US1785328A - Nutcracker - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16, 1930.

C. B. REPP NUTCRACKER Original Filed Marh 12, 9

R O T. M 5 M Pp c Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES CLINTON B. REPIP, OF TLAINFIELD, NEWJERSEY NUTORACKER Application filed March 12, 1926, Serial No. 94,151.

culty of removing the kernel from the shell,

commercial scale, is so great,

which is very thick and tough, and the wastagethrough the crushing of the kernel when this is attempted to be done'mechanically on a (amounting to sixty percent or more) thatthe industrial use of the oil has been greatly curtailed, since it cannot be produced at a sufiiciently low figure to compete with similar vegetable oils such as cocoanut oil.

With the above conditions in mind, I have devised a machine which in addition to its capability er handling large quantities of cohune nuts, will crack the shell thereof so as to either separate, or permit a convenient separation of, the kernel therefrom with a wastage so small as to permit the economical handling of such nuts in the production of oil. The subsequent treatment of the kernels of the nuts in the production of oil, does not differ materially from methods heretofore employed, and theyield of oil and its quality will be relatively higher than that from other sources such as copra.

,Furthermore, the removal of the kernels in a machine embodying the invention, will be so rapid that the conditioning thereof for the presses will be more economical than with the cocoanut, and the subsequent treatment for'purification of the oil by reason of characteristics inherent to the cohune nut, will contribute toward the economical production of oil for use either as an oil, or for hydrogenation, for industrial purposes.

he machine of my invention is so constructed that it-will simultaneously crack the shells of a plurality of nuts, and will develop the high crushin power necessary tocrack the shell of a col une nut, which will range Renewed Apri1 25, 1930.

from one-half to three-quarters of a ton, without subjecting a material percentage of the kernels of the nut to any crushing strains, nor except in a very small percentage of cases, the mutilation of the kernel by separated fragments of the shells.

To secure the above results, I so construct the machine as to limit its crushing action to that necessary to break the shell, and afford about the nut while it is subjected to this crushing strain, suflicient space for the escape of portions of the shell immediately that the shell is broken. The operation of the machine is entirely automatic, and the conditions are such that the machine cannot be clogged as a result of improper feeding of the nuts thereto.

I have found it desirable to provide means by which the cracking elements of the machine may be ,so set as to operate only upon nuts of a certain size, and to incorporate in each machine-a-plurality of units, each having cracking elements combined with an automatic screening device which will permit the handling of the nuts in bulk and their automatic grading as to size, the separate units being adapted to operate upon different sizes of nuts, and means being provided whereby nuts of that particular size only will be autop matically delivered from the screening device to the nut cracking unit.

The invention consists primarily in a nut crackerembodying therein a rotatable cylinder having pocket forming means projecting substantially radially from the perimeter 80 thereof and extending continuously for substantially the full length of the cylinder, an idly mounted, heavy cylinder adjacent but spaced away from said first named cylinder, and-means rotating said first named cylinder, the pockets formed by said radially extend ing. means being relatively greater peripherally of the cylinder than thedimensions of a nut to be cracked, and of a length to simultaneously accommodate a plurality of nuts,v

whereby all of the nuts in each pocket will be readjusted in a pocket so that with continued rotation of said rotatable cylinder each nut will be brought to a position to be engaged at three points thereof by said cylinders, and said radially extending means, and the crushing power will be applied at a substantially single point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cylinders; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a machine embodying my invention, having four units; and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing one of the cracking units upon a larger scale, and in cross-section.

Like letters refer to like parts in both of said views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the machine includes four cracking units A, B, C and D, each of which is of the same construction as the other, although as will more fully appear hereinafter, the different units are so set as to operate upon nuts of diflerent sizes. Experience has demonstrated that cohune nuts will not vary materially in size and that four units with a power to graduated variance in setting of one-eighth of an inch will provide working conditions in the machine which will accommodate it to the entire range of sizes of such nuts.

