GB1149762A - Improvements in or relating to methods and apparatus for decorticating plant products - Google Patents

Abstract

1,149,762. Decorticating nuts, grain &c. NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORP. 22 June, 1966 [23 June, 1965; 1 Nov., 1965; 13 June, 1966], Nos. 26564/65, 46090/65 and 26293/66. Heading A2Q. In a method and apparatus for decorticating or shelling plant products such as grain and nuts, particularly ground-nuts, the products are passed between two substantially flat parallel, vertical faces, one face being stationary whilst the other face moves in its own plane relative to the stationary face, at least one of the said faces being provided with grating or grinding surfaces, and the distance between said faces being adjustable. The grating or grinding surfaces may comprise one or more than one strip of grating or grinding material, located with its longer dimension substantially transverse to the direction of relative movement. One of said faces may be covered with resilient material, e.g. in the form of one or more than one removably mounted strip located with its longer dimension substantially transverse to the direction of relative movement. The apparatus according to Fig. 2 comprises a substantially vertical shoot 7 having a rear wall 4, on which is detachably mounted a sheet of resilient plastics material 15 constituting a stationary shelling member, and a front wall 3 pierced by a hole 8, in which is accommodated a disc 9 rotatably mounted on the front end of a shaft 10, whose rear, screw-threaded end passes through a hole in the wall 4, then engagingly through a screw-threaded bore in a boss 11 on said wall and a locknut 13, and terminates in a finger-piece 12, which can be turned to vary the distance between the disc 9 and the wall 4. One or more than one replaceable shelling member comprising at least one radial strip 19 of grating or grinding material is detachably mounted on the side of the disc facing the wall 4. A handle 26 is provided, so that the disc can be rotated by hand. Alternatively, the disc may be rotated by an electric motor acting through belt or chain transmission. According to Figs. 7 and 8 (not shown) the apparatus may comprise an endless, vertical conveyer (64) one vertically moving flight of which constitutes a moving face. According to Fig. 9 (not shown) the moving face may be part of the abrasive periphery of a horizontal, rotating roller (77) having a large diameter.