An integrated machine for processing nuts with hard or soft shells, having a feeding hopper and a processing mechanism suitable for peeling or dehulling the fruit, including screener arranged below the processing mechanism, the screener comprising at least one screen element to separate the product into two levels, where the processing mechanism includes an outlet for the mixture obtained after processing the fruit and arranged in correspondence with a projection of a first inlet end of the screener, and a selector to make a selection by suction applied to at least one level of the screening means.

The invention relates to a method for disintegration and unlocking of plant-based starting material with the method steps a) providing a plant-based starting material, b) adding a disintegration solution to the starting material and leaving it in the disintegration solution until disintegration, c) dispensing of the constituents of the disintegrated starting material in a dispensing volume to obtain solid constituents and dissolved constituents of the plant-based starting material, d) separation of solid constituents from dissolved constituents of the plant-based starting material, e) obtaining the separated constituents of the plant-based starting material as materials for further utilization by, e1) Fractionating of cellulose-based fibers from lignin-rich shells of the solid constituents of the plant-based starting material by means of an cyclone separation technique to obtain purified fractions of cellulose-based fibers and lignin-rich shells, e2) aggregation/complexation of dissolved proteins of the dissolved constituents of the plant starting material by complexing agents and separation of the sedimented aggregated/complexed condensed proteins to obtain an aggregated/complexed protein mass.

The invention relates to a method for disintegration and unlocking of plant-based starting material with the method steps a) providing a plant-based starting material, b) adding a disintegration solution to the starting material and leaving it in the disintegration solution until disintegration, c) dispensing of the constituents of the disintegrated starting material in a dispensing volume to obtain solid constituents and dissolved constituents of the plant-based starting material, d) separation of solid constituents from dissolved constituents of the plant-based starting material, e) obtaining the separated constituents of the plant-based starting material as materials for further utilization by, e1) Fractionating of cellulose-based fibers from lignin-rich shells of the solid constituents of the plant-based starting material by means of an cyclone separation technique to obtain purified fractions of cellulose-based fibers and lignin-rich shells, e2) aggregation/complexation of dissolved proteins of the dissolved constituents of the plant starting material by complexing agents and separation of the sedimented aggregated/complexed condensed proteins to obtain an aggregated/complexed protein mass.

The invention relates to a cracking-shelling mechanism for nuts with a hard or soft shell, with a plurality of first and second blocks the facing sides of which have a plurality of complementary first and second notches in a staggered arrangement, wherein each first notch is associated with at least a second notch and forms a cracking hole with each one, wherein the notches have first and second vertexes for each hole, forming a specific angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and in the standby position of the first block, said first and second vertexes of each first notch are arranged so as to coincide with second and first vertexes, respectively, of a second notch.

The invention relates to a cracking-shelling mechanism for nuts with a hard or soft shell, with a plurality of first and second blocks the facing sides of which have a plurality of complementary first and second notches in a staggered arrangement, wherein each first notch is associated with at least a second notch and forms a cracking hole with each one, wherein the notches have first and second vertexes for each hole, forming a specific angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and in the standby position of the first block, said first and second vertexes of each first notch are arranged so as to coincide with second and first vertexes, respectively, of a second notch.

A system for processing agricultural items includes a first member having a first surface, a first axis, and a partially cylindrical space, the first surface being an inner surface of the partially cylindrical space. The system also includes a substantially arcuate second member having a second surface and a second axis, the second member being disposed at least partially in the partially cylindrical space, and the contoured second surface being an outer surface of the second member. The first surface and the second surface are substantially opposed to each other. One of the first and second surfaces substantially tapers toward another of the first and second surfaces along the first or second axes. The first and second axes are respective first and second circumferential axes.

A system for processing agricultural items includes a first member having a first surface, a first axis, and a partially cylindrical space, the first surface being an inner surface of the partially cylindrical space. The system also includes a substantially arcuate second member having a second surface and a second axis, the second member being disposed at least partially in the partially cylindrical space, and the contoured second surface being an outer surface of the second member. The first surface and the second surface are substantially opposed to each other. One of the first and second surfaces substantially tapers toward another of the first and second surfaces along the first or second axes. The first and second axes are respective first and second circumferential axes.

A modular nut cleaning plant comprises a nut sizer and a stick remover mounted to the nut sizer. A vacuum unit is mounted to the stick remover. A nut product stream will pass on the stick remover through the vacuum unit which will vacuum light debris from the nut product stream. The nut product stream moves on a chain on the stick remover. Large debris and sticks that do not fall through openings in the chain will pass into a debris conveyor. Nuts and debris that fall through the openings in the chain will be delivered to the nut sizer. The nut sizer will rotate and tumble nuts and debris in the nut product stream. Nuts of an undesirable size and debris will pass into a debris conveyor. Nuts of a desired size will pass through the nut sizer into a chute or other conveyance to be delivered to further nut processing apparatus.

A modular nut cleaning plant comprises a nut sizer and a stick remover mounted to the nut sizer. A vacuum unit is mounted to the stick remover. A nut product stream will pass on the stick remover through the vacuum unit which will vacuum light debris from the nut product stream. The nut product stream moves on a chain on the stick remover. Large debris and sticks that do not fall through openings in the chain will pass into a debris conveyor. Nuts and debris that fall through the openings in the chain will be delivered to the nut sizer. The nut sizer will rotate and tumble nuts and debris in the nut product stream. Nuts of an undesirable size and debris will pass into a debris conveyor. Nuts of a desired size will pass through the nut sizer into a chute or other conveyance to be delivered to further nut processing apparatus.

A nut sizer includes a nut sizer frame and a rotatable nut sizer cage mounted therein. A motor is attached to the nut sizer frame at an intake end thereof. The motor will drive a drive sprocket which will in turn drive a reel sprocket that is connected to the rotatable sizer cage. A chain engages the drive sprocket and the reel sprocket. The sizer cage may be lifted from the nut sizer frame by removing the chain. The nut sizer cage is a sectioned sizer cage and includes a first sizer section and a second sizer section detachably connected thereto.