Improvements in Machines for Cracking Palm and other Nuts.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr., 1892-Accepted. 7th May. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cracking Palm and other Nuts.
CHARLES JAMES LEATHER, Engineer & Contractor, North Grounds Villa,
Portsmouth and EMIL HOLLANDERS, Watch & Clock Maker, 3 Queens
Buildings, Osborne Road, Southsea do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
A pair of jaws one fixed and one moveable and an arrangement for feeding the
nuts singly to the above mentioned jaws.
1st. The jaws placed vertically are hinged at right angles to their faces, to give a
downward motion to the moveable jaw. Two doors hinged one vertically, the
other horizontally are arranged to keep the nuts in position whilst the jaw is in
motion and are moved so as to expel the broken shell & kernel when the jaw is in
its normal position.
2nd. The feeding arrangement consists of a tray or dish with an opening in it
through which the nuts pass into a hopper. This feeds a shoot from the lower
end of which the nuts fall onto a second shoot running in the opposite direction.
From this the nuts pass into cups fixed round a disc from which they are dropped
upon a plate which is withdrawn at such times as will allow the nuts to fall
between the jaws when open. Both shoots are hinged & a shaking movement is
given to them. At the junction of the shoots an arrangement is made to prevent
excessive feeding to the cups. The disc is fitted on a shaft which is made to
rotate at intervals corresponding with the number of cups thereon. This move-
ment is obtained from an eccentric fixed to the main shaft. The end of the
eccentric rod works in a guide. A stud is fixed near the middle of the eccentric
rod by which a second rod is moved. This rod has a guide in which it moves at
one end and two flanged forks at the other. On the disc shaft is a lantern pinion
in the trundles of which the flanges of the fork engage alternately.
Dated this 4th day of June 1891.
C. J. LEATHER.
EMIL HOLLANDERS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cracking Palm and other Nuts.
We CHARLES JAMES LEATHER of North Grounds Villa, Portsmouth, in the
County of Hants, Engineer and Contractor, and EMIL HOLLANDERS, of
3 Queen's Buildings, Osborne Road, Southsea, also in the County of Hants,
Watch and Clock Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a machine for cracking palm and other nuts of varying
The machine is so made that the
sizes without injuring the kernels thereof.
continuous rotation of one shaft will (1) feed the nuts to the breaking jaws,
(2) break the shells of the nuts as they are fed; and (3) discharge the kernels and
the broken shells from the machine after each breaking operation. The machine
being comparatively light in weight may be easily transported from place to place
as required, so that the nuts may be cracked at or near the place where they are
gathered, thereby saving the cost of the carriage of the useless shell.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2 is a sectional plan of a nut breaking
machine constructed in accordance with our invention;

page_text: Figure 3 is another vertical section taken at right angles to Figure 1 part of
the mechanism being omitted
;
Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 and shew the parts in a
different position, some of the mechanism being omitted;
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation shewing the other position of the parts
represented in Figure 3.
Figures 7 to 13 shew details of construction.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate the same or corresponding
parts in all the figures.
In the drawings the machine is shewn fitted with a hand lever but it may be
fitted to be worked by power if so desired. a is a frame in which is mounted the
driving shaft (see Figures 1, 2 & 4). c is a cam or trigger keyed on the shaft
which latter is intended to be rotated in the direction of the hands of a clock,
that is to say from left to right. d is a tumbler lever pivotted on an auxiliary
shaft done end of said lever being in the path of the cam or trigger, the other
end engaging with a notch in the upper end of the moveable jawe (see Figures 1
and 4). When the shaft is rotated, the cam e thereon lifts the end of the lever d,
as shewn in Figure 4, thereby pressing forward the moveable jawe; as the rotation
of the shaft is continued, the cam or trigger e passes away from under the end of
the lever d which then falls under the action of gravity into its normal horizontal
position as shewn in Figure 1. The moveable jaw e is made of the shape shewn,
its forward or cracking face being serrated as shewn in Figure 4. The jawe is
pivotted at to the fork secured to or formed on the lower part of the fixed
Jaw g.
|
Figures 7 and 8 shew side and front elevations of the jaw g.
