GB813895A - Ground-nut shelling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

813,895. Shelling groundnuts. COMPAGNIE FRANCAISE DE L'AFRIQUE OCCIDENTALE. Oct. 15, 1957 [April 6, 1957], No. 32133/57. Class 58. A machine for shelling groundnuts comprises a hopper a having at the bottom a flat grating d, e.g. in the form of a perforated sheet of steel or steel rods. Two bars e pass slidingly through openings w in the ends of the hopper and carry, close to the grating, a beater. The ends of the bars are joined by rods j passing through wooden handles i. The beater can be adjusted to vary the clearance between it and the grating and comprises two plates m, each of which is adjustably secured to a bar e by bolts r passing throughelongated openings m<SP>1</SP> in the plate. The two plates are joined by transverse beater bars g, which may be angle-sectioned and pointing towards the grating, as shown, cylindrical, or square rods passing through square openings each having a vertical diagonal so that an edge of each rod points towards the grating and the rods can be removed from their openings, turned through a right-angle and replaced to present another edge to the grating. Replaceable angle plates k are attached to the ends of the hopper above and below the openings w to prevent wear at their lower and upper edges. To-andfro movement of the bars e is limited by providing them with stops s which cooperate with spring buffers h on the hopper. Groundnuts are fed into the hopper. The latter is supported on four legs b braced by struts b<SP>1</SP> and cross-braces b<SP>2</SP>. The machine is operated by two people, one at each end, who grip the handles i and give to-and-fro movement to the bars e and the beater. The nuts are shelled as they are rubbed and jolted between the lower face of the beater and the grating. Kernels and broken shells fall through the grating and are separated by blowing with air.