any other metal such as steel will be impossible to work with unless it's corrosion free (i.e brand new) or have a very steep pitch. If the window is very narrow that will exacerbate the problem since you will need a chute with a very narrow end which slows the coal down even further.

If you don't have acess to something like that a slick hard plastic can be used. If the truck doesn't dump and/or you can't get enough pitch the only alternative is to make it so it has enogh pitch and shovel it onto the chute.

This is why I get paid to do what I do.

Thanks for the reply. If I was within your delivery area I would be delighted to have you come bring me some coal.
I appeciate your experience as far as making a chute. It's helpful to know about the aluminum and the necessary angle. My basement window is at ground level and is 20 inches wide by 12 inches tall. The location of the window is such that a vehicle must drive up next to the window rather than backing up to it.

It looks like my main issues will be that the tailgate of the dump trailer does not have a small opening. It is 6 feet wide and opens the whole width. That means at least an 8 foot chute, which means a 40degree angle would put the end of the chute at least 6 feet off the ground. That's too high. I may have to just 'help' the coal down the chute with a shovel. Sounds like some work ahead of me for 4 tons. I do have aluminum coil stock to line a chute with.
If I could figure a way to have the trailer tailgate such that the coal would come out just the left 12 inches of the tailgate, then I could significantly shorten the chute and increase the angle.
Any ideas for modifying the (metal) tailgate to do that?

Troy

I'm sure you could rig something up to funnel it, maybe with wood? Snyhow in the end it may just be as easy to push it down the chute. Maybe even dump it on the ground next to the window and shovel it in.

Well, I have a plan. I'm going to line the bed of the dump trailer with plastic. I will place a five foot long 6 inch diameter plastic drain pipe against the tailgate near the right side, under the plastic. This will leaving about one foot open on the left side. I will load the coal over the plastic and the drain pipe. When I go to dump the coal, I will open the tailgate at the bottom about one inch or so. Then I will cut the plastic open about one foot. Hopefully the drain pipe will keep the plastic from ripping further.

I am making a chute from 2x10 boards on the sides, 8 feet long. I will line the bottom with aluminum. Hopefully this will allow the coal to slide down into my basement smoothly.

I am planning to drive the 250 miles to eastern PA on Wednesday. I'll find out one day if all this work is going to be worth it.

Thanks again for your help.

Troy