Conveyor system

A conveyor system for use on a pair of chassis rails provided by a vehicle or trailer, the system including:

• a plurality of elongate rib elements coupled in a spaced transverse configuration atop the pair of chassis rails, each of the rib elements defining an elongate through opening;
• a planar support element coupled atop the rib elements, for providing a surface that supports a portion of a conveyor belt assembly under load applied by cargo;
• a pair of opposed longitudinal sidewalls coupled atop the planar support element;
• the conveyor belt assembly including a conveyor belt element, a plurality of transverse belt support elements coupled across a plurality substantively parallel lengths of conveyor chains, and operatively associated with the conveyor belt element;
• whereby the planar support element is sized to enable a path for the conveyor belt assembly being drawn along the planar support element and returned through the through opening defined in each rib element, thereby providing a return path of a conveyor belt assembly when formed in continuous loop configuration;
• and
• a pair of transverse axles operating about each end of the conveyor assembly, when in the continuous loop configuration, each axle having a gear for engaging a respective chain, wherein a first axle is coupled to a motor for moving the conveyor belt assembly.