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US 2023/0141518 A1Published application
High speed nut cracking apparatus
AssigneeSavage Equipment Incorporated
InventorsBasil W. Savage, Steven W. Savage, Willliam Ferrell Wagoner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nut cracking apparatus has a frame with a rotatable turret mounted thereto. A plurality of nut cracking units in the rotatable turret comprise pistons movable from a retracted position to an extended position and crack dies aligned with the piston. Air is communicated through feed air passages in the rotatable turret to urge the pistons from a retracted to an extended position.
Claims21
A nut cracking apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a rotatable turret mounted to the frame, the rotatable turret including a rotatable valve plate at an end thereof;
- a plurality of nut cracking units in the rotatable turret, each nut cracking unit comprising:
- a piston movable from a retracted position to an extended position;
- and
- a crack die aligned with the piston against which the piston secures a nut in its extended position;
- and
- an air supply communicated with the rotatable valve plate, the rotatable turret defining a feed air passage associated with each nut cracking unit therethrough from the rotatable valve plate to a rear end of a piston cylinder in which the piston is housed through which air passes to urge the piston from a retracted to an extended position.
5 more elements
A nut cracking apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a piston cylinder body rotatably mounted in the frame, the piston cylinder body defining a plurality of piston cylinders with a piston movably disposed therein from a retracted position to an extended nut holding position;
- a shuttle cylinder housing rotatable with the piston cylinder body, the shuttle cylinder housing defining a plurality of shuttle cylinders each with a shuttle movably disposed therein;
- a crack die positioned at a forward end of each shuttle cylinder, the shuttle movable from a rear end to a forward end of the shuttle cylinder to impact the crack die;
- and
- an air supply communicated with a rear end of the shuttle cylinder body, the air supply providing air to the rear end of the shuttle cylinder to move the shuttle in the shuttle cylinder twice to generate first and second impacts on the crack die during a single rotation of the shuttle cylinder body.
3 more elements
A nut cracking apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a rotatable turret mounted to the frame;
- a turret sprocket connected to the rotatable turret;
- a drive sprocket connected to and rotated by a motor;
- a chain engaging the drive sprocket and turret sprocket, the turret sprocket rotated by the motor, the rotating turret comprising:
- a plurality of pistons movable in piston cylinders from a retracted position to an extended nut holding position;
- a plurality of shuttles movable in shuttle cylinders from a rear end to a forward end thereof;
- and
- a plurality of crack dies positioned at the forward end of the shuttle cylinders;
- a rotatable valve plate positioned adjacent the rear end of the shuttle cylinders;
- an air supply communicated with a stationary valve positioned adjacent the rotatable valve plate;
- and
- the turret defining air passages for providing air communicated through the rotatable valve plate to the piston cylinders and shuttle cylinders to move the pistons and shuttles in their respective cylinders, the air passages being completely contained within the rotating turret.
10 more elements
A nut cracking apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a rotatable turret mounted to the frame;
- a plurality of nut cracking units in the rotatable turret, each nut cracking unit comprising:
- a piston having a piston head and a piston rod extending therefrom movable in a piston cylinder from a retracted position to an extended position;
- and
- a crack die aligned with the piston against which the piston secures a nut in its extended position;
- a forward seal defining a frustoconical engagement surface positioned at a forward end of each of the piston cylinders;
- and
- a rear seal defining a frustoconical engagement surface positioned at a rear end of each of the piston cylinders, the piston head comprising:
- a generally cylindrical center portion sealingly engaged with the piston cylinder;
- and
- a rear portion sloping radially inwardly in a rear direction from the center portion and defining a rear engagement surface for mating with the frustotoconical engagement surface on the rear seal.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.