Heyl & Patterson Blog

The main purpose of coal handling systems is to transfer the coal as quickly and cleanly as possible as it is moved from one place to another.  Loading and transporting are just two stages in the process of moving coal from the producer to the consumer.  When transporting by rail, coal must be unloaded from railroad cars and a number of options are available, including rotary dumpers and turnover dumpers, which discharge loads parallel to the rails.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Pittsburgh, PA – Heyl & Patterson Inc., a specialist engineering company headquartered in Pittsburgh, has donated a collection of blueprints and photographs related to the company’s role in the construction of the Civic Arena to the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Iron is the second most abundant metal in the Earth, and iron ore is the lifeblood of the world's steel industry, with about 98% used in steelmaking.  Iron ore is mined in about 50 countries, and the seven largest account for about three-quarters of total world production.  Australia and Brazil together dominate the world's iron ore exports, each having about a third of total exports.  Iron ore is a low-priced bulk commodity, but mining it can only be economical if the deposit is large and easily accessible and transport costs can be kept to a minimum.

As railroad cars evolved, there needed to be a more efficient way to unload bulk materials from them than to use a shovel.  There were two obvious ways of improving the situation, and a debate began on the merits of “turning the whole car upside down” versus allowing the bulk materials to “fall out of the bottom.”

The railcar, as a means of transporting bulk materials, has been in existence for 400 years and actually pre-dates the steam locomotive by 172 years.  The first railcars were horse drawn and hauled coal along wooden railway tracks.  The shovel, with a good measure of human sweat, was the accepted method of loading and unloading it.

A picture is worth a thousand words.  This old adage, which originated as a Chinese proverb, refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed in a single image.  With the dawn of the Information Age, anyone has the ability to tell an infinite number of stories, to an infinite number of people.  To help tell the story of our 125 years in business, Heyl & Patterson has launched the the H&P Flickr Account.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."  In a time when government funding for health and human services has been declining in recent years, agencies have been forced to scale back or eliminate critical programs.  With that in mind, Heyl & Patterson continues its support of the United Way of Allegheny County.

Railcar unloading has become more advanced and complicated since Heyl & Patterson was established in 1887.  In 1984, Heyl & Patterson developed a means to help customers meet the challenges of working with Rotary Railcar Dumpers through an industry first: a conference designed specifically for users of dumpers and related systems.  The conference has been a bi-annual event ever since, and has provided genuine benefits to all who attend.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Pittsburgh, PA - Heyl & Patterson Inc., a specialist engineering company headquartered in Pittsburgh, proudly celebrates its 125^th anniversary throughout 2012.  Crediting multiple generations of employees, customers and vendors for the company’s longevity, Heyl & Patterson has continually adapted to the times and has demonstrated that success is driven by teamwork and innovation.