Apparatus for cracking nuts at high production rates

A high production nutcracking apparatus comprising

• a frame defining a central axis,
• a turret rotatably mounted on said frame to encircle said central axis and comprising a plurality of cracking units extending generally parallel to each other and said axis, each of said cracking units comprising
• (a) an anvil,
• (b) a cracking hammer,
• (c) means mounting said anvil and cracking hammer in an axially aligned, opposed relationship to define a nut receiving opening therebetween, and with each of said anvil and cracking hammer being axially movable toward and away from each other,
• means mounted on said frame for rotating said turret about said central axis,
• hopper means for receiving a plurality of nuts to be cracked,
• means for successively feeding individual nuts from said hopper means into said nut receiving opening of each cracking unit as each cracking unit of the rotating turret passes a first circumferential location, and with the nuts being effectively oriented so that the end to end direction of the nuts is axially aligned between said anvil and cracking hammer, and
• control means for
• (a) moving said anvil axially toward said cracking hammer to operatively engage and support a nut disposed in said nut receiving opening and to move the cracking hammer to an axially withdrawn position upon the cracking unit passing said first circumferential location, and for maintaining the forward axial position of said anvil during movement of the cracking unit to a second circumferential location, and
• (b) sharply advancing the cracking head axially toward said anvil upon the cracking unit reaching the second circumferential location to effectively crack a nut supported between the cracking head and anvil,
• whereby the nuts are clampingly engaged and supported between the anvil and cracking hammer of the cracking units and are withdrawn from the feeding means at said first circumferential location and advanced to said second circumferential location, with the orientation of the nuts being maintained.

An apparatus for successively delivering nuts in a predetermined orientation to a cracking head of a nutcracker or the like, and comprising

• a hopper for storing a relatively large quantity of the nuts to be cracked,
• endless conveyor means having an upper run extending through the lower portion of said hopper and to a delivery point exteriorly thereof, and including a plurality of nut transport elements mounted in succession, with each element including opposite sides and a generally semi-cylindrical, laterally extending receptacle which communicates with at least one side of the associated element and faces upwardly along the upper run, and with each receptacle being sized to supportingly receive a single nut to be cracked which is oriented with its end to end direction extending axially along the receptacle,
• power means for rotating said endless conveyor means and such that said nut transport elements move in succession through said hopper and to said delivery point, and
• singularizing and orienting means mounted within said hopper for effectively removing any nuts in excess of one from the receptacle of each nut transport element and for effectively orienting such nut with its end to end direction extending axially along the receptacle, said singularizing and orienting means including
• (a) means for laterally deflecting the upper portion of each of any upstanding nuts disposed in each receptacle toward said one side of the associated element as the element moves through said hopper, to thereby laterally orient the nuts, and
• (b) means for laterally ejecting any laterally oriented nuts in excess of one from each receptacle.

A high production nutcracking apparatus comprising

• a frame defining a central axis,
• a turret rotatably mounted on said frame to encircle said central axis and comprising a plurality of cracking units extending generally parallel to each other and said axis, each of said cracking units comprising
• (a) an anvil,
• (b) a cracking hammer,
• (c) means mounting said anvil for limited axial movement between a forward position and a rearward position, and including a first air cylinder, a piston slidably disposed within said first cylinder, a piston rod interconnecting said piston and anvil, first port means adjacent the rearward end of said first cylinder, and second port means adjacent the forward end of said first cylinder,
• (d) means mounting said cracking hammer coaxially in opposed relation with respect to said anvil and for limited axial movement between a forward position closest to said anvil and a rearward position, and such that the anvil and cracking hammer define an opening therebetween adapted to receive a nut to be cracked, said cracking hammer mounting means including a second air cylinder, means mounting said cracking hammer for limited axial movement at the forward end of said second air cylinder, third port means adjacent the forward end of said second cylinder, and fourth port means adjacent the rearward end of said second cylinder,
• (e) a free floating shuttle mounted within said second cylinder,
• means carried by said frame for rotating said turret about said central axis,
• hopper means for receiving a plurality of nuts to be cracked,
• means for feeding individual nuts from said hopper means into said opening of each cracking unit as each cracking unit passes a predetermined loading location during rotation of said turret, and
• control means for
• (a) injecting pressurized air into said first port means as each cracking unit of the rotating turret reaches said loading location such that the anvil is moved toward its forward position and the force of the pressurized air acts through a nut positioned in said opening to move said cracking hammer to its rearward position, and to thereby clampingly retain the nut, then
• (b) injecting pressurized air into said fourth port means as each cracking unit reaches a cracking location located downstream of said loading location such that said shuttle is thrust along said second cylinder and impacts against said cracking hammer and the resulting forward movement of the cracking hammer cracks the nut, and then
• (c) injecting pressurized air into said second port means as each cracking unit reaches a nut releasing location downstream of said cracking location such that said anvil is returned to its rearward position and the cracked nut is released.