Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for preparing shaved ice confections. A device for conditioning ice includes a base housing comprising at least one upstanding sidewall defining an interior space and an upper surface with respect to the at least one upstanding sidewall. The device includes a motor disposed within the interior space of the base housing. The devices includes a sidewall disposed within the upper surface of the base housing defining an opening for receiving a drive shaft therethrough, wherein the drive shaft is mechanically connected to the motor and a blade assembly. The device includes a venting channel disposed in the at least one upstanding sidewall of the base housing for releasing heat emitted by the motor. The device includes a control mechanism for activating and deactivating the motor.

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.

Abstract: A pecan nut meat preferably for use with pecans, extractor includes a hollow frusto-conical segment journalled about an axial drive shaft, the segment having a minor upper base and a major lower base, the upper and lower bases each defining unitary surfaces for precluding access to a hollow interior of the segment, the segment including a frusto-conical lateral surface between its upper and lower bases, the lateral surface including a multiplicity of splines having interdigitating spaces similar in polar separation to that of the splines.

Abstract: A supply plate has a proximal end supported by a pivot shaft disposed parallel to a position-fixed shaft and a position-movable shaft. A position-movable shaft support member is pressed toward the position-fixed shaft so the first and second rolls are pressed at the contact point under a predetermined pressure. A link arm supported by a fulcrum shaft is pressed to a surface of the position-movable support member that faces the position-fixed shaft. The fulcrum shaft and the pivot shaft are connected. The contact point is shifted as the position-movable shaft support member moves toward the position-fixed shaft, and the pivot shaft is rotated around the axis line by the link arm, the fulcrum shaft, and the link mechanism based on the movement of the position-movable shaft support member, so the slant angle of the supply plate is automatically changed and the supply plate is directed to the contact point.

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-cracking apparatus that is compact and efficient cracks nuts at high production rates. The nut-cracking apparatus includes an endless conveyor and delivers nuts from a hopper to a delivery point. The nuts are engaged at the delivery point by a nut-cracking unit which cracks the nuts. The endless conveyor includes nut pockets which are made up of separate nut pocket segments that are movable from open to closed positions. The nut pocket segments are in an open position where the nuts are cracked to provide ample room for cracking of the nut.

Abstract: A nut cracking apparatus includes a rotatable turret mounted to a frame. An endless conveyor delivers nuts to a pickup point at which nut cracking units engage nuts carried by the endless conveyor. The endless conveyor has a generally horizontal carrying portion for carrying nuts from the hopper to the pickup point.

Abstract: An apparatus for shelling boiled eggs is described. The apparatus includes a plurality of spaced-apart shelling rollers which are axially parallel to one another, are arranged in a circulating belt guided over end deflecting rollers in a conveying direction, and are driven in the same rotational direction. A plurality of longitudinal guides are arranged above a top strand of the circulating belt. Pairs of the longitudinal guides form a roof-like channel extending in the conveying direction and are moveable transversely to the conveying direction. A region of the top strand a first operating region breaking open eggshells, and a second operating region for shelling the boiled eggs.

Abstract: A nut cracking mechanism for shelling variable-sized nuts having a brittle shell and fragile nut meat, the nut cracker mechanism having a housing with a horizontally positioned rotatable drum contained in the housing, and an adjustable, substantially vertical compression plate mounted in the housing with a cracking surface displaced from a cylindrical slip resistant cracking surface of the drum to form a narrowing gap between the drum and the compression plate, the gap having an upper portion sized to accommodate nuts of varying sizes and a lower portion sized to compress nuts between the cylindrical surface of the drum and the compression plate until the nut cracks and releases its meat, the mechanism having associated components to feed nuts to the top of the mechanism and receive shells and meat from the bottom of the mechanism.

Abstract: A nut-cracking apparatus that is compact and efficient cracks nuts at high production rates. The nut-cracking apparatus includes an endless conveyor and delivers nuts from a hopper to a delivery point. The nuts are engaged at the delivery point by a nut-cracking unit which cracks the nuts. The endless conveyor includes nut pockets which are made up of separate nut pocket segments that are movable from open to closed positions. The nut pocket segments are in an open position where the nuts are cracked to provide ample room for cracking of the nut.

