Walnut Washing Machines

Abstract

A walnut washing machine comprises: housing for the process of washing, said housing including an opening at its operative top for receiving said walnuts, and further adapted to be filled with water, thereby providing a water bath for said walnuts; a centrally located axle in said housing, said axle being angularly displaced by a handle adapted to drive a belt and pulley arrangement connected at the operative top of said axle; and plurality of bristled shafts, located one below the other, along the height of said housing, being spaced apart from each other, said shafts extending orthogonally from said axle and being adapted to be angularly displaced axially, thereby causing said bristles extending from it to be angularly displaced, in order to impose brushing strokes / effect on said walnuts in said housing.

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Specification

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention relates to the field of mechanical assemblies.
Particularly, this invention relates to the field of mechanical washing machines. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of walnut washing machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Dried walnut is a type of 'dry fruit' which is a good source of protein. Walnuts are grown extensively in the northern part of India, and serve as an export and trading agro-commodity.
To obtain the dried walnut, one of the phases in producing the kernels from walnuts is to wash the upper green cover of the walnut. This cover is washed manually and cut with knife or like structures whenever needed, according to prior art methods. Usually, it takes approximately one hour to manually 'wash' fifty kilograms of walnut. It was observed that the time spent is extremely large.
In prior art, US 733060 discloses a walnut hulling and washing machine having a cage composed of a plurality of transversely disposed bars connecting to side of casing and a plurality of radiating flexible spring-teeth projected in the direction of cage-bars. The unhulled nuts when passed through the machine the dual action of cage-bars and spring-teeth hull will be loosened and separated from the shell and disposed off through the optionally openable bottom of the machine. Thus obtained nuts are then subjected to washing. Hulling and washing process can be carried out by feeding a certain quantity of nuts to the machine as per its capacity.

US 2147022 discloses a walnut hulling device wherein unhulled walnuts are introduced on draper bars centrally connected with chain through entrance chute. Continuous slight oscillation of front wall of chute prevents hulled nuts packing in the chute. There is a floating brush having wires as bristles is mounted over draper by means of two parallel arms on main frame. Thus processed walnuts are discharged upon another draper by the motion of first draper to other portion of device for further processing.
However, none of the above invention discloses a walnut washing system which carries out hulling and washing process simultaneously and continuously. Hence, there is a need for a faster system and method to wash the walnuts.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
An object of the Invention is to provide a washing system and method for walnuts with increased output throughout in a given time.
Another object of the invention is to provide a washing system and method for walnuts which is manually operated.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a washing system and method for walnuts which does not require electricity for its functioning.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a washing system and method for walnuts which is capable of handling a substantially large bulk of walnuts at one time.

I Claim,
1. A walnut washing machine comprising:
a. housing for the process of washing, said housing including an opening at
its operative top for receiving said walnuts, and further adapted to be
filled with water, thereby providing a water bath for said walnuts;
b. a centrally located axle in said housing, said axle being angularly
displaced by a handle adapted to drive a belt and pulley arrangement
connected at the operative top of said axle; and
c. plurality of bristled shafts, located one below the other, along the height
of said housing, being spaced apart from each other, said shafts extending
orthogonally from said axle and being adapted to be angularly displaced
axially, thereby causing said bristles extending from it to be angularly
displaced, in order to impose brushing strokes / effect on said walnuts in
said housing.
2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said belt and pulley arrangement comprising at least a first pulley connected to a second pulley, said first pulley being connected co-axially to said axle, said second pulley being radially spaced apart from said first pulley and being connected to a handle which drives said second pulley.
3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said belt and pulley arrangement comprising at least a relatively smaller pulley connected to a relatively bigger pulley, said relatively smaller pulley being connected co-axially to said axle, said relatively bigger pulley being radially spaced apart from said relatively

smaller pulley and being connected to a handle which drives said relatively bigger pulley.
4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein- said belt and pulley arrangement comprising bearings at each of said pulleys.
5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said machine comprising an output means at the operative bottom portion of said housing so that water along with walnuts can be flushed out of said housing.
6. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said machine comprising an output means at the operative bottom portion of said housing so that water along with walnuts can be flushed out of said housing, said output means extending orthogonally from a side wall of said housing, below the last bristled shaft.
7. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein half of top surface of said housing is clamped to open so that walnuts may be evenly distributed into said housing whilst they are input into said housing.
8. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said machine comprising a water spraying means across at least a pair of opposing walls of said housing in order to continuously spray water to said walnuts in said housing.
9. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said machine comprising a collecting tray for collecting flushed out walnuts whilst draining off the flushed out water.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said machine is a motor operated machine.
11. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing is a substantially cylindrical housing.
12. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes means to adjust water level in order to make the buoyant walnuts to brush with said bristles of said shaft.
13. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes bristles of pre-defined sized so that they come into contact with the load of said walnuts.
14. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes an array of bristles on the interior surface of wall of said housing to increase the brushing strokes / effect on said walnuts immersed in the water bath of said housing.

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