I need two cylinders 6" to 12" long, 2" diameter, knurled on their
surfaces the entire length of the surface. I need them to have an end
cap, or FB across the ends, with a true center hole 3/8" dia. This is
for dropping pecans through to crack, and they would both be rotating in
different directions, I haven't decided how to do that yet. I need for
the two cylinders to be able to be separated an equal distance with one
adjustment screw to allow for different diameter pecans.

I think that I may only have to have a drive source on one cylinder, and
the other fixed. I have a gear reduction drive motor that would provide
the rotation for the one cylinder, so basically, it would be for just
the two cylinders unless you got some spare parts that you think would
work well, and not cost an arm and a leg, nor take an inordinate amount
of time. The main thing would be making the throat adjustable, and
maintaining the meshing of the driven gears if I use two gears. If I
use one, it would simplify things greatly.

Anyone up to a small project?

Steve

On 2013-12-21, SteveB wrote:
I need two cylinders 6" to 12" long, 2" diameter, knurled on their
surfaces the entire length of the surface. I need them to have an end
cap, or FB across the ends, with a true center hole 3/8" dia. This is
for dropping pecans through to crack, and they would both be rotating in
different directions, I haven't decided how to do that yet. I need for
the two cylinders to be able to be separated an equal distance with one
adjustment screw to allow for different diameter pecans.

I think that I may only have to have a drive source on one cylinder, and
the other fixed. I have a gear reduction drive motor that would provide
the rotation for the one cylinder, so basically, it would be for just
the two cylinders unless you got some spare parts that you think would
work well, and not cost an arm and a leg, nor take an inordinate amount
of time. The main thing would be making the throat adjustable, and
maintaining the meshing of the driven gears if I use two gears. If I
use one, it would simplify things greatly.

Anyone up to a small project?


Steve,call a few local shops.,and mention that you will bepaying in cash,
they will be very receptive.

i

Ignoramus28970 wrote:

On 2013-12-21, SteveB wrote:
I need two cylinders 6" to 12" long, 2" diameter, knurled on their
surfaces the entire length of the surface. I need them to have an end
cap, or FB across the ends, with a true center hole 3/8" dia. This is
for dropping pecans through to crack, and they would both be rotating in
different directions, I haven't decided how to do that yet. I need for
the two cylinders to be able to be separated an equal distance with one
adjustment screw to allow for different diameter pecans.

I think that I may only have to have a drive source on one cylinder, and
the other fixed. I have a gear reduction drive motor that would provide
the rotation for the one cylinder, so basically, it would be for just
the two cylinders unless you got some spare parts that you think would
work well, and not cost an arm and a leg, nor take an inordinate amount
of time. The main thing would be making the throat adjustable, and
maintaining the meshing of the driven gears if I use two gears. If I
use one, it would simplify things greatly.

Anyone up to a small project?


Steve,call a few local shops.,and mention that you will bepaying in cash,
they will be very receptive.

i

I'm not sure about that design. When I moved to TX and found I had pecan
trees I searched around for pecan shelling machinery designs and don't
recall any that cracked across the short dimension, they all worked on
the long dimension. I found the easiest thing for me is a 1T arbor press
where I can just stand the pecan on end and apply a small amount of
force to crack without crushing. The separation once cracked is the real
challenge and from what I found far too complicated to try to replicate
small scale.

"SteveB" wrote in message
...
I need two cylinders 6" to 12" long, 2" diameter, knurled on their
surfaces the entire length of the surface. I need them to have an end
cap, or FB across the ends, with a true center hole 3/8" dia. This is for
dropping pecans through to crack, and they would both be rotating in
different directions, I haven't decided how to do that yet. I need for
the two cylinders to be able to be separated an equal distance with one
adjustment screw to allow for different diameter pecans.

I think that I may only have to have a drive source on one cylinder, and
the other fixed. I have a gear reduction drive motor that would provide
the rotation for the one cylinder, so basically, it would be for just the
two cylinders unless you got some spare parts that you think would work
well, and not cost an arm and a leg, nor take an inordinate amount of
time. The main thing would be making the throat adjustable, and
maintaining the meshing of the driven gears if I use two gears. If I use
one, it would simplify things greatly.

