Self-adjusting apparatus for slitting peanuts

Apparatus for slitting the skins of nuts, including

• (a) a pair of rolls disposed in a vertical plane one above the other and defining a bite therebetween,
• (b) feed means for delivering said nuts in a single steady stream into the bite of said rolls,
• (c) slitting elements disposed on opposite sides of said bite in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of said rolls for slitting the skins of nuts carried by said rolls between said elements,
• (d) resilient mounting means supporting the upper of said rolls for free yielding movement in a vertical plane to and away from the lower of said rolls in response to each nut entering said bite whereby the gap between said rolls will vary automatically according to the size of each nut in the bite of said rolls, the lower of said rolls being rotatable about a fixed axis,
• (e) power means drivingly connected to said rolls for rotating said rolls in opposite directions,
• (f) said mounting means including a bracket, one end of said bracket rotatably supporting said upper roll and the opposite end of said bracket mounted to said apparatus for free pivotal movement within a predetermined angle about an axis in spaced parallel relation to the axis of said upper roll to thereby permit limited movement of said one end of said bracket together with said upper roll to and away from said lower roll.