The space between the two jaws e and is bounded by two side pieces and i,
(see Figures 3 and 6), one of which, marked in the drawings is pivotted at / and
is capable of being moved in a vertical plane across the space between the two
jaws e and y. The other side piece is so connected to the piece has to turn over
on a vertical hinge and open outwards away from the advancing piece h. This
movement takes place immediately the moveable jaw e has returned to its initial.
position and is effected by the following means -The side piece is attached to
an arm & whose lower end is pivotted to the post secured to or formed on the
lower part of the fixed jaw g. The upper end of the arm is pivotted to a con-
necting rod (see Figures 3 and 6) whose other end is connected to one arm of
the lever pivotted at o (see Figure 2). The other arm of the lever a is
pivotted to a cross arm carrying two friction rollers which bear one on each
side of a projection y formed on the shaft .
This projection is partly helical and partly circular, the circular portion being
rather more than half the travel, so that the period of rest is slightly longer than
the period of work.
This projection is so disposed on the shaft that the travel of the lever n and
consequently of the side piece / commences just immediately after the return move-
ment of the jaw e. In other words, when the cracking operation is completed,
then the ejection of the broken shell and the nut is effected. The ejected nut and
broken shell fall down the shoot 14 into a suitable receptacle placed beneath.
To the arm is fixed a hook piece the free end of which hooks over a nose s
on the second side piece; this is clearly shewn in Figure 10 which is a detached
plan of the two side pieces and i.
Figure 9 shews elevation and plan of the side piece. The said side piece i is
provided with two trunnions which, by slightly springing the metal, are made to
engage in the eyes secured to the side of the fixed jaw y (see Figures 7 & 8).
The side piece is thus capable of being turned over on its trunnions as a vertical
or approximately vertical hinge, and this action takes place as the other side piece h
advances through the space between the two jaws e and g.. When the parts are in
the position shewn in Figure 6, that is to say, when the side piece has advanced
to the end of its travel, the other side piece is opened outwards on its hinge into

page_text: the position shewn in full lines in Figure 6 and by the dotted lines in Figure 10.
As the side piece h advances, the hook bears against the side piece and pushes
the same open, but as the piece travels forward in a straight line, while the
piece travels in the are of a circle whose centre is at the hinge t, the hook r
disengages itself from the nose and at its extreme position the parts are
disengaged, the nose s bearing against the side of the hook as shewn by the
dotted lines in Figure 10. On the return movement of the side piece the hook
again catches against the nose s of the side piece and draws it back again to its
initial or closed position.
To the upper end of the side piece is pivotted a plate (see Figures 3 and 5)
which rests on a ribe of the frame a and travels with the side piece; when the
piece is in the position shewn in Figure 6, this plate comes directly under
the feeding arrangement and thus prevents another nut from falling down
between the jaws e and g while the ejecting action of the side pieces and i is
in progress.
The feeding arrangement consists of a tray 10 through an aperture 11 in which
the nuts fall into a hopper 12 and travel down the inclined shoot into the mouth 15
of a second inclined shoot 13 whose lower end is in the path of a wheel 1 having cup
shaped projections on its periphery. The extension arm 16 of the inclined shoot 13
is pivotted at 17 to a fixed part of the case a, and its upper end is pivotted at 18 to
the lower end of the inclined shoot 12. 20 is a connecting rod frame pivotted at
its upper end to the under sides of the hopper 12, and at its lower end to the sides
of the casing 9 of the wheel 1. It will be seen that by this arrangement both of the
inclined shoots and the hopper are capable of vertical movement. This movement
is produced by the projecting lips of the cups on the wheel 1, which successively
abut against the underside of the lower inclined shoot 13 and raise the samne until
it is clear of the path of the wheel, when it falls into its initial position by the
action of gravity. This movement produces a vertical shaking of the shoots
and hopper every time a cup passes under the lower shoot and serves to shake
down the nuts and prevents them from jamming or from being fed too quickly to
the wheel 1.
