Methods and Apparatus for Hulling Crops

Abstract

Improved methods and apparatus for dry hulling or dry peeling harvested crops, particularly pistachio nuts, are disclosed. The methods and apparatus of the present invention provide crop harvesting with great efficiency resulting in consistently high percentages of hulled or peeled crops and low percentages of nut breakage, without increasing processing times regardless of the sizes of the crops being hulled or peeled. The methods and apparatus of the present invention also provide for a relatively small overall machine footprint, plus easy and efficient removal and replacement of the impingement drum to accommodate for different drum speeds, different crop sizes, different bolt patterns, different bolt sizes, and other variations allowing embodiments of the invention to be used on a wide range of nuts and vegetables of different varieties, sizes and shapes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for hulling or peeling harvested crops comprising: a. a rotatable drum having a generally horizontal orientation, a central axis of rotation, and a plurality of protrusions located on an exterior surface thereof, said drum being positioned below at least one infeed through which incoming crops to be hulled or peeled are introduced; b. an adjustable back plate provided adjacent to said drum surface and positioned parallel to said axis of rotation; and c. an adjustable front plate provided adjacent to said drum surface and positioned parallel to said axis of rotation, said front plate having a central opening located thereon through which processed crops may exit; and d. at least one adjustable member that may be moved to open, partially cover, or completely covering said central opening.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one adjustable member comprises a first adjustable panel provided on one side of said opening which may be moved to open, partially cover, or completely covering the opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first adjustable panel has a leading edge having an angle of between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees such that moving said panel over said opening causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least one adjustable member further comprises a second adjustable panel provided on an opposite side of said opening which may be moved to open, partially cover, or completely covering the opening.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first and said second adjustable panels each have a leading edge having an angle of between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees such that moving said panels over said opening forms a V-shape over said opening and causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the leading edges of both of said side panels have an angle of about 60 degrees.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one adjustable member comprises first and said second adjustable panels provided on each side of said opening, each of said panels having a leading edge having an angle of between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees such that moving said panels over said opening forms a V-shape over said opening and causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the leading edges of both of said side panels have an angle of about 60 degrees.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least one adjustable member comprises a first adjustable gate provided above said central opening which may be moved to open, partially cover, or completely covering the opening.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least one adjustable member comprises an adjustable gate provided below said central opening which may be moved to open, partially cover, or completely covering the opening.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said at least one adjustable member further comprises a second adjustable gate provided below said central opening which may be moved to open, partially cover, or completely covering the opening.

12. A method of hulling or peeling crops comprising the steps of a. introducing said crops into a hopper above a horizontally oriented rotating drum, said drum having a plurality of protrusions located thereon; b. said crops coming into contact with a back plate located adjacent to said drum such that the crops are frictionally impinged by the protrusions on said drum causing peels or hulls to be removed from said crops and exit below said back plate; c. said crops being moved in a counter rotational direction with respect to the rotation of said drum such that said crops come into contact with a front plate located upstream from said back plate and adjacent to said drum; and d. said impinged crops exiting through a central opening on said front plate the size of which may be adjusted using a member selected from the group of: an adjustable lower gate, an adjustable upper gate, a adjustable lower gate and an adjustable upper gate, an adjustable side panel, a pair of adjustable side panels, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein adjusting member comprises an adjustable side panel having a leading edge having an angle of between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees such that moving said panel over said opening causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein adjusting member comprises is a pair of adjustable side panels, each such panel having a leading edge having an angle of between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees such that moving said panels over said opening causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein adjusting member comprises an adjustable lower gate such that moving said gate over said opening causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

