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US 8,690,092 B2Granted
Nut grinder
AssigneeCountry Living Productions, Inc.
InventorsJack R. Jenkins, Joel A. Jenkins, Alex M. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nut grinder includes a nut auger, a stationary grinding plate, and a rotatable grinding plate configured to grind nuts. The nut auger and rotatable grinding plate may be adapted to receive rotational power from a human user or a mechanical source.
Claims18
A nut grinder, comprising:
- a grinder body defining an outer volume;
- a sleeve configured to mount at least partially inside the outer volume, an inner surface of the sleeve forming a wall defining an axially symmetric conveying volume having an input end, an output end, and an axis;
- a first grinding surface operatively coupled to the at least one body and located adjacent to the output end of the conveying volume;
- a second grinding surface held in at least partial sliding rotational contact with the first grinding surface and configured to receive rotational motion;
- and
- an auger disposed coaxially with and in the conveying volume, configured to receive the rotational motion, configured to receive whole nuts responsive to only the force of gravity at or near the input end of the conveying volume, and configured to convey the whole nuts or nuts sliced by the auger to the output end of the conveying volume and the first and second grinding surfaces for grinding.
3 more elements
A nut grinder kit for converting a grain grinder to a nut grinder, comprising:
- a sleeve configured for at least partial insertion into an outer volume defined by a body of a grain grinder, the sleeve including an inner sleeve wall defining a cylindrical conveying volume extending from a receiving region to an output end;
- a fixed grinding plate coupled to, configured for coupling to, or integral with the output end of the sleeve;
- a nut auger configured to be mounted on a shaft of the grain grinder, and configured for rotation within the cylindrical conveying volume of the sleeve and to receive nuts from a hopper of the grain grinder, wherein the nut auger includes one or more sharp edges configured to grab or slice nuts received from the hopper;
- and
- a rotatable grinding plate configured to couple to the shaft of the grain grinder and to be rotated synchronously with the rotation of the nut auger in rotating, sliding contact with the fixed nut grinding plate.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.