Nutcrackers Patents (Class 30/120.2)
  • Patent number: 9160128
    Abstract: An electrical connector installation tool including a frame and a screw ram. The frame includes a front end having an anvil section adapted to contact a front end of an electrical wedge connector shell, and a rear end having a threaded aperture. The screw ram has a front end, a rear end and a middle section. The front end is adapted to contact a rear end of an electrical wedge connector wedge. The middle section includes a threaded section which is connected to the threaded aperture of the frame to allow the screw ram to be screwed into the frame and thereby move the front end of the screw ram towards the anvil section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher G. Chadbourne, Bernard C. Crutcher, Armand T. Montminy
  • Publication number: 20150056353
    Abstract: The subject invention is a device for opening coconuts that includes a handle and a cutting cylinder attached to the handle, including a cutting edge at one end, and a cap that provides a striking surface. The cutting cylinder may have teeth and may have a gap. The cutting cylinder or the teeth may be beveled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventor: David L. Goodman
  • Patent number: 8833685
    Abstract: The Universal Nutcracker is set of jaws with an increasing opening between top and bottom jaws to allow for cracking different diameter nuts connected by a set of linkages. Each jaw has a set of teeth for gripping the shell of the nut to be cracked. A torsion spring is connected between the top and bottom center lever to assist in opening the jaw set after the nut has been cracked. Ends of top and bottom center levers are then coupled to a scissoring arms with linkage assembly for opening and closing with a mechanical advantage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Inventor: Jerry E. McQuinn
  • Publication number: 20140215831
    Abstract: A culinary nut opening device can include a mount and a tool. The mount can be sized and shaped to securely and removably receive a finger or a thumb of a human user. The tool can extend from and be coupled to a portion of the mount. In varying examples, the tool can include a pick portion that is sized and shaped to fit at least partially within an opening of a culinary nut and have sufficient stiffness to allow the culinary nut to be pried open. A pick portion can extend ventrally, laterally, or dorsally from a side of the mount, or from a distal end of the mount. A culinary nut opening device can be provided with or packaged in a container of culinary nuts, or with other culinary nut opening devices (e.g., of different sizes), or with instructions for use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Inventor: Travis J. LEMASTERS
  • Patent number: 8549995
    Abstract: A hand-held, manually operated seed shucking appliance enables a food preparer to remove the seed coverings of black-eyed peas from their kernels. A spring and piston inside a chamber are arranged to compress a load of pre-soaked black-eyed peas against a shuttle rasp threaded between side slots. As a user manipulates the shuttle rasp, the shucks are scraped off the seeds by a scraping surface and both pass through the side slots. The piston is configured to be cocked back such that the chamber can be loaded through one end with a fresh charge of black-eyed peas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Inventor: Olajire Idowu
  • Publication number: 20130097874
    Abstract: A nut opener having a cup-like member that is generally aligned with a tooth member. As a handle portion of the nut opener is squeezed, the tooth member can abut against a nut placed within the cup-like member, and cause shells of the nuts to release from the nut.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Inventor: John W. JESSEN
  • Publication number: 20110283541
    Abstract: A handheld pistachio nut opener that is box-shaped comprising an upper and lower piece, each with one protrusion that are oriented vertically but aligned horizontally and inserted into an open or partially open pistachio nut, and through manual compression of the apparatus between the thumb and forefinger, the protrusions travelling in opposite directions through translational vertical motion while remaining engaged with the pistachio nut shell halves until the shell halves break apart into two disjoined pieces revealing the edible portion inside, the arcs of the protrusions protecting the edible portion from being damaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventor: Malcolm Charles Quentin
  • Publication number: 20110000090
    Abstract: A device for cracking hard objects is provided, which comprising a base component; an actuating component movable with respect to the base component; a jaw attached to one of the base component and the actuating component in such a manner the jaw is displaceable with respect to said one of the base component and the actuating component, which cracks the hard objects to be cracked with the other one of the base component and the actuating component; a dampening means provided between the jaw and said one of the base component and the actuating component and tending to push the jaw away from said one of the base component and the actuating component. With the device for cracking hard objects according to the present invention, an excessive force applied on the objects could be reduced or absorbed, thus, the force could be applied on the objects in a controllable manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: WINGS PRODUCT WORKSHOP LIMITED
    Inventor: KIT KWAN PAU
  • Publication number: 20100205810
    Abstract: A household press for material that is to be pressed, comprising a nut and a screw. The nut has a head part in the shape of a hollow cylinder. One end of the nut part is delimited by a base and an opposite end continues as a coaxially extending half shell having an internal thread provided with an undercut. The screw has a base at one end and a threaded part delimited by the base, with a thread of the threaded part having an undercut. A grip part adjoins the threaded part remote from the screw base. The threaded part can be placed into the thread of the nut to form a receiving chamber between the bases. The receiving chamber is closed down or shortened upon rotation of the nut and screw relative to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventor: Helge Kossol
  • Patent number: 7565745
    Abstract: A nut cracker having a cup, a lever and a handle. The cup having a wall and a bottom defining an internal, generally conical space sized to contain a nut placed therein such that when the nut is cracked pieces of the shell are contained within the cup. The lever is provided in a slot through the wall of the cup such that the lever can be pivoted towards the portion of interior surface of the wall to crush a nut between a surface of the lever and a portion of interior surface of the wall opposite the lever. The handle is pivotally attached to the top of the cup such that when the handle is moved in a direction towards the cup the lever surface moves towards the portion of the interior surface of the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Inventor: Erik Von Schoultz