16. An apparatus for hulling or peeling harvested crops comprising: a. a rotatable drum having a generally horizontal orientation, a central axis of rotation, and a plurality of protrusions located on an exterior surface thereof, said drum being positioned below at least one infeed through which incoming crops to be hulled or peeled are introduced; b. an adjustable back plate provided adjacent to said drum surface and positioned parallel to said axis of rotation, wherein said back plate has a bottom and a top, and the bottom of said back plate is provided at a location between about top dead center of said drum and about three degrees down from top dead center of said drum; c. an adjustable front plate provided adjacent to said drum surface and positioned parallel to said axis of rotation, wherein said front plate has a bottom and a top, and the bottom of said front plate is provided at a location between about 25 degrees and about 50 degrees down from top dead center of said drum, upstream of the rotational direction of said drum; and d. a central opening in said front plate the size of which may be adjusted using a member selected from the group of: an adjustable lower gate, an adjustable upper gate, a adjustable lower gate and an adjustable upper gate, an adjustable side panel, a pair of adjustable side panels, and combinations thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein adjusting member comprises an adjustable side panel having a leading edge having an angle of between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees such that moving said panel over said opening causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein adjusting member comprises is a pair of adjustable side panels, each such panel having a leading edge having an angle of between about 30 degrees and about 75 degrees such that moving said panels over said opening causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein adjusting member comprises an adjustable lower gate such that moving said gate over said opening causes said opening to be closed starting at a bottom thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] FIG. 1 is a partial side schematic view of a prior art hulling apparatus.

[0075] FIG. 2 is a top schematic view of counter rotational patterns of prior art hulling apparatus.

[0076] FIG. 2A is a side schematic view of a counter rotational pattern of prior art hulling apparatus.

[0077] FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of a counter rotational pattern of embodiments of the present invention.

[0078] FIG. 3A is a side schematic view of a counter rotational pattern of embodiments of the present invention.

[0079] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing exemplary angles , and T with respect to the front plate and back plate of an embodiment of the invention.

[0080] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing exemplary angles , and T with respect to the front plate and back plate of an embodiment of the invention.

[0081] FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of an embodiment of a front plate in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating exemplary drum removal.

[0083] FIGS. 8A-8C are views of different embodiments of the front plate showing different positions for the opening and gates thereon.

[0084] FIGS. 9A-9C are side schematic views of different examples of possible positions and angles of front and back plates of embodiments of the present invention.

[0085] FIG. 10 is a view of an exemplary pattern of protrusions provided on the surface of a drum according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0086] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having triangular bolts or protrusions thereon.

[0087] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having diamond shaped bolts or protrusions thereon.

[0088] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having hexagonal bolts or protrusions thereon.

[0089] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having octagonal bolts or protrusions thereon.

[0090] FIG. 15 is a side view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having triangular bolts or protrusions thereon.

[0091] FIG. 16 is a side view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having diamond shaped bolts or protrusions thereon.

[0092] FIG. 17 is a side view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having hexagonal bolts or protrusions thereon.

[0093] FIG. 18 is a side view of an embodiment of a drum of the present invention having octagonal bolts or protrusions thereon.

[0094] FIG. 19A is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a triangular bolt or protrusion of a drum of the present invention.

[0095] FIG. 19B is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a square bolt or protrusion of a drum of the present invention.

[0096] FIG. 19C is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a rectangular bolt or protrusion of a drum of the present invention.

[0097] FIG. 19D is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a diamond shaped bolt or protrusion of a drum of the present invention.

[0098] FIG. 19E is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a hexagonal bolt or protrusion of a drum of the present invention.

[0099] FIG. 19F is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of an octagonal bolt or protrusion of a drum of the present invention.

[0100] FIG. 20 is a back view of an embodiment of a front plate of the present invention with an embodiment of adjustable side panels of the present invention in a first position.

[0101] FIG. 21 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 20.

[0102] FIG. 22 is a back view of an embodiment of a front plate of the present invention with an embodiment of adjustable side panels of the present invention in a second position.

[0103] FIG. 23 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 22.

[0104] FIG. 24 is a back view of an embodiment of a front plate of the present invention with an embodiment of adjustable side panels of the present invention in a third position.

[0105] FIG. 25 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 24.

[0106] FIG. 26 is a back perspective view of an embodiment of a front plate of the present invention with an embodiment of adjustable side panels of the present invention showing the side panels partially closed over the front plate opening.

