Patent ID: 8616365

Claim:
A reciprocating slat conveyor for use in a load-holding compartment, said reciprocating slat conveyor comprising: (a) a plurality of laterally and substantially parallel longitudinal trough-like subdecks made of a first material, said subdecks in a spaced relationship so as to form a longitudinal space between adjacent subdecks; (b) a plurality of longitudinal slats adjacent to and parallel to each other, said slats made of a second material dissimilar to said first material, each slat having a slat top surface, a slat bottom surface, a slat first longitudinal side edge, a slat second longitudinal side edge, and a longitudinal middle span corresponding to longitudinal spaces between adjacent subdecks, said longitudinal middle span being unsupported by said subdecks, said longitudinal middle span being more than 30% of the width of said slat; (c) each slat centrally located within said load-holding compartment in a sliding relationship with a pair of adjacent subdecks and covering the longitudinal space between said pair of adjacent subdecks, said pair of adjacent subdecks conducting the movement of said slat; and (d) each subdeck centrally located within said load-holding compartment longitudinally supporting two adjacent slats at or near a slat longitudinal side edge.