AU7999398A - Nut processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

1l NUT PROCESSING

APPARATUS

This invention relates to processing apparatus- This invention has particular but not exclusive application to processing apparatus for opening hard shelled nuts and in particular macadamia nuts and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application.

However, it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications, such as for opening coconut j~t shells.

Nuts such as macadamia nuts have a hard shell about a I relatively fragile kernel. The value of the processed nut kernel is increased if clean whole nuts result are obtained I from the removal process. While part kernels are retained for sale the value of half kernels is greater than that of broken kernels.

Macadamia nut shells are generally spherical but vary in shape and size and are frequently dried prior to opening so as to free the kernel from the shell with a view to *.recovering whole kiarnels. The drying process which occurs 20 over several days is costly and causes extreme hardness of the shell.

The presently available automated cracking and separating apparatus tends to produce a high proportion of damaged kernels and results in the harvested kernels being contaminated by fragmented shell particles which may be contaminated by contact with the ground surrounding the 2

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trees, as organic fertilizers are often used to fertilise the trees.

US Patent No 4467711 describes a method of and apparatus for cracking nuts utilising a conveyor elevating nuts at fixed spacing to a nut gripping and cracking apparatus. The conveyor comprises slats with openings to receive a nut and a support beneath the nut. The conveyed nuts pass to a cracking apparatus having respective blades which are brought together by hydraulic pressure to cause the blades to split the nut. A blade position sensing device limits blade travel after the nut is split.

Such apparatus has several disadvantages. Firstly, splitting of the nuts by compression between the blades results in brittle failure of the nut shell, resulting in a S 15 highly energetic shock. This tends to shatter the nut and .the kernel. The shattered nut produces contamination of the kernel and especially when the kernel is also shattered by the splitting apparatus.

The apparatus is also limited in its line speed, and is 20 therefor arranged in multiple assemblies to provide commercial throughput. One major limitation on the line .speed is the stepwise nature of the method, requiring the nut to stop at the cutting station, introducing inertial delays and causing further damage to the kernels.

The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the foregoing disadvantages and to provide nut processing 'T 3 apparatus which will be reliable and efficient in use.

With the foregoing anid other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in nut processing apparatus including: nut gripping means adapted to secure a nut with a portion of the nut surface exposed: nut grooving means adapted to groove said exposed nut surface portion; nut splitting means adapted to cooperate with said nut groove to split said nut.

The gripping means for each nut may comprise any suitable gripping means capable of supporting the nut with a surface portion to be grooved exposed. Preferably the gripping means is configured to present a circumferential exposed portion is1 whereby the nut may be grooved circumferentially and preferably about a substantially diametrical portion of the shell.

The gripping means may comprise opposed gripping *.~.elements adapted to support the nut. For example, the gripping means may comprise opposed cups of rigid or resilient material adapted to engage a nut therebetwe3en. The cups maay be configured to engage the nut without any additional retaining means. Alternatively the cups may be provided with vacuum means adapted to retain the nut or respective nut portions pneumatically.

Preferably one of the cups is driven for rotation and 4 141 the other said cup is capable of orbital rotation about the drive axis of the driven cup so that non-spherical form nuts may be retained for rotation about the drive axis of the driven cup. preferable the other cup is supported on a spherical bearing or the like mounted co-axialy with the drive axis so that it may deflect off centre when engaged with a non-spherical nut located in the driven cup,. It is also preferred that the other cup be resilienlty biassed to a position co-axial with the driven cup.

In another emnbodimfent of the present invention the gripping means comprises one or more opposed pairs of -mechanical grippers operable to engage the nut whilst presenting an exposed surface portion for grooving. The mechanical grippers may be individually configured to frictionally engage the nut surface, a static maintenance of the grip being maintained by force applied between the mechanical grippers. Alternatively, the mechanical grippers may comprise substantially opposed teeth or points adapted to penetrate the nut surface..

in a yet further embodiment the grippers may engage the nut shell with force as to secure the nut by Indentations made therein.

The mechanical grippers may be operated by any suitable means including pneumatic, hydraulic or electromechanical operating means5. The gripping means may be spring returned to an inoperative attitude, the working of the gripping means against the spring bias being by any suitable means such as cams, fixed-station pneumatic operating means or the-like.

