RU2168308C2 - Nut processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food-processing industry. SUBSTANCE: apparatus has feeding hopper, shell breaking device, nut gage, and separating and cleaning mechanism. Nut gage is made in the form of tray with portions of different diameter arranged in alternation. Shell breaking mechanism has rolls composed of parts, each corresponding to one size of nuts. Basic feeding screen positioned under roll parts is equipped with multiple grooves, each positioned under roll part of related gage. Apparatus of such construction allows cores to be completely separated from shells. EFFECT: increased nut breaking efficiency, simplified construction and improved quality of nuts. 2 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to agricultural machinery, in particular, to devices for the mass processing of nuts, for example, hazelnuts, hazelnuts, and can also be applied in the food industry, using nuts in their products.

 Various designs of devices for mass processing nuts are widely known. The effectiveness of each such device depends on the constructive solution to the problem of ensuring the cracking of the maximum number of nuts from the total number loaded into the hopper. At the same time, quality cleaning and separation of the kernels of nuts from the shell should be ensured. In known devices, this problem is not solved efficiently. The complexity of solving these problems is as follows. The total mass of nuts supplied to the threshing device consists of a large number of nuts of different caliber (diameter). Therefore, inevitably a large number of not chopped nuts, as well as completely crushed and damaged kernels. It is quite difficult to completely separate the kernels and shells, since they are comparable in weight and aerodynamic properties.

 In known devices, one can observe attempts to solve these problems by various constructive methods. For example, the introduction of an additional threshing drum. Thus, a nut-cleaning machine [1] is known, comprising a housing, an elevator, a loading hopper, a threshing drum with a deck and fingers with an elastic coating, sieves, a blower mounted on one of the sides of the sieves, and a separating device. This device, in order to reduce damage to nuts during cleaning, is equipped with an additional threshing drum of a smaller diameter with a deck, the design of which is similar to the main one, and a suction fan located on the other side of the sieves.

 The operation of this machine is as follows. The raw nut from the hopper is fed into the loading hopper by the bucket elevator, grabbed and pulled by a threshing drum under the deck, where it is partially threshed, then this mixture is pulled between the drums of the additional device, where the nut is finally threshed. Threshing drums are equipped with fingers with an elastic coating, which during the working process engage with the threshed mass of the nut and thereby husk the nut from the flux. The threshed mixture of walnut and flux along the elongated deck falls on the receiving conveyor and is evenly distributed over it, is lowered into a sieve system that performs reciprocating movement from the drive. The peeled and unpeeled nuts slip through the holes of the sieves, and the lobes of the fruit, due to their lower weight, are carried out by means of a blower. Then, the peeled and unpeeled nut is fed to a separating device, operating on the principle of a centrifuge, by which separation of the peeled nut from not threshed due to their different flight ranges is achieved. The peeled nuts fall into the hopper, and the peeled nuts are fed to the screw elevator and, through the drive, are returned to the loading hopper for secondary threshing.

The disadvantages of the design of this machine are as follows:
- lack of compactness in the design, which makes it bulky, the need to use large production areas, as well as the high cost of equipment;
- the lack of the possibility of this design to ensure complete separation of the kernels of nuts from the shell;
- low efficiency of the device due to low-quality threshing and the return of a large number of nuts for re-threshing.

 There are inventions in which the task of automatically separating the kernels from the nutshell is solved differently. However, such devices, as a rule, are structurally complex, expensive, and unreliable in operation. In addition, they do not provide a complete separation of the walnut kernel from its shell. For example, a device for cracking a nutshell [2] is known, which comprises a conveying device, an element for breaking the shell, a shell separator, a nozzle for supplying a jet of air to remove the husk. The element for cracking the shell is made in the form of a microwave energy emitter, the conveying device is a series of closed V-belts installed with a gap. The shell separator is made in the form of a cylinder with flexible rods rigidly fixed on it and radially directed, while the cylinder is placed under the working branch of the conveying device transverse to its movement, and the flexible rods are placed in the gaps between the V-belts.

