Abstract: A nut cracking device with a frame having elongated, parallel members that surround a mechanical advantage device, such as a hydraulic jack. Top and bottom channel members are mounted at opposite ends of the frame members to separate the frame members and form a rigid frame structure. An anvil with texture to reduce slipping and increase pressure is mounted to the top member and extends toward the jack, on which a table is mounted. A nut may be placed on the table. Upon displacement of the jack's shaft, the table moves toward the anvil and any nut on the table is clamped, and ultimately fractured, between the table and the anvil. A hand-grippable knob permits manual bypass of a valve to permit the table to be pulled away from the anvil by springs mounted to the table.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an egg preparation apparatus. Exemplary implementations may facilitate preparing eggs by using one or more of a platform, a first container, a first container mount, a second container, a second container mount, an egg scorer, an egg scorer mount, a scoring edge, a storage compartment, a slide-out drawer, an egg separator, one or more platform attachment mounts, and/or other components. The platform may be configured to removably couple with one or more of a first container, a second container, and/or an egg scorer. The first container may be configured to receive one or more of egg whites, egg yolks, and/or other ingredients. The second container may be configured to receive one or more egg shells and/or other waste. The egg scorer may be configured to facilitate one or more of cutting, scoring, cracking, and/or other methods of opening egg shells.

Abstract: A shell cracking and retaining device for cracking shelled food products, wherein the device entirely or substantially retains food, shell portions and other debris during the cracking process, and therefore prevents said food, shell portions and other debris from being sent airborne from the device.

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.

Abstract: A gravity-induced impact-type nutcracker with a self-guided trip hammer that, upon actuation, drops solely via the force of gravity to strike a nut supported within a nut cracking chamber with a consistently guided uniform force. The helve of the hammer is pivotally supported adjacent its rear end between a pair of upstanding guide columns. A cord connected to the rear of the hammer helve is attached to a freewheeling take-up spool which is releasably engagable by a hand crank drive wheel to facilitate raising the hammer head to a set position prior to releasing the same. Continued rotation of the crank causes a release mechanism connected to the rear of the hammer helve to disengage the take-up spool from the drive wheel, thereby releasing and allowing the hammer to drop under its own weight. The cracking chamber which holds the nut includes a removable drawer with a variety of differently sized nut-retaining cavities formed therein for accommodating a variety of different types and sizes of nuts.

Abstract: An egg shell removal device that comprises a handheld, oscillating assembly having a body member and an electrically driven attachment head. The head comprises a formed member driven by an oscillating output shaft from the body member, which provides a means to separate the shell and the inner and outer membranes from an egg white without damaging the egg white in the process. The head is a tapering section having a rounded tip, a concave interior surface, and a convex outer surface, whereby the interior surface travels along the egg white surface and contours thereto, while the outer surface lifts and breaks the shell as the head member oscillates from its oscillator or electric motor input. Also disclosed is an accompanying method of egg shell removal using a handheld, vibratory device to lift and break a shell from an egg white, which replaces traditional shell removal process conducted by hand.

Abstract: A device for cracking open an egg is shown, having egg-size sensing means for determining the size of an egg positioned in the device, thereby providing for automatic calibration of the device to the specific size of an egg to be cracked. The calibration determines how much would the distance between the piercing members and the imaginary longitudinal axis of the egg be reduced before the piercing members stop their advancing towards the egg and start moving apart for cracking its shell open. The device can thus open eggs of different sizes, e.g. having widths between 40 and 50 millimeters, accurately without requiring special preparation or manual calibration. A method for cracking open an egg based on said device is also shown.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for cracking open an egg wherein the device grips said egg, penetrates the shell of said egg, and opens the shell of the egg to release the contents therein.