Anyone up to a small project?

Steve



I am thinking you would need some kind of sizing process, and then crackers
setup for each size.







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On 12/20/2013 7:41 PM, Pete C. wrote:

Ignoramus28970 wrote:



I'm not sure about that design. When I moved to TX and found I had pecan
trees I searched around for pecan shelling machinery designs and don't
recall any that cracked across the short dimension, they all worked on
the long dimension. I found the easiest thing for me is a 1T arbor press
where I can just stand the pecan on end and apply a small amount of
force to crack without crushing. The separation once cracked is the real
challenge and from what I found far too complicated to try to replicate
small scale.

Had investigated short travel actuators that could deliver a stout blow
to a nut held so it impacted the ends. Might still go to that. I would
eventually like to come up with something that allows me to get two
halves out, even if it takes some finger time, and it is not all
automatic. The machines for that are around $15k. It needs to shatter
from both ends without compressing enough to contact or damage the meat.
Probably 1/16" to 1/8", something it would be easy to do with an
actuator and some steel stops. Even did some experimentation with
dropping ball bearings, but didn't have the inertia, and the variables
of the different nut ends produced nonrepeatable results.

For right now, some people want the nuts just cracked, and they will
extract the meat. This would be the purpose of this machine. Just
crack them enough for the buyer to do the rest. Some places charge up
to 50 cents a pound to crack pecans. Sounds pretty lucrative to me for
running them between two spinning rollers.

Steve

On Fri, 20 Dec 2013 19:05:23 -0700, SteveB
wrote:

I need two cylinders 6" to 12" long, 2" diameter, knurled on their
surfaces the entire length of the surface. I need them to have an end
cap, or FB across the ends, with a true center hole 3/8" dia. This is
for dropping pecans through to crack, and they would both be rotating in
different directions, I haven't decided how to do that yet. I need for
the two cylinders to be able to be separated an equal distance with one
adjustment screw to allow for different diameter pecans.

I think that I may only have to have a drive source on one cylinder, and
the other fixed. I have a gear reduction drive motor that would provide
the rotation for the one cylinder, so basically, it would be for just
the two cylinders unless you got some spare parts that you think would
work well, and not cost an arm and a leg, nor take an inordinate amount
of time. The main thing would be making the throat adjustable, and
maintaining the meshing of the driven gears if I use two gears. If I
use one, it would simplify things greatly.

Anyone up to a small project?

Steve



A grape crusher works that way, adjustable rollers and all although
the rollers are much different. Try to get a look at one to see how
the drive and roller adjustment works.

A thought, if all you want is the two rollers turning in opposite
directions you can do that with a bicycle chain (or motorcycle) by
running the chain over one sprocket and under the other. With a spring
loaded idler you can change the roller spacing easily.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On Fri, 20 Dec 2013 22:36:13 -0700, SteveB
wrote:

On 12/20/2013 7:41 PM, Pete C. wrote:

Ignoramus28970 wrote:



I'm not sure about that design. When I moved to TX and found I had pecan
trees I searched around for pecan shelling machinery designs and don't
recall any that cracked across the short dimension, they all worked on
the long dimension. I found the easiest thing for me is a 1T arbor press
where I can just stand the pecan on end and apply a small amount of
force to crack without crushing. The separation once cracked is the real
challenge and from what I found far too complicated to try to replicate
small scale.

Had investigated short travel actuators that could deliver a stout blow
to a nut held so it impacted the ends. Might still go to that. I would
eventually like to come up with something that allows me to get two
halves out, even if it takes some finger time, and it is not all
automatic. The machines for that are around $15k. It needs to shatter
from both ends without compressing enough to contact or damage the meat.
Probably 1/16" to 1/8", something it would be easy to do with an
actuator and some steel stops. Even did some experimentation with
dropping ball bearings, but didn't have the inertia, and the variables
of the different nut ends produced nonrepeatable results.

For right now, some people want the nuts just cracked, and they will
extract the meat. This would be the purpose of this machine. Just
crack them enough for the buyer to do the rest. Some places charge up
to 50 cents a pound to crack pecans. Sounds pretty lucrative to me for
running them between two spinning rollers.

