Nut cracking machine

A nut cracking machine including a pair of spaced apart cracking plates having confronting cracking faces provided with cracking means thereon, the cracking faces and cracking means thereof being disposed to distribute cracking forces substantially tangentially along the periphery of the shell of a nut received therebetween, for rolling and cracking engagement of a nut, rather than crushing of the same; one of the cracking plates comprising a stationary base plate and the other comprising a rotatable holding plate that is moveable toward and away from the base plate; limit means for initial positioning of the cracking face of the holding plate apart from the cracking face of the base plate according to the proximate diameter of the nut to be cracked, for insertion of a nut therebetween, and thrust means operative on rotation of the holding plate for movement of the holding plate toward the base plate in juxtaposed relation for rolling and cracking engagement of the shell of a nut received therebetween and, on completion of the nut cracking circuit of the holding plate, to return the same to initial positioning thereof, for removal of the nut as cracked between the base plate and the holding plate.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to improvements in nut cracking machines. 
It has long been a problem to crack nuts in a manner so that a whole nut 
meat can be removed therefrom. This has proven to be particularly true in 
connection with nuts having a hard but thin shell, such as pecans. In this 
regard, the present invention was primarily developed for cracking pecan 
nuts, but it is obvious that the same may be used to crack various other 
kinds of nuts. 
I am aware that others have previously attempted to provide nut cracking 
meachines and devices, for instance, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,194,318; 
1,591,251; 2,321,795; and 2,631,626. However, all of these devices operate 
to crush rather than crack nuts placed therein. Each generally provides 
converging cracking faces, one being stationary and the other rotatable, 
and as the nut passes through the ever more restricted area between the 
cracking faces, the nut is crushed therebetween. 
In the present invention, the nut cracking force is not the result of 
crushing the nut between the cracking faces, but rather the shell of the 
nut is cracked by rolling engagement with the cracking means thereof in a 
manner so that the cracking forces are distributed peripherally along the 
shell rather than transversely through the nut. It is thus a primary 
object of this invention to provide a nut cracking machine in which the 
shell of a nut received thereby is cracked by moments of force acting in 
directions substantially tangentially along the periphery of the shell 
thereof. 
A further object of the invention is the provision of a nut cracking 
machine that is substantially self-adjusting as to minor irregularities 
and variations in the diameter of the shells of nuts to be cracked 
thereby. That is, a machine which is pre-set according to the general 
diameter of the shells of a group of nuts to be received thereby and which 
is thereafter self-adjusting as to minor irregularities and variations in 
the diameter of the shells thereof. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during 
the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with 
the accompanying drawings, and in which drawings:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
In the drawings, wherein is showed a preferred embodiment of the invention, 
and wherein similar referance characters designate corresponding parts 
throughout the several views, the letter A may generally designate the 
frame of my improved nut cracking machine; the letter B the cracking means 
thereof and the letter C the thrust means thereof which facilitates the 
operative rolling and cracking engagement of the shell of a nut by 
cracking means B thereof. 
Frame A preferably includes a housing, which may comprise an elongated 
tubular sleeve 10, having a mounting bracket 11 attached thereto. The 
lower end of mounting bracket 11 may be provided with a mounting plate 13 
through which bolts 15 may be received in attachment of the same to a 
suitable support 16. Support 16 may, for instance, comprise the side of a 
box or other container within which may be received the cracked nuts. 
Elongated tubular sleeve 10 is provided with an elongated bore 18 within 
which a shaft 20 may be rotatably supported. Shaft 20 is preferably 
rotatably supported by tubular sleeve 10 in a manner to be laterally 
moveable within bore 18 thereof. End 21 of shaft 20 extends outwardly from 
end 22 of tubular sleeve 10 and end 23 thereof extends outwardly from end 
24 of tubular sheeve 10. 
Cracking means B preferably includes a base plate or disc 30 having a 
cracking face 31, and a holding plate or disc 33 having a cracking face 
34. Nut cracking means 36 are provided on cracking faces 31 and 34. 
Cracking faces 31 and 34 are preferably substantially planar, extending 
transverse to the axis of shaft 20 in a substantially parallel spaced 
apart confronting relation. 