Abstract: Provided is a manually operable nut cracking device having a frame, a fixed jaw and a movable jaw mounted to the frame in opposed relationship to define between them a nut holding station. The movable jaw is biased away from the fixed jaw member. The device also has a lever arm pivotally connected by its proximal end with a pivot shaft to the upper part of the frame such that its distal end forms an operating handle movable form a fully inoperative position whereat the jaws are at their fullest extent away from each other to a fully operative positive whereat the jaws are at their fullest extent closer to one another. The pivot shaft is positioned adjacent to the movable jaw and a wedge shaped cam is formed at the proximal end of the lever arm.

Abstract: A hard boiled egg shelling device for quickly and easily removing the shell from a hard boiled egg. The hard boiled egg shelling device includes a supporting assembly for supporting a hard boiled egg which includes a support member having a base portion, an intermediate portion, and an upper portion spaced above the base portion; and also includes a shelling assembly for removing the hard boiled egg from its shell which includes a bellows mounted to the upper portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing an eggshell, which provides a body and handle for holding an egg softly by linkage between them, a removing plate for breaking the eggshell with the handle, an operating device for expanding the removing plate so as to extract the contents in the egg so that the convenience in removing the eggshell is proposed, the eggshells are removed easily and rapidly, and most of all, the sanitation in removing the eggshell is improved.

Abstract: An egg poker device is disclosed for piercing a hole in a shell of an egg to be boiled to facilitate removal of the shell. The device includes a first member having a base and a wall extending away from the base such that the base and the wall define therebetween a cavity. A disc shaped spring is disposed within the cavity and adjacent to the base, the spring having a central portion. The spring also defines a peripheral edge. The first end of a rod is secured to the central portion of the spring and a second end of the rod defines a point for piercing the hole in the shell of the egg. A second member slidably cooperates with the first member. The second member includes a support for supporting the egg, the support defining a hole for the slidable passage therethrough of the point of the rod. A skirt portion extends from the support such that the skirt portion slidably cooperates with the wall. The skirt portion defines a distal end which cooperates with the peripheral edge of the spring.

Abstract: A nutcracker is described herein which comprises: a frame; an anvil and hammer movably mounted to the frame; a wedge ramp in a fixed relationship to the frame and having a substantially planar surface; a sliding wedge having opposing, substantially planar surfaces of which one surface is in sliding and flush contact with the surface of the wedge ramp, and the other surface is in contact with the anvil; a striker movably mounted to the frame for striking the hammer; and an anvil and hammer control device for moving the sliding wedge along the wedge ramp while in contact with the anvil so as to move the anvil relative to the hammer from an open position, in which ends of the hammer are at a maximum distance from one another to allow a nut to be received therebetween, to a closed position in which such ends are closed securely upon the nut, whereupon the control device causes the striker to strike the hammer and move it toward the anvil a predetermined distance to thereby crack the nut.

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.

Abstract: An egg breaking knife used in an egg breaking device which increases the yield of the egg breaking device. The upper edge of the egg breaking knife is in a “V” shape. The “V” shape creates a lower drainage point to eliminate any “damming” of egg shell contents which may occur in the egg shell halves. The knife edge of the egg breaking knife of the present invention may also include a vertical slot or opening, preferably at the vertex or intersection point of the “V” shape, which assists in preventing “damming” of egg contents and enhances the drainage of egg contents from the egg shell halves. The lower edge of the egg breaking knife of the present invention may include a drip point, preferably located below the vertical slot, which serves to collect all egg content drippage at a single location, to ensure that a minimal amount of egg content drippage remain adhered to the egg breaking knife during egg content dumping.

Abstract: A nutcracker comprising an anvil, an impact member, the anvil and the impact member being arranged to receive a nut therebetween for cracking, a striking member, and a guiding device for guiding the impact member in a movement towards and away from said anvil and for guiding the striking member in a movement towards and away from said impact member, wherein the striking member is arranged to be forced by its own weight against the impact member under the attraction of gravity so as to impart a cracking force to the shell of a nut received between said impact member and said anvil.

