Patent ID: 6772680
Filing Date: 2004-08-10
Classification: A23N

Abstract:
A high production nutcracking apparatus comprisinga turret mounted on a machine frame for rotation about a horizontal axis, said turret comprising a plurality of cracking units which are uniformly spaced about the periphery of the turret, and an end plate disposed perpendicularly to said axis and located so that the cracking units are on one side of said end plate, with each of the cracking units comprising an anvil and a cracking shuttle which are moveable toward and away from each other by pressurized air which is admitted into and exhausted from the units via a plurality of ports formed in the units, and with the ports being connected to said one side of the end plate and so as to communicate with respective openings which extend through the end plate, a valve plate fixedly mounted to the machine frame so as to be positioned parallel to and spaced from the other side of the end plate, said valve plate including a plurality of inlet openings which are positioned for sequential alignment with selected ones of the openings in the end plate as the turret is rotated, and with the inlet openings each communicating with an air delivery line on the side thereof opposite the end plate, and said valve plate further including at least one outlet opening positioned for sequential alignment with selected ones of the openings in the end plate as the turret is rotated, and with the outlet opening in said valve plate being connected to an exhaust line on the side thereof opposite the end plate, an air delivery system for delivering pressurized air which includes an oil mist component to each of said air delivery lines such that the pressurized air is selectively delivered to and exhausted from said cracking units during rotation of the turret, a filtering pad fixedly mounted in the space between said end plate and said valve plate, with said filtering pad having a plurality of inlet openings aligned with respective ones of the inlet openings in said valve plate, and at least one outlet opening which is aligned with the outlet opening in said valve plate, and with the filtering pad forming a filtering barrier which is aligned with at least some of the openings in the end plate when such openings receive exhausted air from the associated cracking unit, an oil recovery system for recovering oil from the pressurized air after it has been delivered to and exhausted from the cracking units comprising (a) a cowling sleeve attached to said valve plate so as to surround the radial periphery of the end plate and the filtering pad, said cowling sleeve having an annular free end remote from said valve plate and defining an annular collection chamber surrounding the periphery of said filtering pad and said end plate, a drain communicating with the lower portion of said collection chamber, and an annular barrier member for restricting the flow of oil which is received in the collection chamber in a direction toward said free end of the cowling sleeve and so that the oil is guided into said drain, (b) an oil tank for receiving any oil exiting from said drain of the collection chamber and from the exhaust line which is connected to the outlet opening of the valve plate, and (c) an oil recirculation system for delivering oil from the tank to the air delivery system to form the oil mist component of the pressurized air delivered to the cracking units.