science

Rocker shovel loader

Rocker shovel loader is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Rocker shovel loader rather than just read about it. In short: A rocker shovel loader, sometimes simply referred to as a rocker shovel or mucker is a type of mechanical loader used in underground mining. A rocker shovel is usually powered by compressed air, or in some cases electricity.

Key takeaways

Rocker shovel loader belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Rocker shovel loader to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Rocker shovel loader from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A rocker shovel loader, sometimes simply referred to as a rocker shovel or mucker is a type of mechanical loader used in underground mining. A rocker shovel is usually powered by compressed air, or in some cases electricity. It is commonly mounted on steel wheels designed to run on narrow-gauge rails, with some later models using metal or rubber-tyred road wheels. The operator, standing on a raised platform to one side of the machine, operates the controls, a lever to drive the machine along the tracks, and another to raise and lower the bucket. Once the bucket has been filled by driving the loader forwards into the pile of material, the rocker mechanism throws the contents over the top of the machine and into a wagon which is behind. Once full, the loaded wagon can be taken away and replaced with an empty one to allow loading to continue. On May 28, 1937, Edwin Burton Royle applied for a patent as the inventor of the "loading machine" and US Patent No. 2,134,582 was issued on October 25, 1938 and assigned to the Eastern Iron Metals Company (later to be known as EIMCO). In 2000, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers added the EIMCO 12B Rocker Shovel Loader of 1938 to its List of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks as reference number 212 out of 259 objects (as of 2015). In June 2012, an EIMCO 12B Rocker Shovel was featured in an episode of the reality television series Auction Hunters, filmed in Littleton, Colorado. It was sold to a former gold miner for $3,600 after being tested at Edgar Mine in Idaho Springs, Colorado.

References

External links

Video of an EIMCO 12B being demonstrated at Lea Bailey Light Railway

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Rocker shovel loader

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Rocker shovel loader claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Rocker shovel loader before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Rocker shovel loader ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Rocker shovel loader

In research: Rocker shovel loader appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Rocker shovel loader in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Rocker shovel loader is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Mining equipment, Mining stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Rocker shovel loader outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Rocker shovel loader in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Rocker shovel loader means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Rocker shovel loader out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rocker shovel loader in simple terms?

Why does Rocker shovel loader matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Rocker shovel loader?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Rocker shovel loader.