Access stairway for material transfer vehicle

1. A material transfer vehicle comprising:

(a) a frame having a frame longitudinal axis;

(b) an operator's platform that is mounted on the frame;

(c) a conveyor:

(i) having an upper side and a conveyor longitudinal axis;

(ii) which is mounted on the frame;

(iii) which is located adjacent to and below the operator's platform;

(iv) which is adapted to be moved between a working position in which the conveyor longitudinal axis forms a working angle with the frame longitudinal axis and a travel position in which the conveyor longitudinal axis forms a travel angle with the frame longitudinal axis;

(d) an access stairway to the operator's station comprising:

(i) a side stair portion; and

(ii) a conveyor step that is mounted on the upper side of the conveyor, said conveyor step being mounted so as to be generally horizontal when the conveyor is in its working position.

2. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the conveyor step is mounted on the upper side of the conveyor so as to pivot away from a horizontal orientation when the conveyor is in its travel position.

3. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

(a) the material transfer vehicle has an outer periphery;

(b) the access stairway is located entirely within the outer periphery of the material transfer vehicle.

4. The material transfer vehicle of claim 1 wherein the access stairway comprises:

(a) a right side stair portion having a plurality of fixed stair steps;

(b) a left side stair portion having a plurality of fixed stair steps;

(c) a plurality of conveyor steps that are each mounted on the upper side of the conveyor.

5. The material transfer vehicle of claim 4 wherein the left side stair portion is essentially identical to, although a mirror image of, the right side stair portion.

6. The material transfer vehicle of claim 4 wherein:

(a) the upper side of the conveyor includes a top panel;

(b) the plurality of conveyor steps on the upper side of the conveyor are each mounted across the top panel so as to be generally horizontal when the conveyor is in its working position, and to pivot away from a horizontal orientation when the conveyor is moved to its travel position.

7. A material transfer vehicle having an outer periphery and further comprising:

(a) a frame;

(b) an operator's platform that is mounted on the frame;

(c) a truck-receiving hopper for receiving asphalt paving material from a supply truck;

(d) a truck-unloading conveyor:

(i) having an upper side;

(ii) which is operatively attached to the truck-receiving hopper;

(iii) which is adapted to convey asphalt paving material from the truck-receiving hopper;

(iv) which is movable between a working position and a travel position;

(e) an access stairway to the operator's station comprising:

(i) a right side stair portion having a plurality of fixed stair steps that provide access to the upper side of the truck-unloading conveyor;

(ii) a left side stair portion having a plurality of fixed stair steps that provide access to the upper side of the truck-unloading conveyor;

(iii) a plurality of conveyor steps that are each mounted across the upper side of the truck-unloading conveyor.

8. The material transfer vehicle of claim 7 wherein the access stairway is located entirely within the outer periphery of the material transfer vehicle.

9. The material transfer vehicle of claim 7 wherein the left side stair portion is essentially identical to, although a mirror image of, the right side stair portion.

10. The material transfer vehicle of claim 7 wherein the plurality of conveyor steps that are mounted across the upper side of the conveyor are each mounted so as to be generally horizontal when the conveyor is in its working position, and to pivot away from a horizontal orientation as the conveyor is moved to its travel position.