Improvements in Machinery for Cracking Palm Nuts or Nuts of like Description.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Cracking Palm Nuts or Nuts of like
Description.
I, HENRY CLAUGHTON, 20, Milroy Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Naval Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a machine for cracking palm kernels, or nuts of
like description so as to divide the outer shell, and separate the kernel.
To accomplish this purpose I prefer to form a disk or disks, with steel pro-
jections transversely to act as shear blades.
The disks will be mounted on a shaft, made to work in bearings, on a bed
plate, with a fly wheel to regulate the motion. To be driven by drum and pully,
from any suitable means for driving, from any source or power, or to be worked
by hand. The disk will be partly enclosed in a frame or casing, and will have
a strong fence or rest, placed on one side, with a recess in which a nut will rest
on a steel blade projection, so regulated as to cut or crack the nut as it is met
by one of the steel blades projecting on the periphery of the disk as it rotates,
when the shell of the nut will be cut on opposite sides, and will split open pro-
jecting the kernel as the divided parts pass the barrier.
The space in the recess will be immediately occupied by the next nut in
rotation; the process being repeated so long as any nuts remain in the channel
leading to the recess. The fence will be mounted on the bed plate of the machine,
and can be adjusted to some extent.
A riddle for sorting the nuts in the first place, also a riddle with suitable mesh
to divide the kernels from the outer shell, with brush for freeing the mesh as
required.
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ດາ
1 1
1 1000
HENRY CLAUGHTON,
20, Milroy Street, Liverpool.
Improvements in Machinery for Cracking Palm Nuts or Nuts of like
Description.
I, CATHARINE ISABEL CLAUGHTON, of 20, Milroy Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Executor of the late Henry Claughton, of 20, Milroy Street, Liver-
pool aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object a machine for cracking palm nuts or nuts of a
like description, so as to divide the outer shell and separate the kernel therefrom.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

page_text: Figure 1 is a front view of the machine with the casing removed.
Figure 2 a cross section.
Referring to these figures, A are discs or drums with steel teeth or projections B
on their peripheries acting as shearing blades. The discs are mounted on a
rotary shaft C revolving in bearings D on a bed plate E, said shaft being pro-
vided with a fly-wheel F. The shaft may be driven by pulleys G or any other
suitable arrangement or be worked by hand. The discs A are partly enclosed in a
frame or casing H (shown in Figure 2 only), and there is a strong fence or barrier I
located adjacent to each disc, having a feeding spout J by which the nuts are fed
against the periphery of each disc. The fences or barriers I are mounted on
the frame E and they have a steel blade, projection or tooth K projecting just
sufficiently far from the fence I towards the periphery of the disc A, so as to
prevent nuts before being cracked from falling down between, while allowing the
blades B on the disc to pass it. The tooth K is a little below the top of the fence,
so as to constitute a recess large enough to hold one nut at a time.
In action the uncracked nuts are fed into the feeding spout J, the foremost
nut dropping into the recess formed by the tooth K, in which position it is in the
path of the revolving toothed periphery of the discs A. It is here
acted on by the toothed periphery of the disc, the teeth of which advancing
towards the nut, crack it and split open the shell, the kernel falling into a recep-
tacle below, as it parts with the broken pieces of the shell. The empty space
will be at once refilled by the next nut in the feeding spout and so on in rotation,
the teeth on the periphery acting upon the nuts in succession, the tooth K afford-
ing a barrier as the nuts pass down the feeding spout and ensure each nut being
cracked by the blades B.
The fence I, can be made adjustable if desired to some extent. A riddle with
mesh to divide the kernels from the broken outer shells and for sorting the nuts,
and a brush for cleaning the meshes may be provided if required.
In the drawings we have shown four separate discs arranged on a shaft. It
is obvious however that any other suitable number may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The improvement in apparatus for cracking nuts so as to divide the kernel
from the outer shell, which consists in providing a rotary disc or cylinder having
a toothed or bladed periphery, a stationary barrier or fence for holding a nut or
nuts in the path of the said toothed periphery, and a feeding device for feeding
the nuts to the said barrier or fence, whereby the toothed periphery acting upon
the nuts as they are held by the stationary fence cracks the shells thereof, and
allows the kernels to fall into a collecting chamber below, substantially as de-
scribed.
2. In apparatus for cracking nuts, a rotary cylinder or disc with a toothed or
bladed periphery acting upon the nuts which are placed in its path, in com-
bination with a fence or barrier which holds the nuts and presents them to the
toothed periphery as it rotates, substantially as described.
3. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming the
improved apparatus for cracking nuts so as to divide the outer shell and separate
the kernel therefrom, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 17h
T
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, & London.