Mining in Manitoba
Principles of Loading
Mining Systems
After material has been broken, it must be loaded on some type of conveyance system to be removed.
| This is a typical person operated shovel. The shovel is pushed into the pile and then lifted. Most mechanical power and hydraulic shovels use this action. | |
| Instead of pushing the shovel into the pile it can be pulled. Most backhoes and draglines use this action. |
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| The clamshell action is often used in shaft sinking. It digs from the top down. | |
| The slusher or scraper bucket is similiar to a garden hose. The bucket is pulled towards the hoist. |
| After a bucket is loaded it has to be hoisted, positioned, and dumped. Most power shovels hoist the bucket and swing to a dumping position. |
A conveyor system is often used in coal loading. A gathering lip or pan is mounted on the end of a conveyor belt. The pan or lip has gathering arms or some type of rotating wheel or chain attached to it which gathers, scrapes, or pushes the broken material onto the conveyor belt.
A slusher system is often used underground. Ore is fed to the slusher lane through drawpoints. The material is scraped to the loading point and loaded by gravity.
A recent development has been the LHD - Load-Haul- Dump unit. This unit loads a large bucket and lifts it a short distance and then carries it to a dump point. Generally these machines are powered with diesel engines and have great flexibility and versatility. Another term for LHD removal is "trackless mining".
