Rotatable Turret Nut Cracker with Integrated Air Passages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nut cracking apparatuses are large and inefficient due to the need for external air hoses and complex disassembly for part replacement, limiting their ability to crack nuts at high speeds without significant size reduction.
Innovation Solution
A high-speed nut cracking apparatus with a rotatable turret that contains air passageways for moving pistons and shuttles, eliminating external hoses and allowing for easy part replacement and compact design, capable of cracking over 750 nuts per minute.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If external air hoses are used to supply air to moving parts, then the apparatus can operate, but the apparatus size becomes large and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the air supply system with the rotating turret by integrating air passages directly into the turret structure. This eliminates the need for external air hoses and reduces apparatus complexity while maintaining full operational capability. The air passages are formed as integral parts of the turret, merging previously separate systems into a unified structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If complex disassembly is required for part replacement, then structural integrity is maintained, but maintenance time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The turret is designed with segmented components including removable end plates that provide access to internal parts. This segmentation allows individual components to be accessed and replaced independently while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the turret assembly during normal operation.
3Productivity
If the apparatus is designed for high-speed operation, then productivity increases, but the apparatus size must be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of air passages into the rotating turret eliminates external hose requirements and reduces the apparatus footprint. This merging of systems enables high-speed operation (750+ nuts per minute) while maintaining a compact design, as the air supply infrastructure is consolidated within the existing turret structure rather than requiring additional external space.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus achieves high-speed nut cracking with a significantly smaller footprint, enabling efficient operation and easy maintenance by integrating air supply within the turret, allowing for rapid nut processing and reduced operational complexity.
Implementation Method 1
an air supply is communicated with the rotatable valve plate, the rotatable turret defining a feed air passage associated with each nut cracking unit therethrough from the rotatable valve plate to a rear end of a piston cylinder in which the piston is housed through which air passes to urge the piston from a retracted to an extended position
Implementation Method 2
nuts are cracked by providing a motive force for a shuttle to impact a crack die in which a nut is held
Data Source
AI summary
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.