PURPOSE: To provide a bucket conveyer with a sorting function which can laterally discharge the content of a bucket by fixing the bucket to a circulating transport apparatus in such a manner that the side thereof can be engaged and disengaged to incline laterally, and releasing the engagement of the bucket at a fixed position to incline the bucket laterally.

CONSTITUTION: A bucket 30 is moved in the arrow direction in engagement with a chain 18. When a limit switch 17 is opened and closed by a cam 16 rotating with a shaft 14, a micro-computer not shown is operated to generate a start signal when the center line of the bucket 30 is aligned with the center line of a lever 43 of an engaging lever 40. The interval of generating a start signal is made equal to the one-pitch transfer time of the bucket 30, so that the lever 43 is operated for an assigned bucket 30 to release the engagement of the bucket 30. Thus, the bucket is turned laterally to discharge the contents thereof to the side of a transport path. This arrangement enables a bucket conveyer having a sorting function, which can discharge the contents of a bucket laterally.