PURPOSE: To prevent a chain from dropping off and facilitate recovery work, by providing stoppers on the appropriate parts of the ascending and descending sides of a bucket elevator so that the stoppers are engaged with the chain and stop it when the chain is cut off.

CONSTITUTION: The ascending side of a chain belt 4 engaged with an upper and a lower sprockets can be engaged with stoppers 10. The descending side of the chain belt 4 can be engaged with other stoppers 11. The stopper 10 compromises a cam 10A, a cam stopper 12 and a limit switch 13. When the chain 4 is cut off, the stopper 10 halts the chain and the limit switch 13 acts to operate a cam 14 for the descending side of the chain to surely stop the chain and keep it from falling down to the bottom of a casing. Therefore, recovery work after the cutoff of the chain 4 is facilitated.