[0107] FIG. 25 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 26.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0108] Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring particularly to FIGS. 3A, 4 and 5, it is seen that the embodiments of the invention shown in these illustrations include a rotatable drum 11 having a central axis 12, the drum being located at the bottom of a hopper area 10 of a hulling apparatus for receiving harvested crops 17 such as nuts or vegetables from which the outside hulls, skins or peels 18 are to be removed, resulting in processed crops 19 that have been hulled, peeled and/or skinned. The drums of embodiments of the present invention are provided with upwardly extending protrusions, impingement structures or bolts 14 on the surface of the drum. The protrusions 14 are ordinarily provided in a pattern 15. The protrusions 14 are designed to impinge against the incoming crops 17 that come into contact with the drum for the purpose of frictionally removing the exterior skins, peels or hulls 18 from the crops.

[0109] Embodiments of the present invention are provided with an adjustable back plate 6 and an adjustable front plate 7 mounted in the vicinity of the drum 11. The area between the front and back plates generally defines a hopper 10 of the apparatus. In the embodiments illustrated herein, the rotational direction of the drum is shown to be clockwise; however it is to be appreciated that the drums of embodiments of the present invention may alternatively rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, and if so, the positioning of the other elements of the embodiments of the invention would be provided in mirror-image positions relative to such counter-clockwise rotating drums.

[0110] Placing the crops 17 into the hopper area 10 of embodiments of the invention causes the crops to come into contact with the protrusions 14 of the drum; and the rotation of the drum 11 causes the crops to come into contact with back plate 6. The position of the back plate 6 in conjunction with the protrusions on the drum cause frictional impingements (hits or contacts) which contribute to the removal of the exterior skins, peels or hulls 18 from the crops without increasing breakage, and with little or no increase in processing times.

[0111] In embodiments of the invention, using particular locations and angles for the front and back plates causes increased impingement of the crops and results in more efficient removal of the exterior hulls 18. Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus wherein the bottom or starting position of the adjustable back plate 6 relative to the drum 11 is located at a position directly above the drum at or near top dead center (12:00 on a clock face), with the edge of the back plate being above the surface of the drum, and parallel to the axis 12 of the drum. In some embodiments, the bottom of the back plate may be located as much as about 3 degrees down from top dead center in the upstream direction of drum rotation, and in same quadrant as the front plate. (See, e.g., FIG. 9A.) For a drum rotating in a clockwise direction, the bottom of an exemplary back plate located 3 degrees down from top dead center would be located at around 11:59:30 on a clock face. In all embodiments, the adjustable front plate 7 is located in the upstream quadrant below top dead center (e.g., between 9:00 and 12:00 on a clock face if the drum is rotating clockwise).

[0112] In embodiments of the invention, the top of the back plate 6 may be angled or tilted from the bottom of the back plate (pivoted) in a direction away from the front plate 7 at an angle 31 of between about zero (0=vertical) and about 15 degrees. It has been observed that some crops tend to accumulate on the back plate 6 if it is tilted at an angle of 20 degrees or more, resulting in a preferred range for angle 31 of between about 0 and about 15 degrees. Referring to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, it is seen that the bottom of back plate 6 in this example is located at top dead center (12:00), and that back plate 6 is tilted in an angle 31 of about 10 degrees away from the front plate 7.

[0113] In embodiments of the invention, the distance between the bottom of back plate 6 and the surface of drum 11 may be adjustable such that a gap 8 may be formed between the back plate 6 and the drum 11. It is to be appreciated that peels and removed hull fragments 18 that are dislodged during the impingement process exit through this gap 8. For embodiments hulling pistachio nuts, this gap may be from between about 3 mm and about 5 mm high. Although gap 8 is not necessarily dependent on the height of the protrusions 14 on the drum, in some embodiments it may be approximately 1 mm above the tops of these protrusions. This allows the hulls 18 to exit, but not the nuts themselves 19. In other embodiments, the size of gap 8 may be from between about 2 mm and about 5 mm so as to allow for peels and removed hull fragments 18 to exit, while preventing hulled crops 19 from also exiting through gap 8. In some embodiments, gap 8 may be larger in order to accommodate larger sized products, such as walnuts.

