Railroad car conversion apparatus having adjustable framework for supporting material receiving bladders

A railroad car conversion apparatus for hauling a flowable material in an open-topped railroad car having a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor, comprising:

• an elongate central beam having first and second ends and at least one bladder connection means for releasably attaching at least one material-receiving bladder to the central beam;
• a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the central beam, the arm and the central beam being sized to permit each of the arms to abut an upper edge of one of the sidewalls of the railcar;
• and
• locking means carded by the arms for releasably attaching the arms to the railroad car, the locking means comprising a clamp means pivotably attached to one of said arms adjacent its length, the clamp means being pivotable between a locking position wherein it engages a sidewall and an unlocked position wherein it disengages from the sidewall.

A railroad car conversion apparatus for hauling a flowable material in an open-topped railroad car having a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor, comprising:

• an elongate central beam having first and second ends and at least one bladder connection means releasably attaching at least one material-receiving bladder to the central beam;
• a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the central beam, the arms and the central beam being sized to permit each of the arms to abut an upper edge of one of the sidewalls of the railroad car;
• and
• wedge means for properly positioning the arms and the central beam with respect to the sidewalls when the arms are brought into engagement with the sidewalls.

A railroad car conversion apparatus for hauling a flowable material in an open-topped railroad car having a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor, comprising:

• an elongate central beam having first and second ends and at least one bladder connection means for releasably attaching at least one material-receiving bladder to the central beam;
• a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the central beam, the arms and the central beam being sized to permit each of the arms to abut an upper edge of one of the sidewalls of the railroad car;
• and
• at least one elongate cross-beam, the cross-beam being attached at each of its ends to a different arm.

A railroad car conversion apparatus for hauling a flowable material in an open-topped railroad car having a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor, comprising:

• an elongate central beam having first and second ends and at least one bladder connection means for releasably attaching at least one material-receiving bladder to the central beam;
• a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the central beam, the arms in the central beam being sized to permit each of the arms to abut an upper edge of one of the sidewalls of the railroad car;
• and
• at least one cross-member connected to two of said arms, the cross-member being formed of a relatively rigid plate material.

A railroad car conversion apparatus for hauling a flowable material in an open-topped railroad car having a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor, comprising:

• an elongate central beam having first and second ends and at least one bladder connection means for releasably attaching at least one material-receiving bladder to the central beam;
• a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the central beam, the arms and the central beam being sized to permit each of the arms to abut an upper edge of one of the sidewalls of the railroad car;
• and
• grappling means carried by the central beam and being adapted to be engaged by a crane mechanism for lifting the central beam and any bladders attached thereto upwardly away from the railcar.