Abstract: The present invention has the function of breaking coconuts, nuts, macadamia nuts, an similar by increasing compression using wedge and rolling compression, having pins and fins on the roll surface, it favors less energy consume, more yield, and productivity qualitative gain of the whole macadamia nut (with higher aggregated value) and quantitative utilization of broken coconuts, nuts, macadamia nuts, and similar of 100%, continuous work, installation, maintenance and training costs extremely low, and consequently low final cost of the finished product. The said equipment is constituted of a roll (3) that rotates having on it, conveniently spaced, a cylinder segment (4), being the space existent between them in a wedge shape in such a way that once penetrating in this section, a coconut, nut or similar (10) is compelled to dislocate inside it, rotating and being continuously compressed until the shell rupture, without suffering shock.

Abstract: A nut-cracking apparatus has an endless conveyor that delivers nuts from a hopper to a pickup point. A rotating turret is mounted to a frame and includes a plurality of nut-cracking units. The nut-cracking units engage nuts carried by the endless conveyor at the pickup point and remove nuts therefrom. The forward sprocket about which the endless conveyor rotates has an axis of rotation that is offset from the axis of rotation of the turret. The axis of rotation of the forward conveyor sprocket falls within a circular periphery defined by the nut-cracking units on the rotating turret.

Abstract: An apparatus for successively delivering nuts from a hopper to a high production nutcracker. An endless conveyor extends through the hopper and includes a plurality of nut transport elements which pick up the nuts in a receptacle formed in the upper surface of each element. To insure that only one nut is received in each receptacle, each element is provided with a longitudinal slot in one of the sides of the element which communicates with the receptacle, and a pivotally mounted singulating arm extends into the slots of the advancing elements to eject any excess nuts from each receptacle. To accommodate nuts of different average size, the pivotal position of the singulating arm is adjustable by means of an actuating wheel positioned on the outside of the hopper.

Abstract: A high production nutcracking apparatus wherein the nuts are fed from a hopper on a feed conveyor which has an upwardly inclined segment which passes through the hopper, a horizontal segment which leads to the cracking apparatus, and an arcuate transition juncture which is between the two segments. The nuts are received in nut transport elements of the feed conveyor, and they are singularized and oriented while being advanced by means of a deflecting plate which overlies the feed conveyor from a point along the upwardly inclined segment, along the transition juncture, and to a delivery point where the nuts are lifted from the conveyor by a cracking turret. The downstream end portion of the deflecting plate comprises an elastomeric flap, which is highly flexible and relatively soft and which engages the advancing nuts with a frictional force sufficient to roll the nuts about their end to end axes and thereby properly orient the nuts in the nut transport elements.

Abstract: A high production nutcracking apparatus wherein any whole nuts which are mis-fed or fail to be cracked, are automatically returned to the feed hopper without being exposed to possible contamination. To separate the shell fragments from the uncracked whole nuts, there is provided an inclined openwork grate, which is sized and configured to permit the shell fragments to pass directly therethrough while the whole nuts slide down and drop off a lower end of the grate. The grate is formed of a plurality of parallel rods which are supported so that they vibrate during operation of the cracking apparatus, to facilitate the sliding movement of the whole nuts.

Abstract: The Nut Cracker Apparatus (1) receives a nut at the top surface of an anvil. A plunger, aligned with the anvil, is moved vertically, by rack and pinion gear operation of a handle lever means, into contact with the nut thereby exerting cracking or crushing pressure on the shell or hull. The anvil is generally centrally positioned on a chamber floor which is downwardly sloping toward a tray which receives nut meat discharged from the anvil and floor into the tray.