[0114] Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus wherein the bottom or starting position of the adjustable front plate 7 relative to the drum 11 is located at a position upstream from the back plate 6 with respect to the rotation of the drum. In preferred embodiments for hulling pistachios, this starting position of the bottom of the front plate 7 is around 37 degrees below top dead center, or just below 11:00 on a clock face if the drum is rotating clockwise. However, depending on the application of the formula described below, the starting position of the bottom of the front plate 7 may be anywhere from about 25 to about 50 degrees down from top dead center, but preferably between about 27 degrees and 42 degrees down from top dead center.

[0115] In embodiments of the invention, the top of the front plate 7 may be angled or tilted from the bottom of the front plate (pivoted) in a direction away from the back plate 6 at an angle 37 (T) of between about zero (0=vertical) and about 15 degrees. It has been observed that crops tend to accumulate on the front plate 7 if it is tilted at an angle of 20 degrees or more, resulting in a preferred range for angle T of between about 0 and about 15 degrees. Referring to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, it is seen that the bottom of front plate 7 is located at 37 degrees down from top dead center in an upstream direction, and that front plate 7 is tilted in an angle T of about 10 degrees from vertical with the top leaning away from the back plate 6.

[0116] In embodiments of the present invention, it has been determined that three different angles are important to improved throughput and reducing breakage in nuts such as pistachios. (See FIGS. 4 & 5.) The first angle 35 (alpha or a) is the location of the bottom of the front plate 7 relative to the bottom of the back plate 6 taken from the center of the drum 12 in a cross section view. By way of example, and without limitation, for an embodiment with a 20 drum having a radius of 10 (ten inches) where r=10, and a back plate 6 having its bottom located at top dead center, it has been determined that for hulling pistachios a preferred angle alpha (a) should be approximately 37.

[0117] The next important angle 36 (beta or ) is the angle of the front plate 7 itself toward the back plate 6, based on the position of the bottom of the front plate along the drum. It has been determined that this angle should almost always be approximately 27 in a direction toward the back plate when hulling pistachios. The final angle 37 (tilt or T) is the angle between the front plate 7 and a vertical line at that point of the drum. The relationship between the three angles is described in the following formula: Alphabeta=T (=T). However, T should not be greater than 20 because any larger tilt would result in piling up (dead zones) of nuts against the front plate 7, and any T of less than zero could result in nut breakage.

[0118] Referring to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, the bottom of the front plate 7 is located 37 down from top dead center (=37), so it's starting position would extend out radially at 37. This is a preferred starting location for hulling pistachios. Front plate 7 is then be slanted 27 toward the back plate (=27), which results in the front plate having a tilt of 10 (T=10) away from vertical. Since beta is almost always 27 degrees when hulling pistachios, and T should not be greater than 20 and less than zero, then 27=T or =T+27. Based on this formula the possible range for a would be 27 (when T=0) to 47 degrees (when T=20). So by way of example, if a is selected to be 40 degrees, then angle T would be 13 degrees (4027=13). (See FIG. 9C.). When embodiments of the invention are used to hull nuts, particularly pistachios, it is to be appreciated that a front plate located 42 or more down from top dead center or located 27 or less from top dead center could lead to increased nut breakage and/or dead zones on the plates. However, these limitations do not necessarily apply to vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.) or nuts other than pistachios.

[0119] Referring to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 9B, the bottom of the front plate 7 is located 27 degrees down from top dead center, so angle 35 () is 27 degrees, and the starting position for front plate 7 would extend out radially at 27 degrees. In FIG. 9B, front plate 7 has been slanted 27 degrees toward the back plate 6, so angle 36 (13) is also 27 degrees. This results in bringing the front plate 7 to vertical (T=0).

[0120] Referring to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 9C, the bottom of the front plate 7 is located 40 degrees down from top dead center, so angle 35 () is 40 degrees, and the starting position for front plate 7 would extend out radially at 40 degrees. In FIG. 9C, front plate 7 has been slanted 27 degrees toward the back plate 6, so angle 36 () is 27 degrees. This gives the front plate 7 a tilt of 13 degrees away from vertical (T=13).

