The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 01, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 19, 2002
James B. Quantz, Lexington, SC (US);
Pascal W. Pitts, Cayce, SC (US);
John L. Feaster, Columbia, SC (US);
Machine Design Incorporated, West Columbia, SC (US);
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.