 The device operates as follows. From the hopper, nuts are transferred to the closed conveyor belt, distributed in an equal layer on the V-belts. The tape moves the nuts under the microwave emitter. Nuts falling into the microwave energy beam crack and move to the shell separator with flexible rods located under the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is formed by wedge-shaped belts with narrow slots in which the kernels of the nuts and shells are placed. The distance between the V-belts is chosen so that the cores in them do not fall through. Flexible rods push the small shell into the gap between the V-belts. At the same time, the cores remain on the tape. Moving along the tape, the kernels with large pieces of husk fall into a stream of air coming out of the nozzle with such a pressure that allows you to blow off a lighter shell with more windage, passing the kernels into the receiver.

 The disadvantages of this device are as follows. From the above it is obvious that flexible rods can push out not only husks, but also nuts, as both of them are very light. In addition, it is practically impossible to make a stream of air, blowing only the shell and letting through the kernels of nuts. From this it follows that this design of the device has low efficiency in the separation of the kernels from the shell. In addition, the device is structurally complex and extremely expensive.

 The closest in technical essence to the claimed object is a device for separating seeds (kernels) from peanut husks [3], containing a hopper mounted on a frame, drums with splitting teeth mounted on horizontal parallel axes, as well as a separation and cleaning mechanism. The separation and cleaning mechanism consists of a screw mounted in a casing and installed under the drums, equipped with brushes fixed on the screw edge, and a fan with an individual engine. Along the length of the lower working part of the casing of the separating and unloading auger, staggered holes are arranged in a checkerboard pattern for the passage of kernels of chopped nuts (peanuts).

 The principle of operation of this device is as follows. Peanuts coming from the hopper fall into the gap between the drums, where it is chopped and then the whole mass is fed into the casing of the separation and cleaning mechanism. The mass of peanut kernels falling into the casing is mixed with a rotating screw. With this stirring, cores and small particles of the husk slip through the hole-like openings in the casing. Passing through these openings, the cores and fine husks are exposed to the air flow pumped by a centrifugal fan. It is assumed that small particles - husk are carried away by air flow in the direction of the husk box, and heavy peanut kernels are deposited in another box.

 It is practically impossible to practically complete the separation of nuclei and husks by a stream of air, since it is impossible to adjust the air stream so that it does not constantly change. In other words, you need to deal with adjustment continuously, and this inevitably causes errors. The consequence is that a significant part of the husk is in the box along with the kernels of nuts.

 In addition, the auger clogs the husk and the holes in the casing, and brushes are installed on the screw edge to prevent this. In practice, the brushes are clogged with small particles of husk nuts and make it difficult to move the screw, which causes frequent device stops. Regular cleaning of the body of the separation and cleaning mechanism from the treated mass is required.

 In addition, the rotating auger twists and condenses large peanut husks, and this compacted husk traps and captures a large number of peanut kernels. Some of the cores are ground. And all this mass from the pressed husks and cores is removed into the husk box. Therefore, a large number of cores are in the waste.

Thus, from the above it follows that this device has the following disadvantages:
- low efficiency in cracking nuts and separating kernels from the shell;
- complex and expensive design;
- low reliability during operation;
The problem to which the claimed invention is directed is to create an inexpensive and simple in design device for processing nuts, which ensures high efficiency of the device with high-quality cracking of all nuts from a once-loaded amount (without returning to re-cracking).

In this case, the achievement of the following technical and economic results should be ensured:
- cracking nuts at the same time several calibers (at least four);
- automatic high-quality separation of the shell and kernels of nuts;
- high productivity and fast enough payback.

 A device for processing nuts is proposed, comprising a frame with a loading hopper mounted on it, a shell breaking mechanism with rolls and a separation and cleaning mechanism.

 The achievement of these technical results is achieved due to the fact that the device is equipped with a nut calibrator, made in the form of a tray with successively alternating sections of different diameters of the holes of at least four calibers and mounted movably on the frame above the rolls, and the separation and cleaning mechanism is equipped with an additional screen with horseshoe-shaped holes installed with the possibility of vibrations on the frame under the main receiving sieve, while the rolls of the mechanism of destruction of the shell are made with the remainder of the parts, each of which corresponds to one caliber of nuts, and the main receiving sieve is multi-grooved, with each brook located under a part of the roll of the corresponding caliber.