Alternatively when the nut shells are to be released, the gripping means may pass stationary unlocking means vhich forces the gripping means apart. In such arrangement, the gripping means may be spring biased toward the engaged position. The operation of the gripping means during passage about a cyclic path supported by conveying means such as a wheel, endless chain or balt may be effected by means of a suitable fixed camming surface engaging a suitable follower associated with the gripping means.

in order for the mechanical grippers to access the nut the distributing means may be configured to cooperate with gripping means to effect transfer of the nut from the is distributing means to the nut gripping means. In the case of grippers which cannot by their nature obtain a closed grip an 0000 the nut directly from the distribution means, there may be 0000provided nut transfer means adapted to support the nut for disengagement fromt the nut distribution means and engagement 2:20 with the nut gripping means.

Preferably, the nut transfer means is adapted to locate the nut for acquisition by the nut gripping means. For example, the nut distribution means may be provided with opposed access openings whereby the nut transfer means may acquire the nut, clear the distribution means and locate the nut for gripping by the gripping means.

6 For example, the gripping means may be associated with a pair of opposed nut locatinlg pins adapted to substantially diametrically locate the nut for clearance from the distribution means. Preferably, such nut locating pins are provided with a concave nut engaging surface adapted to encourage substantially spherical nuts to a diametrically supported position prior to engagement of the nut gripping means. The pins may be operable by any selected means such as electromechanical, hydraulic or other actuating means.

For simplicity, the pins may be operable by cam action against a spring loading, the camming action being provided by passage of the preferred continuous belt or chain past a fixed camxing surface.

The gripping means may be utilized in multiples of such 15 gripping means on endless conveying means such as a wheel, continuous belt or chain whereby continuous collection and :processing of nuts may be effected. The gripping means may 5 comprise matched pairs of cooperating assemblies one of each pair being mounted on cooperating drive chains or belts.

20 It is preferred that'the gripping means be configured to accommodate a wide range of nut sizes or irregularly shaped nuts. T4ypically, such apparatus may be configured to process macadamia nuts of about 18mm diameter to about 35mm diameter.

if desired, the apparatus may be adapted for substitution of 25 gripping means which accommodate larger nuts.

it can be seen that the nut distribution and gripping 7 apparatus may have many applications in the nut processing area apart -from processing to kernels. ccordingly;in a further aspect of the present invention provides nut handling apparatus comprising distribution means adapted to provide a substantially continuous supply of nuts and a plurality of nut gripping means adapted to sequentially receive nuts from said distribution means and convey the nuts sequentially to one or more processing stations. The nut gripping means may include transfer means adapted to engage and locate a nut to io be gripped, and gripping means adapted to secure a transferred nut.

The nut grooving means may take any suitable form for the purpose. For example, the nut grooving means may comprise a knife-like arrangement for relatively soft nuts or 15 a saw-like or grinding arrangement for hard nuts. Preferably the nut grooving means is adapted to circumscribe the nut about its girth, although for certain nuts only partcircumferential grooving may be required.

The nut grooving means may comprise a fixed grooving implement against which a nut is engaged with rotation thereof via the gripping means. In this case, the nut may be rotated by driving of the gripping means, or alternatively may be rotated by engagement of the nut by driving means, whereby the gripping means may rotate idly. The driving means may comprise the grooving means itself in the case of rotary saw or grinding wheels, suitably reacting against drag 8 in the gripping means or against drag of a reaction wheel dispsed oposite the groovin point o the saw or grinding wheel.

gripping means.

The grooving means may be configured to groove the nut to a predetermined absolute depth or may be under the control of means adapted to determine the grooving depth for a particular nut size or type.

The splitting means may be selected with reference to the nut type and the nature of the groove imparted by the :grooving means. For example for some nuts, a knife-score type groove may respond to splitting means comprising stressing the shell between short-stroke compression members, whereby the nut fails at the score line without much S: .20 displacement of the shell portions.

However, it is preferred that the splitting means enter the groove and spread the opposite sided thereof to achieve splitting of the nut. Such coaction may comprise a wedgelike splitting blade adapted to cooperate with the shoulders of the groove, with or without cooperation with the base of the groove, to effect splitting of the nut shell.

9 Alternatively, the splitting means may comprse a member adapted to enter the groove and then twist out of the plane of the groove, thereby forcing the groove walls apart until the nut shell fails mechanically. It is preferred that a reactive member is present for torque splitting.