Abstract: An apparatus for cracking nuts is disclosed which employs a striker mechanism to apply a sharp force to the shell of a nut in order to fracture it. The nut is held in a chamber consisting of an anvil and a cup, with a spring-loaded striker being cocked and released by the single motion of a lever. In the lever's normal raised state, the anvil and cup are separated to allow for insertion of the uncracked nut. As the lever is lowered, the anvil is gently closed down upon the nut to secure it with a light force between the anvil and the cup. As the lever continues its travel downward, the striker is cocked and released, imparting an impulse force on the cup and the nut, thereby cracking the shell of the nut with a predetermined force independent of the size of the nut. A fragment shield integral to the lever is lowered into place along either side of the cracking chamber as the lever is lowered, providing a simple and reliable safety mechanism.

Abstract: A system for splitting pistachios including an adjustable splitter assembly including plungers driven by cams. The cams are frictionally slidable on a rotating camshaft to allow snubbing of the plungers against the nuts. Cavities on the splitter jaw and plungers include relief holes to avoid crushing of the ends of the nuts and encourage an appropriate split. Cushions between the plungers and cam followers reduces impact on the pistachios.

Abstract: This invention is to an improved pecan shucker apparatus for shucking pecans, and particularly for obtaining pecan meat halves that are intact and easily freed of the undesirable parts of the pecan, such as the pecan shell and other inedible parts of the pecan. The pecan shucker is suitably supported and has attached thereto a reciprocating actuator for moving a pecan along a longitudinally disposed axis of the apparatus. A plurality of circumferentially arranged roller assemblies are arranged for the rollers thereof to be radially moved towards one another and into engagement with the outer surface of a pecan nut which may be placed therebetween, while exerting a compressive force on the pecan shell of a magnitude to crush the shell at selected areas thereof. Consequently, after the pecan shell is crushed, and the blade passed lengthwise between the halves, the pecan meat halves are shucked from the broken shell and emerge undamaged and are easily freed of debris.

Abstract: A nut cracker is designed to accommodate virtually any size nut and provide the same degree of cracking stroke with the same mechanical advantage irrespective of nut size, with only a simple thumb-screw adjustment of a cam.

Abstract: Automatic egg shelling machine (10) comprising two or more continuous production lines (A, B, C, D, E, F) to permit cyclic circulation of the various egg shelling devices (61) and the yolk and white collecting devices (62) on vertical parallel planes, each production line (A, B, C, D, E, F) being in turn composed of two half-circuits one above the other on the same vertical plane, the first to carry and move along the selling devices (61) and the second, below the first, to carry and move along the collecting devices (62), a shelling device (61) and a collecting device (62) meeting each other cyclically on the front (33) of the machine (10) on each production line (A, B, C, D, E, F) timed to meet at the moment when each egg is placed on the shelling device (61) by an external egg feeding machine, means being provided to break the shell, separate the two halves of the shell, discharge the broken shells, the egg white and the yolk into special containers (181) (182), and hand operated means to allow any waste t

Abstract: An egg cracking device which includes two formations which are adapted to move towards a central portion of an egg thereby to pierce the shell of the egg and then to move apart to crack the egg shell into the halves.

Abstract: The nutcracker apparatus includes a frame on which there is provided a front and a rear head assembly that each has a head which is resiliently urged toward the other but is limited in such movement by a knife at least in part located in a slot in the head. Each knife is mounted on a rod, the rear rod being movable toward the front rod to initially clamp the nut and as the movement of one head toward the other is limited by the uncracked nut, the rear knife continues to move toward the front knife to crack and/or split the nut. In one embodiment the rear knife is mounted by the rear rod which is moved forwardly by a pivotal handle moving binder members into binding engagement against the rear rod. In the second embodiment the rear rod is a piston rod of a piston cylinder combination that is operated automatically to crack a nut as the nut is dropped between the heads.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for cracking the husks of nuts comprising a cylindrical rotor having a plurality of cracking projections on its circumference, a semicircular suspension stator having a plurality of cracking projections on its inner surface, the stator being positioned against a corresponding sector of the cylindrical rotor with a downward decreasing gap left between the stator and the rotor, and a hopper with an opening at the bottom for dispensing nuts to the gap between the stator and the rotor. The nutcracker according to the present invention permits simultaneous cracking of nuts of different sizes at an increased efficiency.