The
The wheel 1 is intermittently rotated by the following arrangement of mechanism
which will be described more particularly with reference to Figures 11, 12 and 13.
Figures 11 and 12 shew two different positions of the rotating mechanism and
Figure 13 is a side view thereof. The wheel is keyed on the shaft 2 which
is parallel to the main shaft 6. On the extremity of the shaft 2 is keyed
a pin wheel 3 between the pins on which the noses 4° of the swinging lever 4
alternately engage. The lever 4 is bifurcated at the other extremity, the crotch 4¹
fitting loosely over the shaft which thus serves as a guide for the lever 4.
said lever 4 is also pivotted at 5 to a second swinging lever 6. One end 6° of the
lever 6 is circular and is secured as a strap on the eccentric 7 on the shaft />,
the other end being bifurcated, the crotch 6' fitting loosely over the shaft 2 which
thus serves as a guide to the lever 6. When the shaft rotates, every point in the
lever 6 between the shafts and 2 travels in an elliptical path. The pivot 5
therefore travels in an elliptical path and consequently also the lever 4 and its
noses 4º, so that the said noses alternately engage the pins of the wheel 3. These
noses 4° are so made that the inclined or working surface of the nose on the right
side is on the top, while the inclined or working surface of the nose on the left side
is on the bottom so that, as shewn in Figures 11 and 12, they both act to rotate
the shaft 2 in the same direction.
By this arrangement a continuous rotation of the shaft 6 will produce a continuous
but opposite rotation of the shaft 2. The pins on the wheel 3 are arranged in such
manner that the sun of the impulses given by the two noses 4° will be to rotate the
shaft 2 a distance equal to the distance between two consecutive cups on the shaft ;
as the drawings shew the shaft fitted with four cups this rotation will, in the
case of the arrangement of mechanisan illustrated, be through an angle of
90 degrees.

page_text: It will be seen that the continuous rotation of the main shaft will (1) feed,
(2) crack, and (3) eject the nut and broken shell; and that the parts are so arranged
that these three functions are performed in the order stated. The peculiar tapering
shape of the cracking face of the moveable jawe and the manner in which it is
hinged and actuated will allow it to break the shells of nuts varying in diameter
without injuring the kernels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The arrangement of mechanism herein described for cracking palm and other
muts combined and operating substantially as stated.
2. A machine for cracking palm and other nuts, wherein the feeding, cracking
and ejecting of kernel and broken shell are performed by the continuous rotation
of a main shaft substantially as described.
3. In a machine for cracking nuts the method of feeding the nuts singly to the
breaking jaws by means of a wheel with peripheral cups thereon, the said wheel
being caused to intermittently rotate through a distance corresponding to the
distance between the cups by a pin wheel on the same shaft actuated by a
double nosed swinging lever connected with an eccentric on the main shaft
of the machine, the hopper and troughs down which the nuts gravitate being
linked together and shaken by the cups on the wheel as it rotates, all combined
and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth and
illustrated.
4. The peculiar tapering construction and manner of jointing the moveable or
cracking jaw of a nut cracking machine substantially as described and shewn and
for the purpose stated.
5. In a machine for cracking nuts, the means herein described for actuating the
hinged cracking jaw, consisting of a cam or trigger on a main shaft in the path
of which said cam is one end of a bell crank lever whose other end engages in a
notch or recess in the upper end of the cracking jaw whereby the rotation of the
cam or trigger causes the cracking jaw to advance towards the fixed jaw, the
reverse movement being produced by the freed end of bell crank falling under
the action of gravity, all substantially as set forth and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
6. In a machine for cracking nuts, the ejecting mechanism consisting of the two
side pieces and serving as walls to hold the nuts in place during the operation of
cracking, one of which said side picces is caused to travel forward and back again
between the two cracking jaws, while the other is opened outwards by the advancing
side piece and is closed again on its return movement, the said ejecting mechanism
being, together with means for shutting off the supply of nuts during the ejecting
action, operated by a system of levers and a cam projection on the main shaft
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 4th day of Auril 1892.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicants.