GB347408A - Improvements in or relating to machines for cracking nuts and sorting the same - Google Patents

Abstract

347,408. Cracking nuts. BRANDA, B., 4, Boulevard Pons, Marseilles, France. March 13, 1930, No. 8151. [Classes 59 and 117.] A machine for cracking and sorting monkey &c. nuts comprises one or more fixed, inclined members 15, Fig. 5, provided with knives 21 and a reciprocating member 1 parallel with the member 15 and having inclined members 11 covered with metal netting 12. The members 1 are supported by members 2 on a carriage 4, Fig. 4, reciprocated in guides 6 by a crank 28 and connecting-rod 30 driven by a shaft 26. A frame 17, attached to the guides 6, support the fixed members 15 and a hopper 34 is attached to the frame to supply the space 14 between the fixed and moving members with nuts. The knives 21 are in the form of bars having a tapered base which seats on a corresponding tapered part 20, Fig. 6, projecting from a spacing member 18, the space between members 18, 19 forming a recess for each knife. The knives are secured by spring clips 23 and notches 22 are formed in the knives so that the latter may be advanced one or more notches for adjustment purposes. The reciprocating part 1 is provided with angles 11 covered with metal netting 12 and secured by wedge members 9, the base of the angles being resiliently supported on flexible members 13. Extensions 36 of the reciprocating members 1 are provided with fingers 35, Fig. 4, which feed the nuts from the hopper 34 into the spaces 14. The kernels, shells, &c. are discharged from trays 37 into a reciprocating screen 38 connected by bars to the reciprocating carriage 4 and supported by links 41. The screen comprises an upper surface 43 perforated with circular holes, a central surface 46 provided with circular rows of holes, of the same diameter as those in the upper sieve, beneath each circular row of which is a circular plate 48 spaced a distance below the holes equal to the diameter thereof, and a bottom sieve 54 with elongated holes. A barrier 44 is disposed near the lowest part of the sieve 43 which enables the broken and unbroken shells to flow over into a conduit 45. The kernels and small unbroken nuts &c. are sifted on the screen 46 and the shells &c. are passed over barriers 50 to a conduit 51 which, together with the conduit 45, discharges into a conduit 59. The kernels &c. discharged on to the bottom screen are freed from dust and small shell and are discharged through a conduit 55, the dust &c. being discharged into a conduit 57. A fan 53 withdraws the broken shell &c. from the conduits 45, 51, 55, the kernels being discharged in the direction of the arrow 60 and the imperfectly broken nuts in the direction of the arrow 59. Two machines may be employed on a wheeled structure &c. the reciprocations being arranged in opposite phase so that the vibrations are nullified.