AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CRACKING PALM AND OTHER NUTS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Wyllie, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and James Latham, of the same Place, Produce
Broker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CRACKING
PALM AND OTHER NUTS."
Sealed the 25th May 1869, and dated the 28th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Wyllie and
James Latham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th November 1868.
We, ANDREW WYLLIE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and JAMES LATHAM, of the same Place, Produce Broker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE
FOR CRACKING PALM AND OTHER NUTS," to be as follows:-
Hitherto cracking palm and other like nuts has been attended with
considerable expense and difficulty in consequence of the excessive
hardness of the shells.

page_text: Now the object of our Invention is to provide a reliable machine
which will liberate the kernels at a comparatively low cost. For this
purpose we support on strong framework by a hinge or otherwise a serrated
plate capable of being adjusted by a set screw or its equivalent to any
desired angle. Opposite to the said serrated plate we support in a similar
manner another and like serrated plate, to which we give a reciprocating
or vibratory motion by an excentric or crank coupled to or connected
with it, the latter being operated by or from any convenient power.
Every time therefore when the machine is at work the vibrating serrated
plate makes a double stroke a number of nuts are cracked. By
adjusting the serrated plates at an angle to each other nuts of different
sizes can be cracked at the same time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said Andrew Wyllie and James Latham in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ANDREW
WYLLIE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
JAMES LATHAM, of the same Place, Produce Broker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Andrew Wyllie and James
Latham, Her special license that we, the said Andrew Wyllie and James
Latham, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Andrew Wyllie and James Latham, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CRACKING PALM AND
OTHER NUTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Andrew Wyllie and James Latham, our executors or administrators, by

page_text: an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Andrew Wyllie and James Latham,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Hitherto the cracking of palm and other like nuts has been attended
with considerable expense and difficulty in consequence of the excessive
hardness of the shells.
Now the object of our Invention is to provide a reliable machine
which shall at a comparatively low cost crack the shells and liberate
the kernels. For this purpose we support on strong framework, by a
hinge or otherwise, a serrated or rough plate capable of being adjusted
by a set screw or its equivalent to any desired angle. Opposite to the
said serrated or rough plate we support in a similar manner another
and like serrated or rough plate, to which we give a reciprocating or
vibratory motion by an excentric or crank coupled to or connected with
it, the said excentric or crank being operated by or from any convenient
power. Every time, therefore, when the machine is at work the recipro-
cating or vibrating serrated or rough plates makes as double stroke a
number of nuts are cracked. By adjusting the serrated or rough plates
at the required angle to each other nuts of different sizes can be cracked
at the same time.
Dheet
Drawi
constructed according to our Invention are fully delineated. Fig. 1
is an end elevation; Fig. 2, a side elevation; and Fig. 3, a longitudinal
vertical section. In these views like letters denote the same parts.

page_text: a is the supporting frame or legs; b, body frame; c, tray for uncracked
nuts; d, adjustable serrated plate hinged at d¹; e, adjusting screw with
set nuts f; g, reciprocating or vibrating plate hinged at g and coupled
by the excentric rod h to an excentric portion of the shaft i; j, operating
fly wheel and handle. The adjustable and vibratory plates are shewn on
the Drawings provided with detachable faces pieces of steel or case-
hardened iron secured by bolts, (packing pieces of india-rubber or other
elastic material are placed at the back if a slight give is desired). It will
be obvious, however, these plates may be formed in one piece, and that
instead of being serrated as shewn they might simply be roughened,
indeed when the faces are placed at a less angle to each other cast iron
surfaces as they leave the sand answer well. We prefer the arrangement
shewn.
That others may be enabled to carry our improvements into effect we
will now proceed to set forth the mode of operation of the above-described
machine. The palm or other nuts are fed to the tray c and allowed to
fall therefrom between the serrated plates d and g; when the fly wheel j
is turned by hand any available power can be used; the shaft i
rotates, and the excentric portion causes the excentric rod h and the
plate g to vibrate or move alternately towards and away from the adjust-
able plate d; every vibration towards d therefore the nuts between g
and d are cracked more or less, and if sufficiently cracked allowed to
fall through into any suitable receptacle. To adjust the machine
for nuts of different size, it is simply necessary to increase or decrease
the distance between d and g by the screw e and set nuts f.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and par-
ticularized the same by details which we have found to answer well in
practice, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the exact arrangement herein described and shewn on the Drawings, as
many modifications may be made without departing from the leading
features of our Invention, as instances we may mention a crank or other
arrangement of mechanism could be used to give motion to the vibrating
plate, and a fixed plate could be used in place of the adjustable one;
what we claim is,-
First. The vibrating serrated or rough plate g in combination with
.

page_text: Second. The combination and arrangement of the parts as a whole,
substantially in the manner herein described and shewn on the Drawings
for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Andrew Wyllie and James Latham,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-seventh day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred &
sixty-nine.
ANDREW WYLLIE. (L.S.)
JAMES LATHAM.
(L.S.)