[0121] Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus wherein a central opening 21 is provided in the front plate 7 through which processed crops 19 may exit. In these embodiments, crops may be introduced through one or more infeeds located at or near opposite ends 9a, 9b of the drum 11 and are urged toward the center of the drum using various patterns 15 including, without limitation, chevron and herring bone patterns. These patterns alone or in conjunction with the positioning of the front plate 7 and back plate 6, cause the crops to move in tight counter-rotational patterns 28 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A. Depending on the height and position of opening 21, it is possible for the crops in these patterns 28 to encounter a high or a low number of impingements before reaching the central opening 21 where they exit in a processed condition 19.

[0122] In these embodiments, opening 21 is located at or near the center of the front plate 7 above the drum 11. In most embodiments, the length and width of opening 21 may be varied using one or more adjustable gates and/or one or more side panels. The size of the opening 21 may be adjusted in advance, or in real time during processing. In these embodiments, adjustment of the height of the opening 21 may be accomplished using one or two adjustable gates and/or one or two side panels. In some embodiments, a first adjustable gate 22 (upper gate) is provided above opening 21 which may be raised to increase the size of the opening, or lowered to decrease the size of the opening. In some embodiments, a second adjustable gate 23 may also be provided below the opening (lower gate) which prevents crops at or near the drum surface from exiting through opening 21. It is to be appreciated that by coordinating the positions of these two gates and/or the one or more side panels, the opening 21 between them may be raised or lowered relative to the drum.

[0123] It is to be appreciated that by increasing the heights of the first 22 and second 23 gates, the opening 21 may be moved higher such that crops near the top of the counter rotation 28 may exit, while crops at or near the drum surface are likely to receive additional impingements which may be desirable for more thorough processing (hulling/peeling) of these crops as they work their way toward the top of the counter rotation. Similarly, by lowering the heights of the first and second gates, the opening 21 is moved lower such that crops in lower levels of the counter rotation 28 are allowed to exit the machine, which may be desirable if the crops require fewer impingements for peeling.

[0124] In some embodiments, a single adjustable lower gate 23 may be provided below a large opening 21 which may be raised to cause additional nut impingements to accomplish additional processing, or lowered to reduce impingements if additional processing is not needed.

[0125] In some embodiments no lower gate may be provided, and a single adjustable upper gate 22 may be provided which may be raised to increase the size of opening 21 resulting in fewer impingements before the crops are able to exit, or lowered to reduce the size of the opening and increase impingements if additional processing is needed.

[0126] By way of example and without limitation, an opening 21 may have a size of 6 by 6 when fully opened, and embodiments of the lower gate 22 may have height of up to 3, leaving an opening of up to 3 above lower gate 23, depending on whether the upper gate 22 is also being used. It is to be appreciated that the central opening may be larger or smaller than 6 by 6, and that this dimension is provided for exemplary purposes only. The size and location of the opening 21 may be adjusted depending on how full the machine is running, and that the upper and lower gates 22, 23 may be used to adjust the opening 21 upward in order to only allow crops near the top of the pile to exit. In some embodiments, adjustable left and right side gates 25, 26 may also be provided to widen or narrow the width of opening 21, or move the lateral position of opening 21 left or right.

[0127] It is to be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, two similarly adjustable openings may be provided on either side of front plate 7, the crops may be introduced above the center of drum 11, and the patterns 15 of protrusions on the drum urge the crops away from the center and toward the two side openings. These size of these two side openings may be adjusted using upper and lower gates as well as left and right side panels in the same way that the size of a central opening may be adjusted, as describe herein.

[0128] By way of example and without limitation, if the incoming product from the field is substantially hulled before reaching the center opening on the drum, there may be no need to have the bottom gate at all, since no additional impingements are necessary. In such cases an exemplary 3 by 6 opening 21 can be placed at the very bottom of the front plate above the drum without any lower gate, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8A.

[0129] By way of example and without limitation, if the operator decides to employ aggressive peeling because the hulls are more hardened, the front plate opening 21 may be positioned at a very high location (e.g., the lower plate 23 may be up to about 3 tall in the exemplary embodiment), so that the crops undergo considerable impingements before exiting, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8C.

[0130] However, in another example and without limitation, if the majority of incoming nut products are ripe, but there still is a small unripe subpopulation, the operator may choose a less aggressive peeling and faster process time for the product, and may set the height of the lower gate 23 to be only around 1 or perhaps around 2 tall as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8B.

