US3066713A - Hand nutcracker - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4, 1962 B. WILCOX HAND NUTCRACKER Filed Oct. 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Bradford Wilcox 1 N VE N TOR can W 3M2 B. WILCOX HAND NUTCRACKER Dec. 4, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14. 1959 m at IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,%t'i,'ii3 Patented Dec. 4, 11962 3,066,713 HAND NUTCRACKER Bradford Wilcox, McMinnviile, Greg. (Box 372, tiherwood, Greg.) Filed (let. 1d, 1959, Ser. No. 846,434 3 Claims. (-Cl. 14616) This invention relates to nutcrackers, and the application is a continuation-in-part of U8. Serial No. 797,814, now abandoned. A claim is hereby made for the benefit f the earlier filing date as to all subject matter common to this application and the above referenced previously filed application.

An object of the invention is to provide a nutcracker constructed and arranged to function more smoothly, surely and satisfactorily than prior nutcrackers.

Briefly, a nutcracker in accordance with the invention is made of a pair of arms that are pivotally connected together by means of a pivot carried by a post that is fixed to one of the arms intermediate its ends. construction locates the two arms in planes that are spaced apart.

One of the arms has a stationary jaw formed of a pocket structure, and the other arm has a movable jaw pivoted to the second of the arms. The second jaw is formed with a pocket which opens toward the first mentioned pocket, and there is a return spring connected be tween the second arm and the second jaw.

With the above described structure, the second jaw is arranged to move in practically a rectilinear path of travel in response to squeezing of the handles of the arms so that the second jaw advances toward the nut contained in the pocket of the first jaw, and exerts a crushing action on the shell thereof. After the shell is cracked, the arms are released i.e. returned to the jaw open position during which movement the movable jaw is automatically returned to the original position by the action of the spring.

Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to provide a nutcracker which is of the hand operated type and wherein one jaw is adapted to move essentially rectilinearly in response to a pivotal motion between pivoted arms.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a nutcracker exemplifying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the nutcracker in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view showing the nutcracker in the open position and viewing the nutcracker from the side thereof opposite to that from which FIG- URE 1 views the nutcracker.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the inner end of one of the arms.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of all of the parts of the nutcracker.

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of the movable jaw of the nutcracker.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a nutcracker lltl which diagrammatically represents one embodiment of the invention. The nutcracker is made of a first arm or lever 12 together with a second arm or lever 14. The outer ends 16 and 18 of the arms constitute handgrips, and they are adapted to be grasped in the hand of the user and squeezed together to perform the nutcrack- This ing operation. Arm 12 has an angular offset 20 intermediate the ends thereof, and there is a post 22 fixed, for instance by being welded, brazed, etc., to arm 12 intermediate the ends thereof and at approximately the offset 2i thereof. The post 22 is preferably made of a fiat plate, and it has a laterally projecting ear 24 intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and at one edge, and this functions as a stop limiting the extent of pivotal movement of arms 12 and 14.