The splitting means may comprise a pair of splitting members and the respective members may comprise a fixed member and a moving member, or a pair of moving members as desired. After splitting the split shell portions may be allowed to fall from the gripping means together with the nut kernel for post processing to separate the components. To this end gripping means not inherently adapted to allow falling passage of the nut portions may be provided with opening means adapted to allow release the nut portions, However, it is preferred that the gripping means be selected such that after the nut shell is split, the shell halves are retained by the respective gripping means. Thereafter the retained shell portions may be separated to allow clearance for discharge of the kernel therebetween.

20 Mounting of each complementary assembly of the gripping means on respective conveying means enables divergence in their travel path to effect separation of the shell portions.

Alternatively, the gripping means may be formed to open to achieve discharge of the kernel.

preferably, the kernel is allowed to drop from the separated shell portions into collection means disposed i beneath-the separ ti-gripping meaans. n the case of nuts having a tendency to adherence of the kernel to the shell, the shell portions may be passed through a sensing means to determine whether an adhered kernel or part kernel remains In the shell. Any shell portion having retained kernel may then be ejected by release of the respective, gripping means at a pxe-determi-ned position beyond the kernel dropping point, for fuirther processing, Alternatively, the apparatus may Include kernel dislodging means adapted to encourage at least a portion of the adhered kernel to separate from the shell portion. For example, a scoop, screw or impacting device may engage or dislodge the kernel portion from the shell. Emptied shell may thereafter be ejected at a further point, whereAupon the gripping means may cycle back foe collection of further nuts to be processed.

The nut gripping means is preferably one of a plurality of nut gripping means adapted to receive a continuous supply of nuts. A storage hopper may discharge nuts singly by virtue of an outlet cooperating with the gripping means to deliver one nut to each gripping means. Alternatively, the hopper may be associated with distributing means adapted to convey single nuts sequentially to the gripping means.

The nut gripping means may be integral with the distributing means. However it is preferred that the nut gripping means be adapted to receive nuts sequentially from the aforementioned distributing means and thereafter form the transport for the nuts through the splitting process.

In another aspect this invention resides broadly in a method of opening a hard shelled nut or the lke, Including.securing a nut with a portion of the nut surface exposed; groIng said exposed nut surface portion; introducing splitting means into the formed groove for coaction with the opposed faces thereof, and causing the splitting mpeans apply a separating force to the opposed faces of the groove to split the nut.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect. reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings uhich -illustrate a is preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein: FIG. I is an overall plan view of one form of macadamia nut processing apparatus.

FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate the loading convey-or of Fig. I,- **FIG. .5 Illustrates the form of the toothed conveyor beIt, FIG. 6 Is a perspective view of gripping means of the apparatus o1 Fig. 1; FIG. 7A is an exploded view showing the components of the gripping means; FMG 7B is an exploded view of one cup assembly of the gripping means; FIG. 8 is a perspective view Of the grooving means of the apparatus of Fig. 1; FIG. 9 is a perspective vieW of the splitting means of the apparatus of Fig. 1; FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate the nut loading action: FIGS. 11A and 11)3 illustrate the grooving operation: FIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C illustrate the splitting operation: FIGS. 13A, 138, 13C and 13D illustrate the kernel collection operation; FIG. 14 is a plan and cutaway side view of a further embodiment of the invention; FIG. 15 illustrates the splitting means utilised in the embodiment of Fig. 14, and FIG. 16 illustrates the splitting apparatus utilised in the embodiment of Fig. 14.

:The macadamia nut processing apparatus 10 illustrated in Fig. I has a plurality of nut gripping assemblies 11 mounted a removably to and radiating from a support wheel 12 which 20 rotates to carry the nut gripping assemblies 11 cyclically and sequentially past processing stations arranged to cooperate with tho gripping assemblies in a defined circular path 14 concentric with the support wheel 12. in this embodiment thete are provided corresponding process stations at opposite sides of the wheel 12 so that each nut gripping assembly 11. is carried through two complete processes with 33 every revolution of the wheel 12.

Each process starts at a loading station 17 at which individual nuts are conveyed by a belt conveyor assembly 13 to a position substantially coincident with the defined circular path 14. The individual nuts are carried by a respective nut gripping assembly 11 from the conveyor assembly 13 about the defined circular path 14 through a grooving station 15, a splitting station 16, a separating station 317 and an unloading station 18 at which kernels are delivered to a holding bin. Shell portions are retained for further movement about the defined circular path to a dumping station 19 for delivery of retained shell portions to a discharge bin before each gripping assembly 11 passes across the next conveyor assembly 13 for commencement of another cycle of operations.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 5, it will be seen that the conveyor assembly 13 is a toothed belt conveyor in which the belt 20 is apertured at 21 to receive loading cups 21 which can only accommodate individual nuts. The lower run 22 of the conveyor is inclined and extends from a hopper (not J1 shown) in which nuts are stored, to carry individual nuts through a vertical path 23, at which the nuts are retained by a suitable preventer to retain them in the cups, and across the top driven roller of the conveyor and which roller is driven by the servo motor 24.