Abstract: A nutcracker for simultaneously cracking a plurality of similar nuts in a single discreet operation provides a five sided box-like base defining a chamber having an open top, carrying a rigid bottom plate bottom and defining a slot in the front side extending downwardly to the bottom for nut shell removal. One or more spacers configured to fit within the cracking box chamber above the bottom plate, defining similar medial orifices and having different vertical thicknesses are stacked on the bottom plate to define a cracking chamber having a depth of eighty to ninety percent of the average height of nuts to be cracked. A striker plate having a non-resilient body with peripheral configuration to cover the orifice of the spacer and an upstanding handle manually impacts on the uppermost spacer to crack nuts in the cracking chamber.

Abstract: A lightweight feed chain for a high speed nutcracking apparatus and which is composed of a plurality of individual nut transport elements mounted in succession. The nut transport elements are block-like in configuration, and each element includes a nut receptacle extending laterally across the upper face which is sized to accommodate a single nut of a given size. The elements are formed of a high impact plastic material which has been found to reduce wear and breakage from contact with the nutcracking components of the apparatus, and to reduce the weight of the chain. Also the elements may be color coded, with each color indicating a particular size of the receptacle.

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 sealed lubrication system for a high production nutcracking apparatus of the type comprising a plurality of cracking units mounted on a rotatable turret. The cracking units are operated by pressurized air during rotation of the turret, and the pressurized air includes an oil mist component to reduce friction and wear. The oil is recovered by a system which includes an essentially closed annular collection chamber which surrounds the turret and which leads to a drain and an oil tank, and the oil tank is divided by a porous baffle plate which serves to remove and collect the entrained oil before the air is released to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A cracking die assembly which is adapted for use in a high production nutcracking apparatus of the type wherein a nut is held between an anvil and a cracking die, and a shuttle then impacts against the rearward end face of the cracking die to sharply advance the cracking die and thereby crack the shell of the nut. The cracking die assembly includes a mounting sleeve having a bore with an internal shoulder, and a tubular retainer mounted within a portion of the sleeve bore so as to engage the shoulder of the sleeve. An annular gasket is fixedly mounted in the bore of the retainer, and the cracking die has a radial flange which is positioned to lie between the shoulder in the bore of the sleeve, and the gasket. Also, the gasket and radial flange have conforming surfaces which engage when the cracking die is impacted by the shuttle, and the gasket is free to radially expand to absorb a portion of the impacting force of the shuttle.

Abstract: A nutcracking unit which is adapted for use in a high production nutcracking apparatus of the type wherein a nut is held between an anvil and cracking die, and a shuttle then impacts against the rear end surface of the cracking die to sharply advance the cracking die and thereby crack the shell of the nut. The cracking die and the anvil have opposing concave cracking surfaces for supporting a nut therebetween, and each of the concave cracking surfaces is defined by an outwardly bowed convoluted curve made with circle arcs when viewed in cross section. This configuration allows a relatively small nut, such as a pecan seedling, to be engaged and cracked at a point spaced from the pointed end of the nut, which in turn results in fewer uncracked or insufficiently cracked nuts.

Abstract: A high production nutcracking apparatus wherein the nuts are fed from a hopper on a feed conveyor which has an upwardly inclined segment which passes through the hopper, a horizontal segment which leads to the cracking apparatus, and an arcuate transition juncture which is between the two segments. The feed conveyor includes a plurality of nut transport elements mounted in succession on a feed chain, and each transport element includes an upwardly facing receptacle for receiving a single nut which is then advanced to the cracking apparatus. To permit the apparatus to process relatively small nuts, such as pecan seedlings, the elements each include a longitudinal notch in an upper corner, and a spacer bar is fixedly mounted so as to occupy the notches of the elements as they move through the hopper. The nuts are singularized and oriented in the receptacles of the elements while being advanced on the feed conveyor.

Abstract: Machine for opening pistachios, a reservoir containing pistachios, a device for opening pistachios, and a device for supplying pistachios from the container to the opening device. The opening device includes a rotary shaft which carries a coaxial disk equipped on its periphery, with a plurality of chambers, each of a size to accommodate a pistachio. During the rotation of the shaft, these chambers can be consecutively placed opposite the supply device and opposite a breaker piston.

