Patent ID: 9282763
Filing Date: 2016-03-15
CPC Classification: A23N,B02B,B07B

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for removing hulls from nuts comprising: (a) a support frame; (b) a substantially cylindrical drum having a substantially horizontal central axis and a circumferential drum surface with a plurality of spaced apart protrusions; wherein the drum is rotatably mounted to the support frame for rotating about the central axis; (c) a means for rotating the drum; (d) a hulling plate having a hulling edge transverse to the drum surface; wherein the hulling edge and an upper surface of the drum define therebetween a hulling gap that is sized to permit passage of the protrusions and hulls, but not nuts; (e) a separator plate having a separator edge transverse to the drum surface; wherein the separator edge and the upper surface of the drum define therebetween a separator gap that is sized to permit passage of the protrusions and wherein at least a portion of the separator gap is sized to permit passage of hulled nuts; and wherein the upper surface of the drum, the hulling plate and the separator plate define a hulling chamber where the drum surface rotates towards the hulling plate and away from the separator plate.