Abstract: A hand-held inertia nutcracker for removing shells from a variety of nuts. The nutcracker having multiple configurations according to user preference. The easy to use device allows for easy insertion of nuts and quick removal of the nut and shell material. The nut is automatically centered in the cracking chamber as it is inserted so that consistent performance is achieved. The nutcracker also automatically adjusts for a variety of types and sizes of nuts without operator intervention. The design allows for rapid repeatability in use, thereby taking most of the effort out of extracting the nut from the shell.

Abstract: A support mechanism for preventing outward deflection of a cracker shaft in an egg breaker assembly, about which are supported in orbiting fashion a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows of egg breakers. A disk shaped portion is mounted in slaved rotatable fashion about an intermediate location of the cracker shaft and exhibits a plurality of exteriorly facing and circumferentially offset inwardly recessed scalloped surfaces. An outer fixed and guiding cam is secured to an aligning intermediate location of the breaker and exhibits an inner arcuate extending and guiding/support surface in outwardly spaced and aligning fashion relative to the scalloped locations of the rotating disk.

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 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.

Abstract: A shell cracker is provided for cracking nut shells, crab claws, lobster claws and the like. The shell cracker has a base with front and rear upstanding supports. An upper lever is connected at the front support for rotation about a first axis and a lower lever is connected at the rear support for rotation about a second axis. The lower lever extends from the rear support to the front support. The first and second axes are spaced and the first axis is higher than the second axis. The upper lever has a downwardly facing cam adjacent to the front support. The lower lever has an upwardly facing cam follower adjacent to the front support. Upper and lower jaws are located on the upper lever and base respectively. The jaws are moved from an open position to a closed position, in order to crack a shell, by movement of the upper lever which, by means of the cam, causes movement of the lower lever.

Abstract: A piston type nutcracker with two movable jaws. A connecting rod which is threaded and atached to piston jaw and is adjustable to adapt to different size nuts. The two movable jaws move in a horizontal position until the jaws and nut enter the chamber, thereby enclosing the nut so there is no scattered shell or shell dust when nut is cracked. The solenoid is to be connected to a source of electric power and may be energized by a switch. A nut support member has a through opening which is between the jaw members in their spaced position to crack a nut and for movement to discharge a nut into a container disposed below the jaw members after the shell cracking is completed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an impact nutcracker of the type having an anvil and an impact member aligned but spaced apart wherein the impact member and anvil are adapted to hold a nut therebetween. A striking device is provided to transmit an impact force to said impact member which transmits the force to the shell of the held nut, causing the same to be cracked and broken such that the kernel can be easily and conveniently removed. The present invention entails an improved impact nutcracker for cracking hard-shell nuts such as black walnuts and macadamia nuts. In order to achieve this, both the impact member and anvil is provided about inner face-to-face end portions with a nut receiving recess that is specifically shaped in a shallow and slightly rounded form to directly engage and surround a substantial portion of the hard-shell nut.

Abstract: A triphammer nutcracker for use in fracturing the shells of various nuts of differing sizes and shell textures is disclosed. An operating handle is raised and lowered in a pumplike manner to provide access to a cracking chamber wherein the nut to be cracked is placed, to slide a shield completely around the cracking chamber, and to retract and release a spring biased hammer which strikes a pestle with sufficient force to drive the pestle toward the mortar thereby cracking the nut held therebetween. The broken shell fragments fall into a catch basin and any remaining shell and the nut meat fall into the catch basin as the next operating cycle is started. The nutcracker is structured in a manner such that the hammer will not be released to crack the nut until the shield is in place to enclose the cracking chamber thereby preventing flying nut fragments.

Abstract: A nut cracking machine including a pair of spaced apart cracking plates having confronting cracking faces provided with cracking means thereon, the cracking faces and cracking means thereof being disposed to distribute cracking forces substantially tangentially along the periphery of the shell of a nut received therebetween, for rolling and cracking engagement of a nut, rather than crushing of the same; one of the cracking plates comprising a stationary base plate and the other comprising a rotatable holding plate that is moveable toward and away from the base plate; limit means for initial positioning of the cracking face of the holding plate apart from the cracking face of the base plate according to the proximate diameter of the nut to be cracked, for insertion of a nut therebetween, and thrust means operative on rotation of the holding plate for movement of the holding plate toward the base plate in juxtaposed relation for rolling and cracking engagement of the shell of a nut received therebetween and, on

Abstract: A base having a lengthwise extending opening within which are received a number of slidably mounted plate members each spring urged to spaced apart relationship with an adjacent plate member to enable placement of a nut to be cracked thereon. Inserts for each plate member limit closing movement therebetween to prevent crushing of the nut. A lever imparts closing, nut cracking movement to the plate members. Each plate member is recessed to receive the spring ends and further recessed to receive the movement limiting inserts.

Abstract: A utensil for cracking eggs comprising tongs having oppositely disposed handles pivotally attached to each other having a gripping end, and eggshell-cracking and separating members formed at the opposite distal end thereof, the pivot connection of the handles being positioned intermediate the ends thereof and provided with a biasing spring to keep the cracking and separating members in a closed abutting relationship. An egg is positioned within adjacent supporting rings which are flexibly connected to respective handles so as to be opened together with the separating members, after the egg is cracked, by applying force against the cracking member.