Device for the cracking of shell fruits

A machine for cracking shell fruit comprising:

• a first substantially circular plate rotating about a first axis and having on one of its faces a plurality of radial grooves extending from the periphery of said first plate with decreasing dimensions towards the center of said first plate;
• a second substantially circular plate rotating about a second axis and having on one of its faces a plurality of radial grooves extending from the periphery of the second plate with decreasing dimensions towards the center of said second plate;
• said first and second circular plates being mounted at a distance from each other with their respective radial grooves facing each other and rotated at substantially the same speed so that the respective pairs of radial grooves are maintained in a facing relationship and defining a cracking cavity of substantially conical shape open at the periphery of said rotation for receiving a single shell fruit introduced in said cavity;
• said second axis cutting said first axis substantially within the interval separating said first and second plates whereby during said rotation movement of both plates at essentially the same speed the overall size of the cross-section of each cavity decreases and increases as a result of relative motion between said facing grooves during rotation of said plates wherein fruit introduced into said cavity are crushed and thence released;
• a fruit-feed device for introducing one single fruit into each individual cavity during rotation movement of both plates at a position where said individual cavity has not yet reached its minimum overall size, wherein the feed device comprises a disk which radially extends the first plate towards the outside;
• said disk bearing on the same side as and facing the cavities radial transfer tubes having an inner opening substantially facing the corresponding cavity and, on the other side, cups each of which communicates with the inside of the corresponding tube by orifices which pass through the disk;
• the cups moving into a store of fruit defined in part by the disk on the first plate;
• a fixed radial metal plate preferably in the form of a ring sector which is adjacent to the disk transfer tubes blocking the orifices of the disk which are present in said store and extending up to at least the horizontal plane passing through the axis of the rotor, in the direction of rotation of the latter;
• another stationary metal plate blocking said interior openings of the tubes at least over a portion of the periphery of the disk extending from the place where said radial plate stops up to the vicinity of the upper part of the disk, in a direction of rotation of the latter, whereby fruit is raised by said cup and is forced through said orifices against said radial plate until said fruit is above said radial plate entering said transfer tubes before entering said cavities.