Steve

My great uncle Bill built several that used opposed cylindrical
weights, about 1-1/2" x 4", sliding on rails 1" apart. One weight was
operated by hand to load a pecan, the second weight with limited
travel was struck every few seconds by a third which was drawn back
and released by a little gearmotor and cam. I don't remember the
release mechanism, but it was simple. Force was regulated by the
number of rubber bands on either side of the striker. Pull back the
hand weight, stick in a pecan (there were conical recesses both sides
to hold the pecan), the striker would be released hitting the limited
travel weight, pecan breaks, drop the pecan through to a bucket
underneath, stick in another. It went pretty quick, and they were
perfectly cracked for separation.

If I had any bearing pecan trees, I'd build one.

Pete Keillor

In article , SteveB
wrote:

I need two cylinders 6" to 12" long, 2" diameter, knurled on their
surfaces the entire length of the surface. I need them to have an end
cap, or FB across the ends, with a true center hole 3/8" dia. This is
for dropping pecans through to crack, and they would both be rotating in
different directions, I haven't decided how to do that yet. I need for
the two cylinders to be able to be separated an equal distance with one
adjustment screw to allow for different diameter pecans.

I think that I may only have to have a drive source on one cylinder, and
the other fixed. I have a gear reduction drive motor that would provide
the rotation for the one cylinder, so basically, it would be for just
the two cylinders unless you got some spare parts that you think would
work well, and not cost an arm and a leg, nor take an inordinate amount
of time. The main thing would be making the throat adjustable, and
maintaining the meshing of the driven gears if I use two gears. If I
use one, it would simplify things greatly.

Anyone up to a small project?

Steve



There has to be lots of ways, to satisfy the demand for Pecan Pie. A
little bit of searching came up with the following patent, which has
the counter-rotating rollers that catch and break the shell.

US 6541057

Go to http://www.pat2pdf.org or Google Patents for copies.


Joe Gwinn

On Fri, 20 Dec 2013 19:05:23 -0700, SteveB
wrote:

I need two cylinders 6" to 12" long, 2" diameter, knurled on their
surfaces the entire length of the surface. I need them to have an end
cap, or FB across the ends, with a true center hole 3/8" dia. This is
for dropping pecans through to crack, and they would both be rotating in
different directions, I haven't decided how to do that yet. I need for
the two cylinders to be able to be separated an equal distance with one
adjustment screw to allow for different diameter pecans.

I think that I may only have to have a drive source on one cylinder, and
the other fixed. I have a gear reduction drive motor that would provide
the rotation for the one cylinder, so basically, it would be for just
the two cylinders unless you got some spare parts that you think would
work well, and not cost an arm and a leg, nor take an inordinate amount
of time. The main thing would be making the throat adjustable, and
maintaining the meshing of the driven gears if I use two gears. If I
use one, it would simplify things greatly.

Anyone up to a small project?

Steve



What sort of knurling?

Gunner

--
"Owning a sailboat is like marrying a nymphomaniac. You don’t want to do that
but it is great if your best friend does. That way you get all the benefits without any of the upkeep"

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On Fri, 20 Dec 2013 19:05:23 -0700, SteveB
wrote:

I need two cylinders 6" to 12" long, 2" diameter, knurled on their
surfaces the entire length of the surface. I need them to have an end
cap, or FB across the ends, with a true center hole 3/8" dia. This is
for dropping pecans through to crack, and they would both be rotating in
different directions, I haven't decided how to do that yet. I need for
the two cylinders to be able to be separated an equal distance with one
adjustment screw to allow for different diameter pecans.

I think that I may only have to have a drive source on one cylinder, and
the other fixed. I have a gear reduction drive motor that would provide
the rotation for the one cylinder, so basically, it would be for just
the two cylinders unless you got some spare parts that you think would
work well, and not cost an arm and a leg, nor take an inordinate amount
of time. The main thing would be making the throat adjustable, and
maintaining the meshing of the driven gears if I use two gears. If I
use one, it would simplify things greatly.

Anyone up to a small project?


Google a Rocket nut cracker.
Steve