As best shown in FIG. 7, cracking means 36 may comprise a plurality of 
spaced apart rib means 40, providing raised portions extending above the 
surface of the cracking face thereof. Rib means 40 may be radially 
arcuate, with the convexities thereof facing in the same circumferential 
direction on a given cracking face. 
As shown, the convexities of rib means 40 of base disc 30 face in the 
circumferential direction of rotation of holding disc 33 and rib means 40 
of holding disc 33 face in the circumferential direction opposite to the 
direction of rotation thereof. 
It is, of course, obvious that rib means 40 may be other than an arcuate 
configuration facing in a particular direction along cracking faces 31 and 
34. Although I consider that optimum results will be obtained when rib 
means 40 extend in generally radial directions from shaft 20, it is 
obvious that they may be otherwise configured. 
Base disc 30 is preferably provided with index means 50, which may comprise 
a notch in the periphery thereof; and holding plate 33 is provided with 
index means 51, which may comprise a notch in the periphery thereof, the 
purposes of which will be subsequently described. 
Base disc 30 is preferably attached to end 22 of tubular sleeve 10, which 
provides mounting means for supporting base disc 30 on frame A in 
substantially fixed position. 
Holding disc 33 is preferably attached to shaft 20, adjacent end 21 
thereof, for rotation with shaft 20, and which provides mounting means for 
rotatably and moveably supporting holding disc 30 on frame A. A crank arm 
55 may be attached to holding disc 33, providing means for rotating of 
holding disc 33 and shaft 20. 
A compression spring 56 is preferably mounted on shaft 20, between base 
disc 30 and holding disc 33, comprising means for lateral movement of 
shaft 20 and holding disc 33 in a direction to urge holding disc 33 away 
from base disc 30, in order that a nut may be readily received between the 
confronting cracking faces 31 and 34 thereof. 
Disc 33 is thus rotatably supported with cracking face 34 thereof 
substantially planar to cracking face 31 of base plate 30 and is lineally 
moveable toward and away from base plate 30 along the axis of rotation 
thereof. 
Limit means 60 is provided adjacent end 23 of shaft 20, and cooperates with 
the thrust means C in a manner to provide a adjustment means for 
regulating the spacing apart of the cracking face 34 of holding plate 33 
from cracking face 31 of base disc 30 in an operable relation according to 
the proximate diameter of the shell of a nut to be received therebetween. 
Limit means 60 preferably includes a sleeve 62 having an inner end 63 and 
an outer end 64, and a bore 65 through which shaft 20 is rotatably 
received. End 23 of shaft 20 is preferably provided with screw threads 66, 
which receive a lug 67 in abutment with end 64 of sleeve 62. 
Thrust means C preferably includes an elongated backing plate 70, mounted 
on end 24 of tubular sleeve 10, and having an outwardly disposed guide 
face 71 extending transversely to the axis of shaft 20; an elongated 
floating plate 73, mounting on end 63 of sleeve 62, which comprises 
support means for mounting floating plate 73 on shaft 20 for lateral 
movement axially with shaft 20, and having a guide face 74 confronting 
guide face 71 of backing plate 70; wedge means 75; plunger means 77, which 
comprises mounting means for supporting wedges mean 75 in operable 
abutment with guide 71 and 74; and cam means 80 mounted on shaft 20 for 
operable abutment with wedge means 75 in delineating operative movement 
thereof. 
A guide pin 81 may be attached adjacent the lower end of backing plate 70. 
to be received through opening 82 of floating plate 73, for guiding 
movement of floating plate 73 toward and away from backing plate 70. 
The upper end of floating plate 73 is preferably angled to diverge away 
from backing plate 70 as at 83, in a manner so that guide faces 71 and 74 
define a guideway for wedge means 75 which increases in width as wedge 
means 75 moves away from shaft 20. 
