Vehicle with combination body, tailgate, and conveyor assembly

Abstract

A vehicle can include a chassis, a combination body pivotally secured to the chassis, a conveyor assembly disposed within the body and adapted to convey materials stored within the body out therefrom, and a tailgate attached to the body. The body includes a front end, an open rear end, and first and second side walls extending therebetween. A rear body superstructure extends around the rear end of the body to reinforce and strengthen the rear end of the body. The conveyor assembly includes a conveyor shaft assembly that allows for easy removal and installation of conveyor shafts and accompanying parts. A tailgate chute is removably mounted to the tailgate via a pair of mounting hooks and a mounting bar extending across an opening of the tailgate.

1 . A vehicle comprising:
 a chassis and   a body mounted to the chassis, the body having a front end, an open rear end in longitudinal spaced relationship to the front end, and first and second side walls in lateral spaced relationship to each other and extending longitudinally between the front end and the open rear end, the body including a rear body superstructure comprising a C-shaped structural beam extending around the rear end such that the structural beam is in overlapping relationship with the first and second side walls.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the body is pivotally mounted to the chassis by a rear hinge assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes a substantially flat floor, and the C-shaped structural beam is in overlapping relationship with the first side wall, the floor, and the second side wall. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 3 , wherein the floor of the body includes an opening and the vehicle further comprising:
 a conveyor assembly adapted to selectively convey material from the body, the conveyor assembly including an endless conveyor disposed between the side walls in the opening in the floor and extending longitudinally from the front end to the rear end of the body.   
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 4 , wherein the superstructure includes a floor support beam and a pair of upright bolsters, the floor support beam having a pair of ends and extending between the first and second sidewalls across the opening in the floor of the body that accommodates the endless conveyor, and the bolsters respectively extending upwardly from the ends of the floor support beam along a respective sidewall. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the floor support beam includes a center reinforcing section and a pair of flanking body support sections. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 6 , wherein the center reinforcing section includes a main center beam. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein each body support section includes an apron securing the main center beam to a respective bolster. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein each body support section includes a floor support bar, and each holster includes a front flange and a rear flange, the front flanges of the bolsters being respectively connected to the aprons, and the rear flanges of the bolsters being respectively connected to the body floor support bars. 
     
     
         10 - 28 . (canceled)