Since each of the units is a duplicate ofthe others, a description of but one unit is necessar A suitable frame a has mounted in bearing brackets a'-'a2, a power shaft 6 carrying a worm gear 0. This shaft is common to al units in the machine. Power is applied to the worm gear a by a worm shaft 03 having mount ed thereon a heav fly wheel 6 which may also be used as a pulley for applyin'g'power to the shaft d. The use of a fly wheel is desirable becausethe various cracking units while they have continuous movement, nevertheless op erate only intermittently in cracking the nuts, and the momentum of this wheel'willassist upon the'instant of application of crushing the nuts in the various cracking units.

Carried by the shaft 7) is a cylinder 7 preferably a solid metallic cylinder of a length to have its opposite end plates f'-f2 close to the bearing brackets a-a2 of the frame (1. About the perimeter of this cylinder 7 are a plurality of pocket forming means comprising substantially radially extending projecting ribs g, the length of each of these pockets of the cylinder being relatively greater than any dimension of the cohune nuts to be cracked, and the height of the ribs 9 from the perimeter of the cylinder being relatively less than the dimensions of any nut to be cracked.

. When nuts are cracked in a machine, the crushing stresses are such that there is a tendency of the shell of the nut to be projected in almost any direction, and small particles of the shell maybecome so bunched as to cause the mutilation of the kernel of the nut. Notwithstanding that considerable space is afforded about the nut to permit the escape of such particles, wastage in the cracking of nuts may occur from this condition. In order to reduce this wastage as much as possible, I provide the cylinder 7 with recesses or grooves upon the forward, or upon both sides, of each radially extending projecting rib g and close thereto, thus afiording additional space into which smaller particles of the shell of the nut may extend or fall and peripherally thus reduce to a minimum likelihood of the v injury to the kernelby such particles. Such grooves are shown at h and h in the drawings, one upon each side of each radially projecting rib.

The ribs 9 must ossess considerable strength, and must be 'rmly secured to the cylindrical member 1'. I preferably form slots about said cylinder ext-ending well within same and so construct the ribs that they will have a driving fit within these slots, thus becoming practically an integral portion of the cylinder. 7

Also mounted in the bearing plates 11 and (12 of the frame forming a part of each unit is an idler cylinder 11, said cylinder being of relatively smaller diameter than the cylinder 7 and its ribs 9, and being so set as not to be engaged by said ribs.

The arbors z" of the cylinder 6 are mount- 1 ed in bearing blocks 7' and j movable in slots in the flanges a and a2, and are each acted upon by right and left adjusting screws 70-71: screw-threaded in said bearing blocks respectively and rotatably mounted in the flanges a or a2. By thus mounting the cylinder 2', it may not only be adjusted to take up wear, but it may be so set as to position it reasonably accuratel with perimeter of the cylin er 7 to accommodate the unit to nuts of approximately a single size.

- The cylinder 5 by reason of the severe wear upon it, and also to retard its rotation for the purpose to be hereinafter more particu-. larly referred to, is made of heavy metal stock. I

The diameter of the end flanges f and f2 is such as to bring them substantially flush with the top of the ribs 9.

Adjacent and above the cracking units A, B, C and D, is a hopper m adapted to receive relation to the v passing through the screen to the respective cracking units A, B, C and D. Any desired form of gradin screen may be used, and any desired mechanism for vibrating same for the purpose of ensurin the desired agitation of the nuts delivered thereupon, may be emplo ed. v

Beneat the various cracker units is a receiving hopper p into which the cracked nuts fall.

The operation of the herein described nut cracker is substantiall as follows While a machine 0 my invention, by reason of the necessary rigidity of various parts, will possess considerable weight, it nevertheless may, if desired, be mounted upon a vehicle and transported to the forests in which the cohune nuts grow, so that the nuts may be gathered directly from the ground and delivered in bulk to the hopper. From this hopper they pass to upon the screen 12.. Nuts .of different sizes pass through different portions n, n2, a3 and 914 of this screen to upon the chutes 0, 0, 02 and 03 respectively, along which they roll to a point where they will pass therefrom to the pockets formed about the perimeter of the cylinder 7 after said pockets have passed the vertical diameter of the cylinder, and as they are approaching the cylinder 2'.