An outrigger bracket 25 supports a plunger assembly 26 14 in spaced relationship with the upper extremhity Of the conveyor belt 27 to provide a gap therebetween through which the griPPing assemblies 11. may pass to collect the nut from the upper extremity of the conveyor belt The plunger assembly 26 supPorts a vertically reciprocable loading plunger 30 provided with a vacUM cup 31 at its lower end which may be moved downward into engagement with the uppermost nut and then elevated to lift that nut into the defined circular path 14 where the nut may is positioned for gripping by the gripping means 35 of the respective gripping assembly 11.

in this embodiment, the gripping means 35 comprises a pair of opposed gripping cups 36 and 37 which are mounted for equal and opposite reciprocationl in a radial direction on a is1 slide body 39 mounted to the support wheel 12. The slide body supports a freely rotatable pinion wheel 39 engageable with gear racks 40,and 41 associated with the mounting cups 37 and 36 respectively whereby each cup 36 and 37 Is constrained for correspondinlg movement to and from the defined circular path 14. Thus, different nut sizes may be gripped by the gripping means 35 and thereby be automatically positioned in the defined circular path 14 for co-ooeration with the various apparatus at the following processing stationls 2S An air cylinder assembly 42 mounted on the slide body 39 is adapted to reciprocate the outer arm 43 supporting the gear rack 40 and the gripping cup 37 for controlling the corresponding reciprocal movement of both cups 36 and 37, movement resulting from extension or retraction of the air cylinder assembly 42 being relayed through the racks and common pinion to both cups 36 and 37.

Additionally, each cup is provided with air supply means which may be used to create a vacuum to hold the nut or nut portions in the respective gripping cups. Alternatively, positive pressure may be applied to eject retained shells therefrom. Further construction details of the gripping assemblies 11 are illustrated in the exploded view in Fig.

7A. As macadamia nuts are not necessarily spherical in shape they can not be gripped accurately by gripping cups 36 and 37 supported for co-axial rotation. In this embodiment the outer cup 37 is supported for free rotation within a hush which in turn is mounted in a spherical bearing 46 supported in an end housing 47 supported on the arm 43 *whereby the cup 37 may deflect to an off-centre position for orbital motion about the rotational axis of the cup 36. This enables the outer cup 37 to engage operatively with a nonspherical nut shell.

Further, a resilient polyurethane washer 48 is interposed between the inner race of the spherical bearing and the back face 49 of the housing 47 so as to bias the bush 2545 and thus the gripping cup 37 to a central position coaxial with the gripping cup 36 which is mounted for freae rotation in the inner arm 50 which carries the gear rack 41.

This arrangement ensures that each gripped nut is gripped with its medial peripheral portion cxposed at the defined circular path whereby it may coact with the grooving and splitting mteans.

A friction drive wheel 51 Is supported coaxially and fixedly to the gripping cup 36 such that as each gripping means 11 moves around the defined circular path 14, the friction drive wheel 51 engages the lower run 52 of a broad driven belt 53 of a rotator assembly 55 supported at the grooving station A grooving blade 60 Is carried on a radial arm 61 for movement to and from a central position beneath the rotator assembly 55 for engagement of the blade 60 with the shell of the nut carried between the gripping cups 36 and 37 so as to form a peripheral V shape groove about the nut. For this purpose the nut is counter driven by the friction wheel 51 with respect to the blade 60 at a speed which ensures that *::gripped nut rotates one full turn while in operative contact with the blade 60 to ensure formation of a continuous groove about the periphery of the nut.

The cutting assembly illustrated in Fig. 8 and utilzises a two stage step-up belt drivta from a drive motor 63 so as to provide intermediate pulleys 64 coaxial with the pivot axcle 65 of the arm 61. in this embodiment, an internal coil spring is oted wtin tha hub 66 to bias the blade tountd wit A_ towards its cutting position.

it will be seen that the cutting blade includes teeth 67 which project outwardly from flat peripheral lands 68 at opposite sides thereof with the projection being equal to the desired depth of cut of the groove 79. Thus the teeth will cut into the shell to the desired depth until the peripheral lands 68 engage the nut to limit the depth of cut.