Abstract: An impacting nut cracker which utilizes an impacting plunger activated by a compression spring or electrical solenoid to deliver a sharp blow to an aligned adjustable anvil to provide a stroke of measured distance to a nut confined against a tailstock anvil, the position of which is determined by use of a sector gear and gear rack. A slidable and transparent guard over the impact area prevents excessive dispersion of the fractured shell. A concavity in the tailstock anvil and in the adjustable anvil causes a circular edge to engage each end of the nut to cause circular fractures beneficial in achieving greater uniformity in the fracture pattern of the shell.

Abstract: The invention discloses an egg cracking device, which includes a pair of complementary egg support container parts. A pair of hingedly connected elongated handle arms are provided, one of each being connected to its egg container part, and being arranged to be moved from a closed position, in which the egg container parts abut against each other, to an open position, in which the egg container parts are moved apart. The device further includes biassing means urging the handle arms into the closed position; and a pair of egg cutter members connected to the egg container parts, and abutting against each other when the egg container parts are in the closed position. The egg cutter members are adapted each to grip a part of a cut egg shell and to keep the egg shell parts apart when the handle arms are pressed against the biassing means for opening the egg container parts.

Abstract: The present invention entails an impact nutcracker having an electric gear drive for automatically and continuously cocking the nutcracker. A striker is movably mounted adjacent an impact nutcracking assembly, and the striker is movable between a cocked position and an impact position. Biasing means are attached to said striker for biasing the same toward said impact position. A gear, driven by an electric motor, is operative to drive and move the striker from said impact position to said cocked position at which point the gear is disengaged and the striker is released, and under the influence of said biasing means the striker moves back to said impact position where the same impacts against said impact nutcracking assembly.

Abstract: The nut cracking apparatus includes a conveyor comprised of a plurality of parallel slats connected to endless chains for intermittent movement from a hopper to a nut gripping and cracking apparatus. Each slat is provided with a row of openings extending therethrough for receiving nuts from the hopper and an underlying support is provided to retain the nuts in the openings until each slat is moved in sequence to a plurality of cracking apparatus. Each nut is located between an upper and lower nut gripping block each of which has a recess therein with a slot in the bottom thereof. The lower nut gripping block is spring biased on a fixed blade to normally have the blade retracted out of the recess. The upper nut gripping block is spring biased on an opposed blade which in turn is connected to the piston of an hydraulically operated piston and cylinder device. The upper nut gripping block is normally biased so that the blade is withdrawn from the recess.

Abstract: A nutcracking machine is provided which utilizes a cylindrical sizing roll and a cylindrical cracking roll. The sizing roll has a plurality of parallel circumferential grooves, the width and depth of the grooves varying in a predetermined fashion along the length of the roll. The cracking roll has a tractive surface. A spring mounting is used for adjustably and resiliently urging the sizing roll and cracking roll together to allow a predetermined lateral pressure to be exerted on the nuts passing between the rollers. The spring mounting also allows the rollers to separate momentarily to allow passage of foreign objects such as rocks. A separator is used to direct smaller nuts to one portion of the sizing roll and larger nuts to another portion of the sizing roll.

Abstract: A nut cracking device commprising a hammer having an opening for receiving the end of a nut and applying columnar pressure thereon and a plate which faces the hammer for receiving the opposite end of the nut and applying columnar pressure thereon. A spring urges the hammer toward the plate in a cracking process wherein a rotating shaft repeatedly draws and releases the hammer. A turntable, also motivated by the rotating shaft, has an opening for receiving a nut from a reservoir of nuts and transferring that nut to a rest disposed between the hammer and the plate. The rotating shaft also motivates the rest to pivot allowing the nut to fall from the rest after it has been cracked.

