Conveyor equipment, especially cargo loading and unloading equipment for a vehicle

Claim 1

Conveyor apparatus comprisinsg: a generally rectangular support frame including at least two longitudinal beams extending the length of said frame, a plurality of cross beams connected between said longitudinal beams, and means for supporting said frame to permit the lower run of the conveyor to pass below the major portion of said frame; first and second parallel spaced apart axles extending transversely thereof adjacent opposite ends of said frame; axle support means for said axles mounted on said frame adjacent said opposite ends of said longitudinal beams; at least one pair of coplanar notched sheaves, one of said pair being mounted on said first axle and the other of said pair being mounted on said second axle; a conveyor cable trained over each coplanar pair of sheaves in a closed loop having upper and lower runs; said conveyor cable being provided with lugs fixed thereon at spaced intervals, said lugs being configured to engage notches on said sheaves; a plurality of floor slats, one of said floor slats being directly connected to each of at least a majority of said lugs on said conveyor cable, the lugs connected to floor slats being contiguous to one another, the point of connection of a floor slat to a lug being between the ends of the floor slat; at least a pair of rails mounted on said frame and extending longitudinally thereof between said pair of axles in position to support floor slats connected to lugs located in said upper run with said slats sliding directly on said rails; and means for driving at least one of said sheaves.