The capacity of said pockets is insufficient to permit more than a single row of nuts to enter same, and the rapidity with which the machine operates is sufiiciently great to ensure each cracking unit handling the nuts delivered to each pocket from the chute co-operating therewith. If too many nuts should be delivered to one pocket, between succeedings ribs 9, this will not clog the machine nor interfere with its continued operation, since the excess nuts will be merely forced either back upon the screen or into the succeeding pocket by the cylinder 2'.

Since the diameter of the nuts delivered to a crackin unit will always be greater than the space between the cylinders f and i, (and experiences demonstrated that thisdistance should be approximately one-eighth of an inch less than the diameter of the nuts) the nuts cannot escape from the pocket and must be so positioned as to be subjected to the maximum crushing action of the cylinders, which however, is limited to the one-eighth of an inch above referred to.

The nuts being delivered to each pocket will roll therein towards the cylinder 2, until they rest upon the rib 71; forwardly of the pocket, and will thereafter have movement with the cylinder f until such movement is arrested by their engagement with the cylinder Following this engagement with the cylinder 2', the nuts will be held against movement with the cylinder f but will receive a rolling movement from said cylinder which will bring'them to a position where the crushing stresses may be properly applied thereto. During this period the cylinder 11 will have no rotary movement. This action will ultimately bring one point of the shell of the nuts against the rib g forming the rear wall of a pocket, and another point thereof against the cylinder f at the bottom of the pocket, another point thereof being against the cylinder 2". Hence there will be three substantially triangular-1y arranged points of contact of the nut with the cylinders f and i and a rib g.

The cylinder 71 being heavy will have substantially no movement while the nuts are thus being adjusted in a pocket upon the cylinder 7", until each nut is positioned as above described. Immediately however, that the parts are in this position, the friction between the nuts in a pocket and the cylinder 2', will cause a turning movement of said cylinder so that the continued rotation of the two cylinders f and i will cause the portions thereof contacting with the nut to develop a heavy crushing stress thereupon, which will progressively increase as thepoints of engagement of saidcylinders with the nut approach the horizontal diameters of these cylinders. With the cylinder 2' spaced substantially one eighth of an inch closer to the cylinder f than the diameter of the nut to be cracked, the crushing stresses will be limited to the shell'of the nut and will be immediately relieved when the points of contact between the nut and the cylinders f and 2' pass the horizontal diameter, thus permittingthe crushed nuts and fragments of the shell broken away from the kernels, and the kernels themselves to drop within the hopper p.

While I have referred to the grading of the cohune nuts into four grades, it will be understood that nuts in the different grades will vary slightly in diameter so as to permit the effective cracking of a number of nuts in each unit substantially simultaneously. In the form of the invention shown, the length of the cylinders f and 2' issufliciently great to receive seven nuts at a time in each pocket,

there being seven pockets about the cylinder 7". The manner of delivering the nuts is not such as to positively ensure the complete filling of every pocket, although the operation of the machine is such that the number of nuts to be cracked at one time will be limited to the capacityof each pocket in the cylinder, and a failure to completely fill each pocket is merely occasional and not general.

While a breaking down of the shell ordi- I narily occurs as a row of .nuts passes the horizontal diameters of the cylinders f and z, or

when the perimeters of these two cylinders are positioned the closest one to the other, with slightly over-sized nuts the shells may be cracked before they reach this position. However, the point of application of great est pressure to the nut will be applied ata single point, or along a single narrow line.

of the two cylinders. Hence the divergence of the surfaces of said cylinders as they pass the point of greatest crushing strain, and the space in each pocket in advance ofthe nut, will permit the rapid discharge of the cracked nut to within the hopper p. The portions of the shell which are broken from the kernel adjacent the angle between a rib 9 against which the nut is forced, and the cylinder f, cannot readily escape, however, and it is for this reason that I provide the recess h to afford additional clearance at this point in order to avoid likelihood of particles of the shell mutilating the kernel of the nut.

Highly satisfactory results may be obtained with a ratio of the worm gear 0 to the worm shaft d, and a speed of the latter which will impart a speed of 60 R. P. M. to the cylinder f, thus permitting the cracking of a maxi mum of about three thousand nuts per minute.

