Trailer box

A trailer box for receiving and discharging a load comprising a plurality of substantially whole freshly harvested tobacco leaves having an average minimum tobacco leaf dimension, the trailer box having:

• a frame longitudinally extending between a front end and a rear end;
• the frame carrying a deck extending between the front end and the rear end, the deck having an upper surface;
• a body carried by the frame having opposite side walls extending upwardly from the deck, a front end wall extending upwardly from the deck and a tailgate mounted between the side walls at an open back end of the body, the tailgate being movable between a closed position in which the tailgate closes the open back end of the body and an open position in which the back end of the body is substantially open;
• an endless conveyor adapted to travel over the upper surface of the deck on a rearward journey and below the deck on a forward journey, and
• the conveyor including two conveying loops extending between a front axle and a rear axle mounted to the frame at the front and rear ends thereof, the conveying loops being positioned substantially parallel to each other, at least one of said axles being adapted to couple with a drive unit for activating said conveying loops to move in loops respectively about said axles and a plurality of support bars having upper support bar surfaces attached transversely to said conveying loops and spaced from each other a first predetermined separation selected to be less than the average minimum tobacco leaf dimension to suspend the load, each of said conveying loops maintaining a second predetermined separation between the upper support bar surfaces and the upper surface of the deck during the rearward journey of the conveyor, the second predetermined separation being selected to minimize friction between the suspended load and the upper surface of the deck.