Back to results
US 5,720,395 AGranted
Method and apparatus for removing hulls from a nut mixture
OwnerHarold J. Schock, Thomas R. Stueckeninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerHarold J. Schock, Thomas R. Stueckeninventors
Estimating the term…
An apparatus (10) and method for removing hulls (152) from a nut mixture (150) is described. The apparatus includes a gravity feed bin (12), a conveyor (28) and removal units (38). The removal units include a drum (40), a position roller (50), a beater (56) and a brush (64) around all of which extends a fibrous mat (96). The fibrous mat has looped or curved fibers (96C) and is formed as a continuous belt in the removal unit. The removal unit also includes a deflector (92) and a shield (93) to guide the removed hulls into an auger (78) to be removed from the apparatus. To operate the apparatus, the mixture is fed from the gravity feed bin onto the conveyor belt (30) of the conveyor. As the mixture moves along a horizontal path of the conveyor, the mixture comes in contact with the fibrous mat rotating in the removal units. The looped fibers of the mat contact and engage the projections (152A) on the outer surface of the hulls and secure the hulls to the mat. As the mat continues to rotate through the unit the hulls secured to the mat are removed from the mixture on the conveyor. The smooth outer surface of the meats (154) are not engaged by the looped fibers of the mat and are not picked up by the mat. As the mat moves around the unit, the beater of the unit contacts the fabric backing (96A) of the mat and acts to violently shake the mat thus, shaking off the attached hulls attached to the outer surface (96B). The removed hulls fall into the auger and are removed from the apparatus. After removal of the hulls, the mat is then fluffed by the fingers (64A) of the brush (64) in order to be ready for reuse.
A nut sorting apparatus for the removal of at least some pieces of broken outer layers from a mixture of nut meats and pieces of the outer layers wherein in the mixture, the pieces of outer layers are separated from the nut meats and have fibrous projections extending from the pieces of the outer layers, which comprises:
A nut sorting apparatus for the removal of at least some pieces of broken outer layers from a mixture of nut meats and pieces of the outer layers wherein in the mixture, the pieces of outer layers are separated from the nut meats and have fibrous projections extending from the pieces of the outer layers, which comprises.:
An apparatus for the removal of at least some pieces of broken outer layers from a mixture of meats and pieces of the outer layers wherein in the mixture, the pieces of outer layers are separated from the meats and have fibrous projections extending from the pieces of the outer layers, which comprises:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.