Any nuts which are under-sized will simply pass between, the two cylinders f and i without being cracked and will have no effect of clogging the machine.

WVhile the cylinder f is rotated continuously the cylinder 11 will rotate only intermittently, thus serving to retard the movement of the nuts with the cylinder f in the manner heretofore described, and properly position the nuts to be cracked. Furthermore, the application of the crushing stresses will be only momentary as to the nuts in each pocket, thus requiring merely the intermittent application of the power for crushing purposes. The interval between succeeding applications of said stresses, although slight, will nevertheless permit the development of momentum in the fly wheel 6 so as to permit the power of this wheel to assist to overcome the sudden resistance to the free rotation of the shaft 0 4 and cylinder 7" resulting from the application of crushing stresses to the nuts.

The capacity of the cylinder f as given is not essential to the machine, since the dimensions of the cylinders f and i and the power factor may be varied, the given capacity of each unit being that which I have found to give satisfactory results. The use of a shaft 0 common to all of the cylinders f is also a mere mechanical expedient.

It is not my in ention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what Iv claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is I 1. A nut cracker embodying therein a r0- tatable cylinder having pocket forming means projecting substantially radially from the perimeter thereof and extending continuously for substantially the full length of the cylinder, an idly mounted, heavy cylinder adjacent but spaced away from said first named cylinder, and means rotating said first named cylinder, the pockets formed by said radially extending means being relatively greater peripherally of the cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked and of a length to F simultaneously accommodate a plurality of nuts, whereby all of the nuts in each pocket will be read usted in a pocket so that with continued rotation of said rotatable cylinder each nut will be brought to a position to be engaged at three points thereof by said cylinders, and said radially extending means, and the crushing power will be applied at a substantiallysinglc point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cylinders.

2; A nut cracker embodying therein a rotatable cylinder having end plates thereon and pocket forming means projecting substantially radially from the perimeter thereof and extending uninterruptedly from end plate to end plate of said cylinder, and of substantially the same height assaid end plates, a heavy cylinder idly mounted adjacent but spaced away from said first named cylinder, and means rotating said first named cylinder, the pockets formed by said radially extending means being relatively greater peripherally of the cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked and of a length to simultaneously accommodate a plurality of nuts, whereby all of the nuts in each pocket will be readjusted in a pocket so that with continued rotation of said rotatable cylinder each nut will be brought to a po sition to be engaged at three points thereof. by said cylinders. and said radially extendlng means, and the crushing power will be applied at a substantially single point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portionsof the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cyltherein a roder, and means rotating said first named cylinder, the pockets formed by said radially extending means being relatively greater peripherally of the cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked and of a length to'simultaneously accommodate a plurality of nuts, whereby all of the nuts in each pocket will be readjusted in a pocket so that with continued rotation of said rotatable cylinder each nut will be brought to a position to be engaged at three points thereof bysaid cylinders, and said radially extending means,v

and the crushing power will be applied at a substantially single point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cylinders.

4.' A nut cracker embodying therein a rotatable cylinder, a plurality of ribs spaced peripherally, and extending longitudinally for substantially the full length of said cylinder and projecting substantially radially from the perimeter thereof, an'idly mounted, heavy cylinder adjacent but spaced away from said first named cylinder, and means rotating said first'named cylinder, the pockets formed bysaid radially extending ribs being relatively greater peripherally of the cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked and of a length to simultaneously accommodate a plurality of nuts, whereby all of the nuts in each pocket will be readjusted in a pocket so that with continued ro tation of said rotatable cylinder each nut will be brought to a position to be engaged atthree points thereof by said cylinders, and said radially extendingribs, and the crushing power will be applied at a substantially single point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cylinders.