After each nut has passed through the grooving station it proceeds to a splitting assembly 80 for coaction with upper and lower curved splitting blades 70 of which have inner edges 69 which converge in the direction of travel of the gripping means so as to engage in opposite sides of the formed groove 79 and capture the nut therebetween irrespective of normal size variations.

1s The splitting assembly 80 is illustrated in Fig. 9. As shown, each blade 70 is slidable, for a short distance along a part circular mounting recess 71 and each is spring urged to the leading end of the respective mounting recess 71. The recesses 71 are formed in respective carriers 72 which engage 20 with a threaded column 73 through respective ball screw assemblies 74 and 75. The threaded column 73 is driven by a servo motor 76.

When a nut is captured between the splitting blades the blades 70 will move with the nut around the defined 25 circular path 14 in the part circular recesses 71. This movement is sensed by suitable sensors to actuate the servo 18 motor 76 which then rotates to further close the blades about the nut to a predetermined extent, such as a few millimeters in the case of a macadamia nuts, in a sharp crushing action.

The blades 70 have their inner edges rounded so that this sudden crushing action is applied to the shell through the opposed faces of the tapered groove 79 whereby it jars the shell portions 77 and 78 apart, causing splitting of the nut about the base of the groove 79 and separation of the nut into individual portions 77 and 78. Thereafter the nut shell portions 77 and 78 are carried to the separation station at which they are moved apart retained on their respective gripping cups 36 and 37, allowing the kernel 76 to fall free for collection in a suitable storage bin.

Is The action of splitting creates substantially no extraneous particles or dust so that the kernels remain substantially uncontaminated and 'the shell parts are carried beyond the collection station to the dumping station 19 at which the vacuum applied to the gripping cups 36 and 37 is :20 released to allow the shell portions to fall to a suitable bin. As shown in Figs. 13C and 13D, should the kernel remain with either or both shells, it will be carried beyond the collection station to the dumping station so that only whole kernels will be collected.

The gripping assemblies 11 then pass from the dumping station 19 for commencement of another cycle of operations at the other side of the defined circular path 14. The motion of the support wheel 12 may be continuous ar intermittent, stopping when each gripping assembly 11 coincides with a process station. However it ise preferred that continuous rotation be provided with a speed of rotation of the support wheel 12 in the order of 20 RPM, providing a throughput of eight nuts per second and a handling rate of about 200kg per hour in the above described embodiment.

Figs. 10 to 13 illustrate the sequence of operations described above. In Fig. IOA the nut 85 is elevated to the defined circular path 14 for capture between the gripping cups 36 and 37, as illustrated in Fig. 10B. At the grooving station 15, as illustrated In Fig. 11B, the blade 60 cuts into -the nut shell which is counter-rotated by driving the 3,S cup 36 through the friction drive As illustrated in Fig. 12, the nut 85 feeds between the blades 70 until it engages each blade. Thereafter the blades are carried with the nut 851, triggering the-impact drive to cause splitting by separation of the shell portions at opposite sides of the groove 79. The gripping cups 36 and 37 are then separated while the vacuum is maintain in the cups to retain the shell portions 74 and 75 and allow the kernel to all to a collection station. Subsequently the vacuum is released and the shell portions 74 and 75 fall away, together with any retained kernel portion.

in the embodinent 100 illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14,

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the sets of cups 101 and 102 'Which grip the nuts to be process are mounted on the respective links 103 and 104 of opposed endless chain conveyers 105 and 106 supported by sprockets 107 The sprockets rotate in timed relationship to a loading conveyor 108 which delivers individual nuts Into the converging path of respective opposed pairs of cups 101, 102 such that the nuts are gripped therebetween and carried part the grooving, splitting and unloading stations 110), 111 and 112 respectively. As shown in Fig. 16, the nut grooving saw forms a rectangular-section groove 115 in the nut shell and the splitting blades 116, 117 are mounted for rotation with respective shafts 1.18, 119 which move blades 116, 117 into encirclinlg engagement with the nut within the groove 115. Thereafter the blades are twisted out of alignment with one another to provide a separating force against the nut groove walls 120 thereby splitting the nut. leaving the nut portions engaged with their respective gripping assemblies.

The profile of the splitting blade 116, 117 is adapted to receive a variety of Y~ut diameters. The splitting blades are also rebated at 121 whereby the opposed splitting blades mayintrenageoneanother such that, when engaged, they extend about the full diameter of the nut.

