A belt conveyor system (10) having a continuous, looping carrier belt (28) entrained around a belt plate (20) which is supported by a frame (12). The belt plate (20) is secured to the frame (12) by securement pins (26a) and pivot pins (26b). The carrier belt (28) is driven externally rather than internally and is tensioned with minimal obstruction to removing the belt (28), which thereby facilitates disassembly of the system (10), particularly frequent removal, cleaning, and replacement of the belt (28) as may be necessary or desirable in, for example, the food processing industry. More specifically, the drive mechanism (14) is located substantially completely outside of and adjacent to the internal area (41) defined by the looping belt (28), and the tensioning mechanism (22) is low profile presenting minimal to no obstruction when removing the belt (28) from the belt plate (20).