Abstract: The machine comprises a series of egg cracking and contents separating heads carried on bracket plates which are connected to form a continuously traveling chain conveyor advancing in a horizontal path along which there are means for actuating the cracking and separating mechanisms on each head, with the cracking mechanisms being activated at a transfer station so as to receive a group of eggs from a feed conveyor and while advancing to crack and open the shell portions at a dumping area where each egg contents is dropped into the associated, swingably mounted separating mechanism, comprising a yolk cup and an albumen collecting pan, which is disposed beneath the cracking mechanism and which is advanced to a discharge area where the assembly is tilted so as to discharge the yolk and the albumen into separate receptacles, there being means enabling an operator to inspect and manually discharge a whole egg contents into a collecting receptacle or a spoiled egg into another collecting receptacle when the egg yol

Abstract: A hard-boiled egg peeler, including a cylindrical housing defining sidewall openings through which prongs extend. The prongs are anchored at their outermost extent and protrude inwardly to a point proximate the center of the housing, terminating thereat in hook-like end portions. The prongs have a sufficient width and are in sufficient number to substantially retain the peeled egg shell after a hard-boiled egg is pushed through the cylinder, past the prongs and with its shell removed by the hook-like portions. Resilient material is placed between each prong and the inner sidewall of the housing to provide additional resilience to the prongs.

Abstract: An improved egg breaking machine is described of the type in which a plurality of cooperating egg cracking heads and separators carried by a drive means, such as a roller chain, automatically crack and drain eggs and separate the liquid egg yolk and white. The drive chain carries the cracking head and separator combinations through egg loading, cracking, draining, and yolk and white separating positions. An improved cracker head is disclosed which operates in three automatically controlled positions including a fully closed, partially opened, and a fully opened position whereby the initial and subsequent shell drainage are facilitated. Additionally, an improved cracking head and separator mounting and spacing control means is disclosed for improving the drainage from the egg to the separator.

Abstract: A method and means are described for transferring rows of articles having one alignment on a first support to a second support where the rows have a differing alignment. Preferred method and means are described for transferring straight rows of articles, such as eggs, from a row conveyor to a processing machine having a turret or other curved article supporting arrangement. The transfer means includes slidable mountings for the article supports on the turret and a cooperating camming means which temporarily moves the supports into a straight line when they are adjacent to the row conveyor for receiving the straight row of articles.

Abstract: A hand-operated device, in the form of a gun, shatters nut shells and the like. The gun has an inertia weight and a limited movement hammer bolt between which a nut shell is inserted and held in place by pressure applied on a trigger against a pistol grip. A striker rod is moved against the biasing action of a spring to permit the pressure applied on the trigger to move the inertia weight and the hammer bolt forwardly by a distance corresponding to the extent of the limited movement of the hammer bolt. The striker rod is released to move under the biasing action of the spring and strike the hammer bolt, and the hammer bolt in turn strikes against the nut shell, which is backed up primarily by the inertia of the inertia weight but also partly by the pressure on the trigger to impact and shatter the nut shell.

Abstract: A nut sheller which embodies a base having a lower nut holder on which a nut to be shelled may be positioned, a spring operated hammer operable upwardly to strike the nut holder, an opposing inertia anvil operable from a remote nut loading position to a lowered position into engagement with the nut to be shelled, and a lever adapted to be manually moved to bring the inertia anvil down and then automatically cause the hammer to operate, the lever being operably connected to cock the hammer against its spring as the lever is moved back to its remote nut loading position. Shielding means are provided, moved under the control of the operating lever so that the shell fragments fall into a nut bowl arranged below and around the nut holder. Thus the entire nut shelling operation may be accomplished by one hand, merely by moving the lever in one direction and then returning it.