Sunflower seed dehulling machine

A rotor especially adapted for dehulling sunflower seeds, comprising:

• a disc adapted to be rotated;
• means for feeding sunflower seeds to a central portion of said disc;
• substantially straight radially-disposed blades mounted on said disc extending from the edge of said disc to a position adjacent said central portion thereof for guiding the sunflower seeds from said central portion radially outward therefrom to the edge of said disc whereby the seeds are ejected radially outwardly of said disc along said blades by centrifugal force, said blades comprising a plate inclined with respect to said disc in the direction of disc rotation and forming with said disc a radial channel having a height conforming to the thickness of sunflower seeds adapted to orient the seeds with their major axes parallel to the radial channel axis as the seeds are ejected outwardly along said blades;
• an annular impact ring surrounding said disc;
• and
• means for sweeping seeds out of the path of said blades to clear the path of seed portions which rebound off said impact ring and avoiding interference by said rebounding seed portions with the seeds being ejected outwardly and maintaining said outwardly ejected seed in their proper orientation with their major axes parallel to the radial channel axis as the seeds are ejected outwardly of said disc toward said impact band, said sweeping means comprising fins mounted on said disc in front of said blades in the direction of disc rotation and extending radially outward of said disc beyond the most radially outward portion of said blades to a position spaced slightly inwardly from the face of said impact ring and each of said fins being constructed and arranged to intercept rebounding seed portions conveyed to the impact ring by the blade preceeding in the direction of disc rotation and to divert said rebounding seed portions away from the path of the sunflower seeds conveyed to the impact ring by the blade following in the direction of disc rotation.