Abstract: A juice extractor for citrus fruits includes a base, a vertical column, a cylindrical element attached to the column, and a cone-shaped juice collecting tray placed on the cylindrical element. A lower fruit holder is located on the juice collecting tray, and a perforated cone-shaped vessel is placed over the lower fruit holder. An upper fruit holder, a pressing device and a handle are also provided, the pressing device consisting of a hollow body, a fixation sleeve member and a connecting rib.

Abstract: A high production nutcracking apparatus wherein the nuts are fed from a hopper on a feed conveyor to a cracking apparatus. The cracking apparatus is in the form of a plurality of cracking units mounted on a rotatable turret, and the rotating cracking units are cyclically controlled so as to clampingly engage and lift each oriented nut from the advancing conveyor, and so as to preserve its orientation. Each nut is then cracked and thereafter released at separate spaced points along the circular path of travel of the cracking unit. A structure and procedure for aligning the cracking units of the turret with respect to the feed conveyor is disclosed.

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 nut cracking machine comprises a cylinder mounted in bearings for rotation about a long axis of the cylinder. The cylinder has projections extending radially from its cylindrical surface. An anvil plate is held at a fixed predetermined distance from the cylinder when the machine is in operation. The cylinder is power driven. A feed hopper is provided for receiving nuts and directing the nuts onto the cylinder, the cylinder rotating in a direction to direct an upper part of the cylinder toward the anvil plate member, toward an increasingly restricted space between the cylinder and the anvil plate.

Abstract: A high production nutcracking apparatus wherein the nuts are fed from a hopper on a feed conveyor which has an upwardly inclined segment which passes through the hopper, a horizontal segment which leads to the cracking apparatus, and an arcuate transition juncture which is between the two segments. The nuts are singularized and oriented while being advanced on the feed conveyor, by means of a free floating covering plate which continuously overlies the feed conveyor from a point along the upwardly inclined segment, along the transition juncture, and to a delivery point where the nuts are lifted from the conveyor by a cracking apparatus. The cracking apparatus comprises a plurality of cracking units mounted on a rotatable turret, and the rotating cracking units are cyclically controlled so as to clampingly engage and lift each oriented nut from the advancing conveyor, and so as to preserve its orientation.

Abstract: A cracking die assembly which is adapted for use in a high production nutcracking apparatus of the type wherein a nut is held between an anvil and a cracking die, and a shuttle then impacts against the rear end face of the cracking die to sharply advance the cracking die and thereby crack the shell of the nut. The cracking die assembly includes a mounting sleeve having a bore with an internal shoulder, and a tubular retainer mounted within a portion of the sleeve bore so as to engage the shoulder of the sleeve. An annular gasket is fixedly mounted in the bore of the retainer, and the cracking die is mounted in the bore of the retainer, and the cracking die has a radial flange which is positioned to lie between the shoulder in the bore of the sleeve, and the gasket. Also, the gasket and radial flange have conforming conical surfaces which engage when the cracking die is impacted by the shuttle, to thereby absorb the impacting force of the shuttle.

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: A mechanical nut cracker for a machine having an adjustably positioned crushing plate and crusher bar for cracking various types of nuts. The mechanical nut cracker includes a crusher assembly having a crusher bar rotationally attached to an end of a base member. The crusher assembly further includes a pair of side walls and a slanted back wall extending upwardly from the crusher bar and between the side walls. A crusher plate assembly is adjustably coupled to the base member for positioning in spaced relationship to the crusher bar. The crusher plate assembly includes a crusher plate, a pair of plate assembly side walls, and a slanted front wall extending up from the crusher plate and between the plate assembly side walls. The crusher plate assembly further includes a pair of arms extending outwardly for adjustably engaging the base member.

Abstract: An apparatus for the controlled fracture of the outer hull of a nut-like fruit wherein a reciprocable piston is moved within a frame and is supported and guided by arms that interfit with the piston to guide it or non-rotating movement into and out of engagement with the nut-like fruit. A key actuator is rotated by the user and which rotates an actuator, threadedly interengaged with the frame and which serves to provide the reciprocable movement of the piston. The nut hull is itself positioned between the piston and an anvil that among the surfaces of the piston and anvil that crack the nut hull are both configured so as to retain the nut in a stable position where it can be acted upon by the apparatus. In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus is modified so as to act as a garlic press using the same piston constrained motion. In a still further embodiment. the apparatus is modified so as to operate as a corkscrew to safely and easily remove the corks from bottles such as wine bottles.