 The claimed invention can be recognized as meeting the requirement of novelty, since no analogue has been found, characterized by features identical to all the essential features of the invention.

 This invention has an inventive step due to the fact that it does not explicitly follow from the prior art, since the influence of the transformations prescribed by this invention, characterized by significant features distinctive from the prototype, aimed at achieving a technical result is not detected from the prior art.

 The claimed invention meets the requirement of industrial applicability, since it can be manufactured and used in industry to ensure that the technical result seen in this application is achieved.

The essence of the claimed device for processing nuts is illustrated by the following drawings:
FIG. 1 - general view of the device (axonometry);
FIG. 2 - horseshoe-shaped shape of the holes of the additional sieve (View A).

 The proposed device for processing nuts (Fig. 1) contains a frame 1 with a loading hopper 2 installed on it, a shell destruction mechanism 3 with rolls 4, a separation and cleaning mechanism and a nut calibrator.

 The loading hopper 2 is equipped with a round brush 5 mounted at its outlet for rotation. The calibrator is made in the form of a tray 6 with successively alternating sections 9, 10, 11, 12 of different hole diameters (at least four calibers) and a collection of 7 calibrated nuts.

 The purpose of the holes of the tray 6 (their alternation and size) is to sort the flow of nuts into four fractions. For example, nuts with a diameter of 12.5 to 15 mm are assigned to the I fraction of nuts; nuts with a diameter of 15 to 17.5 mm are assigned to the II fraction, nuts with a diameter of 17.5 to 20 mm are assigned to the III fraction, nuts with a diameter of 20 to 22 mm are assigned to the IV fraction.

 The tray 6 is installed above the rollers 4 on the frame 1 obliquely, spring-loaded (pos. 8) and connected to the drive 13 of the reciprocating movement. The angle of the tray 6 is less than the angle of rolling nuts.

 Under tray 8 there is a collection of 7 calibrated nuts with transport compartments 15, 16, 17, 18, each of which corresponds to one fraction of nuts.

 The rolls 4 of the shell destruction mechanism 3 are made up of parts 19, 20, 21, 22, each of which corresponds to one fraction of nuts, namely, part 19 of the rolls is intended for cracking nuts of the first fraction, part 20 - for cracking nuts of the second fraction, part 21 - for cracking nuts of the third fraction, part 22 - for cracking nuts of the fourth fraction.

 The separation and cleaning mechanism consists of a main receiving sieve 23, an additional sieve 24 and brush mechanisms 14 for cleaning the sieves. The main receiving sieve 23 is multi-strand due to the placement of longitudinal walls 25 on its upper surface and is installed under the rolls of the shell destruction mechanism 3. In addition, each stream is located under a part of the roll of the corresponding caliber. A loose chute 26 is installed on the output part of the sieve 23. The sieve 23 is spring-loaded and has a reciprocating drive (not shown in Fig. 1).

 Under the main receiving sieve 23, an additional sieve 24 is installed with shaped, for example, horseshoe-shaped and / or sickle-shaped holes (see Fig. 2), designed for the final removal of shells. The sieve 24 is spring-loaded and equipped with a reciprocating drive 27.

 To clean the holes under the sieve 23 and 24, brushing mechanisms 14 with brushes facing the holes of the sieve are installed in parallel with them. Each brush mechanism 14 is mounted with the possibility of reciprocating movements along the sieve 23 in antiphase with the oscillations of this sieve.

 The exit of the sieve 24 is provided with a guide 28, under which a hopper 29 for nuts kernels is installed. Directly under the sieve 24 is a hopper 30 for collecting small shells.

 Under the bulk chute 26, a container 31 is installed for collecting large shells.

 Sieve 23 and 24 are installed with an inclination to the horizontal plane at a certain angle, the value of which is greater than the angle of rolling nuts on a metal surface.

