Abstract: A nut cracking apparatus has a frame with a rotatable turret mounted thereto. A plurality of nut cracking units in the rotatable turret comprise pistons movable from a retracted position to an extended position and crack dies aligned with the piston. Air is communicated through feed air passages in the rotatable turret to urge the pistons from a retracted to an extended position.

Abstract: A modular nut cleaning plant comprises a nut sizer and a stick remover mounted to the nut sizer. A vacuum unit is mounted to the stick remover. A nut product stream will pass on the stick remover through the vacuum unit which will vacuum light debris from the nut product stream. The nut product stream moves on a chain on the stick remover. Large debris and sticks that do not fall through openings in the chain will pass into a debris conveyor. Nuts and debris that fall through the openings in the chain will be delivered to the nut sizer. The nut sizer will rotate and tumble nuts and debris in the nut product stream. Nuts of an undesirable size and debris will pass into a debris conveyor. Nuts of a desired size will pass through the nut sizer into a chute or other conveyance to be delivered to further nut processing apparatus.

Abstract: A nut sizer includes a nut sizer frame and a rotatable nut sizer cage mounted therein. A motor is attached to the nut sizer frame at an intake end thereof. The motor will drive a drive sprocket which will in turn drive a reel sprocket that is connected to the rotatable sizer cage. A chain engages the drive sprocket and the reel sprocket. The sizer cage may be lifted from the nut sizer frame by removing the chain. The nut sizer cage is a sectioned sizer cage and includes a first sizer section and a second sizer section detachably connected thereto.

Abstract: A modular nut cleaning plant comprises a nut sizer and a stick remover mounted to the nut sizer. A vacuum unit is mounted to the stick remover. A nut product stream will pass on the stick remover through the vacuum unit which will vacuum light debris from the nut product stream. The nut product stream moves on a chain on the stick remover. Large debris and sticks that do not fall through openings in the chain will pass into a debris conveyor. Nuts and debris that fall through the openings in the chain will be delivered to the nut sizer. The nut sizer will rotate and tumble nuts and debris in the nut product stream. Nuts of an undesirable size and debris will pass into a debris conveyor. Nuts of a desired size will pass through the nut sizer into a chute or other conveyance to be delivered to further nut processing apparatus.

Abstract: A nut sizer includes a nut sizer frame and a rotatable nut sizer cage mounted therein. A motor is attached to the nut sizer frame at an intake end thereof. The motor will drive a drive sprocket which will in turn drive a reel sprocket that is connected to the rotatable sizer cage. A chain engages the drive sprocket and the reel sprocket. The sizer cage may be lifted from the nut sizer frame by removing the chain. The nut sizer cage is a sectioned sizer cage and includes a first sizer section and a second sizer section detachably connected thereto.

Abstract: A nut processing apparatus includes a pair of side panels with a vacuum duct connected thereto. The nut processing apparatus which may be referred to as a vacuum unit is configured to be mounted directly to other nut processing equipment such as for example a stick remover. The vacuum unit includes a vacuum duct with an upper stationary portion and a lower pivotable portion.

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: 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 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 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.