[0131] In alternative embodiments such as that illustrated in FIGS. 20-27, it is seen that one or two side panels 45, 46 may be provided on either side of opening 21. Opening 21 may have a width of about 5 and a height of about 7, although smaller or larger opening sizes are also contemplated within the scope of the invention. The side panel(s) may be moved from right to left in order to partially or completely cover front panel opening 21. In some embodiments, a single side panel 45 may be provided which may be used to partially or completely cover opening 21. In other embodiments, two side panels 45, 46 may be provided; panels 45, 46 may or may not be mirror images or each other, and panels 45, 46 may or may not move in the same or opposite directions at the same or at different times.

[0132] Referring to the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 20-27, it is seen that an end of each of side panels 45 and 46 is angled from bottom to top. The illustrated embodiment shows the panels to have leading edge angles of approximately 60, although any suitable angle from between about 30 and about 75 may be used. When side panels 45, 46 are moved across opening 21, the angled ends of side panels 45, 46 causes the bottom portion of opening 21 to be covered first, with coverage moving up as the panel(s) cover more of opening 21. This coverage by side panels 45, 46 results in giving opening 21 a V-shape as these panels move towards each other. For example, referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 20-21, it is seen that panels 45, 46 have been moved away from central opening 21 such that the entire opening 21 is uncovered. Then, referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 22-23, it is seen that panels 45, 46 have been moved towards each other partially covering the lower portion of opening 21 and creating a V-shape where the bottom of the V is the lowest part of the opening. Finally, referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 24-25, it is seen that panels 45, 46 have been moved further towards each other almost completely covering opening 21 and leaving only a very small V-shaped opening near the top.

[0133] In the embodiments of FIGS. 20-27, it is seen that two panels 45, 46 are provided. An upper guide 43 and a lower guide 42 are provided along front plate 7 to guide panels 45, 46 as they move laterally along plate 7. Upper and lower guides may have any suitable height, ordinarily between about 1 and about 2, and preferably around 1.5. In this illustrated embodiment, a plurality of supports 49 are provided on the backs of panels 45, 46 along the rear surface of plate 7 to support a threaded member 50. A central support 48 for member 50 is also provided above opening 21. In this embodiment, when threaded member 50 is turned in one direction, the panels 45, 46 move toward each other; and when threaded member 50 is turned in the opposite direction, the panels 45, 46 move away from each other. It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments, different guides and different motion imparting mechanisms may be provided, and that the movements of panels 45, 46 may be either coordinated or independent of each other.

[0134] By way of example and without limitation, if the incoming product from the field is substantially hulled before reaching the center opening on the drum, there may be no need to close the side panels at all, since only minimal impingements are necessary. In such cases an opening 21 that is, for example and without limitation, 5 wide and 7 tall can be placed on the front plate above a lower support rail 42 above the drum that is, for example and without limitation 1.5 tall, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 20-21. It is to be appreciated that in other embodiments, the width and height of the front plate opening 21 may be an suitable size, depending on the crop to be processed, the desired processing time, and the amount of impingements desired.

[0135] By way of example and without limitation, if the operator decides to employ aggressive peeling because the hulls are more hardened, the side panels 45, 46 may be moved together to raise the bottom (V) of front plate opening 21 higher, so that the crops undergo additional impingements before exiting, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 22-23.

[0136] It is to be appreciated that different adjustments of the positions of side panels 45, 46 may cover more or less of opening 21 in a V-shaped pattern, causing the opening to be raised, lowered, completely opened, or completely closed. It is also to be appreciated that the same effect may be obtained by use of a single angled side gate which is capable of moving from one side to the other to open, partially cover, or completely cover opening 21.

[0137] Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 7, it is seen that drum 11 may be inserted or removed in a lateral direction along slots 13a and 13b of the machine, without disassembly of the machine nor removal of either back plate 6 or front plate 7. This is possible because in embodiments of the invention, both back plate 6 and front plate 7 may be located in the same quadrant, which is on the opposite side of the machine from drum removal slots 13.

[0138] It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is also to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited by the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but only in accordance with the appended claims when read in light of the foregoing specification.