The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 04, 1995
Filed:
May. 02, 1994
Stewart E Erickson, Ketchum, ID (US);
Ron Randolph, Camden, AR (US);
W David Alldredge, Jr, Aurora, CO (US);
SEEC, Inc., Mendota Heights, MN (US);
Abstract
A railroad car conversion apparatus for hauling a flowable material in an open-topped railroad car having a frame for holding a plurality of bladders, which may depend downwardly from the frame into the railroad car. The frame is adapted to fit on top of the sidewalls of a hopper car, and be readily attached or detached from the railcar. A plurality of bladders, which may be attached directly to this frame for removal therewith, are also attached in such a manner that they may be readily filled with or emptied of a fluid of a particulate, flowable material without requiring the removal of the frame. The conversion apparatus includes an elongate central beam having first and second ends, and a plurality of bladder-connecting devices for releasably attaching a plurality of material-receiving bladders to the central beam. A plurality of arms may extend generally laterally outwardly from the central beam, such that the arms and central beam are sized to permit each of the arms to abut an upper edge of a side wall of the railroad car. The arms carry a lock for releasably attaching the arms and the central beam to the railroad car, and the central beam carries a grappling device adapted to be engaged by a train mechanism for lifting the central beam and any bladders attached thereto generally upwardly away from the railroad car.