GB953827A - Improvements in and relating to apparatus for severing nut shells - Google Patents

Abstract

953,827. Shelling almonds. C. MARTELLI. Oct. 16, 1962, No. 39039/62. Heading A4C. [Also in Division B5] Apparatus for cutting almond shells includes a storage hopper 3 from which nuts are fed singly and orientated to be received in a predetermined position in a clamp 15, means for advancing a cutting device 39, 40 into contact with the clamped nut and means for rotating the clamp 15 together with the nut relative to the cutting device 39, 40 thereby to cut into the shell over its periphery. The sequence of operations is controlled by linkages driven by cams mounted on a common drive shaft 2 supported by side plates 1 of the machine. Clamps 15 extend through apertures 8a, 8b in transversely slidable elements 5a, 5b having channels 7a, 7b which accommodate a single nut which, when the elements 5a, 5b are closed, is received from the hopper 3 through an appropriately cross-sectioned channel 4 and an aperture 6a in a shutter blade 6 carried by one element 5a. The opening and closing of elements 5a, 5b is effected by pins 14b on a collar 14 carried by the shaft 2, which pins 14b engage pivoted levers 10 biased by a spring 12 and operatively connected to the slidable elements 5a, 5b. Stems 16 carry the clamps 15 which are opened against the action of springs 18 by a pivoted lever linkage 19-24 when a pin 25 on the shaft 2 engages the lever 24, the levers 19, 22 engaging stops on the stems 16. Partial or complete rotation of the clamps 15 is effected by cog wheels 26 which drive the stems 16 through pins 27 engaged in forks 28 on the stems 16. The cog wheels 26 are driven intermittently through chains 30 and cog wheels 31, the latter being mounted between a boss 34 secured to the shaft 2 and a cam 33 mounted on the side plate 1 and the arrangement being such that the cog wheels 31 are rotated when spring biased pins 35 carried thereby are urged into engagement with an extension 34a on the boss 34 by an upstanding surface on the cam 33. Circular saws 39, 40, supported by units 41, 42 in turn supported in slots 43 in the side plates 1, are biased by spring 46 towards the clamped nut and are flanked by adjustable sector-shaped plates 48 with the cutting edge projecting beyond the plates 48, which engage the nut, in accordance with the depth of cut required. The saws 39, 40 are driven at high speed through couplings 39a, 40a. The saws 39, 40 are moved simultaneously outwards from the clamping zone in timed sequence by means of links 51, 56 and a rocker 54, the rod 51 bearing at one end on a disc 52 having a slot 52a engaged by the shaft 2 and the disc 52 cooperating with a cam 53 mounted on the shaft 2 whereby the saws are separated against the action of the springs 46 when the cam 53 operatively engages the disc 52.