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: An apparatus for shucking pecans having a stator, which is a trapezoidal front plate with a pair of adjoining tapered side-walls with longitudinal edges, a mounting bracket for immobilizing the stator, and a chute which is a reservoir for the pecans, where said stator is axially connected to a rotor, which is a circular back plate that pivots at the centroid of the front plate; the combination of the back plate and the front plate forming a chamber that is narrow at the bottom, wherein the pecans are cracked as the rotor is rocked back and forth through an arc, where the rocking action forces the pecans into compression and then in the reverse rock into relief, where the shell separates from the kernel.

Abstract: A torsion leverage nutcracker which allows for single hand or two hard operation and also provides ergonomically designed end plates which facilitate repetitive use of the nut cracker without repetitive traumatic injuries to the user and further wherein the ergonomic design end plate provides gripping areas for applying rotational forces to said nut cracker wherein the rotational forces are directly equally about a center point axis through said end plates thereby equally distributing rotational forces to each nut cracking rod member providing a nutcracker which easily cracks nut repetitively in comfort.

Abstract: A nut cracker is comprised of a closed loop orbiting conveyor system that lifts nuts from a hopper and individually deposits the nuts into a nut receptacle upon passing through the upper summit of the orbit path. A positioning air cylinder, actuated by a sensor conveyor system contact with a sensor switch, securely positions and stresses the nut within the receptacle against a cracking system wherein a cracking air cylinder, actuated by the cracking system, thrusts its rod outwardly striking a cracking dyes which in turn cracks the nut. The nut is then gravity deposited into a collection bin.

Abstract: A high production nutcracking apparatus is provided wherein the nuts are fed from a hopper on a feed conveyor, and wherein the nuts are singularized and oriented while being advanced on the feed conveyor. The oriented nuts are thereafter advanced by the feed conveyor to a cracking apparatus, which comprises a plurality of cracking units mounted on a rotatable turret. The rotating cracking units are cyclically controlled so as to clampingly engage and lift each oriented nut from the advancing conveyor, and so as to preserve its orientation. The nut is then cracked and thereafter released at separate spaced points along the circular path of travel of the cracking unit. The nut feed conveyor comprises an upwardly inclined segment which passes through the hopper, and a horizontal segment which leads to the cracking apparatus.

Abstract: A process for splitting pistachios including a bin dumper, a sizer, moisturizers, blowers and splitting units arranged in seriatim. The blower removes excess water and particles from the nut surfaces after moisturizing and before splitting. The splitter includes a controlled surge bin having a brush gate associated with a sensor to control flow to a singulator. A vibrated singulator operates to release nuts to a splitting mechanism having opposed elements with cavities aligned to receive the ends of the nuts. Cradles retain the nuts in alignment for compression. Lateral vibration is induced in the cradles to ensure placement of the retained nuts.

Abstract: Nut cracking apparatus including a cracking machine with first and second opposed cracking plates with pivot means for suspending one of the plates from a pivot axis substantially parallel to and spaced from the pivot axis of the other suspended plate, the suspended plates being interconnected at the bottom of each plate by a link mechanism having a release, so that the plates are suspended with the spacing between the plates at the top of the plates being greater than the spacing at the bottom of the plates, the machine having a reciprocal drive mechanism that swings the plates together to a cracking position where the plates are closer together and then to a release position where the release mechanism moves the plates apart releasing the cracked nuts; the apparatus including a nut feed mechanism for a timed feed of nuts between the plates of the cracking machine.

Abstract: A combination nut cracker and nibbler comprised of an upper moveable jaw, a lower fixed jaw, a front pivot arm secured to the lower fixed jaw, a lever arm secured to the front pivot arm and the upper moveable jaw, a back arm secured to the upper moveable jaw and the lower fixed jaw and a screw threaded shank nibbler secured to the upper moveable jaw.