  • Patent number: 6968987
    Abstract: A quartering pill splitter includes a bed having a recess formed within, the recess having a cross section which substantially conforms to the pill shape. A thin, cruciate cutting blade assembly is disposed below the pill bed, so that the pill, when inserted into the recess, rests on the cutting edges of the cruciate cutting blade assembly. A plunger, containing an upper compression member is moveable with respect to the cutting blade assembly and is forceably engaged against the pill disposed in the bed recess when the user strikes the cap of the plunger, thus cutting the pill into quarters in a single stroke. The cruciate cutting blade assembly contains a first blade and a second blade at a right angle relative to the first blade, and which is offset from the first blade a distance equal to the thickness of the first blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Three Chestnuts Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Carmen T. Reitano
  • Publication number: 20040211066
    Abstract: A cracker comprises a first handle and a second handle including an end pivotally connected to an end of the first handle. The first handle further includes a first working face and a second working face on two opposite sides thereof The second handle includes a first working face and a second working face on two opposite sides thereof The first working faces of the first handle and the second handle together define a first crushing space when the first handle and the second handle are in a first relative position. The second working faces of the first handle and the second handle together define a second crushing space when the first handle and the second handle are in a second relative position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventor: Ruey-Lan Horng
  • Publication number: 20040194317
    Abstract: An adjustable nut cracker includes two nut engagement members linked by a linking member. The linking member includes a slot having a plurality of wide slot portions interconnected by one or more narrow slot portions. The first nut engagement member is pivotally connected to the linking member by a pin passing through the slot. The pin includes a wide pin portion axially spaced from a narrow pin portion, and is axially movable to selectively position the wide pin portion or the narrow pin portion in the slot. A second nut engagement member is secured to the linking member and spaced apart from the first nut engagement member. The nut cracker is adjusted by laterally moving the narrow pin portion within the narrow slot portions to a selected wide slot portion, and thereafter axially moving the wide pin portion into the selected wide slot portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventor: Aaron J. Pippert
  • Patent number: 6739056
    Abstract: A device for piercing a nut comprising a first member having a receptacle for receiving the nut and a first handle section. A second member is also provided having a handle section and a cover section for the receptacle. The cover section has an opening formed therein. A third member is provided having a handle section shorter than the first and second handle sections and a piercing device for extending through the opening and into the receptacle for piercing the nut. The first, second, and third members have a common hinge point for pivoting the second and third members relative to the first member to pierce the nut in the receptacle. The first and second handle sections cooperate to form a gripping handle for the user to grip while pivoting the third member and piercing device to safely pierce the nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Inventor: Sharon Siegel
  • Patent number: 6644528
    Abstract: A family of pill splitters is formed from a standard, substantially cylindrical lower body which contains a distinct bed for each one of a number of different complex pill shapes, and an upper body, integrally affixed to the lower body, which contains a pair of linear plunger guides slots. Each bed contains a recess having a cross section which substantially conforms to the pill shape, and the bed thickness is proportional to the thickness of the pill to be split. A long, thin cutting blade is affixed in proximity to the bed, and a bed support is formed in the lower body. A plunger with plunger guides slidingly engages the plunger guide slots. Each bed contains alignment tabs which engage the plunger guide slots to align the bed relative to the cutting blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Inventor: Carmen T. Reitano
  • Patent number: 6474525
    Abstract: A pill splitter for use with pills of complex shapes has a bed which substantially conforms to one-half of the pill. The bed is affixed within the cylindrical lower body of the splitter, into which a blade is affixed. A clearance slot allows the blade to be exposed within the bed at a height such that the pill, when placed in the bed, just touches the blade. A plunger containing guides is inserted in the cylindrical upper body, so that the plunger lies on the upper surface of the pill, along a line directly above the blade. A sharp blow to the cap of the plunger drives the pill onto the blade below, splitting the pill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Inventor: Carmen T. Reitano
  • Patent number: 6378213
    Abstract: A pistachio sheller including a base having an upwardly extending shaft with a flat narrow blade adapted to be received in the crack of a pistachio shell. A cylinder is rotatably attached to the base and includes an oval-shaped top opening adjacent the flat narrow tip. A pistachio shell is received in the oval opening with the crack directed down to engage the blade. Rotation of the base with respect to the cylinder splits the pistachio shell open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Inventor: Elvera C. Griffith
  • Patent number: 6237476
    Abstract: A novelty nutcracker device which comprises a tubular housing having a side wall thereby defining an elongated passageway, and a first end cap removably connected at a first end of the passageway, a reciprocally moveable impact member mounted within the elongated passageway, a handle connected to the impact member, the impact member being biased towards the first end cap, and an opening in the side wall to permit the insertion of a nut to be cracked therein. The device is preferably packaged in an exterior envelope having the form of a sports article or an animal character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Inventor: Jean Beauchemin