5. A nut cracker embodying therein a rotatable cylinder, a plurality of ribs. spaced peripherally, and extending longitudinally for substantially the full length of saidcylinder and projecting substantially radially from the perimeterthereof, said cylinder ad- .jacent said ribs respectively having a long1-' tudinally extending recess to preventthe accumulation of particles ofshells within the angle between said ribs and the perimeter of said cylinder, anidly mounted, heavy cyl-- inder adjacent but spaced away from said first, named cylinder, and, means rotatlng said first named cylinder, the pockets formed by said radially extending ribs being relatively greater peripherally of the cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked, wherebyeach nut will be readjusted m a pocket so that with continued rotation of ing, and immediately following,

brought to a position to be engaged at three points thereof by said cylinders, and said radially extending ribs, and the crushing power will be applied at a substantiall single point during the rotation of said cy inder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cylinders.

6. A nut cracker embodying therein a rotatable cylinder having pocket forming means projecting substantially radially from the perimeter thereof and extending continuously for substantially the full length of the cylinder, inder adjacent but spaced away from said first named cylinder, a shaft carried by said first named cylinder, a worm ear thereon, a worm shaft cooperating witfi gear, and a weighted fly wheel upon said worm shaft, the pockets formed by said ra dially extending means being relatively greater peripherally of the cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked and of a length to simultaneously accommodate a plurality of nuts, whereby all of the nuts in each pocket will be readjusted in a pocket so that with continued rotation of said r0- tatable cylinder each nut will be brought to a position to be engaged at three points thereof by said cylinders, and said radially extending means, and the crushing power will be applied at asubstantially single point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut .durthe application of the crushing strains will pass from Ellie operative relation to both of said cyliners.

7 A nut cracker embodying therein a rotatable cylinder, a plurality of ribs spaced peripherally, and extending longitudinally for substantially the full length of said cylinder and projecting substantially radially from the perimeter thereof, said cylinder. adjacent said ribs respectively having a longitudinally extending recess to prevent. the accumulation of particles of shells within the angle between said ribs and the perimeter dially extending ribs being relatively greater peripherally of the, cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked, whereby each nut will-be readjusted in a pocket so that with continued rotation of said rotatable cylinder each nut will be brought .to a posaid worm sitionto be engaged at three points-therebf by said cylinders, and said radially extending ribs, and the crushing power will be applied at a substantially single point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cylinders.

8. A nut cracker embodying therein a rotatable cylinder, a pluralityof ribs spaced peripherally, and extending longitudinally from end plate to end plate, of said cylinder and projecting substantially radially from. the perimeter thereof, said cylinder adjacent said ribs respectively having a longitudinally extending recess to prevent the accumulation of particles of shells within the angle between said ribs and the perimeter of said cylinder, a heavy .cylinder idly mounted adjacent but spaced away from said first named cylinder, and means rotating said first named cylinder, the pockets formed by said radially extending ribs being relatively greater peripherally of the cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked, whereby each nut will be readjusted in a pocket so that with continued rotation of said rotatable cylinder each nut will be brought to a position to be engaged at three points thereof by said cylinders, and said radially extending ribs, and the crushing power will be applied at a substantially single point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cylinders.

9. A nut cracker embodying therein a r0 tatable cylinder, a plurality of ribs spaced peripherally, and extending longitudinally for substantially the full length of said cvlinder and projecting substantially radially from the perimeter thereof, said cylinder adjacent said ribs respectively having a longipower will be applied at a substantially single point during the rotation of said cylinder, and portions of the shell and the cracked nut during, and immediately following, the application of the crushing strains will pass from the operative relation to both of said cylinders.

In witness whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature, this 8rd day of February, 1926.

Y CLINTON B. REPP.

tudinally extending recess to prevent the accumulation of particles of shells within the angle between said ribs and the perimeter of said cylinder, a heavy cylinder adjacent but spaced away from said first named cylinder, bearing blocks in which said last named'cylinder is idly mounted, means operative upon said blocks, whereby said heavy cylinder may be adjusted toward or from said first named cylinder, and means rotating said first named cylinder, the pockets formed by said radially extending ribs being relatively greater peripherally ofthe cylinder than the dimensions of a nut to be cracked, whereby each nut will be readjusted in a ocket so that with continued rotation of said rotatable cylinder each nut will be brought to a position to be engaged at three points thereof by said cylinders, and said radially extending ribs, and the crushing

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