Abstract: A mechanism for cracking nuts utilizing a rotating member including a plurality of cells. Each cell of the rotating member is sized to contain a single nut which is accessible through an entrance to the cell. The cell also includes a plate against which the walnut may rest. Each nut, if elongated, is oriented in each of the cells such that the long axis of the nut lies between the entrance and the plate of each cell. Cracking heads are employed in association with each of the cells such that any single cracking head is sized to move freely in and out of the entrance of each of the cells and may contact the nut within each cell. A striker or impact producing device imparts an impinging force to any of the cracking heads to crack the nut between the cracking head and plate within each of the cells of the rotating member.

Abstract: A nut cracking machine constructed with a cracking unit having a first reel of generally cylindrical configuration with a periphery having a series of uniformly spaced first cracking faces and a second reel of generally cylindrical configuration disposed within the first reel with a periphery having a series of uniformly spaced second cracking faces oppositely facing the first cracking faces, the first reel and second reel being rotated together on displaced axes that are parallel, the machine having a nut dispensing mechanism for dispensing nuts between the opposed cracking faces where the nuts are cracked as the reels rotate.

Abstract: A pistachio huller provided wherein a means (16) having projections (18) pushes unhulled nuts between the surface of the means having projections and a surface of a means (30) having channels (28), the channels being wider than the pistachio nuts to be hulled. The projections protrude into the channels and the hulls are ruptured and abraded through contact between the surface of the means with projections and the surface of the channels whereby the nuts are hulled.

Abstract: Means for cracking and removing the inner shell of a Macadamia nut after its outer shell has been husked off comprising a vertical open top tubular member having a side wall opening with a nut feeder tube, and disposed upon a hard transverse surface, the inside diameters of the tubular member and its side opening and feeder tube all being such as to allow passage of nuts through them. Yielding means are provided to limit the entry of nuts from the feeder tube into the tubular member through the side wall opening and a grippable ram is slidably disposed in the tubular member for movement upward above the side wall opening, and forceful movement back down the tubular member past the yieldable means to crack a nut which has entered the tubular member through the side wall opening against the hard transverse surface on which the tube is disposed.

Abstract: This egg breaking machine provides a means for separating egg shell from the liquid part of the egg. The eggs (1), along with the egg holder, commonly called a filler flat, containing thirty or less eggs, are placed into the egg breaker pan (3). At one end of the pan is attached a hinge (5) that is also attached to the upper section or egg support guide (6). The egg support guide has holes (7) that allow the egg tops (8) to fit through. With the eggs and egg holder placed inside the egg breaker pan, the guide is placed down on top of the eggs exposing the top section of the eggs. Placed on top of the support guide, there is an egg cutter (12) made from a flat metal plate attached to a horizontal support beam that rotates from a connecting rod placed at the end of the pan opposite the support guide hinges.

Abstract: A nut cracking machine constructed to crack nuts of different size in a continuous operation is provided, the machine having first and second disks that are spaced apart with opposed tapered faces forming a narrowing gap therebetween, the first disk being rotated on a first axis and the second disk being rotated together with the first disk on a second axis slightly skewed from the first axis such that the face of one disk is oblique to the face of the other disk and when rotated together, the gap between the faces of the disks has a wide sector and a narrow sector. The machine includes a feed mechanism to feed nuts of different size to the space between the disks where the space is widest, the nuts advancing between the tapered faces until the nuts are engaged by the disks and are then transported to where the gap narrows, the disks compressing the nuts therebetween and cracking the shells.

Abstract: A boiled egg peeling device is provided for gently and completely removing the shell from boiled eggs. The device includes a plurality of parallel peeling rollers connected with a circulating chain drive. In the upper segment of the chain drive, the peeling rollers are driven for rotation in the same direction. Above the rollers on the upper segment of the chain drive are provided pairs of pushing plates that are reciprocated back and forth along the axes of the rollers. The eggs are rotated by the rollers about their longitudinal axis and moved back and forth by the pushing plates in the gap between the rollers, whereby the shells are gently and completely removed from the eggs.