After seeing a few of these Rockershovels on my underground travels and looking at a video or two of working examples I thought that I would post a some pictures and a link to some of those video clips of this ace bit of machinery. My mind boggles when I think of just how much noise that these machines would have made underground but that just feeds the fire.
this machine is still in production in India
The name Eimco is an abreviation of Easten and Iron Metal Corporation who are based in Utah USA and who manufactured the Rockershovel, this machine is also commonly known as a mucker or a mad wasp and some were made to run on rails and some made to roll on wheels and tracks. The Rockershovel had an ingenious way of removing waste in front of it and depositing it in a waste cart behind it by means of lifting it over itself almost in a rocking motion, hence the name Rockershovel, pretty dangerous for the operator but in a small mineshaft there is little other option.
They were commonly powered by compressed air and were pretty dangerous to operate given the limited roof and wall space underground, anyway it is always a joy to see one of these looming out of the darkness when you are underground and it is always hard to drag yourself away from it because they are just too photogenic.
The excitement of stumbling across one of these Rockershovels is always followed by a photo session, here Lenston and Wellingtonian are doing the photo biz. The compressed air chamber and operating controls are on the right hand side of the machine and there would normally be a small platform for the operator to stand on.
The same shovel from the rear, some grease, a wire brush and a 2" pipe from a compressor would likely get it going
View attachment 625132
Please watch this short video from Youtube to see just how this baby rocked and imagine the racket that it would make underground.
or this one
The chain looks woefully inadequate when you see the shovel that it needed to lift but it was obviously up to the job.
View attachment 625133
Above the business end, this is the top of the rocker that is attached to the wheel
View attachment 625134
I can never drag myself away from these things....looking back
View attachment 625135
Another one that we stumbled upon but with a cart attached, check the high sided cart for tipping the waste..A proper underground Tonka toy.
View attachment 625136
this machine is still in production in India
The name Eimco is an abreviation of Easten and Iron Metal Corporation who are based in Utah USA and who manufactured the Rockershovel, this machine is also commonly known as a mucker or a mad wasp and some were made to run on rails and some made to roll on wheels and tracks. The Rockershovel had an ingenious way of removing waste in front of it and depositing it in a waste cart behind it by means of lifting it over itself almost in a rocking motion, hence the name Rockershovel, pretty dangerous for the operator but in a small mineshaft there is little other option.
They were commonly powered by compressed air and were pretty dangerous to operate given the limited roof and wall space underground, anyway it is always a joy to see one of these looming out of the darkness when you are underground and it is always hard to drag yourself away from it because they are just too photogenic.
The excitement of stumbling across one of these Rockershovels is always followed by a photo session, here Lenston and Wellingtonian are doing the photo biz. The compressed air chamber and operating controls are on the right hand side of the machine and there would normally be a small platform for the operator to stand on.
The same shovel from the rear, some grease, a wire brush and a 2" pipe from a compressor would likely get it going
View attachment 625132
Please watch this short video from Youtube to see just how this baby rocked and imagine the racket that it would make underground.
or this one
The chain looks woefully inadequate when you see the shovel that it needed to lift but it was obviously up to the job.
View attachment 625133
Above the business end, this is the top of the rocker that is attached to the wheel
View attachment 625134
I can never drag myself away from these things....looking back
View attachment 625135
Another one that we stumbled upon but with a cart attached, check the high sided cart for tipping the waste..A proper underground Tonka toy.
View attachment 625136