 The device operates as follows. Loaded nuts in the hopper 2 with a round brush 5 layer in one nut served on the tray 6 of the calibrator. Nuts, under the action of vibrations of the tray 6, are calibrated into four fractions as they move, namely, in section 9, nuts with a diameter of 12.5 to 15 mm (I fraction) slip into the holes of the tray and enter the transport compartment 15 (compartment for the I fraction of nuts ) a collection of 7 calibrated nuts. Similarly, in the holes of section 10 of tray 6, nuts with a diameter of 15 to 17.5 mm (fraction II) slip through and fall into the transport compartment 16; in the holes of section 11 of tray 6, nuts with a diameter of 17.5 to 20 mm (III fraction) slip through and fall into the transport compartment 17; in the holes of section 12 of tray 6, nuts with a diameter of 20 to 22 mm (IV fraction) slip through and fall into the transport compartment 18. After calibration, the nuts enter the shell destruction mechanism 3.

 At the same time, from the transport compartment 15 nuts of the I fraction get to part 19 of the rolls 4 of the mechanism 3, from the compartment 16 nuts of the II fraction fall to part of 20 rolls 4, from the compartment 17 nuts of the III fraction go to part 21 of the rolls 4, from the compartment 18 nuts of IV fraction fall to part 22 of the rolls 4 of the mechanism 3.

 The 3 nuts cracking mechanism, and the component part 19 rolls cracking all nuts of the I fraction, part 20 rolls cracking nuts of the II fraction, part 21 rolls cracking nuts of the II fraction, part 22 rolls cracking nuts of the IV fraction. Thus, high work efficiency is achieved by cracking each fraction of nuts without damaging their kernels.

 Then a mass of chopped nuts, including the following components: whole kernels, half the kernels, small shells - less than half the nut, large shells - more than half the nut - enter the separation and cleaning mechanism.

 In this case, the main receiving sieve 23 separates the large shell from the entire incoming mass as follows: the diameters of the holes of the sieve 23 are selected so that whole kernels, their halves and small shells slip through these holes, and the large shell accumulates and moves to the exit of the sieve 23 , falls into the bulk chute 26, from where it is poured into the tank 31 for the collection of large shells.

 An additional sieve 24 gets a mass consisting of kernels, their halves, small shells. Since the holes of the sieve 24 are horseshoe-shaped, small shells slip through them and fall into the hopper 30 to collect small shells.

 The kernels and their halves slide along the vibrating sieve 24 to the guide 28, along which they slide into the hopper 29 for the kernels of nuts. Thus, the complete separation of the kernels of nuts and their shells is carried out.

Thus, from the above, the following advantages of the proposed device for processing nuts are obvious:
- the design is simple and low cost;
- provides automatic cracking of nuts at the same time several fractions;
- the design provides high productivity (120 - 150 kg of nuts / h) and high payback (3 - 4 months);
- the design provides ease of use of the device, which does not require additional adjustments during operation.

Sources of information
1. Nut peeling machine. USSR author's certificate N 646978, M. cl. A 23 N 5/00, publ. 02/15/79

 2. Device for cracking nutshells. USSR author's certificate N 1752332, M.cl. A 23 N 5/00, publ. 08/07/92, bull. N 29.

 3. A device for separating seeds from peanut husks. RF patent N 2023404, publ. 11/30/94, bull. N 22 (prototype).

Claims (1)

 A nut processing device comprising a frame with a loading hopper installed on it, a shell breaking mechanism with rolls and a separation and cleaning mechanism with a main receiving sieve, characterized in that it is equipped with a nut calibrator made in the form of a tray with successively alternating sections of different diameters of openings at least four calibers and mounted movably on the frame above the rolls, and the separation and cleaning mechanism is equipped with an additional sieve with horseshoe-shaped openings, made with the possibility of vibrational vibrations on the frame under the main receiving sieve, while the rolls of the shell destruction mechanism are made up of parts, each of which corresponds to one caliber of nuts, and the main sieve is multi-strand, with each stream located under part of the roll of the corresponding caliber.

Images