Patent ID: 7717033

Claim:
A nut cracking mechanism comprising: a cylindrical drum having an outer nut cracking surface; a mounting structure wherein the cylindrical drum is rotatabley supported on a horizontal axis by the mounting structure; a compression plate having a plate support wherein the compression plate is mounted on the plate support adjacent to the outer nut cracking surface of the cylindrical drum in a position relative to the outer nut cracking surface of the cylindrical drum wherein the outer nut cracking surface of the cylindrical drum has a radius and the compression plate has a nut cracking surface with a curvature having a radius approximately twice the radius of the cylindrical drum with the nut cracking surface of the compression plate facing an adjacent portion of the outer nut cracking surface of the cylindrical drum wherein a vertical downwardly narrowing gap is formed between the compression plate and the outer nut cracking surface of the cylindrical drum; and a drive mechanism that rotates the cylindrical drum relative to the compression plate wherein the portion of the outer nut cracking surface of the cylindrical drum facing the nut cracking surface of the compression plate is rotated in a forward motion to advance nuts to the vertical downwardly narrowing gap for cracking between the outer nut cracking surface of the cylindrical drum and the nut cracking surface of the compression plate.