The apparatus in accordance with the foregoing emboi-elt feeds nuts from a hopper by a feed belt which -positionls one nut at a time at a predetermined increment of 7SM. the selected pitch of the driven chain assemblies. The 21 system is a continuous system that allows macadamia nuts of any size to be split and the kernel to be recovered mostly without damage and with the maximum amount of whole kernel.

The kernel will generally be In the form of either whole kernel of half kernel. once it is ejected from the shell it is collected on a conveying systems that delivers it to a size gradIng system where the kernels are sorted into wholes and halves of various sizes.

This embodiment carries out the process of separating the kernel from the shell withoi.t involving further complex equipment. It enhances the production of whole kernel and minimises the production of kernel halves. Practically,. no chip or dust is carried with the extracted kernels. with dust extraction being provided at the grooving and splitting 1 15 stations. Furthermore, each gripping assembly is in a .*~.*modular form to allow for fast, simple replacement in case of breakdowns, minimising down-times.

it will be realised that while the foregoing has been **.*.given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (14)

1. Nut processing apparatus includingt nut gripping means adapted to secure a nut with a portion of the nut surface exposed; nut grooving means adapted to groove said exposed nut surface portion; nut splitting means adapted to cooperate with said nut groove to split said nut.

2. Nut processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripping means is configured-to present a circumfer-ential exposed portion and the nut grooving means Is adapted to form a circumferential groove.

3. Nut processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said circumferential groove is formed about a substantially diametrical portion of the shell.

4. Nut processing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3. wherein said gripping means is supported on endless cnveying means for cyclic and Sequential movemant past loading, grooving, splitting and unloading stations.

5. Nut processing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding cilims, wherein said gripping means comprises oppo~d ups hic c-Oprate to engag u hr e with a circumferenltial portion of tht- gripped nut exposed.

6. Nut prOCe5Siflg apparatus as claimed in claim 4, where-"' sa id cups 6re provided with vacuum means adapted to pneumatically retain resPectiv'- nut Portionls therein.

7. Nut processing apparatus as clie fnayon rotai cam 4 to claimf 6, wherein one said CUP is driven fo aion at dh the other said cup is Capable Of orbital rotatio bu h drive axis Of the driven cup.

8. Nut processing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, VherG'n said other CUP is resiliently biassed to aL Position co-axial with the driven cup- Nut processing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 t 8,wheeinsaid opposed CUPS are interconneced for to. 15 wh~r e reinioeft to and from a set central position I thewhereinn 1. Nut processing§ apparatus as claimed in claim

9. hri said nut grOOving§ 0ean includes a grooviLng blade arranged to move -towards said central position to form tegOV bu tha medial portiOn of the nut exposed between said cups. 24

11. Nut processing apparatus as claimed In claim 10~, wherein~ said blade is a rotary grooving blade.

12. Nut processing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, Whperein said grooving blade has a cutting edge protruding beyond a penetration limiting peripheral land adjacent one side of the cutting edge.

13. Nut processing apparatus as claimed in any one Of claims 4 to 12, Wherein said conveying means is a support Wheel and said gripping means incliudes opposed cups mounted on said 1o support wheal for corresponding radial movement to and from, a grooving position. Nut processing apparatus as claimed in any one of te- ~preceding claims and adapted for processing Macadamianuso between 18m diameter and 35mm diameter- 5 Nut processing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims. wherein said splitting means includes a cracking member introduced to the groove to coact with the opposed faces thereof.

16. Nut processing apparatus as claimed In claim ISt, wherein said Icracking member is, a wedging member which is forced into eagemeXnt with said opposed faces of th- !groove and an impact is appl ed. to the shell through the wedging member-

17. Itut processing apparatus as claimed in claim 16~, wherein1 said groove is a circumTferential groove and said wedging~ member comprises one of a Pair Of opposed wedging members hihare frdinongemtwith said opposd faces ,whereby said impact ,effects splitting of the shell about the groove. 1.A method Of Opening a hard shelled nut or the like, including securing a nut with a portion of the nut surface exposed; groo-qing said exposed nut surface po~rtiOn;, 6 introducing splitting means into the formed groove for coaction with the opposed faces thereof, a'd 15 causing the splitting means apply a separating force to the opposed faces of the !grLoove to slttent DATED THIS Fute DAY or August 19 MMH CROSS ?McINTYRE BY pIZZEYS PATENT RD bART- _ATTOFNEYS