Plunger means 77 preferably includes elongated tubular housing 85 attached 
to the upper end of backing plate 70, and within which is slideably 
received an elongated shaft 86. Wedge means 75 preferably comprises a 
plate 88 attached to the lowermost end of shaft 86, having a side 90 in 
sliding abutment with guide face 71 of backing plate 70, and a side 91 in 
sliding abutment with guide face 74 of floating plate 73. A compression 
spring 92 is mounted on shaft 86, in operative abutment at one end thereof 
with housing 85 and in operative abutment at the other end thereof with 
plate 88, for urging plate 88 along guide faces 71 and 74 in a direction 
toward shaft 20. 
Cam means 80 preferably comprises an arcuately shaped cam shaft 93, one end 
thereof being attached to shaft 20, for rotation therewith, the convexity 
of shaft 93 extending in the direction of rotation of shaft 20, and being 
positioned for abutment with plate 88 at a first position thereof in 
providing an actuating means for holding plate 88 at a given spaced apart 
first position away from shaft 20 and being moveable on rotation of shaft 
20 to move out of abutment with plate 88, to permit plate 88 to move 
toward shaft 20, and, on continued rotation of shaft 20, to again abut 
plate 88 to return the same to the first position of spaced apart relation 
thereof from shaft 20. 
Cam 80 is preferably shaped so that, on rapid rotation of shaft 20, cam 80 
only momentarily returns wedge means 75 to its first position a given 
distance away from shaft 20, for a purpose as will be subsequently 
described. 
In operation of my improved nut cracking machine, holding plate 33 is 
rotated (in a clockwise direction in accordance with the configuration of 
cam means 93 as shown) to a position as shown in FIG. 3, in which index 
means 51 of holding plate 33 is aligned with index means 50 of base plate 
30, and in which position cam means 80 will be in abutment with plate 88 
of thrust means C, holding the same at a maximum spaced apart distance 
from shaft 20. Lug 67 of limit means 60 is then threaded on threads 66 of 
shaft 20 in an appropriate direction to provide the desired spacing apart 
of holding plate 33 from base plate 30, according to the approximate 
diameter of the shell of the nut to be received therebetween, and so that 
the same may be readily interfitted between confronting cracking faces 31 
and 34 of base plate 30 and holding plate 33, as shown in FIG. 4. On 
rotation of holding plate 33 (again in a clockwise direction according to 
the configuration of cam means 80 as shown), cam means 80 moves out of 
abutment with holding plate 88, as shown in FIG. 5, plate 88 being urged 
by spring 92 of thrust means C in a direction toward shaft 20, along guide 
faces 90 and 91 of backing plate 70 and floating plate 73, which moves 
floating plate 73 away from backing plate 70 and thereby laterally moves 
shaft 20 in a direction to pull holding plate 33 toward base plate 30, 
against the action of compression spring 56, whereby to firmly grip a nut 
between the confronting cracking faces 31 and 34 of base plate 30 and 
holding plate 33, as shown in FIG. 6. On continued rotation of holding 
plate 33, rib means 36 of confronting cracking faces 31 and 34 
tangentially abut against and along the periphery of the shell of the nut 
held therebetween, in rolling and cracking engagement with the shell 
thereof. 
In the case of thin shelled nuts, a single complete rotation of holding 
plate 33 will usually be sufficient to crack the nut shell. On completion 
of rotation, with index means 51 of holding plate 33 again aligned with 
index means 50 of base plate 30, cam means 80 will again have moved into 
full abutment with plate 88 of thrust means C, lifting the same away from 
shaft 20, and enabling compression spring 56 to urge holding plate 33 away 
from base plate 30, as shown in FIG. 4, whereby the nut therebetween may 
fall into an appropriate container for further treatment thereof. 
In the case of nuts having a thick shell, and in which case more than a 
single revolution of holding plate 33 is necessary, it will be noted that 
cam means 80 has a position of only very brief abutment with plate 88, so 
that when holding plate 33 is rapidly rotated, the nut received between 
the confronting cracking faces 31 and 34 is not likely to fall from 
therebetween. 
Various changes may be made to the form of the invention herein shown and 
described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope 
of the following claims.