The inner end of arm 12 has a jaw 26 fixed thereto. The jaw has an approximately semi-cylindrical side wall 28 and a bottom wall 36. The jaw 26 opens toward post 22, and it is immovable with respect to the arm 12. The second jaw 32 includes a pair of parallel links which connect it to an inner end of mm id and is cooperable with jaw 26 to perform the nutcracking operation on a typical nut 34 located between the jaws of the nutcracker. Jaw 3'2 is formed with a transverse member 36 that is essentially V-shaped in cross-section (FiGURE 6) thereby forming a forwardly opening pocket which opens toward or confronts the pocket of jaw 26. A number of serrations 40 are in the front face of jaw 32 to enhance the frictional grip of jaw 32 with nut 3 A pair of parallel plates 2 and M- are fixed to the rear face of jaw 32 and they have apertures 46 therein by which to receive pivot 8. The pivot may be in the form of a pin, bolt or the like and it also extends through an aperture Si} in the inner end of arm 14. When the bolt is used for the pivot, a nut 52. will be used on the bolt to hold it in place. Plates 4.2 and 44 straddle a laterally extending plate 54- which is offset from the fiat end part 56 of arm 14, and aperture 51) is in this plate. Pivot 5%, for instance, a pin, bolt, etc. extends through aperture as near the outer end of post 22, and there is a nut 62 on the end of the bolt 58 when the bolt is used as the pivot. The bolt is also extended through aperture 64 in flat end portion $5 of arm 14, and this pivotally connects arms 12 and 14 together but at a place or location spaced considerably from arm 12 and generally or approximately coincident with the longitudinal axis of arm I i. As seen in FIGURE 1, the pivot 43 is located between pivot St? and arm 12, this location being made possible by the existence of plate 54. The plate 54 is off at slightly (FIGURE 6) to provide clearance for plate 42 between the plate 54 and post 22. In view of the arrangement described above, when arms I2 and I l are pivotally actuated, the jaw 32 is caused to move in almost a rectilinear path of travel toward and away from the jaw 26. As the jaw '32 is moved toward the nut in pocket 25, the grooves as grip the surface of the nut, thereby preventing the jaw 32. from moving vertically as the nut is cracked. As the nut gradually compresses, the jaw 32 moves in substantially a rectilinear or horizontal path since spring 7% permits plate 54 and jaw 32. to rotate relative to each other about bolt dd.

Return spring 74} is connected at one end in an aperture in ear 72 that protrudes laterally from the fiat end 56 of arm 14. The spring is also connected to jaw 32 at a place laterally offset from pivot 48, by being engaged in an aperture 74. in jaw 32. The function of the spring is to return the jaw 32 to its original position whereby it abuts the horizontal flange connecting plates 54 and 56 after the nutcracking operation has been completed and thereby maintain jaw 72 substantially parallel to the central portion of plate 28. Stop 24 functions as such by being contacted by the rear edge of one of the plates of jaw 32 when the nutcracker is in the full open position and by being contacted by the lower edge '73 of arm 14 adjacent to the flat end part 56 thereof.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those CD skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A nutcracker comprising a first arm having a handgrip at the outer end, a second arm having a hand-grip at the outer end, a post fixed to and extending from said first arm between the ends thereof, a pivot connecting said second arm at its inner end to said post thereby pivotally connecting said arms, a first jaw on the inner end of said first arm, a second jaw cooperable with said first jaw, a part of said second arm at the inner end thereof extending toward said first arm, and means movably connecting said second jaw directly to said part of said second arm, said movably connecting means comprising a pivot, and a spring attached to and extending between said second jaw and said second arm for yieldingly opposing the pivotal movement of said jaw in one direction about said pivot, said connecting means and spring comprising the sole means for connecting said second jaw to the other nutcracker structure.

2. A nutcracker comprising first and second elongated levers arranged in spaced relationship, a post fixed at one end to a central portion of said first lever and projecting toward said second lever, said first and second levers each including generally straight elongated hand grips at one end arranged in generally parallel relationship, a jaw support arm, the other end of said second lever being integrally connected to one end of said jaw support arm,

said arm overlapping said post and extending toward said first lever, first pivot means pivotally securing the other end of said second lever and the one end of said arm to the other end of said post, a link adjacent the other end of said first lever and extending generally parallel thereto, second pivot means pivotally connecting one end of said link to the other end of said arm, the other end of said link connected to a first jaw having a nut engaged surface extending generally perpendicular to the other end of said first lever, a stop on said a-rm, spring means connected between said first jaw and second lever urging said link away from said first lever and against said stop, a second jaw on the other end of said first lever having a nut engaging surface generally parallel to and opposing said first surface, said spring means and second pivot means comprising the only means connecting said first jaw and said link to the other nutcracker structure whereby said surfaces may remain generally parallel to one another when said hand grips are forced together to crack a nut between said surfaces.

3. A nutcracker as defined in claim 2 wherein the surface of said second jaw is of semi-cylindrical shape.

Reterences titted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 483,334 Wheeler Sept. 27, 1892 484,049 Robertson Oct. 11, 1892 805,651 Lang Nov. 28, 1905 11,087,617 Traber Feb. 17, 1914 1,205,276 Sharpe et a1 Nov. 21, 1916 IF-"'5'! m

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